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American General Trackless Trolleys; what happend...
Topic Started: Feb 6 2006, 08:26 AM (1,823 Views)
ED77KATR
Transit Fan
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Mark
Feb 7 2006, 02:41 PM
Elmwood9109,Feb 6 2006
06:57 PM
The AMGs were lemons even before they came onto the property. They were so bad that an AMG plant had to be built nearby so that repairs could be made to them. The AC was not in the floor. It was on the roof, but it did not work very well. However, when they put the Thermo-Kings on 811 and 857, they were literally the coolest coaches in the system. And the word is insulator, not incinerator, LOL. I would hope they would have not had an incinerator on them. I do not want to burn up riding a trackless, Lol. Plus, the pole would come off regardless of whether the heat was on or not. As much as I loved the riding quality of them, they really were that bad. I just hope that SEPTA gets the NFI E40LF and if so, I hope they operate better than their predecessors. But that's just my opinion. Until next time, see ya'.

He's right. It's a miracle they lasted as long as they did [1980-2002]. They were the vehichles that were impossible to keep on the road.

Out of 110, 109 barely managed to operate [843 never operated], and by 1990, about 35 of them were out of service completely, the rest of them died piecemeal. In 1992, SEPTA reduced the fleet to the best 66 coaches, and stored the rest, eventually using them for parts.
I drove trackless in early 80s at frankford. I have kept a book[log] of every run i ever worked in last 30 years. i checked my book for the year 1982. I drove both trackless&Bus that year. Yes 843 was used for a few years but as i remember it was retired early. it sat for years. I did drive it in service a few times that year. At the time the AMGs were state of art, i remember some werent used for first 2 years. Built in late 1979 &early 1980 but never used until mid 1982. was strange useing a brand new 3 year old spiderwebbed vehicle with no miles on it then. new bus smell was long gone LOL
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CACrafter88bk2504
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ED77KATR
Oct 5 2008, 03:43 PM
Mark
Feb 7 2006, 02:41 PM
Elmwood9109,Feb 6 2006
06:57 PM
The AMGs were lemons even before they came onto the property. They were so bad that an AMG plant had to be built nearby so that repairs could be made to them. The AC was not in the floor. It was on the roof, but it did not work very well. However, when they put the Thermo-Kings on 811 and 857, they were literally the coolest coaches in the system. And the word is insulator, not incinerator, LOL. I would hope they would have not had an incinerator on them. I do not want to burn up riding a trackless, Lol. Plus, the pole would come off regardless of whether the heat was on or not. As much as I loved the riding quality of them, they really were that bad. I just hope that SEPTA gets the NFI E40LF and if so, I hope they operate better than their predecessors. But that's just my opinion. Until next time, see ya'.

He's right. It's a miracle they lasted as long as they did [1980-2002]. They were the vehichles that were impossible to keep on the road.

Out of 110, 109 barely managed to operate [843 never operated], and by 1990, about 35 of them were out of service completely, the rest of them died piecemeal. In 1992, SEPTA reduced the fleet to the best 66 coaches, and stored the rest, eventually using them for parts.
I drove trackless in early 80s at frankford. I have kept a book[log] of every run i ever worked in last 30 years. i checked my book for the year 1982. I drove both trackless&Bus that year. Yes 843 was used for a few years but as i remember it was retired early. it sat for years. I did drive it in service a few times that year. At the time the AMGs were state of art, i remember some werent used for first 2 years. Built in late 1979 &early 1980 but never used until mid 1982. was strange useing a brand new 3 year old spiderwebbed vehicle with no miles on it then. new bus smell was long gone LOL
Do you have a log of when you FIRST worked the 58(it became the 58 from the 59b in 1982).

I love the 58.
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ED77KATR
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Yea, i got a log of every run I ever worked. Your right it was 59B remember these routes I also worked...P [89] U[68?] Y[70] 59b [58] N[24] E [65] D[21] B[14] are a few here i missed, most were changed 1982-1987 If you were to ask me what i worked say??? July 14,1986 for example it was rt 20 run 319 had bus 8820 Cool Huh?
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joechopchop
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I believe the U merged with the 108.
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philabob1
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joechopchop
Oct 7 2008, 10:15 AM
I believe the U merged with the 108.
Yes. The 68 was formerly the M.
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philabob1
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Elmwood9109
Feb 7 2006, 01:24 PM
Quote:
 
i think it was in the floor, cause like 857, the thermo king unit is visable from the top, but i think it was in the floor because by time u felt the cool air, then by time u get to the top of the bus, u was HOT!!!!




