RTSbook Posted June 17, 2011 Share #26 Posted June 17, 2011 Ok, thank you for clearing that up..... Yes those TAMU buses are 100% NJT. The only one's that are not are the 2 Pueblo purchased. Those are basically Puerto Rico AMA spec'd. Not exactly. Pueblo's actually IDENTICAL to the NJT buses, with the exception that they don't have a fire supression system and seating fabric is devoid of the NJT tri-stripe. Quigley at PT has previously told me how their order changed CONSIDERABLY from what was originally promised. Initially, they were to piggyback off the last batch of AMA-spec RTSes, meaning V-drive, rear-mount A/C, etc. They ultimately agreed over time to a different design. Look at the finished product. A little different, no? And, at long last, Foxwoods photos (you'll need to look at the lower LH corner of the "AC grille" to see the remnants of the NJT fleet number, but it's visible): 500= 4103 502 = 4105 503 = 4106 And at last, 504 = the bus that "didn't go to Foxwoods," 4107... Also, Murray J. Kramer wrote in his NJT Fleet Roster update in the 6/06 issue of Motor Coach Age that 4101 carries serial number 004, and 4201 carries serial number 005. Typos? Perhaps, but seeing as both buses were delivered at the same time to NJT, it's doubtful that they didn't carry consecutive VINs. Also, given the earlier MTS-sourced info has flubbed both the Foxwoods distribution of NJT buses and both the Altoona and Pueblo coaches, I'm not quite ready to consider it Gospel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RTSbook Posted June 17, 2011 Share #27 Posted June 17, 2011 One more I forgot.... Part of the Artesia bus was supposed to be for DART. Not the way it is now, but the entire front of the bus was supposedly for bus 5701, which was never built. 5700 was built, but never delivered. The rest of the parts would have been for Nova's next T-Drive bus. So now I will have to get the VIN off the 42.5 foot low floor!:confused: Do you have that Evan? There was a DART-spec non-T-drive suburban demo floating around Roswell; wouldn't be surprising if it was sacrificed for that oddball. And no, I don't have it. MTS isn't even sure if it has a VIN. Even if it did, it would have been a Nova serial number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real Posted June 17, 2011 Share #28 Posted June 17, 2011 Evan, What is the official model designation of the Millennium RTS Legends built. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RTSbook Posted June 17, 2011 Share #29 Posted June 17, 2011 Evan, What is the official model designation of the Millennium RTS Legends built. Depends on who you asked, and when you asked. Some early documents say 06M, but many official tech documents (including recall paperwork submitted to NHTSA and actual shop manuals) dub call it a R80-THN (RTS, 8 modules, 102" wide, T-drive, high-floor, narrow front door). I generally stick to that. Problem is, every bus I've seen built simply says "TRANSIT" on the build plate underneath the model category. From your photos, it appears the TAMU buses say the same. I've never seen ex-4201 in person to see if that same plate says "SUBURBAN." -Evan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East New York Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share #30 Posted June 23, 2011 I finally tracked down this bus. I will have the VIN right after the holiday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lothian Posted December 5, 2011 Share #31 Posted December 5, 2011 Sorry to bump an oldish thread, but has there been a confirmation of the VIN of the Artesia unit? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East New York Posted December 5, 2011 Author Share #32 Posted December 5, 2011 Sorry to bump an oldish thread, but has there been a confirmation of the VIN of the Artesia unit? Thanks. No, I kind of forgot about that. I will try and remember to track it down this week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lothian Posted December 5, 2011 Share #33 Posted December 5, 2011 Thanks for that! I found this thread made for a very interesting read, but the final piece of the puzzle is still missing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drv4shw Posted December 8, 2011 Share #34 Posted December 8, 2011 To Clarify a small issue, Artesia Bulldogs have 2 RTS buses. The first was the DART suburban pilot built by Nova Plated by Nova sold by MTS, The second as a stall built proof of concept t-drive built by MTS plated by MTS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East New York Posted December 15, 2011 Author Share #35 Posted December 15, 2011 To Clarify a small issue, Artesia Bulldogs have 2 RTS buses. The first was the DART suburban pilot built by Nova Plated by Nova sold by MTS, The second as a stall built proof of concept t-drive built by MTS plated by MTS. Thank you for that bit of info. I think we now have all the pieces to this puzzle. I'm currently awaiting a call from Artesia for a maintenance summary of the buses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lothian Posted March 25, 2013 Share #36 Posted March 25, 2013 What appears to be a former Artesia RTS is being auctioned off. I'm not sure which of the two Artesia RTS buses this one would be (re this post) but it is described as a '2005 Millennium HF Suburban Transit'. EDIT: Oh sorry, I see this was already posted in another thread. Oops! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo19 Posted March 26, 2013 Share #37 Posted March 26, 2013 What appears to be a former Artesia RTS is being auctioned off. I'm not sure which of the two Artesia RTS buses this one would be (re this post) but it is described as a '2005 Millennium HF Suburban Transit'. EDIT: Oh sorry, I see this was already posted in another thread. Oops! No, it's fine. Let's continue the disscussion here. At this point I'm debating if this is the unit ENY posted a while back or if it's a different unit entirely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lothian Posted March 28, 2013 Share #38 Posted March 28, 2013 At this point I'm debating if this is the unit ENY posted a while back or if it's a different unit entirely. It does look like the same unit to me, and MTS only ever built two RTS suburbans. By the way I have failed to locate any picture of the 'other' RTS that Artesia allegedly has. Talking about RTS suburbans, I found a picture of Somerset County 4025 here, and it doesn't look like a suburban at all. The discussion in this thread would have this bus as ex-NJT 4201, the Suburban pilot. So has this bus been converted with a rear door at some point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lothian Posted March 28, 2013 Share #39 Posted March 28, 2013 By the way I have failed to locate any picture of the 'other' RTS that Artesia allegedly has. Looking closer at the above sales link, I noticed that A-Z Bus are actually selling two similar buses. One is a 2005 MTS Suburban, the other is a 2002 Nova Suburban. It is quite likely that both are ex-Artesia Bulldogs buses and that the 2002 Nova is actually the DART 5700 pilot. Of note, the very mention that one bus is a 2005 MTS strongly suggests that its builder plate and/or VIN is really Millennium and not Nova. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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