Here
are items that I think go here...
This
will be the page of things that are strange and odd... nowhere else to put
them where they really fit.
The
Port Authority bought a series of buses from Neoplan USA Corporation. These
are the 5000 - 5100 series low floors. There was a period of time that these
buses were taken out of service due to frame related issues. While they were
gone (not all at once) Neoplan lent us some "loaner" buses. Ross got old buses
from Dallas TX, Another garage got old ones from Johnstown,PA. We at Collier,
had to be different. We got these...
Port
Authority has re-designated these as 1009, 1010, and 1011. These little buses
came from Denver, CO. Surprisingly, these are NOT bad at all, once you get
used to them. And, they are powerful. Our maintenence men refer to these as
" Pokemon" buses!
Check
these out!
This
is a general shot of the bus. This bus is signifigantly lower than other buses
in the fleet.
This
is the cab area. The operator is enclosed by the little door, and the front
heater makes you feel "well done".
And,
of course, the dash. ALL controls are stuffed on the dash, including switches
for heated mirrors, heated windshield, and the webasto heater! ( small, Huh?
)
This
is looking front to back, check the flip down seats on the left, people think
they are a little slippery! The last seat is full row, and the seats before
it face backwards! Wheelchair ramp is under the rear door.
and
back to front. I don't know if I'd want to sit behind me or not! Not much
of an ahead view from there! Believe it or not, the grey carpet above the
wheel wells are the two front "pedestal" seats! On my old 51A I used to do,
anyone who sits there is usually asked if the air is better up there!!!
I
happened to luck out and get qualified on one early on, and now the assignment
shifter gives me one each morning. They should be going back to where they
came from in March 2001. It is funny how people look at you like you are from
a distant galaxy somewhere when you are driving it. The little bus seems to
be very well liked. Information I received is that Neoplan only produced five
of these neat little coaches. We currently have three. As of January 31,2001,
I have tried out each one. I like 1009 the best out of all, except for the
compartment door that likes to blow open! These little buses all have less
than 31000 miles on them, and believe it or not, when new, cost over $275,000!
They also have the same Cummins engines that are found in the Dodge Ram Pick-up.
Maybe someday ones like these will be actual Port Authority buses...
All
the loaner buses have long since been sent back to where ever they came from.
Here
are some other things That I have found interesting... How about a double
deck Trolley? I am not sure if this really existed or not, but it does look
valid and also experimental.
Here's
some more... Just click on the picture to enlarge!
Loaner bus for the closing of the Fort Pitt Bridge and Tunnel, 4/6/2002. These
Orion I buses are being leased for us by PennDot, and I know of 20 so far.
Another shot of a Orion I loaner bus, sitting at Ross garage, awaiting repairs,
only to shipped back to Harmar Garage.
Nice shot of the Duquesne Incline, one of two inclines here in Pittsburgh.
Look for a Incline page soon!
Our other Incline, The Monongahela, by Station Square. I have been priveledged
to operate this one myself..
Nice shot of the Mon Incline.
One
car to the other on the Duquesne Incline.
A
view up the Duquesne Inclines Tracks.
Inside
the Duquesne Incline.
A strange idea from the mid 60's, the "Skybus" was supposed to be the new
trolley system, and was built as a demo at South Park. Obviously, it never
went beyond there, in fact, very little is even left of it. Here is a few
shots of whats left...
It
really could have been a great idea...
Promotional
photo.
How would you like to do this to a bus? It would be great! Thanks to Rick
Hannegan for taking this off the wall to be scanned.
PAT Train Locomotive Unit #6690
PAT Train Locomotive #6691
Coach 1602 of the PAT Train. Too bad this service had to die, I thought
it was unique.
Locomotive
6690 in operation.
PatTrain and
PCC...How cool is that?
The PatTrain
Chugging along!
6690 Sitting
at the Pittsburgh terminal.
This just looks
mean!
Another
loaner bus sitting at Harmar garage. It is a Neoplan Suburban coach, we call
it 1007.
Loaner Neoplan Artic sitting at Harmar Garage, waiting for it's next operator.
Neoplan 1010 loaner bus on Wood St, turning onto 6th Ave. Yours truly at the
helm.
Here
is a oddity, another loaner bus that came from SEPTA, back in the 70's. The
odd part is that the SEPTA striping could not be removed, so they simply pasted
the logo on it. Looks kinda cool!
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