Maybe it was. Either way I never felt any airflow until they started putting them crappy units on the roof (save for 811 and 857).
[/small][/b]
The AC unit was in the floor. The intakes were visible just forward of the center door as I recall.

In my experience with them (mainly on the Southern routes), the AC was generally good. There were some that could be real freezers. The bigger problem was that the windows could be opened and this often let the hot air in. (The SEPTA solution, sealed windows, is not the solution I'd prefer, but...)

843 did indeed operate and I recall riding it a few times. For quite a while after the coaches first arrived and settled in (and remember they were pulled out of service a few times in the early years for fixes, retrofits, etc), 800-45 was the Southern group and the remainder were at Frankford. At some point not too far into its career 843 went to Frankford along with two or three of the lift-equipped group (800-09). I'm not sure why Southern had 46 of the 110 (way more than it needed for the two routes) and by the early 90's it was 810-40 or so at Southern, with many of the lift-equipped put into storage. I'm not sure the lifts ever operated in service - I surely never saw them.

The group did have its problems but I'm not sure I'd crown them 'lemons'. They certainly didn't compare to the old ACF-Brills they replaced, which were 'tanks' and performed well until maintenance started to be scaled back in the 1973-74 timeframe. The one problem I recall with the AMG's was the center door, which would close on departing riders randomly (and heaven forbid if someone left a small child on the step behind them - same as the K-cars, the doors would close).

I was never quite sure why SEPTA bought so many, other than the planned 66 extension to Liberty Bell Race Track (now Franklin Mills). When they arrived there were still about 45 Brills and 65 Marmons in service, so it was basically a one-for-one replacement, but not all of the old coaches were needed to make the runs on the 5 lines.
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TRANSIT_FREAK
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A question for all the AMG trolley fans. What kind of propulsion system did the AMG General trolleybus used and what kind of engine was used in EPU mode?
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Septa_kid
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What if...
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TRANSIT_FREAK100
Oct 7 2008, 09:49 PM
A question for all the AMG trolley fans. What kind of propulsion system did the AMG General trolleybus used and what kind of engine was used in EPU mode?
Dude, I was thinking of that question for years, but for some reason never asked. My guess would either be a 6v-71 or a Detriot Diesel Series 92
If they are both wrong... I don't see any one else guessing!
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ED77KATR
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Septa_kid
Oct 7 2008, 10:17 PM
TRANSIT_FREAK100
Oct 7 2008, 09:49 PM
A question for all the AMG trolley fans. What kind of propulsion system did the AMG General trolleybus used and what kind of engine was used in EPU mode?
Dude, I was thinking of that question for years, but for some reason never asked. My guess would either be a 6v-71 or a Detriot Diesel Series 92
If they are both wrong... I don't see any one else guessing!
There was NO EPU or any Diesel engine in the AMG trackless at all! STICKLY ELECTRIC Once the power was out you were Dead in the street! As for the propulsion system, i remember a sticker over drivers seat that said Radiatronics in Texas as i recall. Been a long time since i was in one Question!!!!! DID SEPTA SAVE ONE FOR A HERITAGE VEHICLE???? I drove them when they were new for 2 years.
Edited by ED77KATR, Oct 8 2008, 07:46 AM.
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Septa_kid
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ED77KATR
Oct 8 2008, 07:45 AM
Septa_kid
Oct 7 2008, 10:17 PM
TRANSIT_FREAK100
Oct 7 2008, 09:49 PM
A question for all the AMG trolley fans. What kind of propulsion system did the AMG General trolleybus used and what kind of engine was used in EPU mode?
Dude, I was thinking of that question for years, but for some reason never asked. My guess would either be a 6v-71 or a Detriot Diesel Series 92
If they are both wrong... I don't see any one else guessing!
There was NO EPU or any Diesel engine in the AMG trackless at all! STICKLY ELECTRIC Once the power was out you were Dead in the street! As for the propulsion system, i remember a sticker over drivers seat that said Radiatronics in Texas as i recall. Been a long time since i was in one Question!!!!! DID SEPTA SAVE ONE FOR A HERITAGE VEHICLE???? I drove them when they were new for 2 years.
I KNEW I WAS WRONG, BUT I NEVER THOUGHT THERE WAS NO ENGINE AT ALL. THE AMG'S WERE STILL COOL IN MY EYES.
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