MetroBusFan3575 Posted June 16, 2008 Share #1 Posted June 16, 2008 BOO! Here's what I can tell ya about the new buses METRO is to get. Under the "strict" purchasing plan, METRO will be purchasing up to 100 hybrid buses a year. While I wait for the other 10 restyled New Flyer hybrids to come for a special "Signature Service" so I can see what they'll look like, METRO will get the following new vehicles: 102 MCI D4500CTH hybrid commuter coaches. The fleet numbers assigned to these coaches are=>5001-5102. 96 Orion VII Next Generation HEV buses. The fleet numbers assigned to these buses are=>3601-3696. METRO had one D4500CTH coach here for testing but has since been returned to MCI and the other production coaches are being built as we speak. I would of gotten pics but nobody told me where this coach was util it wastoo late. I do have pics of the same "unfinished" test coach from MCI. About the Orion VII NG HEVs---I was told by a friend who knows somebody from Orion that our buses are currently being built. For those wanting to know about the fleet here in Houston, we have more New Flyers than any other manufacturer here. Here's the buses we do have and how many buses we have ACTIVE: Neoplan AN345/3 (3700-3760): 53. New Flyer D45S "Viking" coach (4700-4803): 101. MCI D4500 "diesel" commuter coach (4810-4948): 139. MCI D4500CT "diesel" commuter coach (4949-4973): 25. New Flyer D30LF (4200-4327): 79. New Flyer D40LF (2800-2899): 100. New Flyer D40LF (2900-2949): 50. NOTE: All of the buses in this series is parked at one garage---Kashmere Garage. New Flyer D40LF (3200-3535): 334. New Flyer D40LF (4000-4156): 145. This shouldn't count the four retrofitted hybrid buses. New Flyer DE40LF (4103-4106): 4. These buses were formally L40LF buses before they were retrofitted to be hybrid buses. New Flyer DE41LFR (3550-3579): 30. Thses buses are used for regular service at METRO. New Flyer DE41LFR (3580-3589): 10. Thses buses have yet to arrive and will be used for what's called "Signature Service." Neoplan AN460 (4400-4467): 66. These buses have the suburban seating configuration. Neoplan AN460 (4500-4589): 76. These buses have the transit seating configuration. We have a total of 18 Siemens Avanto S-70 light rail trains and I hope they get more of this type once more lines are built. That's all from me. Whew! ~Cedric Collins~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pablo M 201 Posted June 16, 2008 Share #2 Posted June 16, 2008 I hear the order for D4500CTHs is going to go through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroBusFan3575 Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share #3 Posted June 16, 2008 I hear the order for D4500CTHs is going to go through. You're right. Why? They originally ordered 52 but METRO went on ahead and ordered 50 more during the most recent 100-hybrid bus order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroBusFan3575 Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share #4 Posted July 25, 2008 Hey there, folks. On July 16, I have received an e-mail from MCI (after I e-mailed them a question on the MCI hybrids) and I was told four are here but are NOT in service yet. I have no pics from METRO nor do I have the fleet numbers for those coaches as of yet. Once I get those things, I hope to post that on here. Just F.Y.I. for ya! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East New York Posted July 26, 2008 Share #5 Posted July 26, 2008 Hey there, folks. On July 16, I have received an e-mail from MCI (after I e-mailed them a question on the MCI hybrids) and I was told four are here but are NOT in service yet. I have no pics from METRO nor do I have the fleet numbers for those coaches as of yet. Once I get those things, I hope to post that on here. Just F.Y.I. for ya! I think MTA would have ordered them if it wasn't for the price tag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroBusFan3575 Posted October 11, 2008 Author Share #6 Posted October 11, 2008 UPDATE!! Several of our new Orion VII NG HEVs are here! They were spotted at one of METRO's garages but are NOT in service yet. They were parked somewhere away from the rest of buses. I was told that it may not be until sometime next month before any would go out on the streets for testing. HELP! If anybody here knows somebody at Orion, can you PLEASE ask if anybody there would be generous enough to take time and provide me with HI-RES TOP ONLY photos of a completed bus before it may head to Houston. Thanks if this can happen. I need those photos because YES, I'm doing a paper model replica of the bus. It may be asking for too much but I may not be able to take top photos myself but I'll be able to take pics of the other areas of the bus so don't worry about those. E-mail me those pics at (cedriccollins@hotmail.com). Hopefully y'all was looking around because people were posting a pic (or more) of one of the O7 NG HEVs at the APTA Expo in San Diego. #3624 was the bus used at the event. If I get anything else regarding the O7 NG HEVs, I'll let you know about it. See ya! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pablo M 201 Posted October 11, 2008 Share #7 Posted October 11, 2008 Ah cool. So Orion is going to be juggling the MTA and Houston METRO O7 NG order. I wonder who else Orion is building O7 NGs at this point. How many buses were ordered for Houston METRO? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroBusFan3575 Posted October 11, 2008 Author Share #8 Posted October 11, 2008 Ah cool. So Orion is going to be juggling the MTA and Houston METRO O7 NG order. I wonder who else Orion is building O7 NGs at this point. How many buses were ordered for Houston METRO? That's what I want to know---in regards to who else is getting their O7 NGs built. We're getting 96 of them total. Fleet numbers assigned: 3601-3696. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroBusFan3575 Posted November 8, 2008 Author Share #9 Posted November 8, 2008 Hey, all. I'm back with more news about the Orion VII NG HEVs for Houston METRO. I'm inclined to think that they're now testing a number of them out on the streets to see if they can find any problems. On that note, that's why you won't hear me saying that they're in service until further notice. It looks like METRO wants to make doggone sure the buses are 100% in check before they see passengers like me on a daily basis. Now for the great news that's going to happen to me on Monday, 11/10/2008. I have been given an exclusive permission to enter one of the garages that I see the new buses parked at and take photos of at least one of the new O7 NG hybrids. They even told me which one they'll "set aside" for me to take photos of. YES, they'll even give me a chance to take TOP photos of the bus---as well as exterior and interior pics. just by telling you this is making me one of the happiest bus fans alive but I won't go nuts. Wish me luck! I'll post pics when I get the chance afterwards. Comments about this are welcomed. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forest Glen Posted November 8, 2008 Share #10 Posted November 8, 2008 Houston is larger than Philadelphia. It needs a REAL subway system, not just a bus system and not just a light rail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroBusFan3575 Posted November 9, 2008 Author Share #11 Posted November 9, 2008 Houston is larger than Philadelphia. It needs a REAL subway system, not just a bus system and not just a light rail. Even they only have just one line for now, METRO is putting light rail in other parts of the city and they are even possibly looking into commuter rail so I don't think we need a subway system. METRO Solutions website Go there and that's where I got the info from in regards to more rail and possibly commuter rail, etc. The only concern I have for now is that we need more buses and I think METRO really needs to rethink about artic buses. Anyhoo, I'll get my camera ready for tomorrow so I can FINALLY get shots of the new O7 NG HEV bus. SWEET! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forest Glen Posted November 9, 2008 Share #12 Posted November 9, 2008 That commuter rail looks more like a light rail. However, at least they're expanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeDBusBuilder Posted November 16, 2008 Share #13 Posted November 16, 2008 Ah cool. So Orion is going to be juggling the MTA and Houston METRO O7 NG order. I wonder who else Orion is building O7 NGs at this point. How many buses were ordered for Houston METRO? So far in 2008 Orion delivered NG buses to: NYCT Houston TX Elk Grove CA FairFax VA Stanislaus County CA Union City CA St John New Brunswick Toront Ontario Des Moines Iowa University of Vermont Duke University Piedmont NC Broome County NY Port Authority NY/NJ Visallia CA Long Island Bus New Orleans LA Campus Transit Yolo County CA Butte County CA Thousand Oaks CA Sacramento, CA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroBusFan3575 Posted November 19, 2008 Author Share #14 Posted November 19, 2008 So far in 2008 Orion delivered NG buses to: NYCT Houston TX Elk Grove CA FairFax VA Stanislaus County CA Union City CA St John New Brunswick Toront Ontario Des Moines Iowa University of Vermont Duke University Piedmont NC Broome County NY Port Authority NY/NJ Visallia CA Long Island Bus New Orleans LA Campus Transit Yolo County CA Butte County CA Thousand Oaks CA Sacramento, CA WOW! That's a lot of NGs going out---or will be going out if the orders are not finished yet. Good luck building those buses. I'll see about doing a 35' paper model replica of anybody who has such a bus. It may be Thousand Oaks Transit---or---it may even be NORTA---once I find pics of the bus in the NORMAL livery. 30' NG model? Fairfax Connector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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