0204, 39, 08-24-01, 17:26, AC a little garbled but cool. Incessant beeping coming from front compartment, could be any number of issues, speaking from experience. Good Operator Award! See note below.
0209, 39, 01-25-01, 17:45, Pax transfer to Route 41 bus 8658 at Monumet, rare succesful MBTA transfer :P
0210, 39, -, -, -
0212, 39, -, -, -
0213, 39, -, -, -
0214, 39, -, -, -
0215, 39, 01-16-02, 18:06
0218, 39, -, -, -
0221, 39, 08-15-00, 08:00, -
0226, 39, 08-24-01, 08:52, Slow going on Hunt. Av from Brigham Circle to Longwood/Hospitals. Speed Demon! See note below.
40' x 102" RTS NovaBus Buses, Series 50 Engine, Built 1995, No Overhauls, AC, Seat 40
0254, 39, 08-13-00, 13:00, -
0259, 39, -, -, -; 39, 08-28-01, 08:52, First of trio of out-of-sync buses at Brigham Circle, in last place after Gainsborough St. Entire light waited through at W. Newton St due to construction. A 4th 49 bus wizzes by at Hynes 1, makes illegal right on red. Speed Demon, note: Given to drivers who drive fast/are skilled at handling traffic, but aren't courteous enough to get the Good Operator Award.
0260, 39, -, -, -
Cabot Garage
0295, 39, -, -, -
0311, 23, 08-12-00, 23:45, -
40' x 102" 0.601 Hybrid Orion Buses, Lockheed Hybrid Engine, Built 1999, No Overhauls, AC, Seat 31
Charlestown Garage
5000, 39, -, -, -; 39, -, -, -
40' x 102" C40LF New Flyer Buses, CNG Series 50G Engine, Built 1999, No Overhauls, AC, Seat 39
Charlestown Garage
6000, 39, -, -, -
40' x 96" RTS GMC Buses, 6V71TA Engine, Built 1985, Overhauled 1992-1994, No AC, Seat 40
Quincy Garage
8435, 215, 06-21-01, 09:03
8452, 215, -, -, -
8453, 215, -, -, -; 215, 06-18-01, 09:00, Good Operator Award! See note below; 39, 18:09, Ran into Amil Cook at Brigham Circle.
40' x 96" RTS GMC Buses, 6V71TA Engine, Built 1986-1987, Overhauled 1995-1996, No AC, Seat 40-41
8648, 39, 08-16-01, 08:40, Leapfrog w/ 8687 between Hynes stops.
8652, 39, 08-11-00, 18:00, Good Operator Award. See note below.
8655, 39, 08-01-00, 08:00, -
8656, 39, 06-12-01, 08:07, -
8659, 39, -, -, -; 39, -, -, -
8661, 39, 06-17-02, 17:40, 8672 passes at Ruggles St/MFA. Middle-aged man gets on at Mass. College of Art, smiles, plays around with a kid sitting in front left seats then starts shaking. At first, it looks playful, then the man falls from shaking with a thud. Possible causes: epileptic seizure, heart attack, alchool poisoning, narcotics. Nobody moves; shortly someone in uniform comes to the still shaking and not-pass-out man, assuring the man and everybody that everything will be ok, but shortly instructs everyone to exit the bus, as "this will take a while, unless you want to see what's going on." Everyone calmly and quietly leaves. A CT2 pulls up and leaves shortly, then a fire truck from the police station just down the street arrives. It's a short walk to Brigham Circle before the next wave of buses comes through.
8668, 39, 08-04-00, 08:00, -
8673, 39, 08-04-00, 18:00, -
8674, 39, -, -, -
8682, 39, 08-09-00, 08:30, -
8681, 39, 08-14-00, 18:00, -; 39I, 08-28-00, 08:25, Good Operator Award! Note: Given to drivers who are both courteous and helpful to passengers as well as skillful on the roadway--keeping up with traffic, good turning, etc. 39I Note: runs local Heath-Brigham Circle, express Brigham Circle to Back Bay Station during times of track work between Heath Street and Brigham Circle, no fare.
