BusTalk

S-60 To Smith Haven Mall · Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 8:36 am Post subject:

As Of 5/8/11
* Thanks to The TransitMan and Hart Bus for collecting and sharing their Information.

The Numbers in Brackets are the number of buses in that fleet the company has, Numbers in Brackets next to each company is how many buses they have in total

^ means that summer routes were not included in total for buses needed

Suffolk Bus Corp (54 buses total)
Ronkonkoma Yard (25 total- 20 buses needed weekday, 16 buses needed Saturday)
Routes: S59,S61,S66,S68,6A,6B,7A,7B,7D/E

1999 Orion 05.503: 9923,9932-9933,9935,9939-9940 (6)
2005 Gillig Phantom 35TB102: 5011-5013,5015-5016* (5)
2010 Orion 07.502: 1031-1038 (8 )
2010 Orion 07.503: 1066-1071 (6)

Bay Shore Yard (29 total- 21 buses needed weekday, 17 buses needed Saturday)
Routes: S40,S41,S42,S45,S47(Summer Only),3A,3B,3C,3D

1999 Orion 05.503: 9920,9928-9929 (3)
2005 Gillig Phantom 35TB102: 5001-5010 (10)
2005 Gillig Phantom 35TB102: 5014 (Being Repaired at the yard)
2010 Orion 07.502 35ft: 1016-1030 (15)

C.B.S. Lines, Inc (30 total- 20 buses needed weekday, 15 needed Saturday)
Routes: S56,S58,S60,S62,S69(Night Loop),S71,S110,5A

1999 Orion 05.503: 9908 (1)
2000 Gillig Phantom 35TB102 Suburban: 2000-2005 (6)
2005 Gillig Phantom 35TB102: 5057-5059,5071-5081 (14)
2010 Orion 07.502 35ft: 1057-1063 (7)
2010 Orion 07.503 30ft: 1072-1073 (2)

Inter-County Motor Coach (36 total- 27 buses needed weekday, 21 buses needed Saturday)
Routes: S23,S25,S27,S29,S33,S35,S54,S57,S63,2A,2B

1999 Orion 05.503: 9913,9915,9918 (3)
2005 Gillig Phantom 35TB102: 5021-5034,5053 (15)
2010 Orion 07.501 40ft: 1001-1002 (2)
2010 Orion 07.502 35ft: 1041-1056 (16)

EBT Inc (18 total- 13 buses needed weekday, 6 buses needed Saturday)
Routes: S1,S20,S31,1A,1B

2005 Gillig Phantom 35TB102: 5051-5052,5055-5056,5060 (5)
2008 Gillig Advantage BRT Low Floor: 8001-8004 (4)
2010 Orion 07.501 40ft: 1003-1009 (7)
2010 Orion 07.502 35ft: 1039-1040 (2)

Sunrise Coaches Inc. (18 total- 14 buses needed weekday, 13 needed Saturday)
Routes: S92,8A,10D/E

2005 Gillig Phantom 35TB102: 5054,5091-5096 (7)
2010 Orion 07.501 40ft: 1010-1015 (6)
2010 Orion 07.502 35ft: 1065 (1)
2010 Orion 07.503 30ft: 1078-1081 (4)

Hampton Jitney (7 total- 4 buses needed weekday and Saturday^)
Routes: S90,S94(Summer Only),10A,10B,10C

