TheMaritimeMan Posted March 5, 2014 Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 Hi all, In response to the limited number of Classic and RTS buses Fredericton Transit has remaining in active service, and their alleged wish to retire many of them, I thought it would be a good (and interesting) idea to make a thread where anyone can post when they have spotted/rode one of these buses. I got this idea after seeing a couple of other tracking threads here. The others are for only one type of bus, but I figure since FT has such a small fleet, and there are so few buses of each type left, it would be okay to combine both into one thread. The general consensus is Classic 8921 was retired this summer. (The Wiki has yet to be updated to reflect this. I've applied for Wiki editing rights, but if any editors can place 8921 in the retired list, that would be good.) This leaves two Classics, 8941 and 8961. According to the Wiki, all nine RTS buses Fredericton bought are still in service. I've so far spotted all but 8013 and 8014. (I would think given the numbering there must be (or used to be) an 8011 and 8012. However, I've never heard anything about them and I can't find pictures of them on Google Images, so I'll assume for now that they never existed.) I ride the buses twice every weekday, so I'll probably post here at least 2 or 3 times a week. Given the limited number of members from Fredericton on here, perhaps I'll be the only one to ever post here. Here is a list of the older buses I've ridden in the past three weeks. All were on the 11 Prospect route: 2/18 8961 2/19 8982 2/21 8021 2/24 8941 2/26 8941 On February 25 I spotted 8981 on 11 Prospect, and today I went to Kings Place and spotted 8982, 8983, 8984, and 8991. I rode one of them on 11 Prospect, but I forget which. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROSeaboyer Posted March 5, 2014 Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 I get the feeling that 8921 was retired, but got dragged out of retirement due to a bus shortage last summer at some point as there seemed to be a lot of buses needing maintenance. I haven't seen 8013 or 8014 recently, but I've read somewhere that those two are the worst of the RTS buses for rusting, so they might've been retired early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMaritimeMan Posted March 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 Hmm, could be possible. I've read here that the 2001 RTS buses "are the most problematic" in FT's fleet. I'll have to keep a lookout for them. If that's the case, perhaps there were an 8011 and 8012, and they were retired so early that no one here has ever known about them...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMaritimeMan Posted March 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 Rode 8991 on 116 Kings Place late this afternoon. And got the worst sound recording ever. It'd make your ears bleed. I've never had so much trouble trying to get a decent recording out of my recorder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROSeaboyer Posted March 6, 2014 Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 Rode 8991 on 116 Kings Place late this afternoon. And got the worst sound recording ever. It'd make your ears bleed. I've never had so much trouble trying to get a decent recording out of my recorder. I can't remember if it's 8991 or 8992, but one of them is in desperate need of gettings its shocks replaced. Also, I have seen 8013 and 8014 at various points, actually; I just forgot about them. Last summer, 8013 was frequently used on the 4:45 trip out of Kings Place on the 16 Marysville, and I've seen 8014 on the Silverwood/Lincoln route. Haven't seen them since then, though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMaritimeMan Posted March 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 I can't remember if it's 8991 or 8992, but one of them is in desperate need of gettings its shocks replaced. Yes, I sat in the back on 8991 and noticed that it had a particularly bouncy ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMaritimeMan Posted March 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2014 Rode 8994 on 11 Prospect this morning, and spotted 8961 at Kings Place around noontime. I think it was departing on 15 Barker's Point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMaritimeMan Posted March 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2014 Rode 8981 on 11 Prospect this morning. Second time ever riding that one, and first time I got to try signaling with the tape. Cool way to signal, but no wonder they retrofitted all the other RTS's with the cord - it's rather inconvenient since the tape strips are only present on every other row of seats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMaritimeMan Posted March 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Spotted 8021 on 11 Prospect on the morning of 3/11. