LACMTA ( Metro ) # 2558 - 1988 Flxible Metro 40102-6C ( retired )

[Mozultecania]

There's Flexie! But he's not with his partner, Twinkie

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

@ea90744

This bus is most likely scrapped; obviously, Scott Richards removed it from his fleet since he has a grudge toward any bus with a Voith transmission.

[Mozultecania]

This reminds me taking this same type of bus on Vermont Avenue on the 204 Line

[Mozultecania]

That Cummins L10 engine is pretty strong

[knightclassic1]

Raggety ass buses like this are way better, long lasting than Low Floor Crap Gilligs.

[8v71buses]

That hissing sound is the air activated gas pedal and throttle system

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

Eddie, have you rode on any "Big Bertha" Flxibles? What I mean by "Big Bertha" is the droning humming of the exhaust.

TriMet in Portland, OR runs many "Big Bertha"-sounding buses, namely their 1992 and '94 Flxible Metros and their 1997 Gillig Phantoms, all with Cummins M11 (L10 on the 1992 Flxibles) engines and Voith D863 transmissions.

[quickbus]

Cummins L10!!!!!!!!

[flxiblemetro9150]

What is that one hissing sound, that happens when the bus changes gears?

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

@flxiblemetro9150

Air brake, maybe?

[flxiblemetro9150]

What is that one hissing sound?

[kaolla1000]

quite a few double deckers in the uk have cummins l10 engines and sound the same as this!

[loaferguy73]

Man nothing beats the sounds of he ole Flxibles with the L10 Cummins and Voith863.3 tranny, That deep sound, rattly interior and that unique 1st to 2nd gear transition sound!

[episodesbook]

What kind of starters did these have?

[Luigi656]

@episodesbook air starters

[topper2142]

YES!!!!Oh the memories..Shake rattle and roll!

[MyKevinChicago]

raggedy as fuck. I love it.

[F7Aengineer]

i dnt get it if the 4500's and 6000's have the same engine why they dont shake like the good ole Flxible's did? was it the Tranny that made it or is it the fuel?

[ECDT1089]

MTA Maryland Flxible #8713, how I miss you.

[bigken6005]

@ECDT1089

8731 you mean. I think 8731-8745 were the Cummins. My fav was 8737.

[quickbus]

@bigken6005 nope it was 8713. it was also the first MTA MD bus to have the Flipdot LED sign.

[bigken6005]

@quickbus

Yea. I remember that.

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

@bigken6005

It was 8731-8740 that used the L10 and Voith.

[Bmilesonline]

Those were fun buses to drive! Just don't turn the corner too fast! Ha! It's a shame the cabins made so much noise, especially at idle. L10 + Voith = Good combo. I've heard the Voith wasn't very reliable though. I never had any trouble with them

[busrailfan]

Love the air throttle release as well! Excellent recording!

[busrailfan]

BEAUTIFUL SOUNDING L10 !!

[dejohn913]

More Style Wouldn't You Think? Instead Of The "Cheesy Look". LOL!

[guildrich]

Was this a CNG powered bus? I asked because I hear a hissing noise every time the driver lets off the accelerator (assuming that it's the gas valve, or whatever you call it).

[panamcunard]

I remember these buses on the 115, when stop they would shake. That was in 1992.

[dejohn913]

These Buses Will Run Forever Even "After" Retirement And Last Just As Long (Or Longer) Than These So-Called "Hi-Tech" Buses That Are On The Road Now. Long Live The Flxibles & RTS's...Forever Have A Place In My Heart. Thank You For The Memories.

[jmjfanss]

@dejohn913

Even those the flxible 870/Metro and RTS were considered High Tech Buses at the time.

[dejohn913]

@jmjfanss You're Absolutely Right My Friend On That One. Without Old School Technology, There Wouldn't Be A Today's Bus Technology.

[jmjfanss]

@dejohn913

Got that right.

These buses were very high tech at the time.

[dejohn913]

@jmjfanss I'd wish i had the money to buy out Flxible because that was a very good bus company but just didn't have the "Right" people to run it properly.

[jmjfanss]

@dejohn913

But at least we got new flyers, NABI and to a lesser extent gilligs.

[dejohn913]

@jmjfanss Yeah I Guess "We" Old Schoolers Have To Live With Them & Yes, Gillig Seems To Be Fading. New Jersey Transit Has Ordered Nothing But...NABI's.

[jmjfanss]

@dejohn913

and the NABI's are stylish buses.

[dejohn913]

@jmjfanss I accually Like Them. They're Different.

[jmjfanss]

@dejohn913

Especially Miami's

[dejohn913]

@jmjfanss The Only Thing I've Rode In Miami Then Was The Flxible Metro D's With The Voith Tranny & The Last Of The "GMC/TMC" RTS's (1994) When I Was Visiting Family Members In North Hollywood. Now I See Them (NABI's) All Over Miami Now

[jmjfanss]

@dejohn913

and they are the sleekest.

