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Re: Very topical comment on "Buy American" from hsr blog site
Author: Erik H.
Date: 12-19-2010 - 18:35
mook Wrote:
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> One thing about buses, though: they have a shorter
> life than rail cars. FTA allows replacement after
> 10-12 years, and I've heard of shorter turnovers.
Unless you're TriMet which keeps their buses in service for 20 years. TriMet's 1400 and 1600 series buses (Gillig Phantoms) were built in 1990, and the 1700-1900 series Flxible Metros were built between 1992-1995 (when Flxible went out of business).
Meanwhile, TriMet's original LRVs, the Bombardier Type Is, are all going through major rebuild - and are only five years older than TriMet's oldest, non-rebuilt buses (which are not going to be retired - OR go through major rebuild - in the next couple of years.) So as for rail vehicles lasting longer than buses...TriMet will prove you wrong.
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> One thing about buses, though: they have a shorter
> life than rail cars. FTA allows replacement after
> 10-12 years, and I've heard of shorter turnovers.
Unless you're TriMet which keeps their buses in service for 20 years. TriMet's 1400 and 1600 series buses (Gillig Phantoms) were built in 1990, and the 1700-1900 series Flxible Metros were built between 1992-1995 (when Flxible went out of business).
Meanwhile, TriMet's original LRVs, the Bombardier Type Is, are all going through major rebuild - and are only five years older than TriMet's oldest, non-rebuilt buses (which are not going to be retired - OR go through major rebuild - in the next couple of years.) So as for rail vehicles lasting longer than buses...TriMet will prove you wrong.
