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A Nova among Gilligs

 
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timecruncher



Age: 73
Joined: 23 Dec 2008
Posts: 456
Location: Louisville, Kentucky

PostPosted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 7:46 pm    Post subject: A Nova among Gilligs Reply with quote

I'm not clear about why this thing is at TARC, other than it is a test-bed for a new 2010EPA-compliant Cummins powerplant. We're supposed to have it for six or more months, then it goes back to Nova or Cummins or somewhere.

I knew it was on the way, so expecting a new bus, I grabbed the camera and headed for the shop area in hopes of exploring something new and different.

What a disappointment! This thing is dirtier inside than most of our equipment (and Louisville buses aren't terribly clean at their best). There's rust on the wheelchair ramp, and as near as I can tell, there isn't any place to mount a GFI Cents-a-Bill farebox on the floor or driver platform without fouling the ramp itself.

Oh well, it does look different. I drove one of these up at COTA in Columbus, OH a few years ago, and liked the way it handled and drove. I haven't heard anything positive about these buses from COTA or Cleveland RTA where there are sizeable fleets of 'em. Mechanically, they just aren't up to the quality of the Gillig or even the Flxible coaches they have replaced.

I was unable to move it for better photos, so this will have to do for now.





Only 34 seats! Our 1951 TDH 5103's had 51 seats. My, what progress!



There is a fleet number over the windshield of 356-2. Does that correspond to the fleet numbering system anywhere familiar?

The cup holder is a nice touch. The builder plate sez the unit was "Fabrique en Quebec," so it ain't a New York bus. Ah well, a few trips through Louisville's west end and it will be adequately broken in for testing purposes!

timecruncher

PS - The Orion 02 next to the Nova in the outside pic is kept on the property for the Marketing Department. They use it to demonstrate the website and trip planner at various functions. We no longer actually run these things any more. Hell, they rarely ran under their own power for more than a few miles when we had 20 of them in service! The other is a regular Chance/Optima tacky trolley. Yay.
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ripta42
Site Admin


Age: 44
Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 1035
Location: Pawtucket, RI / Woburn, MA

PostPosted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 9:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

All white, slightly used... might be the same unit that passed through Rhode Island.
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kevlaf983



Age: 41
Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 99
Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada

PostPosted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 8:51 am    Post subject: Re: A Nova among Gilligs Reply with quote

FYI for everybody - This is the redesigned LFS (or 3rd gen as many fans are calling it) that will be built later this year.

timecruncher wrote:

There is a fleet number over the windshield of 356-2. Does that correspond to the fleet numbering system anywhere familiar?

timecruncher



No thats a Nova assigned number.
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timecruncher



Age: 73
Joined: 23 Dec 2008
Posts: 456
Location: Louisville, Kentucky

PostPosted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 10:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It isn't the world-famous but elusive timecruncher at the wheel, but it is spawn of timecruncher 2 (son Dan) at the wheel of one of the Columbus Novas on their training road behind the McKinley facility in November, 2003. Son had been driving for TANK at that time for about three years, so he knew only Flxible Metros and Gillig Phantoms and low floors. He also got to pilot COTA's TDH5305 over at their Fields facility and learned what it was like to not have power steering!



the world-famous timecruncher...

You know, it is refreshing just to see a bus without a #&@*!! bike rack mounted on the front of it!
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gmnewlook



Age: 52
Joined: 02 Nov 2007
Posts: 67
Location: Montreal, QC

PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:28 pm    Post subject: Re: A Nova among Gilligs Reply with quote

timecruncher wrote:
I'm not clear about why this thing is at TARC, other than it is a test-bed for a new 2010EPA-compliant Cummins powerplant. We're supposed to have it for six or more months, then it goes back to Nova or Cummins or somewhere.

I knew it was on the way, so expecting a new bus, I grabbed the camera and headed for the shop area in hopes of exploring something new and different.

What a disappointment! This thing is dirtier inside than most of our equipment (and Louisville buses aren't terribly clean at their best). There's rust on the wheelchair ramp, and as near as I can tell, there isn't any place to mount a GFI Cents-a-Bill farebox on the floor or driver platform without fouling the ramp itself.

Oh well, it does look different. I drove one of these up at COTA in Columbus, OH a few years ago, and liked the way it handled and drove. I haven't heard anything positive about these buses from COTA or Cleveland RTA where there are sizeable fleets of 'em. Mechanically, they just aren't up to the quality of the Gillig or even the Flxible coaches they have replaced.

I was unable to move it for better photos, so this will have to do for now.

There is a fleet number over the windshield of 356-2. Does that correspond to the fleet numbering system anywhere familiar?

The cup holder is a nice touch. The builder plate sez the unit was "Fabrique en Quebec," so it ain't a New York bus. Ah well, a few trips through Louisville's west end and it will be adequately broken in for testing purposes!

timecruncher

PS - The Orion 02 next to the Nova in the outside pic is kept on the property for the Marketing Department. They use it to demonstrate the website and trip planner at various functions. We no longer actually run these things any more. Hell, they rarely ran under their own power for more than a few miles when we had 20 of them in service! The other is a regular Chance/Optima tacky trolley. Yay.


356-2 is the NovaBUS fleet number, it's one of their demos. It should say "Fabriqué au Québec" so it came out of the St-Eustache plant, and it has the first redesigned rear lights, not the shorter ones like the ones delivered now.

Here is STM 29-120 delivered at the beginning of the month:
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tovinman




Joined: 17 Jan 2008
Posts: 24

PostPosted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 7:51 am    Post subject: TARC Nova Demo Reply with quote

From the look of it it's one of the three Plattsburg demos, with the new T-drive configuration (hence the rear window is centered).

