| Author |
Message |
Ron Viegelahn (128.32.148.34)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 02, 2004 - 3:51 pm: | |
I'm new to this bus conversion stuff. Will it be hard to get parts for a western flyer bus ?
I se plenty of gmc's etc but almost no western flyers on this busnut website.
Thanks
ron6678@yahoo.com |
Doug (68.82.242.218)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 02, 2004 - 4:35 pm: | |
Very rare most have gone to the scapr heap..... although lots of parts are common across manufacturers |
Terry Mac (199.120.113.103)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 02, 2004 - 10:21 pm: | |
What is a western flyer. where can I see a picture? |
Phil Dumpster (24.16.243.37)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 02, 2004 - 10:53 pm: | |
Canadian made intercity coach. Last produced in the 60s. |
James Maxwell (Jmaxwell) (66.81.37.92)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 03, 2004 - 1:10 am: | |
Phil D: Sorry, not out of production, only certain models, as is the case w/ every manufacturer. The new low level transits are all over the place. They are a very large manufacturer. They also produce for the Gillig name. They are built hell for stout and many are available from transit fleets retiring mid 80's models. They come with a variety of engines, from Cummins 903 and L-10 to DD 6v92's and I have even seen a couple with CATS. Retro fit caps are available from R&M. And, you can buy them cheap, even when in fairly good condition. |
RJ Long (Rjlong) (66.229.97.200)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 03, 2004 - 3:39 am: | |
James -
I think you're confusing the New Flyer transits with the Western Flyer highway models. IIRC, two different companies: One still around, the other defunct over thirty years.
FWIW,
RJ
PD4106-2784
Fresno CA |
Dave Wheat (24.158.30.144)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 03, 2004 - 12:06 pm: | |
Pictures available: Nat'l Bus Trader magazine, Nov 2003, page 22. There were 2 at the Hibbing MN Bus Bash and were very nicely done. Good solid looking buses. |
Phil Dumpster (24.16.243.37)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 03, 2004 - 6:04 pm: | |
RJ is correct. Western Flyer coaches were produced by Western Flyer Coach. When Western Flyer Coach went out of business in 1971, the government of Manitoba bought the company assets and started Flyer Industries.
The last Western Flyer coach produced was in 1968, a Canuck 600 intercity coach. The year before, a prototype of a bus based on a licensed copy of a Flxible coach which would be called the D700 was delivered to the Toronto Transit Commission. A trolley version of the same coach was delivered a year later.
The term "Western Flyer" was not applied to the transit coaches in production.
Western Flyer coach was a small operation building one or two coaches a week. They were no match for MCI, GM of Canada or Prevost for that matter. Their attempt to switch production to transit busses cost them quite a bit of money and production capacity. Even with the desire of Canadian transit agencies to purchase a uniquely Canadian produced transit bus, there still wasn't enough money coming in to keep the company alive.
After the government bought the company assets and started Flyer Industries (the logo was a pair of crossed hockey sticks) they expanded production in a big way and started to market the product not only within Canada but in the US as well.
In 1986 the government sold the company to Den Oudsten B.V. of Holland, and they renamed it New Flyer Industries, which is the name you see today.
The company has struggled with profitability problems ever since and has changed hands a few times. They are the largest bus builder in North America at this time. |