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Re: PHOTOS: A Tribute to Valley Metro's soon to be gone routes/buses

Posted by roscoman1986 on Wed Dec 31 01:42:37 2008, in response to Re: PHOTOS: A Tribute to Valley Metro's soon to be gone routes/buses, posted by T8H5307N on Tue Dec 30 18:03:59 2008.

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Interesting information! I had no idea that buses 4051-4072 were options (they were certainly no different than 4002-4050).

By the way, do you know if any of the 1994 D40LFs were delivered to the RPTA new? I wasn't a busfan until 2001 so I didn't follow buses in Phoenix up until then (although I do have memories of buses between 1993 and 2001, the oldest being the AM Generals but no further information). If they weren't, I would guess the RPTA routes used RTS buses (including some 4300-series RTS with opening windows in the rear section as well) and some TMC RTS from Phoenix, cutaways, or were operated by another division before the D40LFs were transferred over (and the NABIs were delivered).

The Transmarks were interesting buses. If I recall, 2301-2323 were built in 1994, owned by the City of Mesa (unless Phoenix operated them before) and were CNG powered. A document dating from 2000-2001 showed them owned by Mesa and operated by Laidlaw although I thought that Forsythe (later ATC) operated Mesa routes. I had no idea that there was a 1994 order of Transmarks until I started doing high school debate and we headed out to Gilbert, where I saw one on route 136. I only rode the Transmarks once in downtown Mesa (on route 104-Mesa Drive) back in 2004. One of the oddest bus sightings I ever saw was also around 2003-2004, when I saw a Transmark operating on North Central Avenue in Phoenix on Route 590-Deer Valley Express! I don't know what the story of this bus was (whether it was being loaned to Phoenix or assigned to ATC-Phoenix at the time) but it was a very odd sighting indeed. I never saw a Transmark again in the City of Phoenix. I don't know if these buses were retired in 2004 (when MV Transportation took over the Mesa Division) or 2005 (when MV Transportation combined the RPTA Division and the Mesa Division) but they were definitely gone by April 2005 and replaced by the leased Gilligs.

Also, buses 2324-2329? were built in 1995, with 2324-2328? being owned by the RPTA, and bus 2329? owned by the City of Scottsdale. I saw a photo by Sid from NJ of one of these buses operating on route 81 sometime in 1999-2001 and I remember seeing one (probably out of service) at Shea and the 101 around the same time. These buses were retired sometime in 2002 and were sold off via Arizona Bus Sales. I don't know what happened to the Scottsdale-owned bus, but I remember seeing a brochure with a photo of this bus (or another similar one) in Scottsdale Connection colors. It was then wrapped with an "art" wrap according to the Spring/Summer 1999 Destinations newsletter (http://www.valleymetro.org/images/uploads/destinations_newsletter/Dest2039.pdf) and then was probably retired when Scottsdale Connection was merged into Valley Metro. There is also a photo at http://www.showbus.co.uk/gallery/foreign/usa/vm4.htm.

I never had a chance to see 1993 Neoplan AN440LF 4001. From what I understand it was transferred over to the RPTA around 1999 and then saw shuttle service between the garage and downtown Tempe. I don't know when it was officially retired from service. I would guess that it had very similar specifications to the 1994 New Flyer D40LFs despite having a different manufacturer, and that is interesting to know that it was owned by the City of Phoenix. Also, I am guessing that the over-the-road coach that was substituted was a Neoplan Metroliner (which was not the last time that Valley Metro tested an over-the-road coach, as earlier this year they apparently tested an MCI D4500CT (but instead went with New Flyer BRT-styled suburban buses).

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