8685, 39, -, -, -
40' x 96" RTS GMC Buses, 6V71TA Engine, Built 1986, Overhauled 1995-1996, No AC, Seat 40
Cabot Garage
8708, 39, 05-30-01, 14:13, -
Quincy Garage
8726, 39, 06-08-01, 08:16, -
Bartlett Steet Garage
8736, 39, 06-08-01, 18:03
8738, 39, 08-16-00, 08:15, -
40' x 102" RTS TMC Buses, 6V92DDECII Engine, Built 1989, Overhauled 1996-1998, No AC, Seat 40
Quincy Garage
8818, 215, -, -, -
8819, 215, 08-01-01, 09:36; 08-24-01, 09:36, Good Operator Award! See not abov.
Quincy Garage
8826, 215, 08-28-01, 09:06, Good Operator Award! See note above.
1722, Providence, 08-27-01, 17:40, Usual conductor remembers my destination for a change; Providence, 08-23-01, 17:40, Ran late as usual.
85' x 126" BTC-1C Pullman Standard Coaches, Built 1978-1979, Overhauled by M-K/Amerail 196-1997, No Restroom, Seat 114
200, Franklin/FgPk, 01-16-02, 17:55, Train arrives just before Stoughton train, i.e. late. Both train arrive late because Providence train arrived late because Amtrak 177 (Acela Regional) arrived late! Why Franklin train was late is a mystery, however, unless Amtrak 177 had the track blocked. Amtrak 177 was late out of South Station because there was a delay in backing in to board. Train still had not been backed in as 17:30 Worc. train was departing (see coach 733).
85' x 126" BTC-1C Pullman Standard Coaches, Built 1978-1979, Overhauled by M-K/Amerail 196-1997, Seat 114
210, Stoughton, 08-28-01, 17:50, -
213, Middleboro/Lakeville, -, 17:34, -
214, Stoughton, 08-22-00, 17:45, Due to traffic, train slow SoSta to Bbay, Bbay to Ruggles, delayed halfway into Ruggles for about 5 min.
85' x 126" BTC-1C Pullman Standard Coaches, Built 1978-1979, Overhauled by M-K/Amerail 196-1997, Seat 114
85' x 126" BTC-1B Bombardier Coaches, Built 1989-1990, No Overhauls, No Restroom, Seat 122
601, Stoughton, 08-11-00, 17:45, -
602, Stoughton, 01-15-02, 17:50, Train arrives slightly late and right on heels of Prov. train because it took approx. 1.5 min. to alert engineer of Prov. train to highball. Trains on Track 1 and 3 purposely regularly overshoot 2-3 cars, as in this case, and therefore engineer cannot see conductors, who therefore must rely on buzzer; apparently it was having "issues."
608, Stoughton, 08-01-00, -, 17:45
616, Needham, -, -, -
627, Back Bay Shuttle, -, -, -
85' x 126" BTC-4 Kawasaki Coaches, Built 1990-1991, No Overhauls, No Restroom, Seat 185
703, Worcester Express, 06-12-01, 16:55, -
706, Providence, -, -, -
705, Franklin, Forge Park/I495, 06-28-02, 14:45, First commuter rail ride since coming home!
739, Providence, -, 17:40, -; Providence, 01-14-02, 17:40, -. First time riding the commuter rail for 2002! Train late as usual, possibl due to late Amtrak 177 (Acela Regional), because train arrives on Track 3 at Back Bay and Ruggles. Bilevel Kawaski build, Kobe, Japan.
740, Needham Heights, -, 17:20, -
743, Providence, 08-14-00, 17:45, -
744, Inbound Franklin, 08-28-00, 08:32, -
745, Attleboro/Providence, -, -, -
748, Worcester, 01-15-0, 17:30, -
749, Needham Heights, 08-16-00, 17:20, Bilevel coach built by Kawasaki.
