A little of this (a little of that)

We saw the arrival of a newbie of a different sort on Friday -- a Bluebird with the world's shortest wheelbase! Turns on a dime. Takes out any obstacle in its way with a simple flick of its massive tail. Don't mess with this bird!

It is interesting that this bus does not have air brakes, yet it uses compressed air for the driver's seat and the entrance door. It combines in its suspension both leaf springs and air bags. It has been given the resplendent name of 505, a more "prodigitous" moniker than any jitney we've had in quite awhile. We'll call him '5', for short.

Thanks to everyone involved in making this acquisition a reality for MCT!

(Click on any picture to enlarge)

79 reposes in a training wheelchair ...

... and grimaces at a math riddle by 87. It was Friday, after all.

91's installation of a door jamb gets instructional encouragement from 81A and 80.

98 checks to make sure his burger doesn't burn to a crisp.

We had a very nice visit Friday from T., who's company was enjoyed by 78.

A highlight of the Friday BBQ was the visit of 84's daughter A. She was delightful and quite adept at outrunning 99 during dizzy races!

Happily for 82, there was still plenty of good food when she finished her driving shift.

New entry opens

It is now possible for northbound traffic on Knoles to drive directly in to the lot across from Cline Library without having to use McCreary (in front of the Library front entrance).

Though there was apparently no fanfare for the Grand Opening of this driveway, it may in effect offer significant improvements in the transport of our customers due in large part to the siphoning effect it will have. There will be fewer vehicles our buses will have to contend with on the northbound run there.

We thank NAU Project Manager David Hook and all who took part in the planning, design and construction of this little big improvement.

(Click on pic to enlarge)

Route 2 detour

ROUTE 2 DETOUR

There is construction going on along a portion of Route 2 on north campus. Because of the restriction/closure, we will be detouring as explained in the diagram following the pictures in this post. In this way we will still be able to maintain service to all our bus stops without having to relocate them.

The closure is along Beaver southbound between DuPont and Ellery and also along DuPont between Beaver and Humphreys.

(Click on pictures & diagram to enlarge)

TIME SLIPS

Time slips are due in to 50 no later than 10:00 am on Thursday, 11 June.

More to come ... stay tuned ...

Memories

Work and play

The lounge and office are ohh so close to being finished.

While waiting for the wax in the lounge to dry, we enjoyed a dry day to paint. That's newbie 81A, followed by 84, 99 and 74. Welcome 81A !!!

At lunch time we fired up the BBQ and waited for the coals to heat with a bit of frisbee. Here, 98 throws while 99 and 84 watch.

91 attempts to intercept a throw to 78.

D'oh!

It is a bit odd to have a giant frisbee sittin' on the roof of that shed, eh?

Then we wined and dined, without the wine.

Finally, the paint was dry, we had to take up the tape. It was a contest between 79, 91, 99 and 84. Who won?End of week 3 for the summer ....

End of the line

CDL pre-trip - air brake system

Undercarriage - Air brake system

Click on any photo to enlarge

Proper CDL pre-trip means good troubleshooting:
PART and PROBLEM

Air tanks -- leaks, rust
Air lines -- leaks
Air brake chamber -- air leaks, cracks
Push rod -- damage
Slack adjuster -- damage, >1" travel
S-cam (not visible) -- damage



Brake shoe -- cracks, loose or missing bolts
Brake lining -- loose, missing, oil or grease, less than 1/4" on lining wear
Brake drum -- cracks, oil or grease, rust



Brakes return spring -- loose, broken, missing



Spring brakes (rear axle only) -- damage

Repeat inspection for all wheels

Rest in pieces

CDL pre-trip - suspension system

Undercarriage - Suspension system
Click on any photo to enlarge

Proper CDL pre-trip means good troubleshooting:
PART and PROBLEM.