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMaritimeMan Posted March 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2014 I rode 8013 this morning! It seems to have risen from the shadows. It looked, rode, and sounded fine, but there was a frequent squeak audible from both inside and outside of the bus. I spotted it again later today, as well. I see 8013 still has the tape to call a stop, joining 8981 as the only RTS's that have not been converted to the cord. Now, if I can find 8014, that will be every RTS FT ever bought accounted for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huz66511 Posted March 20, 2014 Report Share Posted March 20, 2014 If I recall correctly 8011-12 were some sort of support vehicles. Hence the numbering of RTS 8013-14. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMaritimeMan Posted March 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2014 Oh... Like the cutaway van 8122 I see occasionally? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMaritimeMan Posted March 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 In the afternoon of 3/20, I spotted 8961 and 8013 at Kings Place. On the morning of 3/21, I once again rode 8013. It seems the second coming of that bus is no joke! The squealing heard the first time I rode it was just as bad, if not worse this time. And it's very loud from the outside. If anyone cares to hear the aformentioned squeal, I have a very decent audio recording of 8013 that I can upload on YouTube and link here (I finally figured out the proper settings on my audio recorder). In fact, I have an excellent recording of a ride on 8961, as well, if anyone cares. It occurred to me the last time I rode 8961 how different it sounds from the RTS's, even though they share the same drivetrain. It's my favorite sounding of all the buses, and although I love a two-stroke Detroit as much as anyone, I have to say I prefer the calmer tone of 8961 over the 6V92 powered 8941. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDuke Posted April 6, 2014 Report Share Posted April 6, 2014 I get the feeling that 8921 was retired, but got dragged out of retirement due to a bus shortage last summer at some point as there seemed to be a lot of buses needing maintenance. I haven't seen 8013 or 8014 recently, but I've read somewhere that those two are the worst of the RTS buses for rusting, so they might've been retired early. 8921 was retired when 8131 was put into service in the middle of last summer. It was uses only occasionally last summer do to its age and pending retirement. 8014 is a spare and not used a lot. All thought I drove it twice last week. 8013 will be back on route shortly as it is currently being painted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMaritimeMan Posted April 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2014 TheDuke, thanks for the info! I notice you're a new member - welcome! Nice to see another Fredericton-based member here, and a driver at that. Indeed, I rode 8014 for the first time Wednesday morning. Just because I'm curious, do you know anything concerning 8013's squealing? As long as I'm making a post, here's my rides over the last two weeks. All were on 11 Prospect. 3/24 8961 3/25 8961 3/26 8013 3/28 8992 (Sounds like it needs new brakes) 3/31 8941 (Finally got a sound recording of this one) 4/02 8014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDuke Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 No idea on the sqeeling. I haven't be out in it for nearly a month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMaritimeMan Posted April 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 Hi all, I've linked the recordings I've made so far over on the Transit Videos thread, so anyone interested can have a listen. I'm quite pleased with how they've turned out. Rides/spots since last post: 4/11 8991 on 11 Prospect 4/14 8941 on 11 Prospect 4/15 8021 Spotted on 116 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDuke Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 8961 has now been retired. It developed a transmission issue and sadly will no longer be used. I was one of the last operators to drive it. But the flip side of the story 8141 has arrived and should be on the road in the next month or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMaritimeMan Posted May 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 No way! That's sad to hear. Things move on, I guess. I'm glad I got to ride it at least a few times. Thanks for the update. Is 8141 the standard stuff, similar to 8131? There's now once again three buses with the same number, except for the decade, running simultaneously; 8941, 8041, and 8141. I completely forgot, these are my final rides for this year. I'm out of Fredericton until September. 4/11 8991 on 11 Prospect 4/14 8941 on 11 Prospect 4/15 8021 Spotted on 116 4/23 8021 on 11 Prospect 4/25 8013 on 11 Prospect, 8941 on 116, and spotted 8021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general682002 Posted June 20, 2015 Report Share Posted June 20, 2015 I was recently visited Fredericton few weeks ago, it's a nice small system with some RTS kicking around during rush hour. With Saint John and Moncton ordering air conditioning for a quite sometimes, this system is the only place that has no a/c and I've talked to one of the drivers that they are fighting over to get one for health and safety reason! I'm hoping that will happen as the city does tend to get humidity! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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