2005 Gillig Phantom 35TB102: 5041-5042 (2)
2010 Orion 07.502 35ft: 1064 (1)
2010 Orion 07.503 30ft: 1074-1077 (4)

Total number of Suffolk Transit Buses: 163

Official Retired List
1981 New Flyer D901A-10235C: 108-115,550-557,624,800-806 (24)
1982 Gillig Phantom 35TB102: 5,7-13*,6-13(118-125),126-127, 209*,558-562 (24)
1987 Gillig Phantom 35TB102: 8701-8703,8720-8733,711*, 740-742*, 750-759 (31)
1991 Gillig Phantom 40TB102: 9100,910-917 (9)
1991 Gillig Phantom 35TB102: 9101-9108,920*,930-934,940-941 (16)
1993 Flexible Metro D 30096: 9301-9303,9311-9316,9321-9326,9331-9342 (27)
1996 Gillig Phantom 35TB102: 9600-9620,9630-9636,9641-9655,9660-9661 (44)
1997 Gillig Phantom 30TB96: 9701-9702,9711-9714,9721-9726,9731-9734 (16)
1999 Orion 05.503: 9901-9907,9909-9912,9914,9916-9917,9919,9921-9922,9924-9927,9930-9931,9934,9936-9938,9941-9942 (30)

(9921,9924,9927,9930,9645 and 9648 have not been scrapped yet but are considered retired because they have not been used in service since the 10xx Orion VII NG's have arrived)

Total Number of Retired Suffolk Transit Buses: 221

an * next to anything BEFORE 1993 means that the bus is retired but it is not known where the bus spent its active life.

Hart Bus · Age: 75 Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Posts: 1150

A very big THANK You is in order to the MNYBA for organizing another great trip. We left 41st and Eighth at 8:00 AM.

First Stop was Roosevelt Island. Some of us elected to disembark at 61st and Second and take the tram over to the Island. My heart jumped when seeing the visitors center near the tram. It is one of the old Kiosks that served as entrances to the trolleys that ran over the Queensboro Bridge. They were is the little triangle at the NYC end of the bridge sitting in disrepair. One of the was relocated and renovated. A nice job. We boarded the bus and went north on the island pulled in under a garage and saw 5 of the 7 buses in the fleet. They are stored outdoors. The repair facility is a two bay facility, with a lift. Since there was some time, I sat on a bench facing Queens and snoozed in the sun for 15 minutes. We boarded the bus, went over the bridge on our way to JFK Depot. I might like to spend a sunny day walking around the island, but all I saw were apartments and don't know if that living is for me anymore.

Second Stop was JFK Depot. The guard freaked when he saw us pull in since nobody had alerted him. Once we got in we got an unofficial tour by a supervisor. Saw a bus being charged up. We were told that it can take 8 hours for a complete charge. One guest said the electric hybrids work ok in the cities but poorly in suburban areas since they don't brake as often as city buses to help with the recharging en route. No museum buses stored there. Did get a picture of the Cornerstone near the front entrance showing GBL formed in 1923 and the building erected in 1952.

Third stop was Roosevelt Field Mall for Lunch.

Fourth stop was Norman J Levy / Mitchell Field Depot. Not much activity going on. I saw more with a 25 cent given by a poster. Several of the older buses look like they will have to be towed to Eastchester since they have been cannibalized for parts. Found out that if you don't have a conversion list ready to trace back the fleet numbers of the renumbered buses, just look closely at the license plates. the old number is engraved on them. The 1700 and 1800 buses have the current number engraved on their plates. I observed 10 MCI's in different areas. The big panel in the back that goes over the route sign had 5 different decals. The buses and decals are:

1883 - MTA NYC BUS

1885 - MTA LI Bus

1886 - "

1888 - "

1889 - MTA ( nothing but the logo)

1890 - MTA L I Bus

1892 - MTA NYC BUS

1893 - MTA L I Bus

1897 - "

1908 - MTA Bus

Sixth Stop was Suffolk Bus Corp in Bayshore. A class operation all the way. They had two executives waiting to greet us. Upon going into the office, there was a small table with Dunkin Donuts, several "Boxes of Joe", small containers of milk and best of all SBC mugs to take home. Thanks again for taking Transitman and I to another yard for see and notate the reserve fleet. Also seen on the premises Also seen on the property was cutaways 2903 & 2904 plus oldie 2504. Also was a cutaway
numbered 1002 in a wrap/paintjob for Tanger at the Arches. Apparently there is a shuttle service from the LIRR Deer Park station to the center.