356-2 is the order. I'm guessing its'the second unit, or VIN 94000002, since
Nova order numbers include the number of units (356-1 would be the first bus off the Plattsburg line, and 356-3 would be the third, also a demo. The Rhode Island unit is likely either 356-1 or 356-3 (we'll eventually know for sure, as people swtart seeing Nova demos in the West)

I'd surmise that the three were sent West, East, and one to Central US which seems to be the one you got.

Wish you'd got the actual VIN so I don't have to guess, but I'm pretty sure,
based on the order number, that its'the second unit off Plattsburg, serial 94000002. The first three digits of the VIN would be 4RK as opposed to the 2NV WMI used for Canadian built units and the "4000" also differs from Canadas'"3000"as the plant code

We know that 48 units were built in Plattsburg prior to Vancouver getting hybrid #9501, and two of those 48 were artics for New York City, so between
June and September 45 buses were built for US transit systems (I'm looking at Nashville and Knoxville)
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Lothian




Joined: 30 Oct 2009
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 9:18 am    Post subject: Re: TARC Nova Demo Reply with quote

tovinman wrote:
From the look of it it's one of the three Plattsburg demos, with the new T-drive configuration (hence the rear window is centered).

356-2 is the order. I'm guessing its'the second unit, or VIN 94000002, since
Nova order numbers include the number of units (356-1 would be the first bus off the Plattsburg line, and 356-3 would be the third, also a demo. The Rhode Island unit is likely either 356-1 or 356-3 (we'll eventually know for sure, as people swtart seeing Nova demos in the West)

I'd surmise that the three were sent West, East, and one to Central US which seems to be the one you got.

Wish you'd got the actual VIN so I don't have to guess, but I'm pretty sure,
based on the order number, that its'the second unit off Plattsburg, serial 94000002. The first three digits of the VIN would be 4RK as opposed to the 2NV WMI used for Canadian built units and the "4000" also differs from Canadas'"3000"as the plant code

We know that 48 units were built in Plattsburg prior to Vancouver getting hybrid #9501, and two of those 48 were artics for New York City, so between
June and September 45 buses were built for US transit systems (I'm looking at Nashville and Knoxville)


This is probably not a unit built in Plattsburgh, as it has the early version of the 3rd generation aft cap, including full height tail light panels. Plattsburgh builds all seem to have the production version with replaceable rear corner panels.

Unit 356-1 was built in March 2008 at the St-Eustache factory, 356-2 was probably built shortly after.

The two pilot NYC artics were built in St-Eustache, not Plattsburgh. The buses built in Plattsburgh so far include units for Vancouver and Victoria BC, possibly some demos, but as far as I know no units for US buyers. The first units scheduled to be built in Plattsburgh for the US are 10 buses for Disney Transport, probably being build right now. None are on order for Nashville or Knoxville.
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timecruncher



Age: 73
Joined: 23 Dec 2008
Posts: 456
Location: Louisville, Kentucky

PostPosted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 8:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This little sticker is affixed above the windshield on the right-hand side. Nahh, I don't think it came off of the New York assembly.



After running the bus for around four months, our maintenance director is not amused. While the radiator package is mounted high, away from the hot engine compartment, he feels that it is inconvenient up there, requiring shop personnel to use scaffolding to get up there to fix anything.

He also doesn't like the rooftop a/c unit.

He really doesn't like the cheesy wheelchair ramp. Apparently it is not structually sound and tends to bend when a heavy wheelchair goes up it.

The drivers who are allowed to drive it (only six or seven were trained to drive the creature) seem to like the bus. Passengers like it -- it is quieter and the ride is far better than any Gillig on the property excepting possibly the hybrids. Visibility is much improved with this bus as well.

We on the admin side, however, would really like for Nova to bid on our next procurement. We have 57 Gillig low floor units from 1998 that are due for replacement -- if we can find local match dollars to get the grant -- and we would like to see someone else besides Gillig bid for a change.

Gillig has been good to us, but they kinda put the screws to us cost-wise on the last group delivered. Not the way to treat customers who have purchased 175 of their buses in the past 12 years.

I got to take her out for a couple of hours prior to going into service, along with a couple of retired bus drivers/fans from Metro up in Cincinnati. Both seemed impressed.



Shown here at the last dedicated bus loop in the city at 32nd & Portland Avenue in Louisville's Portland neighborhood. This is a unique loop in that the street is one-way (west), yet two routes turn in here. Route 27 makes the loop clockwise and route 43 makes the loop counter-clockwise. There is room to pass only in one spot on the eastern side of the turnaround:



timecruncher
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Lothian




Joined: 30 Oct 2009
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 9:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seeing that this has been bumped, I may as well mention that this demo bus has been recently sold to a Canadian operator near Montreal. Does anybody know for how long it tested with TARC?
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GBL Rebel
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 608
Location: Long Island, N.Y.

PostPosted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 7:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lothian wrote:
Seeing that this has been bumped, I may as well mention that this demo bus has been recently sold to a Canadian operator near Montreal. Does anybody know for how long it tested with TARC?

MODERATOR'S NOTE:
Don't worry if a topic is old. If you ever have something to add to it, no matter the date of last post, go ahead and add to it. Sometimes it makes a better story in the end with more up to date info.
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timecruncher



Age: 73
Joined: 23 Dec 2008
Posts: 456
Location: Louisville, Kentucky

PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 1:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had the photos on a server at home and was cleaning out the files. I'll re-post them at my first opportunity.

timecruncher
Schedulers give you the runs!
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