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| Re: PHOTOS: A Tribute to Valley Metro's soon to be gone routes/buses (130874) | |||
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Re: PHOTOS: A Tribute to Valley Metro's soon to be gone routes/buses |
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Posted by roscoman1986 on Thu Jan 1 00:46:30 2009, in response to Re: PHOTOS: A Tribute to Valley Metro's soon to be gone routes/buses, posted by T8H5307N on Wed Dec 31 16:38:17 2008. Yep, I remember the AM Generals but not the Flxible Metros (which lasted until 1998) since I was not a busfan until 2001. Also, downtown had the D40LFs, MAN Articulateds, and Orion IIs on the DASH shuttle. The TMC Citycruisers were actually 1987 Orion 01.502 30-footers but they had the same windows as the TMC Citycruisers. There were 10 of these buses (2701-2710) and I believe they were originally delivered to Phoenix (however I saw a photo of one in a different livery, possibly for Tempe, in a 1992 newsletter at the Phoenix Public Library).I remember seeing those little "electric" buses (they were built by now-defunct Advanced Vehicle Systems, or AVS) in 2002 and 2003 (although a couple were built before that according to http://www.valleymetro.org/images/uploads/destinations_newsletter/Dest1944.pdf, sorry about the lack of hyperlink). According to this brochure (http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/pdfs/lng_hybrid_bus.pdf, sorry about the lack of hyperlink again) the buses were LNG hybrid buses powered by a Capstone microturbine. They didn't last that long and were withdrawn from service in 2003 after being replaced by 2003 Startrans Senator cutaways 1332-1340 and some (ex-Mesa?) cutaways in the Valley Metro color scheme (which were themselves replaced by 2005 Startrans Senator cutaways 1399-1402). I don't know if they were withdrawn from service because AVS went out of business or because they were having major problems, but I assume the latter. For a while they were stored in a lot near the old Tempe bus yard and I read somewhere that they were supposed to be reactivated in 2006-2007 to replace the 2003 Startrans Senator cutaways that replaced them. However, it never happened and I don't know if these buses are still on the property. The ElDorado MST CNG buses (2401-2406) were built in 2000 and owned by the City of Mesa. I never saw them in person until 2005 because I never really went out to Mesa (and I did not know they existed until around 2003-2004). They were retired in 2006 after the 60-BRTs came in. The 60-BRTs displaced 40-foot buses, which freed up smaller buses that could replace the MSTs. I saw them about a year later around 44th Street and University Drive painted all white and in storage. I remember that a number of the 1994 D40LFs had markings by the rear doors that said Owner: Regional Public Transportation Authority/Manager: City of Phoenix/Operator: ATC/Vancom. Others had markings that stated RPTA ownership and still others (especially later repaints) had markings that stated City of Phoenix ownership. From what I remember almost all of the 1996 D40LFs had markings that stated City of Phoenix ownership but 3719 had additional markings by the rear door that stated RPTA ownership and Phoenix management (like the 1994 D40LFs). I don't remember if 3727 (the L40LF) was owned by the City of Phoenix or the RPTA, but this bus was repainted around 2002-2004 and in 2004 this bus was transferred over to the RPTA. I would guess that after it was transferred over to the RPTA it was also owned by the RPTA. In addition, some of the TMC RTS had the same situation. Although the majority of the 1988-1990 TMC RTS had City of Phoenix ownership markings, there were some 1988 TMC RTS that had the markings that stated RPTA ownership and Phoenix management, and this was also the case with the two 1989 TMC RTS 40-footers (4434-4435, which were ex-methanol powered buses). Some of the 1990 TMC RTS were originally operated by ATC/RPTA and then transfered to ATC/Phoenix (and finally Laidlaw). These buses had the full "Valley Metro" markings on them (as opposed to just the "Metro" markings on the other Phoenix buses), had black paint on the tops of the front and rear doors, and may have had different numbers in the past. Finally, I remember 4470 had markings stating RPTA ownership (despite being operated by Phoenix). I find that interesting that the City of Phoenix purchased the first 23 Transmarks and that the RPTA may have owned them at one time. I thought these buses were always owned by the City of Mesa. As for the ATC/RPTA facility, I remember seeing bus 3010 (which had a faded paint scheme) but never bus 4001. I tried looking for bus 4001 but for some reason I never found it at the time. This was back around 2003-2004. I remember that 3010 stayed behind in 2005 as well. I don't know the full story of bus 3010, but I believe that it is a 1992 Gillig that was a former demonstrator. It apparently was sold off to Arizona Bus Sales, who posted exterior and interior photos. The interior appeared to have hard blue and black seats. I don't remember when 3010 was in service but I heard that it was in service on Route 30-University. I wonder if it ever wore the Phoenix Transit colors? |
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