Seventh Stop was Intercounty Motor Coach in Babylon. I think from my scribbling that I saw bus 9910 there. Not complete sure. Also saw ex-Academy # 577. Livery not changes but now runs for Krystal Tours.
Did not see any Ground Transport America buses there. No one could or cared to tell me the relationship between ICMC, KT, and GTA. Are KT and GTA privately owned and pay ICMC for rent, repairs and commissions on tours booked? We were given the option of boarding at the yard or walking about 3 blocks to Babylon Rail to take pictdes and get on the bus. I chose the latter. Also observed at ICMC was cutaway 2404.

Eighth stop - Educational Bus. Also a friendly reception. They pulled 8003 out for picture taking. One minor comment about s-60's roster. Bus 5060 is now in a fully body wrap for Mercedes-Benz. Also cutaway 2217 was parked and plated. There is no operator shown but part of the decal was burned into the paint showing Suffolk Bus as an operator at
one time.

Ninth stop was dinner at Old Country Buffet in Levittown. I didn't go to the Tenth Stop back in the city since my wife and daughter picked me up to get my car at the LIRR Huntington Station.

Hart Bus

S-60 To Smith Haven Mall · Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 4:53 pm Post subject:

I believe all the Suffolk Operators have a van for driver relief. Suffolk Bus has the sole contract for all Para Transit work for the county, i believe.

You prob saw more of Suffolk Bus Corp then I did when I wasn't suppose to be there eight years ago. LOL.

That would be odd for 9910 to have been at Inter County, but I guess anything is possible.

I wasn't aware that SBC had a shuttle contract, or that was even a shuttle to Tanger at the Arches to the Deer Park LIRR station, though maybe that explains why a SBC driver at the Ronkonkoma yard said that they had a bus numbered 1006 in the yard.

So I guess 5060 took 9616's place with the wrap, and would explain why it couldn't be transferred to CBS.

The TransitMan · Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 5:26 pm Post subject:

Hart Bus · Age: 75 Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Posts: 1150

It was a pleasure meeting up with you, TM. Hope you sign up for some more MNYBA trips. I will let you know via these boards if I am taking the next one on Sat. 6/18. It's my son's 35th birthday and the day before Dad's day.

We usually have a joint celebration, but don't know his work schedule yet.

The TransitMan · Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 7:20 pm Post subject:

Ok! File this in the "WTF" file!

Orion #1076 was on the S90 this past Thursday (Sorry for the late notice). That tells me that the ridership has dropped slightly. Stay tuned!

S-60 To Smith Haven Mall · Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 8:55 pm Post subject:

The TransitMan · Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 10:34 am Post subject:

Well, Gillig Phantom 35TB102 #5054 was showing its age this morning on the S92. It was "hissing" past me when it left the bus stop on County Road 39 in Southampton. Looks awful in the back.

Jimbo, what's the story on that bus?

GBL Rebel · Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 11:14 am Post subject:

S-60 To Smith Haven Mall · Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 12:47 pm Post subject:

Also word of 5014's return has made it all the way through Suffolk Bus Corp. A friend asked a driver for SBC about the bus and they said the same thing the person who told the MNYBA group about it.

Also heard that 5011 was spotted on the 6A the other day and 5013 may have a problem getting going after it is stopped.

The TransitMan · Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 7:20 pm Post subject:

S-60 To Smith Haven Mall · Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 8:29 am Post subject:

ST9909 · Age: 35 Joined: 14 Oct 2010 Posts: 54

5054 was a good bus when CBS got it....it was a little sluggish til you hit third gear....very much like 5058....that hissing can easily be fixed if you have the right mechanic...usually the a/c going or a lose air line ....but thank god we got rid of it

GBL Rebel · Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 4:51 pm Post subject:

The TransitMan · Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 5:32 pm Post subject: