MTA Bus Operations: Fleet & Depots

[RSMG106]

I'm not sure if this is confirmed, but Grand Avenue just updated their label. 

Edited December 10, 2022 by RSMG106

[Iron Valiant]

11 minutes ago, RSMG106 said:

I'm not sure if this is confirmed, but Grand Avenue just updated their label. 

It looks fake ngl.

[RSMG106]

1 minute ago, Snorunts said:

It looks fake ngl.

I would figure that. For one thing, Grand Avenue doesn't have the B46 in their roster. Only Flatbush has it.

[trainfan22]

Was about to say the MTA is really trying to erase the Orion Hybrids from history if they replaced OG on the depot logo with a New Flyer bus.

 

I hope the Grand Ave depot sticker stays an OG Orion hybrid forever.

[Around the Horn]

8 hours ago, RSMG106 said:

I'm not sure if this is confirmed, but Grand Avenue just updated their label. 

I wouldn't mind this if it was the same kind of illustration as the classic NYCT depot stickers like ENY, Amsterdam, Flatbush and Kingsbridge (incidentally I almost typed "the classic NYCT depot stickers from the 90's" ; do we actually know when depot stickers were first created?)

This one looks too much like the clip arty style of illustration the MTA Bus stickers have and it just doesn't look right

[RSMG106]

1 hour ago, Around the Horn said:

I wouldn't mind this if it was the same kind of illustration as the classic NYCT depot stickers like ENY, Amsterdam, Flatbush and Kingsbridge (incidentally I almost typed "the classic NYCT depot stickers from the 90's" ; do we actually know when depot stickers were first created?)

This one looks too much like the clip arty style of illustration the MTA Bus stickers have and it just doesn't look right

I admit it looks out of line. I know the latest depot to have an updated sticker would be 100th street in 2012, in which it was renamed to Tuskegee Airmen. 

[Q43LTD]

9 hours ago, Around the Horn said:

I wouldn't mind this if it was the same kind of illustration as the classic NYCT depot stickers like ENY, Amsterdam, Flatbush and Kingsbridge (incidentally I almost typed "the classic NYCT depot stickers from the 90's" ; do we actually know when depot stickers were first created?)

This one looks too much like the clip arty style of illustration the MTA Bus stickers have and it just doesn't look right

You left off Stengel

[MHV9218]

Stengel had the colors changed a few years ago too, that was also an update.

[Kingsbridgeviewer382]

On 12/11/2022 at 10:58 AM, MHV9218 said:

Stengel had the colors changed a few years ago too, that was also an update.

It was nearly 10 years ago when Stengel first rolled out its updated depot sticker, with QV getting a subtle change to its label not too long after that.

[RSMG106]

6006 (CS) refitted with ZF Ecolife transmission after going through maintenance. This is due to a potential fleet maintenance upgrade as a test.

Edited December 20, 2022 by RSMG106

[NewFlyer 230]

I know this question was answered before somewhere but why are a lot of the NG’s being retired so fast? I know they are all at retirement age technically since they are 12 and older but we still have even older Orion VII OG’s still in service.

Does it have something to do with their batteries or were they just poor in quality from the start? 

[Cait Sith]

1 hour ago, RSMG106 said:

6006 (CS) refitted with ZF Ecolife transmission after going through maintenance. This is due to a potential fleet maintenance upgrade as a test.

Source??

[RSMG106]

41 minutes ago, Cait Sith said:

Source??

At the time, I was in the unit, and I told the operator about why it it sounded different. He told me that it was at the Cummins service station, and its transmission was replaced. 

[Cait Sith]

Just now, RSMG106 said:

At the time, I was in the unit, and I told the operator about why it it sounded different. He told me that it was at the Cummins service station, and its transmission was replaced. 

That doesn't necessarily mean it has a ZF. It probably got a new Allison.

[RSMG106]

Just now, Cait Sith said:

That doesn't necessarily mean it has a ZF. It probably got a new Allison.

It could be that it sounded kind of different. I thought it would be ZF, but Allison had a similar sounding transmission.

[Cait Sith]

1 hour ago, NewFlyer 230 said:

I know this question was answered before somewhere but why are a lot of the NG’s being retired so fast? I know they are all at retirement age technically since they are 12 and older but we still have even older Orion VII OG’s still in service.

