32 replies to this topic

[Halifax_Route10]

Was just reading today that Saint John Transit now has two artics for their Comex express service. The details in all the news articles I could find were sketchy at best, but they appear to be New Flyer DE60LFR's, and were purchased for $600k each. Does anyone have more details, or even fleet numbers?

[M.Wright]

Halifax_Route10, on Sep 24 2009, 01:51 PM, said:

Was just reading today that Saint John Transit now has two artics for their Comex express service. The details in all the news articles I could find were sketchy at best, but they appear to be New Flyer DE60LFR's, and were purchased for $600k each.

That's pretty cheap for a Artic, let alone a hybrid.

[Halifax_Route10]

It's on the low end for an artic, and certainly a lower price than I've ever seen for a hybrid artic. I suppose they could be Novas, or non-hybrid New Flyers. I wonder how much the Nova artics usually go for?

[Plastic Diver Guy]

http://telegraphjour...y/803145,370364

The pic looks like a Nova artic to me. Interesting.

Further digging, I saw this item mentioning they were made near Montreal. Definitely Nova. $600k seems cheap for artics.
http://telegraphjour.../article/793097

[Halifax_Route10]

Plastic Diver Guy, on Sep 25 2009, 12:12 PM, said:

http://telegraphjour...y/803145,370364

The pic looks like a Nova artic to me. Interesting.

Perfect timing! I hadn't been able to find an actual picture of the bus, and then one comes out the day after I searched.

For some reason, I always thought Novas were more expensive than New Flyers. I still can't get over it...under $600k base for an artic. Nova must really want to get their artic in service with as many agencies as possible, if they're bidding that low.

[ADB]

I wonder if these two buses are the two Nova demos 40881 and 40882. Perhaps that's why they were so inexpensive?

[AlexLy]

A. Badaraco, on Sep 25 2009, 05:23 PM, said:

I wonder if these two buses are the two Nova demos 40881 and 40882. Perhaps that's why they were so inexpensive?

Only the transmission will tell! *The rear too, if it's like the previous demos, then it's one of them!*

[Andru]

One of them appears to be indeed ex-40881/MTA 0054: see this (old) article:
http://cts11.century21.ca/rivervalleyrealt...pton_Quispamsis

[eclair14]

Very strange move for them. They will receive two artic demos, fine, the people standing will be sit, more people will be interested by the service, and guess what, there's gonna be standing again ...

A new bus would be the logical choice, NOT an artic !

[M.Wright]

A. Badaraco, on Sep 25 2009, 04:23 PM, said:

I wonder if these two buses are the two Nova demos 40881 and 40882. Perhaps that's why they were so inexpensive?

Wasn't one of those demo's sold to NYCMTA?

[ADB]

Andru, on Sep 25 2009, 09:42 PM, said:

One of them appears to be indeed ex-40881/MTA 0054: see this (old) article:
http://cts11.century21.ca/rivervalleyrealt...pton_Quispamsis

Interesting, I guess they are the demos.

M.Wright, on Sep 25 2009, 11:20 PM, said:

Wasn't one of those demo's sold to NYCMTA?

It wasn't sold to the MTA; just demo'd. The above article appears to confirm it was sold to Saint John.

[M.Wright]

A. Badaraco, on Sep 25 2009, 11:29 PM, said:

It wasn't sold to the MTA; just demo'd. The above article appears to confirm it was sold to Saint John.

I remember reading somewhere on this forum that it was sold to MTA, oh well, whatever.

[AlexLy]

Andru, on Sep 25 2009, 09:42 PM, said:

One of them appears to be indeed ex-40881/MTA 0054: see this (old) article:
http://cts11.century21.ca/rivervalleyrealt...pton_Quispamsis

That pic has been modified since it was on the old website of Nova Bus...

[general682002]

Would like to see how it stands out the livery. And they are fortunate that those ex-demo artics are non-a/c, which I presume none of their buses have a/c.

[Andru]

Any news from Saint John, are the artics in service by now?

[gmnewlook]

Andru, on Nov 10 2009, 06:03 PM, said:

Any news from Saint John, are the artics in service by now?

I talked to someone at St John Transit yesterday at Trans-Expo and he said that they recieved only one of them and that the other one would be delivered shortly. He didn't say anything about them being in service.

[Andru]

gmnewlook, on Nov 11 2009, 06:09 PM, said:

I talked to someone at St John Transit yesterday at Trans-Expo and he said that they recieved only one of them and that the other one would be delivered shortly. He didn't say anything about them being in service.

Thanks for the update!

[AlexLy]

Andru, on Nov 11 2009, 03:54 PM, said:

Thanks for the update!

How about now? Any news?

[mwilson210]

AlexLy, on Dec 19 2009, 09:30 PM, said:

How about now? Any news?

I am a resident of Saint John, and use SJT. I have seen a white artic (once) go by my house. It was out of service, but was on the number 3 route, heading to the Hospital. As for a fleet number, it seems SJT didn't use the same number, as on this site. The last new Orion we got was 44877, and this new artic was 61878 (I couldn't get a good view of it, but it was numbered 78, the next in the sequence). I hope there is further updated news on this, as I'm interested in knowing too!

[mwilson210]

I have a little more info on the 2 artics Saint John Transit have purcahsed. A contact at SJT confirmed the garage indeed has 2 white atrics, one that was demo'ed in NYC, and another one that is being reseated. As I said in my first post/reply, there is one on the streets (fleet # 61878). The second one is the same year, so it should have a fleet # of 61879. Any new "regular" Orions, I'm not positive of. If there are 3 on order, they should be 48980-48982, probably to be delivered in 2010. Anyone have news to the contrary, or to add to this? Really am curious.

M

P.S. the reason the 2 are so cheap, is because the towns of Hapton & Quispamsis, paid $450k for each, with SJT picking up the rest.