85' x 126" BTC-4 Kawasaki Coaches, Built 1997-1998, No Overhauls, No Restroom, Seat 182
Car 17, DC from 31AM, 09-30-01; DC from 31AM, 10-13-01; DC from 31AM, 10-14-01; DC to 31PM, 10-15-01; DC to 32EVE, 10-17-01;
40' RTS Buses, the '93's
The '93 "Long Buses" were simply a more modernization UMTS-style over the '92's. For, they still featured the 6V71TA engine, but now featured pull cords instead of push tape, folding doors instead of sliding doors, push tape on the wheelchair benches where there was none on the '92's and more modern wheelchair lifts. With the 6V71TA engine, they pretty much handle and sound like a '92. These venerables are generally put on NaBr and SASN and the expresses and combos of both. In rare instances they fill in for '92's on Route 38 during rush hours.
3043, 12MID, 09-04-02; 12PM, 09-04-02;
40' RTS Buses, the '95's
The '95 "Long Buses" relate more to the MBTA 0000 fleet, but only in the sense that they have the roof-mounted taipipe particular to the newer series 50 engine. In reality roof-mounted tailpipes are back from the fishbowl and old Flyer days; they took a hiatus during the era of the 6V71TA engines. After '95, UMTS would not go back to 6V71TA engines. These beasts of the road spend most of their time on core routes, NaBr, SASN, the expresses and combos of both and infrequently on Gatehouse Rd.
3031, 3EVE, 09-06-02;
3033, 5PM, 10-16-01;
3034, 1PM, 09-29-01;
3035, 11AM, 10-09-01, Earned extra 0.25 hrs. swapping out the bus since Glenn wanted to get the video.
3037, Training, 08-25-01, 13:32, First time ever operating a 40' bus!
30' RTS Buses, the '99's
The "Shorties" were UMTS's solution in '99 to buses that could do any route and fit in tight places. However, shortness does come with a price, that being that the buses are unusually wiry and naturally don't take bumps as smoothly as their Cadillac-sized counterparts, meaning more bounce for the bus, it's passengers and operator alike. At times they drive and sound like old beat up shopping carts with gum stuck to the wheels. On the other hand, for their size, the buses can handle traffic easier, have the least off-tracks and can make turns faster since they take up less of opposing lanes. On weekdays when all three are working properly, 2 go on Route 39 (Smith/MHC, units 31 and 32) and the other goes on Route 37 (Shopper Shuttle). Otherwise a 35-footer fills in where needed.
3103, XEVE, 09-28-02, First shift alone! Starts off late due to swap out of 35' bus; 32EVE, 10-03-01;
35' RTS Buses, the '99's
The ''99 Medium Buses" are the workhorses, of the fleet, versatile enough to be on any route. For, they aren't too long to handle routes 37 and 39 when needed and have enough capacity to handle core routes such as NaBr and SASN and MHC/UMass in off-peak times when UMTS runs out of usable '93's and '95's. The are almost always put on Route 32 and 33 in (West Street/Bay Rd Extension and Gatehouse Rd), but their most noticeable function is the six that handle Nothbound and Southbound Campus Shuttle on school days and the one that handles Southboung Campus Shuttle on weekends. Driving through the Yellow Lots along Olmpia Drive near Admissions and Cold Storage Drive near Parking Services with all the crater-sized potholes puts a pounding on the buses. In addition, these buses are primary training buses, so trainees often off-track them and strain the power steering. Nevertheless, they keep on rollin'.
3121, Training, 08-26-01, 13:32, Handles great! Probably because this is one of the official, "can't go wrong" training buses; CAM, 09-03-02;
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) Equipment
AMTK#, Train#, Day, Direction, Special Note(s)
44696, 161, 01-19-02, NY/DC, My first time riding since the electrification completion. Trains arrives at NH 5 minutes early--unheard of back in the day! Amfleet coaches rolling as strong as ever, new HPP8 loco in front, did not catch number :(
