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| (82521) | |
Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses |
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Posted by transitbusfan on Thu Jan 3 13:13:46 2008 Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses (3701-3729) are meet the FTA 12-year minimum.These buses need TwinVision Amber LED signs to replace their aging Luminator LEDot signs incluiding the 1998, 1999 NABI 40-LFW. |
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| (82533) | |
Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses |
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Posted by phxtusbusfan on Thu Jan 3 15:22:44 2008, in response to Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses, posted by transitbusfan on Thu Jan 3 13:13:46 2008. I highly doubt that these buses will get LED signs or, in fact, any real improvements. In fact, I think that these buses, as well as the remaining 1994 D40LFs that are operated by First Transit, will likely be gone by the end of this month. All of the TMC RTSs and most of the 1994 First Transit D40LFs were retired with the arrival of the 2007 D40LFs. To the best of my knowledge, the 30 2007 D60LFs didn't replace anything and ended up as additional buses in the South Division garage. When the new schedule is published and the runs are divvied up, I fully expect that at least 30 of the Veolia-Phoenix NABI 40LFWs will move to the First Transit division and that the D40LFs (1994 and 1996) in that division will be removed from service. In fact, I'd bet that the 1994 D40LFs operated by Veolia-RPTA will end up lasting longer in service than any of the 1994/1996 D40LFs over at First Transit (as the RPTA ones won't be replaced until the 2008 C40LFRs arrive this summer). |
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| (82538) | |
Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses |
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Posted by roscoman1986 on Thu Jan 3 15:40:36 2008, in response to Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses, posted by phxtusbusfan on Thu Jan 3 15:22:44 2008. Here's what I see happening with the 1994 and 1996 D40LFs.The 1994 Valley Metro (what I call the RPTA) owned buses will be withdrawn from service in 2008 with the arrival of the 2008 C40LFRs. The Phoenix-owned 1994 D40LFs have already been withdrawn from service and some have been repainted white (meaning that they are officially off the roster). I drove by the South Division and saw bus 4025, which was transferred from Valley Metro to Phoenix in 2006. There are a number of 1994 D40LFs below the cutoff (at 4039-4040) that have already been withdrawn, including 4038-4039, and 4025 to name a few. The 1996 Phoenix owned D40LFs DID get (and are getting) very minor improvements, namely new seat covers. However, unlike the NABIs these are not going in all at the same time, rather they are getting put on as any of the many seat covers on these buses wears out. As a result, the seat cushions and covers are mismatched, with a combination of original (and worn out) covers, newer gray, green, and purple covers, and the newest brown/purple with designs seat covers inside any one bus. It looks pretty tacky in my opinion. I don't know personally what is going to happen with these buses, but when the schedules are changed we will find out. |
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| (82540) | |
Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses |
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Posted by roscoman1986 on Thu Jan 3 15:47:37 2008, in response to Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses, posted by transitbusfan on Thu Jan 3 13:13:46 2008. Yep, those buses are certainly at the 12-year minimum and personally I don't expect them to last past this year. However, some comments:1. The 1996 buses have Luminator Mega:MAX signs rather than Luminator LEDot signs. However, bus 3707 or 3709 has a Luminator LEDot sign installed as a test. 2. Some of the 1998 Phoenix-owned NABI 40-LFW buses have been getting new Luminator LEDot signs as part of their rehabilitation, and look very new (they are bright green and not worn out). So, it appears that the 1998 NABI buses will stick with Luminator LEDot signs. However, 6107 has a Luminator Full Color headsign that is not working, and bus 6108 has front, side, and rear Luminator Horizon signs that is not working either. I believe when these buses were rehabbed the signs were disconnected and will probably be replaced with new signs that do not have their flipdots worn out. The Valley Metro (I am referring to the RPTA from here on out just as Valley Metro) 1998 NABIs are only getting new seat cushions and as we know the Tempe 1998 40-LFWs have Luminator Horizon signs. The Phoenix LEDot signs seem to work fine except for the fact that the flipdots are off color sometimes. 3. The 1999 NABI 40-LFWs have TwinVision LEDot signs rather than Luminator signs. This includes the Phoenix-owned ones, the RPTA-owned ones, and the Scottsdale-owned one that has a broken sign because Tempe is using it along with 6254. The difference between these and the Luminator LEDot signs is the font is different on the front, side, and rear headsigns. These signs seem to work fine with Phoenix and with rehabilitation the 1999 NABIs are not getting new signs. So, except for Tempe, I would expect other divisions to not replace signs. Tempe only replaced signs because of the massive failures that happened in the summer of 2006 due to the headsign maintenance guy leaving. |
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| (82569) | |
Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses |
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Posted by phxtusbusfan on Thu Jan 3 19:18:40 2008, in response to Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses, posted by roscoman1986 on Thu Jan 3 15:40:36 2008. A few questions:Was the RPTA/Phoenix cutoff really as high as 4040? The reason is I remember being on some Phoenix (Laidlaw) D40LFs back in 2002 that were in the upper 4030 range (4036+). My memory could be wrong though. When you saw 4025 was it still in the full color scheme or was it painted retirement white? I saw it in service on route 13 sometime in October/November. What routes are the 1996 D40LFs found on? It seems that the 106/170/138 are almost exclusively 2007 D40LF. I would like to ride on a 1996 D40LF before they are retired. I know that the 13 has 1996 D40LFs but for the purposes of a busfanning trip I'd like go on a different route. |
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| (82577) | |
Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses |
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Posted by SignGuy on Thu Jan 3 19:50:07 2008, in response to Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses, posted by transitbusfan on Thu Jan 3 13:13:46 2008. The signs ARE NOT Luminator LeDot, they are TwinVision LeDot. |
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| (82612) | |
Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses |
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Posted by transitbusfan on Thu Jan 3 23:42:04 2008, in response to Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses, posted by phxtusbusfan on Thu Jan 3 19:18:40 2008. phxtusbusfan Route 67- 67th Avenue have lots of 1996 New Flyer D40LF (3701-3729) buses everyday.You might take a busfaanning trip from 67th Avenue/Buckeye to Arrowhead Towne Center in Glendale on 75th Avenue and Bell Road. Please take picture inside of 1996 New Flyer D40LF buses. I bus driver from First Transit tell me they are not keeping the 1994 New Flyer D40LF 40xx buses. |
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| (82666) | |
Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses |
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Posted by 42B-North Main St-Tower Av-Coventry/Vine on Fri Jan 4 20:45:28 2008, in response to Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses, posted by transitbusfan on Thu Jan 3 13:13:46 2008. I might not be the biggest genius, but don't the call Luminator flip dot with LED MAX: 3000? |
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| (82783) | |
Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses |
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Posted by roscoman1986 on Sat Jan 5 19:27:50 2008, in response to Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses, posted by phxtusbusfan on Thu Jan 3 19:18:40 2008. Bus 4025 was still painted in full colors last time I saw it. The only other line that I know of that has 1996 D40LFs now is the 186-Union Hills, which goes through better areas than the 13. |
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| (82784) | |
Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses |
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Posted by roscoman1986 on Sat Jan 5 19:28:27 2008, in response to Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses, posted by transitbusfan on Thu Jan 3 23:42:04 2008. I believe that all of the 1994s that operate in Phoenix have been retired. |
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| (82796) | |
PHOTOS Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses |
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Posted by phxtusbusfan on Sat Jan 5 21:24:02 2008, in response to Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses, posted by roscoman1986 on Sat Jan 5 19:27:50 2008. I had to come up to the Phoenix area today and I decided to try the suggestion of the 67-67th Ave line to catch the 1996 D40LFs. Lo and behold it appears that this line is exclusively 1996 D40LFs. I rode on 3713 from Arrowhead Towne Center to Glendale Ave. On the return trip I was on 3720. I did notice that a large number of the 1996 D40LFs (such as 3713) had non-functioning destination signs. 3720's did work however.3718:  3713:    3717 (taken from inside 3713):  3715 (taken from inside 3713):  3720:      3712: 
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| (82797) | |
Interior PHOTOS Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses |
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Posted by phxtusbusfan on Sat Jan 5 21:36:08 2008, in response to PHOTOS Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses, posted by phxtusbusfan on Sat Jan 5 21:24:02 2008. I was able to get some interior shots of buses 3713 and 3720:3713:    3713 seats:    3720:       3720 seats:       |
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| (82809) | |
Re: Interior PHOTOS Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses |
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Posted by The Port of Authority on Sat Jan 5 22:40:23 2008, in response to Interior PHOTOS Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses, posted by phxtusbusfan on Sat Jan 5 21:36:08 2008. Those seats look like they've seen better days. |
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| (82813) | |
Re: Interior PHOTOS Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses |
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Posted by phxtusbusfan on Sat Jan 5 22:54:48 2008, in response to Re: Interior PHOTOS Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses, posted by The Port of Authority on Sat Jan 5 22:40:23 2008. The buses as a whole look and feel like they've seen better days (inside and out). They likely will be retired fairly soon. |
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| (82819) | |
Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses |
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Posted by SignGuy on Sat Jan 5 23:25:14 2008, in response to Re: Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses, posted by 42B-North Main St-Tower Av-Coventry/Vine on Fri Jan 4 20:45:28 2008. Luminator & TwinVision made similar signs. The Luminator ones were MAX 2000 and MAX 3000. The TwinVision model was LeDot. You can tell by looking at the year sign.A Luminator rear sign (Mega:MAX, MAX 2000 or MAX 3000 hace the same housing frame.)  A TwinVision LeDot rear sign  For more information, visit the Lumivision web site at www.lumivision.info |
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| (82831) | |
Re: PHOTOS Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses |
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Posted by transitbusfan on Sun Jan 6 00:21:55 2008, in response to PHOTOS Valley Metro 1996 D40LF buses, posted by phxtusbusfan on Sat Jan 5 21:24:02 2008. Nice bus picture phxtusfan but the interior of the 1996 New Flyer D40LF buses seen better days also the outside of the bus.I hope that the City of Tempe buy new buses that replace 1998 and 1999 El Dorado EZ-Rider buses (4101-4145) last 10-years lifespan. It look like the 1998 EZ-Rider seen better days. Some of the buses that Tempe-operated maybe be in better-shape or worse-shape Today I take Route 66- Mill/68th Street from Starbucks Coffee on Indian School and Scottsdale to Osborn Road which is bus number #4107 is the 1998 ElDorado E-Z Rider bus. The bus nuber #4107 is felling apart and the ceiling crack inside the bus. |
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