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Culver

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Posts posted by Culver

  1. While I understand their reasoning for wanting to try the Allison system, I think they're going to be disappointed if they think the Allison system is going to be better than what BAE's putting out now. I may be staking a radical position...but I think the technology has matured enough over the years on both sides (Allison and BAE) that the old "Series hybrids for slow speeds, parallel hybrids for higher speeds" rationale of the past is irrelevant. It's a wash at the end of the day in terms of overall performance and the data would seem to prove that. Of course there are various factors that can affect fuel economy other than the operating profile, such as the software settings.

     

    The truth is, it is generally accepted now that hybrid buses have a higher maintenance cost regardless of what system is employed and/or usage profile. The first few years the per mile cost looks great because all the expensive stuff is insulated by warranty coverage.

     

    Yup. Whatever advantage parallel had for higher speeds isn't really there anymore. Out here, the new BAE E-series buses handle highways and hills better than the Allisons from 2011-2013. Once they're up to speed the engine idles (and does so very silently) and the bus cruises with ease. Maybe Allison has some new updates for their system that'll make it worth the MTA's time.

  2. I see the MTA is going for Allison hybrids. Any reason for leaving BAE? King County Metro out here got XDE60s with the BAE E-series hybrid system and they are spectacular. They cruise at highway speeds with the engine idling and in general are much quieter and smoother than anything BAE or Allison previously put out. Great pull, too, handle some of the crazy hills out here as well as the XT40s and XT60s. Metro stuck with Allison for over a decade (except the Orions, obviously) before going BAE with their latest orders of XDE35/40/60s.

  3. I agree and disagree.

     

    I agree that they are a bunch of rattly buses, but not all of them are hot garbage. The Atlantic & South Base buses are kinda....shitty, but the Bellevue Base takes good care of those buses. The RapidRide buses are the WORST! The ones that operate on the B are okay at best, but the C, D and E units....are extremely hit or miss. The South Base units (A and F) are just done, those are the worst out of the bunch. It just makes me glad that Bellevue Base got the XDE40s, I think the XDE35s are split between Bellevue and South Base.

     

    The LF units were so much better in terms of ride quality. Riding the 5, 550 and 212 was such a breeze with those particular units.

     

    During my 3 months time in Seattle last summer, I was able to check out the entire fleet. I've been extremely impressed with how they spec their buses, as their fleet(with a few exceptions) are no joke. Their XDE35s and XDE40s are pretty amazing buses, and their new XDE60s they are receiving will be just as good, if not better. I'm not that big of an Xcelsior fan by any means, but their fleet is by far my favorite.

     

    Yeah, Metro does go all out for hybrids and electric powertrains, which I do appreciate. But like you said, their RapidRide coaches are in bad shape (and the 2013 ones are the worst ones!). They get used the most and show just how badly built those LFRs are. They otherwise use the standard branded LFRs as little as possible, which says it all, really. The Bellevue LFRs spend a lot of their time in the lots waiting for peak service runs, so they can avoid heavy usage that way. I'm hoping those new XDE60s do better, since I am a fan of that BAE E-Series propulsion system. I did notice more swaying on the XDE60 than the DE60LFR, which is annoying.

     

    Since I don't want to hijack this, I'll bring this back to NYC: The MTA shaker test really is a good thing, and I credit them for doing that third-party shaker test. Sure as hell saved the MTA for the LFRs. Now I wonder who the 75-bus hybrid test order will go to, since NFI and Nova both offer the BAE E-series these days. By the time that order goes out, both manufacturers may be prepping new platforms.

  4. Random thought:

     

    Having been in Seattle the past eight months I see now why the New Flyer LFR platform failed the MTA's shaker test and they went with LFs for the CNG order few years ago. King County Metro's LFR artics are hot garbage and the older LF artics they have are in better shape. The LFRs are rattly as all f**k and could not be of worse build quality. Complete piss they are. Visiting NYC this week I am reminded of the vastly superior build quality on the Nova artics; night and day.

  5. Since always, it's just the initialized versions of their original names. (most ops say it by their names, but it's mostly used on the inside)

     

    -EDIT-

     

    So they're finally rolling out these new programs, only on the M15 as of now. Shot these today.

     

    11249848_10153991258744348_8616872571018

     

    11659359_10153991260289348_8763409138088

    I actually like the look. I was thinking they would make the text a different color and keep a black background, but this works, too.

  6. and i also forgot to add the service variable  thanks to this law kneecaping bus service buses are now running later and this is your result....

     

    Can you maybe grow up already? These posts are seriously annoying and dumb.

    No law is kneecapping service. It's petulant drivers driving extra slow because the city dared ask them to not be reckless behind the wheel.

  7. im sorry you feel that way but that law is very skewed giving a license to jaywalk. the law is very flawed with the definiton to "due regard" and is a traversal disaster! this law should be tossed out with the lawsuit or repeal!

     

    (facepalm)*100

     

    It's not giving a license to jaywalk. Pedestrians have the damn right of way. All that's asked of bus drivers is to not run people over.

  8. I agree the Orion VII's have the most spacious room out of all the low floor buses we currently have. Orion buses are big buses. The Novabus LFS and New Flyer make their buses more smaller and compact. I just wish the MTA would make up their mind with the high floor part of the bus and have all low floor buses configured like the 2002-2006 Orion VII and New Flyer C40LF's.

     

    Seems to be more of a spacing issue. Nova's LFS has the idiotic wheelbase length that renders the interior fundamentally f**ked in terms of space. New Flyer has for some reason decided that less standing room and one less seat in the lower deck for the X's is an improvement over the LF and LFR models. Orion VIIs and NFI's LF/LFRs were much better with interior spacing. Unfortunately, the half-assed design Novas and XD40s is all the MTA gets to choose from.

  9. Last night I'm on a northbound Q50 where a rider is trying to push the back door open when the bus is on the New England Thruway. How dumb could one be?

     

    I usually see that with dumb people mashing on the back doors like the bus is on fire before it's even stopped and the green light has come on. It's really annoying that so many New Yorkers still can't follow basic directions of "wait for green light, push yellow tape."

  10. Why the hell did I just see XD40s with B6 signage and people in them while walking down Ave P? What is that detour even going around?

     

    I'm guessing something with late night construction where Ave P/Kings Hwy/Bay Pkwy converge, because this evening seeing B82s on P.

  11. So I just saw an (E) pull out of 57/7th towards Queens no lie not trippin.

    Yeah the IND was screwed this PM rush hour. Problems at Chambers and WTC on the A/C/E that ruined service there, and third rail power failure at 57th Street on the F that had my train standing between Roosevelt Island and Lexington/63 St for half an hour and then crawl to Rockefeller.

  12. The E/F absolutely haul ass between Roosevelt and Queensbridge or Queens Plaza. I rarely travel out that way, but I have to say, that's a super smooth and fast ride. Whatever the MTA did there, they need to do everywhere. Judging by that sound, seems like the heavier rail is installed there, too.

  13. I have to say, the B6 sure shits the bed when there's snow. Of all the routes I've ever had to use, the B6 is the only one where service deteriorates to such an extremely bad level when it snows. Obviously, bad weather causes problems everywhere, but it's almost impossibly bad on the B6.

  14. Snow chains coming on tomorrow, I suppose.

    Question for any bus operators on here: do the snow chains really make a difference? I was on an RTS last winter during one of the heavy snow periods (guess they didn't put on the chains in time for that one), with a ton of snow already down and it was fine. The bus didn't skid off the road, flip and explode into flames.

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