Artics Not Operating on the X2

[WES]

Do anyone know when the other 62ft are going to arrive there

Why do I think this whole LFA order has been a massive piece of clusterfudge for WMATA?

Bus orders take a while to get produced, especially when you have a crapload of TAs that have ordered buses around the same time. Also, even when they come in, the operators, mechanics, etc have to be trained on them.

The DE42LFAs should be all in up and running by now.  Buses, if I am correct, are built in number order, not out of order, they do arrive out of order.  I think there is a bigger problem than a govenor issue or else all of the DE42LFAs should be in an running, not even half of them are even in.6302-6319, 6321-6349, 6351-6375 various buses from 6376-6455 and 6456-6461 have yet to arrive and not one DE37LFA nor anymore of the DE62LFAs have come in other than the one DE62LFA that came in a few months ago have came in.  A govenor shouldn't take over 5 months to fix.  The good thing is at least the Metro Bs are still running strong (although, the Ds are dropping like flies).  In a few weeks those Bs are going to hit 19 years of service for WMATA.  These were suppposed to be hitting bus heaven by now.  I think the Bs will easily hit 19 years of service and maybe a few months beyond.  Those NABIs might have to treck a few more months if those DE62LFAs don't come in pretty soon.

[LandoverDivision]

6457 was in service last week. 6458-6461 aren't in service (they're sitting at Carmen). 6360 is also in service. and saw 6351 too. But dang with is with this LFA order?

[79MetroExtraMD]

Do anyone know when the other 62ft are going to arrive there

Why do I think this whole LFA order has been a massive piece of clusterfudge for WMATA?

Bus orders take a while to get produced, especially when you have a crapload of TAs that have ordered buses around the same time. Also, even when they come in, the operators, mechanics, etc have to be trained on them.

The DE42LFAs should be all in up and running by now.  Buses, if I am correct, are built in number order, not out of order, they do arrive out of order.  I think there is a bigger problem than a govenor issue or else all of the DE42LFAs should be in an running, not even half of them are even in.6302-6319, 6321-6349, 6351-6375 various buses from 6376-6455 and 6456-6461 have yet to arrive and not one DE37LFA nor anymore of the DE62LFAs have come in other than the one DE62LFA that came in a few months ago have came in.  A govenor shouldn't take over 5 months to fix.  The good thing is at least the Metro Bs are still running strong (although, the Ds are dropping like flies).  In a few weeks those Bs are going to hit 19 years of service for WMATA.  These were suppposed to be hitting bus heaven by now.  I think the Bs will easily hit 19 years of service and maybe a few months beyond.  Those NABIs might have to treck a few more months if those DE62LFAs don't come in pretty soon.

I heard a few months back that the first ones off the line had to be redone because they were too heavy. I feel you on how it's been a while since they started coming in. The earlier ones 6302-6349 haven't been seen as of yet. Those might be the latter ones being built. I'm surprised it took no time for MTAs tics to arrive, but if push comes to shove, hopefully they'll come before years end.

[LandoverDivision]

Do anyone know when the other 62ft are going to arrive there

Why do I think this whole LFA order has been a massive piece of clusterfudge for WMATA?

Bus orders take a while to get produced, especially when you have a crapload of TAs that have ordered buses around the same time. Also, even when they come in, the operators, mechanics, etc have to be trained on them.

The DE42LFAs should be all in up and running by now.  Buses, if I am correct, are built in number order, not out of order, they do arrive out of order.  I think there is a bigger problem than a govenor issue or else all of the DE42LFAs should be in an running, not even half of them are even in.6302-6319, 6321-6349, 6351-6375 various buses from 6376-6455 and 6456-6461 have yet to arrive and not one DE37LFA nor anymore of the DE62LFAs have come in other than the one DE62LFA that came in a few months ago have came in.  A govenor shouldn't take over 5 months to fix.  The good thing is at least the Metro Bs are still running strong (although, the Ds are dropping like flies).  In a few weeks those Bs are going to hit 19 years of service for WMATA.  These were suppposed to be hitting bus heaven by now.  I think the Bs will easily hit 19 years of service and maybe a few months beyond.  Those NABIs might have to treck a few more months if those DE62LFAs don't come in pretty soon.

I heard a few months back that the first ones off the line had to be redone because they were too heavy. I feel you on how it's been a while since they started coming in. The earlier ones 6302-6349 haven't been seen as of yet. Those might be the latter ones being built. I'm surprised it took no time for MTAs tics to arrive, but if push comes to shove, hopefully they'll come before years end.

I said in another post before that 6346 was seen at Landover w/o a wheel skirt. Then it left. 6344 was also seen.

[OrionFlyer]

Is 6301 still a Landover? I'm surprised that bus isn't in service yet. Its been here since last year. Maybe it is in service and nobody hasn't seen it yet.

[BladensburgB2]

Right when you seen 6346 w/o the wheel skirt the reason is that the MD specs dont want them on the buses for some reason

[Tristan]

Is 6301 still a Landover? I'm surprised that bus isn't in service yet. Its been here since last year. Maybe it is in service and nobody hasn't seen it yet.

Something similar happened with 2501 when those boats started arriving -- it sat at Landover for awhile, disappeared, 2502 and the others started arriving, and it was literally months before I saw 2501 for the first time in service.

I think part of the issue is that, with large orders, manufacturers tend to send a "sample" ahead of time so the agency knows what they're about to get socked with, and if the agency demands changes based on what they don't like in the sample, the manufacturer can make those changes to buses they haven't built or released yet...then when the first of those modified buses shows up, the agency will send the "sample" back to the manufacturer (or the manufacturer will come to the agency or pay for a third party to do so) to get the same retrofits or modifications...

Say for example WMATA didn't like the door performance on 2501; they call Orion, which notes the change and implements it for all the buses they haven't built yet, sends the newer coaches out, then WMATA sends 2501 back to Orion for them to modify that unit as well.

So if there was a problem with 6301, this could explain (possibly) why it isn't back in play yet...just from a manufacturing/fulfillment perspective.

The question is: what didn't they like about 6301, if anything?

[79MetroExtraMD]

From what I've heard from a few folks, the originals ones that came were built with steel frames and were too heavy for the streets and had to be sent back for aluminium frames. That's the only rumor I heard so far. Then theres the governing issue rumor for the West Ox and Maryland buses having to do more than 55 mph on the Beltway and other roads, that was the other rumor I heard as well. Other than that, nothing much else.

[Tristan]

Maybe they could remove the 10 tons of extra plastic and make it an LFR instead.  The LFAs are a waste of ... virtually everything.

I doubt the weight issue is the cause of the problems -- GWVR ratings are supplied in basic, public spec sheets, so that's a piece of information that the TA would have long before the first shell rolls down the line.  However, I could be in denial of the power of WMATA to screw up even elementary things as this.