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Roam Transit (Banff & Canmore, AB)


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:rolleyes: About time...

Actually, it's not, why not let other cities/agencies prove the value of the hy-brid concept and use their money doing it, after all how many more times do you have test them to know what the results will be. Learn from the others, wish to hell ETS did...

Case in point, how much more testing of biofuels is required, they have been tested since the mid 70's kids, it is not something new

ETS paid a fortune to buy 6 (why they could not lease or borrow or get demo's is a major question) and their test results are available

Saskatoon has bought 4, strangely, no repeat order, but thier data is available

Seattle, New York, (Banff and Sherwood Park shortly), need I continue, the data is already out there! Save your money Calgary!

Hell, even my thoughts about the batteries seem to have been proven in Toronto

And to date, I have yet to see any agency confirm any of the "savings" that are being passed about as gospel by the manufacturers.

If they are so perfect/great, why no demonstrators for a prolonged real world test, rather than the 1 week tours they are currently doing. If I was NFI and I stood behind my product claims, I'd have a demo fleet of 10 in Edmonton, Vancouver, Halifax, Montreal etc. free of charge to prove it.

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Actually, it's not, why not let other cities/agencies prove the value of the hy-brid concept and use their money doing it, after all how many more times do you have test them to know what the results will be. Learn from the others, wish to hell ETS did...

Case in point, how much more testing of biofuels is required, they have been tested since the mid 70's kids, it is not something new

ETS paid a fortune to buy 6 (why they could not lease or borrow or get demo's is a major question) and their test results are available

Saskatoon has bought 4, strangely, no repeat order, but thier data is available

Seattle, New York, (Banff and Sherwood Park shortly), need I continue, the data is already out there! Save your money Calgary!

Hell, even my thoughts about the batteries seem to have been proven in Toronto

ANd to date, I have yet to see any agency confirm any of the "savings" that are being passed about as gospel by the manufacturers.

If they are so perfect/great, why no demonstrators for a prolonged real world test, rather than the 1 week tours they are currently doing. If I was NFI and I stood behind my product claims, I'd have a demo fleet of 10 in Edmonton, Vancouver, Halifax, Montreal etc. free of charge to prove it.

And BC Transit who have come right out and said that there is no business case for hybrids.

The Route 5 in Edmonton is fairly low speed; it averages 14 km/h. What type of hybrid drive is Banff using?

I believe only the Allison system is avalible in the NovaBus LFS, at least for now.

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Actually, it's not, why not let other cities/agencies prove the value of the hy-brid concept and use their money doing it, after all how many more times do you have test them to know what the results will be. Learn from the others, wish to hell ETS did...

Case in point, how much more testing of biofuels is required, they have been tested since the mid 70's kids, it is not something new

ETS paid a fortune to buy 6 (why they could not lease or borrow or get demo's is a major question) and their test results are available

Saskatoon has bought 4, strangely, no repeat order, but thier data is available

Seattle, New York, (Banff and Sherwood Park shortly), need I continue, the data is already out there! Save your money Calgary!

Hell, even my thoughts about the batteries seem to have been proven in Toronto

It seems that problem is unique to Toronto. It most likely has to do with how the TTC is running the hybrids and/or a flaw in the batteries.

The Route 5 in Edmonton is fairly low speed; it averages 14 km/h. What type of hybrid drive is Banff using?

GM-Allison EP40 parallel hybrid system with Ev40 drive.

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So what is the livery? Is it all white?

As quoted in an earlier post, "The buses are "wrapped" in wildlife images from Banff National Park and will be revealed to the media next week. They'll hit the roads June 2."

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I think Banff will have better results as much of their current routes are low speed routes. I don't recall a single route in Banff that has a high speed section at all. Everything is like 30 to 40 KM's an hour with maybe a couple places on teh Tunnel Mountain route are 50 KM's an hour. SO we shall see I guess.

Makes sense to go on that speed as your dealing with pedestrian of tourist and tons of motorcoach.

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A friend called me this morning to report that a plain white Banff Transit Nova Hybrid #3 was heading west through Calgary this morning at about 0930.

I guess by time I head back over there those ex-Bakersfield Orion I's and the ex-AC Transit D40 will be long gone. Good thing we dropped by Banff last year.

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I guess by time I head back over there those ex-Bakersfield Orion I's and the ex-AC Transit D40 will be long gone. Good thing we dropped by Banff last year.

You are ALL over the board today! Wow! Anyways, yeah, those buses have already been out of service for several months now.... One of the Ex-GET Orion I's has been sitting at Waterous in Calgary for at least 3 months or more now.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Was in Banff today again and got photos of #2, but could not find #3 anywhere at Garages or anything. I am suspecting it is actually out getting its wrap livery now. Not sure of this though. I have added 15 new photos from my two recent Banff trips to my website: http://www.busdrawings.com/Transit/alberta/banff/index.htm . Enjoy!

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Thanks for those.

So #2 is the only one to keep its unit # of the 3 that have been seen with the wraps on. Personally I also think #2 looks the best of the 3, the break in continuation around the back from the side makes the design looked a bit rushed on the other 2.

I am curious to see what animal gets featured on the last bus, I'm thinking maybe a moose.

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#4 retains its fleet number, its on the side of the bus at the front. I think they will all get their fleet number, just they were wrapped over at first, but then reapplied on 2 and 4 probably.

Wrap summary

#1 is in green has no fleet number

#2 is in white, has fleet number

#3 was not wrapped last week, not sure what color the wrap will be

#4 is in blue, it has a fleet number now

By the way you can expect a video of #1 to be uploaded sometime later today after I wake up from going to bed.

For those wondering who this service is being operated by now, Brewster Transportation and Tours now has the Banff Transit contract. They have obviously tried to add a bit of a different touch to it with electronic fareboxes, real time stop info, brand new buses and new liveries, probably something the town of Banff wanted too.

But Banff Transportation and Tours has all previous equipment parked at the moment, on their property, except one of the Orion I which is parked in Calgary. Pinnacle Sightseeing and Tours who had the contract for most of the past winter season still has the Escort RE buses they ran parked on their property, at least one still with signage for Banff Transit.

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  • 1 month later...

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