Greyhound seats and fleet questions

[Swadian Hardcore]

Sample scenery too. Caught the mountains but you'll have to wait for that!

 

[rickycourtney]

What's that large monitor in the lower left of your first picture for?

 

[railiner]

What's that large monitor in the lower left of your first picture for?

That's the CEDEC....a sort of telemetry device...on some of the coaches, the driver must input his ID and passcode, before the engine will even start...

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Telly Savalas was a close second to Charles Grey for best Blofeld.

 

[rickycourtney]

What's that large monitor in the lower left of your first picture for?

That's the CEDEC....a sort of telemetry device...on some of the coaches, the driver must input his ID and passcode, before the engine will even start...

Sorry to pepper you with questions but I'm really curious about this (it's the nerd in me)...

So Greyhound uses it to track the location of the bus?

Is this device relatively new and do most buses have it?

The reason why I ask is... if Greyhound can track the location of its buses they should be able to start offering status updates on schedules. That way they could post delay information on a certain run online and on displays at stations. That would add to customer satisfaction. It's nice to know if your bus is arriving in 5 minutes or it's delayed 50 minutes and you have time to go grab a bite to eat.

Also back to our earlier discussion about communication... can they also use this device to send urgent messages to the driver en route?

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I think they can send messages to drivers, because drivers seem to have weather and connecting bus info before they arrive. Not sure about that. I think CADEC and DriveCam are on all coaches now.

After the driver pulled into Reno, he just pressed a red button to turn off the engine. Did not touch CADEC, but then again, the bus was coming from San Francisco. Apparently the CADEC screen was off the whole time.

Greyhound has been known to cut communication in order to fund more bus purchases and maintenance. So even with CADEC, the driver might not give a care, if he doesn't need to input a password. Whether that's right or not, you decide.

 

[railiner]

Thanks, Swadian for correcting my misspelling...it is indeed CADEC, not CEDEC as I spelled it.....as for how Greyhound uses it, I am not sure....never really had it explained to me, other than how to use my ID and passcode to log on, on those coaches I need to move that requires it before starting.

I did find this website that shows its functions, but how much of that Greyhound actually utilizes, I don't know...http://www.cadec.com/

If you move your cursor to 'Solutions', and then down to 'Motorcoach Safety', click, and see some of the devices potential use....

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Thanks for link. I see what CADEC can do now. Then trainee Loewy shouldn't have gotten lost in Roseville if that GPS was active, but I guess he got confused by the road works. I think CADEC is mainly a safety system to make sure drivers don't go over the speed limit, don't go off-course, or wasting fuel with too high or too low RPM. But Greyhound still has a paper driver's log. In my opinion, it's a great system, but I'm not sure if Greyhound can provide bus tracking to passengers without added modifications.

Whatever the uses are, the "Telly Savalas" driver didn't touch it AFAIK, but he's a very good driver so no big deal.

 

[railiner]

I don't believe Greyhound subscribes to the mapping feature of the GPS for driver's use. I have seen some driver's plug in their own portable GPS, but not even sure if GL officially supports that, or not....

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Well, that explains why Loewy got lost. I heard a Greyhound driver say that they are not supposed to use GPS, for fear of getting onto a non-bus route with low overpasses, or getting distracted. Instead, they are told to follow written maps and directions.

 

[rickycourtney]

So as I mentioned in an earlier post... it appears Greyhound is starting to roll out eTicketing.

Greyhound just launched a new smartphone app for BoltBus (which is really nice) and Greyhound drivers assigned to BoltBus routes have now been issued smartphones with barcode readers.

I'm curious to find out just how powerful the system is and if the smartphones issued to drivers are currently capable of doing anything more than just scanning tickets.

eTicketing has really been a huge success for Amtrak. All conductors are assigned an iPhone and they use them to fill out most of the mundane forms they used to have to do on paper, it also allows them to easily sell tickets onboard and keep an accurate manifest of all passengers onboard. On the passenger side of things it means I can now buy a ticket just minutes before a train arrives and walk right to the platform (even at unstaffed stations.) It also means I can skip printing tickets I bought online.

Hopefully Greyhound's system will be equally powerful and I can see a lot of potential of putting a smartphone in the hand of every driver (specialized GPS apps with bus accessible routes, easy communication with dispatch, an app for submitting defect reports and tracking for real-time arrivals information.)

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Well, that explains why Loewy got lost. I heard a Greyhound driver say that they are not supposed to use GPS, for fear of getting onto a non-bus route with low overpasses, or getting distracted. Instead, they are told to follow written maps and directions.

