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ElDorados...Leaving?; Could the end be in sight?
Topic Started: Nov 19 2009, 06:35 PM (1,146 Views)
joechopchop
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I was talking to a driver on the 129 (6230 block) this afternoon and he told me about the possibility that Septa will remove the lawnmowers from service by the end of next year. As to whether he meant just the Frontier lawnmowers or all of them I didn't catch. Supposedly, they'll be replaced by new Hybrids. He had been given this info from a supervisor who seems to have been accurate in the past.

Honestly, I don't care to see the lawnmowers in service. I understand that there are some routes that don't need to see 40-foot buses regularly, but that's why we should have 35-footers.
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Van2006ko
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joechopchop
Nov 19 2009, 06:35 PM
I was talking to a driver on the 129 (6230 block) this afternoon and he told me about the possibility that Septa will remove the lawnmowers from service by the end of next year. As to whether he meant just the Frontier lawnmowers or all of them I didn't catch. Supposedly, they'll be replaced by new Hybrids. He had been given this info from a supervisor who seems to have been accurate in the past.

Honestly, I don't care to see the lawnmowers in service. I understand that there are some routes that don't need to see 40-foot buses regularly, but that's why we should have 35-footers.
Makes sense considering the Eldorados are the least reliable equipment which SEPTA has!! I''m pretty sure they can't wait until that 10 year mark comes near by to replace them.
Edited by Van2006ko, Nov 19 2009, 06:44 PM.
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septa105R5
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joechopchop
Nov 19 2009, 06:35 PM
I was talking to a driver on the 129 (6230 block) this afternoon and he told me about the possibility that Septa will remove the lawnmowers from service by the end of next year. As to whether he meant just the Frontier lawnmowers or all of them I didn't catch. Supposedly, they'll be replaced by new Hybrids. He had been given this info from a supervisor who seems to have been accurate in the past.

Honestly, I don't care to see the lawnmowers in service. I understand that there are some routes that don't need to see 40-foot buses regularly, but that's why we should have 35-footers.
Yeah, looks like it could be about time. I'm guessing SEPTA likely sees that it does not have a good experience with the Eldorados due the loss of three buses already or those buses has reached its end of their life. Also, there should be some 35 ft buses (Like DE35LFR) in some area because there are low number of passengers in the suburb who ride those buses there.
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Tritransit Area
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Van2006ko
Nov 19 2009, 06:43 PM
joechopchop
Nov 19 2009, 06:35 PM
I was talking to a driver on the 129 (6230 block) this afternoon and he told me about the possibility that Septa will remove the lawnmowers from service by the end of next year. As to whether he meant just the Frontier lawnmowers or all of them I didn't catch. Supposedly, they'll be replaced by new Hybrids. He had been given this info from a supervisor who seems to have been accurate in the past.

Honestly, I don't care to see the lawnmowers in service. I understand that there are some routes that don't need to see 40-foot buses regularly, but that's why we should have 35-footers.
Makes sense considering the Eldorados are the least reliable equipment which SEPTA has!! I''m pretty sure they can't wait until that 10 year mark comes near by to replace them.
But those lil Dorados take to snow VERY well!

Of course, I do care very much to see the Dorados in service. I enjoy riding them (when I get my favorite seat) and it's something different from that Flyer stuff that's everywhere.

But yeah, that's likely what will happen, although I DOUBT that the Dorados will be replaced until 2012.
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SouthernSeptaRida215
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Nooo I need to get a ride on El Dorado still, curse you SEPTA..... You better have an Eldo @ the 2010 SEPTA ROADEO so I can signplay ;P
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ctrabs74
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IIRC, the ElDorados are 2001 models, so they may not be pulled from service until the end of 2010 or early 2011. I do recall someone from SEPTA telling me at the 2008 Roadeo that the ElDorados would be replaced by 40 foot buses.
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silverliner_2
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Bad move. Plenty of places SEPTA goes with the Eldos that can not accomodate 40-foot or even 35-foot buses. The 310 is one of those routes. You can not get a full-size bus into some of the places the 310 or a few of the contract routes go into. SEPTA got into problems before with their old "one size fits all" mentality. There is a place for 30-foot buses and cutaways, when used and assigned properly.

While the Eldorados are approaching the end of their service lives, replacing them with 40-foot buses is NOT the way to go. Yes, some 35-foot buses will be perfect, but there will always be a need for 30-footers. Especially with the demise of most of the Champions, and a future need to replace the ones operating on the contract routes. And with the contract ops out of Germantown prohibited from operating vehicles longer than 29 feet (length of the Eldorados we have), I believe we will have small buses around for a long time to come....

the mowers COULD be replaced with more mowers.....hehe!
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Tritransit Area
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Yes, that's the exception. The contract ops, which unfortunately includes the 310, a route that DOES need full sized buses during the rush hours (or at least another 80 trip), will still have under 30 foot buses.

It isn't TOO farfetched to see 29ft Gilligs running around.
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PhillyBadBoy09
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silverliner_2
Nov 20 2009, 01:38 AM
Bad move. Plenty of places SEPTA goes with the Eldos that can not accomodate 40-foot or even 35-foot buses. The 310 is one of those routes. You can not get a full-size bus into some of the places the 310 or a few of the contract routes go into. SEPTA got into problems before with their old "one size fits all" mentality. There is a place for 30-foot buses and cutaways, when used and assigned properly.

While the Eldorados are approaching the end of their service lives, replacing them with 40-foot buses is NOT the way to go. Yes, some 35-foot buses will be perfect, but there will always be a need for 30-footers. Especially with the demise of most of the Champions, and a future need to replace the ones operating on the contract routes. And with the contract ops out of Germantown prohibited from operating vehicles longer than 29 feet (length of the Eldorados we have), I believe we will have small buses around for a long time to come....

the mowers COULD be replaced with more mowers.....hehe!
Not so true. The 80 goes where the 310 goes. So if a 60ft bus can handle what a 29ft bus can do. I think a 40ft bus will do fine.
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Septa_kid
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Artics handle certain turns better than 40 footers...
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