BusTalk

ripta42 · Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 7:51 pm Post subject: NovaBus LFS demo in Rhode Island

I spotted an all white 40' Nova LFS parked behind the Comfort Inn off I-95 in Pawtucket, RI tonight. Not sure where it's headed, but it looks like some eastern transit authority may be looking at Novas.

timecruncher · Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 6:45 am Post subject:

We're supposed to get one here in Louisville with a testbed Cummins engine in it for a year or so. I it supposed to be delivered sometime this month. We didn't buy it, we're not paying for it, but we'll get to play with it for a while to test this engine setup.

I don't know if ours is coming from the US or Canadian assembly plant, though. Either way, I cannot imagine it coming here by way of Pawtucket! Poughkeepsie and Cucamonga, perhaps.

Get it? Ughh. Tough audience. I know you're out there, I can hear you pointing and clicking...

Seriously, I'll check today with our procurement guy and see if he has heard anything more about the bus.

timecruncher
Schedulers give you the runs!

timecruncher · Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 3:17 pm Post subject:

Okay, here it is. I managed to get it out on the street for a few photos this past Saturday. Nice bus...

Here it is at TARC's only remaining bus loop at 32nd Street and Portland Avenue. Two routes pull into here (a third stops across the street). Route 27 goes around clockwise and route 43 goes around counter-clockwise. I pulled in after a couple of our regular buses left.

This is a test bed for a new urea-burning particulate trap for the Cummins engine. Since we have it only for a short while, our shop didn't want to put too much into decorating it, hence the "basic white" color scheme.

This shot was taken at the route 15 weekday layover at Shawnee Park. The bus and former streetcar loop behind and to my right still exists, but TARC doesn't own the property any more and buses layover on the street.

Nice bus, but only 35 seats!

timecruncher

daimlerbuses · Age: 31 Joined: 22 Jul 2009 Posts: 30

That, or they're looking at the new setup of the third-gen LFS.

gmnewlook · Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:21 pm Post subject:

Nice. How do you like the rear? Do you have any photos? I would like to make a papebus of it. Wink

tovinman · Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Posts: 24

The first three US built NovaBus units were to be demos, and they started
building them in mid-June, so I would guess it was one of the three.

Its'important to get VIN numbers; that way we can positively nail what it is
and document it as being at TARC since it does seem to have been used in revenue service

Please, everybody - if you see anything new, or odd, GET THE VIN. That way
someone can answer your question

ripta42 · Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 9:32 am Post subject:

Believe me, I tried.

gmnewlook · Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 7:55 pm Post subject:

As stated in another post, that 3rd gen LFS with the TARC logo was built at St-Eustache. Right now the ST-Eustache plant is belting out Artics for the STM (Montreal) and last time I passed there, a couple of months ago, there were hybrids for Translink, diesels for Brampton, Quebec City, STM.

I'll have to go for a looksee next week.

timecruncher · Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 12:46 pm Post subject:

Ask and ye shall (sometimes) recieve. Looks okay to me. Lots of drivers and mechanics are a bit unsure about the big glass-looking thing in the middle that you can see through.

Most weren't alive when buses had rear windows...

I've posted this photo previously, but I'll add that the Orion 02 next to the Nova is used for our Marketing Department and is no longer part of the active fleet. It is, as are all Orion 02 units, a piece of unreliable crap that should never have been built.

Not that I have an opinion of the strange critter.

The Chance/Optima 'tacky trolley' needs no explanation. There isn't one.

timecruncher