Riding The Last Route 202 (My 900th Video Post)

February, 1998
Beginning in February of 1995, Krapf's Coaches, under contract to SEPTA, has operated the Authority's first outside contract bus route: Route 202, operating between West Chester and Wilmington, DE, via US 202.
SEPTA provided five Neoplan AN440 buses from Victory District (a pair of 3300's for primary service and three 8700's as backup and to cover part of the peak load line), and replaced the GFI fareboxes with retired Duncan fareboxes, as Krapf's did not have the equipment to access the vaults on the GFI units.
Alas, with little ridership, changes came to the service. In June of 1997, service was reduced from hourly to every two hours, and two of the 8700-series Neoplans, no longer needed, went back to Victory District and regular SEPTA service. In March of 1998, the biggest changes came. The routing in Delaware was eliminated, and cut back to Brandywine Towne Center, just over the Delaware state line. The Neoplan buses were replaced with Ford cutaway buses. And midday service was eliminated except for one round trip.
The line was eliminated completely in March, 2000. Service between West Chester and Painters Crossroads (intersections of US 202 and US 1) was maintained by increased service on Route 314.
This video is the entire ride on the last round trip ever for full-service Route 202 between West Chester to Wilmington, and return, aboard a Neoplan bus.
Of note to RTS fans... while in Wilmington, look out for what would be my only video shot ever of a DART RTS bus as it passes by; most of their RTS fleet was in the process of being retired at the time of this video.

[@calvincrews3885]

These AN440 transitliner buses are long gone but not forgotten by older bus fans like us

[@christophercrafter2609]

Thanks Joe. Great stuff

[@CommissionerLawWonder86]

Whoa. I didn't know the 202 went into Delaware. I took the 113 to Claymont years ago before the Tri-State Mall closed down. Now I don't even go to Delaware anymore. No reason to go there these days.

[@TheKingofTransit]

My favorite bus route in history!

[@369Bandido]

Thanks for the Ride back home and back in time!🏁🙏🙏🏁. Miss these times in the Delaware Valley

[@calvincrews3885]

The old 6V92TA analog Detroit Diesel engine with HT740 Allison Transmission I miss the Neoplan AN440 from Septa the 6V92TA Detroit Diesel engines will always feel right at home with either the HT series Allison or ZF ecomat 600 Transmissions long lasting Neoplan AN440 transitliner is better than these newer Low Floor buses anyday

[@franksanders9677]

Keep blessing me with these ...i bet you won't do one on the nabi when it first came out

[@franksanders9677]

@@CrimpyWall like a nabi bus ride from 1996?? With the black windows??

[@kingsmoove112]

@@franksanders9677 i believe so, with the SEPTA "S" at the back window. There's a couple videos when the NABI's were new to the fleet

[@franksanders9677]

@@kingsmoove112 i loved the ones with the septa logo on the back window they removed the black windows i think in early 2003-2004 ....same with the neoplan 440s with the gray on there windows & the neoplan 460s had the silver articulation then turned them black.....septa had so many changes on they buses

[@kingsmoove112]

@@franksanders9677 I guess septa just wanted uniformity with their vehicle's. I was personally a fan of the black or gray trims around the buses. I loved the black around the Nabi with the S on back window

[@kingsmoove112]

@@franksanders9677 Even in the early 90's to match the neoplans, septa added the window trim to i believe just one Kawasaki trolley and maybe a couple PCC's

[@calvincrews3885]

Those are Gillig Phantom transit buses for Delaware dart

[@369Bandido]

Yes they were. 1995's that replaced the 88 Metros and the 83 RTS's

[@kingsmoove112]

Ahh. Base fare, $1.60. Good times.
.40 + token OR $2.00 got you a transfer. I think lol

[@trainman1971]

Yep.

[@danielsamuels5857]

Growing up, I always thought each token matched the base fare.

[@kingsmoove112]

@@danielsamuels5857 Each token did. But if u had no token and only had cash, that's what you paid.. and if you needed a transfer, you used the token alone with either .40 or. 60..

[@JessicaKasumi1990]

Hey Joe, do you think SEPTA may one day revive the Route 202, or is it likely to remain history?

[@trainman1971]

At the moment, I don't see it coming back....

[@JessicaKasumi1990]

@@trainman1971 If it did, that'd be nice. But, you're right, it's not likely anytime soon.

[@TransitChuckG678]

Terrific ride, thanks for posting. So they cut it back to Brandywine Square and then killed it off in later years? Loved seeing the Charcoal Pit, great place! Does anybody have a route map of how it went through the shopping centers and the route through Wilmington?

[@trainman1971]

Yep, that's pretty much the size of it.
Doug has a schedule in his collection, so he may be able to scan it one day for the route map.

[@TransitChuckG678]

@@trainman1971 Thank you!