[dejohn913]

@jmjfanss Yes I Do Believe That. Seems Like NABI's Are The Way To Go As An Alternative To The New Flyers & Orion Low Floor Next Generation Buses.

[jmjfanss]

@dejohn913

and Buses are much more shiner than the original.

[dejohn913]

@jmjfanss Not Since The First Ikerus/Crown Buses Had I Seen A Nicer Bus To Take Over Where Flxible & RTS Left Off. I'm Starting To Like Them More & More Every Time I See Them. Better Looking Than The Flyers I Think.

[jmjfanss]

@dejohn913

Although I Like New Flyer as well.

[dejohn913]

@jmjfanss I've started to grow on them. I just like "Hi-Floor" buses. Don't get me wrong, I like the Lo-Floors from Flyer also. But I would've loved for them to keep the Hi-Floors as a Option. I guess i like to climb the steps LOL! I've drove the Flyer Hi-Floors when they were new in "91" when i was in Atlanta workong for MARTA part -time. They Handled Extreamely Well.

[jmjfanss]

@dejohn913

But sadly Low Floors are gonna become the norm.

[dejohn913]

@jmjfanss Yes So True My Friend. Even School Bus Manufactors Are Getting Into The Act. Go Figure.

[jmjfanss]

@dejohn913

Got that right.

[dejohn913]

@jmjfanss So Whats Next For Orion's Next Generation? I've Heard They're Pretty Good Low Floors. I've Only Driven The Last Of the Orion 5 Models.

[jmjfanss]

@dejohn913

They need sleeker buses.

[henrythebusquy]

All the NJT Flexible Metro-D 40102-6C8.3 are the Cummins 3076-3076 plus most NJT Metro Flex #1177-1178 buses formerly had a Detroit Diesel 6V92TA DDEC engine plus a Allison V730 transmission like on the Flexible Metro-B 40096-6T Detroits, but they retrofit that Cummins L10 into there newer Flexible Metro buses with a ZF HP590C plus #1966-1966 are a Series 50 DDEC plus a ZF HP592C, that is a awesome recording dude!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

@henrythebusquy

3700-3791 and 1750-1965 and 1976 all had the C8.3 to ZF, and I think you also said many of the 1989 Flxibles (including 1717-1718; I wonder if this also included any units in series 3500-3605?) were converted to the C8.3/ZF (from the 6V92TA/VR731).

[ghostboy323]

These were cool MTA buses

[ea90744]

yes they were. loved the voith tranny

[6V92TA]

gotta love the rattle of an L-10 powered Metro in idle.

[AM458]

These buses was real fast with the L 10 Series Motors.

I miss these a long with the 2700 series. That the RTD had.

I also love the starters on the 2700 Series Flxibles too

[zztee]

Love it, despite it being in service for so long, I was only able to catch an L10 Flxible once when I was younger, on the 78 route. Sorta brings back memories. Thanks for the recording :)

[flxiblemetro9150]

Hello, the model letters are actually the following years: Flxible Metro "A": 1983-1986

Flxible Metro "B": 1987-1991

Flxible Metro "C": 1992

Flxible Metro "D": 1993-3rd quarter 1994

Flxible Metro "E": 4th quarter 1994-1996

[s88Limitedbus]

wow,LACMTA did have some Voith transmission before on their bus before.

did any bus on the LACMTA fleet had ZF Transmission before?

[8v71buses]

Sounds nice and a lot quieter than the 6V92 Flxibles

[flxiblemetro9150]

Man that Flxible is right on the money when it comes to the way Transpo's Flxibles sounded, you can tell that this flx likes to rattle too!

[WMATAvids]

This sounds the same as our metro b's. Im glad the ones we got are still in service.

[ea90744]

ok somebody gonna have to educate on this A,B,C,D,E, designation. I always thought that was exclusively a New Jersey Transit designation. I always referred to the flxibles by the original model number.

[WMATAvids]

im used to the lettering not so much on the numbering but i can learn

[venom2nd]

I allways wanted to know as well. We had D, and E series in Pgh.

[CBooge2]

D's are 1993-1994 and E are 1995 models.

[CBooge2]

A's are the 79's on back, B's 1980-1991, C's 1992, D's1993-1994, E's 1995 models

[venom2nd]

Cool! thanks for the info

[jrosscsu06]

:-) love that rumble..catchin this on the 110 to fox hills back in the day....so many memories

[sanchezv8]

is this a cng i like tht turbo

[CBooge2]

I think some were cng

[ea90744]

SCRTD/LACMTA did have 10 CNG Flxibles ( # 1800-1809 ).

[ea90744]

this is a diesel bus.

[MyKevinChicago]

@sanchezv8

No Those 1995 Neoplans where the first to use CNG L10g

[tbrett000]

did you get this recording when scott owned the bus?

[ea90744]

yes i did.