A regular GPS should never be used by a bus BUT I used to have GPS for my truck that had clearance data programmed into it. My truck was 12'7" and I programmed that in and it never routed me via anything I couldn't handle, even round town and along rural roads.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

My understanding is that Greyhound was differing communication in order to get money for bus purchases, due to the fleet shortage after new ADA regulations required every bus to have a lift. Now if Greyhound has dealt with fleet problems, now they can start investing in communication.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Hey guys, I took a look at Greyhound's "Fleet" section of the "Facts and Figures" page, it has a note saying that the information is "as of March 31, 2013". But in March 2013, the 102DL3 rebuilds were not complete. So while 75% of those (about 575 units) were rebuilt and equipped with wheelchair lifts, the remaining units continued to be rebuilt for a few months.

Currently, I believe about 700 rebuilt DL3's are operating in the US fleet, with the rest not to be rebuilt. That is because Greyhound received the new D4505's in October 2013. An unreliable source told me that Greyhound has 750 rebuilt DL3's, I find that unlikely with the amount of white DL3's sitting in the Charter fleet.

Also, a reliable source told me that Greyhound got discounts on the G4500 and bought them "strippo" with no extras other than a restroom, at $350,000 each, and received a total of 446 units costing $156.1 million in total. Of these, 302 were for Greyhound US, 64 were for Greyhound Canada, and the rest for subsidiaries. This is not including the G4100.

Edit: Saw a 102A3 motorhome sitting in the local middle school parking lot, but it had nothing to do with the school since school's out. Driver was taking a break and decided to use the empty parking lot. Still had the old two-stroke Detroit 92. It was an early-model without the extra taillight and had the wide bottom trim like the MC-9. Looks and runs great, the 102A3!

 

[Caesar La Rock]

There is something I could never understand, Greyhound recently is using Alcoa rims on their newest coaches. Wonder why they never thought to put Alcoas on the 102-DL3s and G4500s as they are coming out of rebuild? Don't know if they would be saving money on using Alcoas versus the ones on the DL3s and G4500s, but that's something that's on my mind.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I found a trip report with photos for a Greyhound overnight ride on a blue G4500. Check this out: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/greyhound-100-years-old-and-acting-younger-than-ever/2014/07/03/4b0dbb9c-ecff-11e3-93d2-edd4be1f5d9e_story.html.

Hopefully the link works!

Edit: Unfortunately, the link does not work from here. So you'll have to search "Greyhound 100 years old and acting younger than ever." It should be on Washington Post.

 

[railiner]

Another great link....thanks for posting it, Swadian!

 

[rickycourtney]

Those seats look great in leather.

That article was a great read too. It pretty accurately describes Greyhound, the changes for the better and worse and the challenges moving forward.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

You're welcome. Too bad they didn't add a colored headliner, right now it's just bare pieces sticking out. The 102DL3 headliner is not colored at all but at least it's smooth and rounded to a clear white state. This one has those rims sticking out. Greyhound Canada G4500's have a blue-pattern headliner giving the bus a more polished look at minimal cost.

I agree, the seats look much better than the original G4500 seats. It looks like a much more comfortable bus, inside and out, enough to impress a Washington Post author who had previously rejected Greyhound due to overbooking. I can safely say Greyhound doesn't overbook anymore, but the reason they didn't make a news release is probably because many codeshare carriers still overbook and they didn't want to be accused of false advertising.

As far as I know, the G4500 still has the mechanical problems but should be more comfortable now than the new D4505 or X3-45 that have terrible seats. Also, it appears clean inside and out, while offering massive curb appeal with the rounded nose and aggressive headlights. This could be a great success for updating Greyhound's reputation in Seattle, a comfortable bus that looks great too, despite having the worst mechanical design in Greyhound's fleet. I have to say, when I saw #7191 in Reno, that was one eye-catching bus! But my latest 102DL3 photo upload has gained 518 views in one day, and it's not even that modern-looking.

I'll still have to ride the Blue G4500 for an accurate opinion, but Greyhound's Mexican buses with Mexican seats just lack a headliner to become on-par with the regular buses (not first or executive class) in Mexico that everyone still touts about, and the exact buses that Greyhound was trying to emulate with the G4500.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Greyhound received some Massachusetts-owned D4500CT. Image attached. These things are definitely better than the D4505 and are more than capable of intercity service, with a 182-gallon fuel tank (like the 102DL3) compared to the D4505's 164-gallon fuel tank. Still looks to have Premier LS.

Not my photo!

 

[railiner]

You're welcome. Too bad they didn't add a colored headliner, right now it's just bare pieces sticking out. The 102DL3 headliner is not colored at all but at least it's smooth and rounded to a clear white state. This one has those rims sticking out. Greyhound Canada G4500's have a blue-pattern headliner giving the bus a more polished look at minimal cost.