Frame -- damage, cracks, rust
Hangers -- cracks, loose nuts
Small clamps - loose, missing



Leaf springs -- shifted, cracked, missing, rust
U-bolt -- cracked, missing
U-bolt nuts -- loose, missing
Axle -- damaged, shifted, cracked, rust



Shackle -- cracks, damage
Not visible: Torque arm -- cracks, damage



Shock absorber -- leaks, loose nuts, rust



Air bag systems:
Air bag -- leaks
Control arm -- damage, cracks

CDL pre-trip - 7-step air brake test

The 7-step air brake system test must be done with correct values and in the proper order.
Click on any photo to enlarge.

Chock the wheels.
Put on seat belt.
If air-gauges are not full, run bus engine until they are, then turn engine off.


1. Test for air leaks
Push yellow parking brake knob in (photo above).
Push service brake and hold steady for one minute. No more than 3 lbs pressure loss allowed.



2. Test low-air warning system
Turn ignition key to right but don't turn engine on.
Lower air pressure by pumping on brakes.
Low air light & buzzer must come on higher than 60 lbs.



3. Test spring brake activation
Continue reducing air pressure by pumping the brakes.
Parking brake knob should pop out between 20 & 45 lbs.



4. Test air compressor build rate
Unchock wheels.
Put seat belt back on.
Start engine.
At 85 lbs (photo above) begin timing, and ...
... At 100 lbs (photo above) stop timing.
The 15-lb interval should take no more than 45 seconds.



5. Test air compressor shut-off
Let engine continue to idle.
Air compressor should shut off at about 120 lbs. Gauges will stop rising.



6. Test spring brake hold
Pull out yellow spring brake knob.
Put foot on brake.
Shift to drive on gear selector.
Using throttle pedal, raise engine rpm to 1000, then release.
Bus should not move.



7. Test service brakes
Push service brake.
Shift to drive.
Push yellow parking brake knob in.
When it is safe, release service brake and move bus forward to 5 mph.
Hover hands over steering wheel as indicated in photo above.
Bring bus to a stop by applying firm pressure to service brake.
Determine if steering wheel turns left or right, or if brakes grind.


Pull out yellow parking brake knob, shift to neutral. End of air-brake system test.

Thunder Dome

CDL pre-trip - steering system

Undercarriage - Steering system
Click on any photo to enlarge

Proper CDL pre-trip means good troubleshooting:
PART and PROBLEM.

Steering wheel -- damage, binding
Steering column -- binding



Steering gear box -- leaks, cracks



Pittman arm -- cracks, rust



Drag link -- cracks, rust, (grab and) shake for looseness



Steering ring knuckle -- cracks, rust
Kingpin -- cracks, rust
Spindle -- damage
Steering arms -- cracks, rust
Tie rod -- cracks, rust

Chandelier

CDL engine pre-trip

CDL ENGINE COMPARTMENT
Click on any photo to enlarge

Proper CDL pre-trip means good troubleshooting:
PART and PROBLEM.

Air filter -- holes; dirty when indicated by vacuum gauge
Hoses -- leaks, loose clamps
Belts -- >3/4" play, fraying, cuts, missing
Wires -- loose, cut, no insulation
Fluid filters -- leaks
Alternator -- loose bolts, loose wires at rear
Water pump -- leaks, it's belt driven

Air brake compressor -- air leaks, fluid leaks, no belt so it's gear driven
Steering fluid pump (not visible) -- leaks, no belt so it's gear driven
Air governor (not visible) -- not cracked

Oil dipstick -- engine off, remove & clean, seat, remove & read, fill if needed
Transmission dipstick -- engine idling, remove & clean, seat, remove & read, fill if needed
Steering fluid dipstick -- remove & clean, seat, remove & read, fill if needed
Coolant -- Fill when needed only when cold
Coolant reservoir -- leaks
Steering fluid reservoir -- leaks

Fan -- not turning, scraping
Radiator -- leaks, blockage (from debris)
Fan motor -- leaks