Does it have something to do with their batteries or were they just poor in quality from the start? 

The worst of the bunch are getting retired. With the new XDEs and LFS Hybrids coming in, they'll push the remaining good ones over to MTA Bus to retire the OGs, and scrap the worst ones. The 3800s-3900s left over will likely be retired asap because of the batteries.

Edited December 20, 2022 by Cait Sith

[trainfan22]

3 hours ago, NewFlyer 230 said:

I know this question was answered before somewhere but why are a lot of the NG’s being retired so fast? I know they are all at retirement age technically since they are 12 and older but we still have even older Orion VII OG’s still in service.

Does it have something to do with their batteries or were they just poor in quality from the start? 

From what I read on here it's a combination of low MDBF, electrical and suspension issues that's causing the early demise of all these NG Hybrids. 

2 hours ago, RSMG106 said:

At the time, I was in the unit, and I told the operator about why it it sounded different. He told me that it was at the Cummins service station, and its transmission was replaced. 

There has been random ENY XD40s that sounded odd in the interior recently, I just chalked it up as the B/O having the bus shifted into an different gear.

 

The B/Os even know the difference between Allsion and ZF transmissions? Like at depots that operate buses with both (Like JG and WF for example) do they even know the C40s and XN40 have different transmissions but the same engine. I always got the feeling that if it's not relevant to their job title, B/Os don't care about that type of stuff. Seems more like an concern for the mechanics.

[Cait Sith]

3 hours ago, RSMG106 said:

It could be that it sounded kind of different. I thought it would be ZF, but Allison had a similar sounding transmission.

I can confirm that it has a new Allison. Just heard it pass by me on the Q44.

Edited December 21, 2022 by Cait Sith

[S78 via Hylan]

13 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

The B/Os even know the difference between Allison and ZF transmissions? Like at depots that operate buses with both (Like JG and WF for example) do they even know the C40s and XN40 have different transmissions but the same engine. I always got the feeling that if it's not relevant to their job title, B/Os don't care about that type of stuff. Seems more like an concern for the mechanics.

Some of us do move from operating buses to mechanics or maintenance, so it can be useful to learn about these things in advance. Not to mention, after you’ve been operating buses for at least five years and above, you get used to what their engines sound like, how they run in any condition, etc. While it may not be part of our title, it is useful to know the kind of bus we’re operating. 

Edited December 21, 2022 by S78 via Hylan

[NBTA]

12 hours ago, Cait Sith said:

I can confirm that it has a new Allison. Just heard it pass by me on the Q44.

Can double confirm this, took a ride on it, definitely a new Allison.

[trainfan22]

This is not an article from The Onion, lol......

 

 

Quote

The MTA’s $1.1 billion plans to buy 500 new electric buses could be derailed unless New York state’s utility regulator cuts the authority slack on its electric bill, transit officials warned.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and her appointed MTA leadership have touted ambitious plans to convert the entire fleet of 5,800 to electric power, beginning with the new purchase. But powering just the existing 15 electric buses currently costs two to three times diesel or natural gas, officials wrote in Dec. 6. comments submitted to the state Public Service Commission (PSC).

State law signed by Hochul last year required the PSC to reduce the impact of peak “demand charges” on large-scale electric vehicle (EV) charging operators like the MTA. The commission has until Dec. 31 to come to a decision on how big of a discount to give.

 

 

https://nypost.com/2022/12/25/high-utility-charges-could-derail-ny-electric-bus-transition/

Edited December 28, 2022 by trainfan22

[EastFlatbushLarry]

7 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

This is not an article from The Onion, lol......

 

 

typical. just typical. I'm not surprised one bit.

Edited December 28, 2022 by EastFlatbushLarry
I'm responding to the NY Post quoted article btw 😂

[RandomRider0101]

Looks like they may have to stick with Diesels and CNGs for now, with the occasional Hybrids.

Edited December 28, 2022 by RandomRider0101

[NBTA]

On 12/28/2022 at 6:26 PM, RandomRider0101 said:

Looks like they may have to stick with Diesels and CNGs for now, with the occasional Hybrids.

I’ve always been against the electric movement but..if it works, it works.

[Calvin]

Not an actual bus move, just a note that 8086 is back in-service at Jamaica Depot following its past incident. Front of the bus was repaired.