I agree, the seats look much better than the original G4500 seats. It looks like a much more comfortable bus, inside and out, enough to impress a Washington Post author who had previously rejected Greyhound due to overbooking. I can safely say Greyhound doesn't overbook anymore, but the reason they didn't make a news release is probably because many codeshare carriers still overbook and they didn't want to be accused of false advertising.

As far as I know, the G4500 still has the mechanical problems but should be more comfortable now than the new D4505 or X3-45 that have terrible seats. Also, it appears clean inside and out, while offering massive curb appeal with the rounded nose and aggressive headlights. This could be a great success for updating Greyhound's reputation in Seattle, a comfortable bus that looks great too, despite having the worst mechanical design in Greyhound's fleet. I have to say, when I saw #7191 in Reno, that was one eye-catching bus! But my latest 102DL3 photo upload has gained 518 views in one day, and it's not even that modern-looking.

I'll still have to ride the Blue G4500 for an accurate opinion, but Greyhound's Mexican buses with Mexican seats just lack a headliner to become on-par with the regular buses (not first or executive class) in Mexico that everyone still touts about, and the exact buses that Greyhound was trying to emulate with the G4500.

I have to disagree on a couple of points.....I like a bare white ceiling, as they reflect a lot more light when the ceiling lights are on bright, providing a very bright interior when bright lighting is necessary for terminal boarding or for cleaning, etc. I have been in some coaches with carpeted ceilings, and while attractive, they dim the lighting considerably.

And as for truly subjective....I strongly dislike the "rounded nose and aggressive headlights" that the G's and 4505's have. To my view, they make the coach look like it was styled by Toyota...I much prefer the clean, square look of the DL3's......I especially like the ones that have the stainless steel....

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I can see how the white headliner would reflect light better. Perhaps they should just put a smooth white headliner in the G4500, but not the old headliner with all the rims and edges, something more polished to cover it would be ideal.

As for the nose, yeah I agree, the squarer nose on the DL3 looks better, but for curb appeal the rounded nose attracts most people. It's eye-catching, maybe not great looking to you or me but most people in Seattle would think Greyhound put brand-new buses in their city. After years of getting Dirty Dogs and losing ridership, that's a big deal. The TD925 is eye-catching and gains reputation even though it's not that great at all. But yeah, I myself prefer the DL3, MC-8, or H3-45 squarer looks compared to the E/G/J round looks, it's just that using a Blue G4500 is the best way to get rid of a bad reputation.

I heard Greyhound's DL3 nose is stainless steel, just treated and painted over. I was asked if Greyhounds are governed at 70 mph or 75 mph, every driver I've asked that question says it's 75 mph but I'm not sure if that's for all models.

 

[railiner]

Yeah, I guess I'm just 'old-school'....I like the days of fluted aluminum and/or stainless steel on the coach, with just a painted letterboard area....nowadays, you only see polished aluminum on some conversion motorhomes that gleam like a mirror....

I guess you know I miss the old AA airliner scheme, as well...

 

[rickycourtney]

I can safely say Greyhound doesn't overbook anymore, but the reason they didn't make a news release is probably because many codeshare carriers still overbook and they didn't want to be accused of false advertising.

That's a good theory.
The author of the WaPo points out that on many routes Greyhound still doesn't guarantee seating (it does on BoltBus and Greyhound Express routes.) Most customers wouldn't understand being denied a seat due to overbooking vs. non-guaranteed seating. They'd just be mad that they were denied a seat.

Greyhound received some Massachusetts-owned D4500CT. Image attached. These things are definitely better than the D4505 and are more than capable of intercity service, with a 182-gallon fuel tank (like the 102DL3) compared to the D4505's 164-gallon fuel tank. Still looks to have Premier LS.

I'm actually not a huge fan of the look of this bus in the Greyhound livery. That large area above the windshield makes the coach look like it has a big bald forehead.

That being said I like the white headsign and the larger fuel tank seems like a good idea on long distance routes.

Also what's that fourth icon on the door?? There's the normal outlets, WiFi and legroom but there's clearly a fourth icon blocked by the door.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I don't know about the fourth icon. I would need to see the entire D4500CT in Greyhound colors to see if it looks good or not. But I do enjoy riding that model far more than the D4505. Rumors are out that Greyhound cancelled 40 D4505's in favor of D4500CT's. The CT's are 2015 model year, owned by Massachusetts and based from Boston Garage. No more information.

The DL3 has the same black roof cap. I like that look myself, it doesn't look that much like a bald head when you see it in the open. The J4500 really looks bad with the white roof cap, it should always get painted black to avoid looking bald. Then again, I shave my head, occasionally.