TriMet Flxible Metro 1839 - Identity Crisis?

[Benjamin]

This above video by chnchlla88 (from Taipei, Taiwan) shows said user riding what he claims is a 1994 TriMet Flxible Metro 1839 during his visit to Portland, OR. This bus is working on Line 76-Beaverton-Tualatin to Meridian Hospital (the video ends at Washington Square mall). The picture he used may be correct, but the actual video afterward doesn't seem to match the picture opening this. Can anyone else (whether from Taiwan like he, or right here in the USA/Canada) prove he's not actually riding 1839 but a 1700 series?

The video is only in low-quality 240p (also note he originally made the video in December 2008) so I cannot read the bus number from the inside clearly. My reason for asking about this is because none of the other TriMet 1817-series buses seem to have that dark vampire exhaust hum (like the 1700 and 1900 series Flxibles TriMet has). Here's two such Flxibles that 1839 (at least in 2008) seemed to mimic:

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=mPgZknVFCEI (bus 1788, by BCT-3122-D800-10240 - again on the 76 - vampire hum is delayed)

(bus 1901, by punkrawker4783 - vampire hum is again delayed at times)

(TriMet 1826 by MetroLinerXLZ - once again on the 76 to Meridian Hospital)

~Ben

Edited December 19, 2013 by Benjamin

[AMG]

This above video by chnchlla88 (from Taipei, Taiwan) shows said user riding what he claims is a 1994 TriMet Flxible Metro 1839 during his visit to Portland, OR. This bus is working on Line 76-Beaverton-Tualatin to Meridian Hospital (the video ends at Washington Square mall). The picture he used may be correct, but the actual video afterward doesn't seem to match the picture opening this. Can anyone else (whether from Taiwan like he, or right here in the USA/Canada) prove he's not actually riding 1839 but a 1700 series?

The video is only in low-quality 240p (also note he originally made the video in December 2008) so I cannot read the bus number from the inside clearly. My reason for asking about this is because none of the other TriMet 1817-series buses seem to have that dark vampire exhaust hum (like the 1700 and 1900 series Flxibles TriMet has). Here's two such Flxibles that 1839 (at least in 2008) seemed to mimic:

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=mPgZknVFCEI (bus 1788, by BCT-3122-D800-10240 - again on the 76 - vampire hum is delayed)

(bus 1901, by punkrawker4783 - vampire hum is again delayed at times)

(TriMet 1826 by MetroLinerXLZ - once again on the 76 to Meridian Hospital)

~Ben

I don't really know what you mean by a 'vampire exhaust hum', but I think the bus in the video sounds like a 1700. It's listed as 1992, so maybe he meant 1739...

The M11 in the 1817 series has a different sound and much faster takeoff than the L10 in the 1700s.

[Benjamin]

I don't really know what you mean by a 'vampire exhaust hum', but I think the bus in the video sounds like a 1700. It's listed as 1992, so maybe he meant 1739...

The M11 in the 1817 series has a different sound and much faster takeoff than the L10 in the 1700s.

It's that low-pitched humming sound that harmonizes with the engine as it speeds up between the gears. It's also heard on TriMet's 1997 Gillig Phantom series.

In fact, that same humming sound can be heard outside of the bus from a distance.

~Ben

Edited December 20, 2013 by Benjamin

[bradfordbrian]

That video was of a 1700, it's the L10 Celect howl caused by its turbo and exhaust baffles, I know it very well. The M11 in the 1800's doesn't have it.

[Benjamin]

That video was of a 1700, it's the L10 Celect howl caused by its turbo and exhaust baffles, I know it very well. The M11 in the 1800's doesn't have it.

The picture of 1839 does not match with the video at all. That's all I know.

~Ben

[BCT-3122-D800-10240]

Have you ever found any videos of the 500-600 series Flxible Metros from Tri-Met by chance!?

[Benjamin]

Have you ever found any videos of the 500-600 series Flxible Metros from Tri-Met by chance!?

No... those buses were retired by TriMet after the 2800 series New Flyers were put into service. That would've been in 2006. I last rode on one in the fall of 2005.

But as to a video of one... none that are being rode on, but there is one that shows up at the end of this video:

~Ben

Edited December 22, 2013 by Benjamin

[Benjamin]

That video was of a 1700, it's the L10 Celect howl caused by its turbo and exhaust baffles, I know it very well. The M11 in the 1800's doesn't have it.

Brian,

TriMet's M11-powered Flxibles sure didn't have that low humming, but the Miami Dade 1994 Flxibles 9426-9430 did. Here's 9428 (by Marcos Ruiz):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq0qqOP4RbU

~Ben

[Benjamin]

Brian,

The other thing I wanted to mention is whether or not both the 1701-1808 series and the 1817-1843 series have the same interior or not? Because that may be the other clue besides the powertrain how to tell the two.

~Ben

[Benjamin]

I don't really know what you mean by a 'vampire exhaust hum', but I think the bus in the video sounds like a 1700. It's listed as 1992, so maybe he meant 1739...

The M11 in the 1817 series has a different sound and much faster takeoff than the L10 in the 1700s.

It looks like the video's uploader -- this Taiwanese fellow -- fixed the title and the description and corrected the vehicle number to 1739.

~Ben

Edited March 8, 2014 by Benjamin