| Author | Message | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 2189 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 174.89.177.173  Rating: N/A |
It is with some melancholy, my good busnut friends, that I share the after-the-fact press release announcing the end of the GM New Looks in revenue service in Toronto. The convergence of conditions that led to the finest transit coach built to date are not likely to align again. Only because I drove them, and without power steering in heavy urban transit conditions, and will fondly remember the feel of the road unsurpassed by anything that follows, will I continue to be... happy coaching! buswarrior From: TTC Media Relations Sent: December 20, 2011 1:08 PM Subject: News Release - All 170 TTC bus routes now accessible News Release December 20, 2011 All 170 TTC bus routes now accessible The TTC is pleased to announce that as of yesterday, Monday, December 19, with the retirement of the TTC’s last old, non-accessible buses, the entire TTC bus network is now fully accessible. All 170 bus routes are now wheelchair and scooter friendly. The TTC’s last few remaining GM “New Look” non-accessible buses – a model that dates back to the 1950s – made their final scheduled run on the 52 Lawrence West route on December 16. They have now been replaced by accessible Orion VII low-floor buses. The TTC introduced its first accessible 12-metre buses in 1996. Today, the TTC operates a fleet of close to 1,800 accessible buses. Accessible buses can be identified by blue lights on either side of the front destination sign, and the blue international wheelchair symbol displayed above the front right bumper next to the entrance door. All fully accessible buses include two wheelchair/scooter positions. With this change, the 52 Lawrence West and 352 Lawrence West Blue Night routes also became bike-rack-equipped, making the entire TTC 12-metre bus fleet bike-racked-equipped. All new TTC buses come equipped with bike racks, which can carry two bicycles at a time. -30- Media contact: Mike DeToma, Senior Communications Advisor, 416-981-1900, mike.detoma@ttc.ca | ||
| Bill Gerrie (Bill_gerrie)
Registered Member Username: Bill_gerrie Post Number: 592 Registered: 3-2006 Posted From: 216.198.139.38  Rating: N/A |
BW The GM new look was the best bus that I drove during my 32 years at the Toronto Transit Commission. Maybe that makes mine more valuable now that there isn't any left in service in Toronto. Just dreaming. I well remember the armstrong steering and the only reason they finally put power steering in them was the hiring of women. That may not be politically correct but so what. It is the truth. Sorry to see the best transit bus ever built gone now. My bus was the former TTC #3721 built in 1965. It was retired in 1984 to become our bus conversion. It has traveled many thousands of trouble free miles since. Even out to CA 6 years ago. Bill | ||
| Brian Evans (Bevans6)
Registered Member Username: Bevans6 Post Number: 110 Registered: 5-2009 Posted From: 67.71.38.16 Rating: N/A |
After I became a bus-nut, I looked for and really enjoyed the GM's that I saw daily on the Bay Street route down towards Union Station. I never rode one, but I always looked for them. Perhaps fitting that just as I get forcibly retired, so do those buses! We will disappear from Toronto streets together. Brian | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 2191 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 174.89.174.95 Rating: N/A |
In answer to RJ's question on the other board about the "historical fleet" here in Toronto, I typed this up: Unfortunately, there is no historical fleet here in Toronto. The only things we still have on the books is one circa 1921 "Peter Witt" streetcar, and two circa 1951 "President's Conference Committee" streetcars. Much of the TTC's rail history is housed in an independent operating museum west of the city near Rockwood. You'll find the Halton County Radial Railway at this link: http://www.hcry.org/ Up until last Friday, the regular fleet WAS the historical fleet? Part of the problem here is that we run the buses far more years than in the US, and with the high use of salt in winter, they are pretty much done. It was not unusual for us to run a bus for 18 years. The last of those GM's were from our purchases in the early 1980's, as the New Look line came to an end. They went through a comprehensive heavy rebuild at least once, some twice, since the rebuilds did not use much in the way of isolation between the steel bulkheads and the aluminum skins, rotting through again earlier than a fresh coach would have. The whole heavy re-build program was considered a temporary measure, in it's official form since David Gunn's time here some 17 years ago, that has ended up continuing until now. Some temporary program, eh? These rebuilds have always taken place, before and after, just not in as formal a program. And it is all done in-house, I might add, by our own tradespeople. The US government program of 12 year funding is what has destroyed bus design. They are bought with "free money" by government bodies, not by a business owner. They are all built to fall apart at 11 years 6 months. Why would you design for longer? How could you and stay in business? The GM was designed in a day when there was little horsepower, weight was a killer, the bus had to pay its way, both for it's capital outlay, and its operating costs. That is a VERY different market place from today. happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| Bill Gerrie (Bill_gerrie)
Registered Member Username: Bill_gerrie Post Number: 594 Registered: 3-2006 Posted From: 216.198.139.38 Rating: N/A |
BW Thank goodness my 1965 TDH5303 was not one of the rebuild ones. When they rebuilt the 1980 group I was aware of the rebuilders not isolating the aluminum and steel. It was only a matter of time till corrosion showed up. It did in a big way. The group of buses now retired are nothing more then a pile of scrap metal. What a shame to have a bus that was one of the best ever built end up like this. Bill | ||
| Paso One (Paso_1)
Registered Member Username: Paso_1 Post Number: 203 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 142.165.246.240  Rating: N/A |
My bus's Only Claim to fame is my bus was the last TDH 5303 ever built # 1069 Saskatoons # 339 I got the complete file with the bus including the ordering comunication, as well as letters from GM advising things they changed mid build  The file had the final delivery records including actual blue prints. It's amazing what they did back then under customer service . | ||
| Ian Giffin (Admin)
Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 1490 Registered: 7-1997 Posted From: 24.239.11.34  Rating: N/A |
Ahh, I remember armstrong steering and the 29 Dufferin route on the swing shift before the Master sign up in... um... '74? Ian www.busnut.com | ||
| Bill Gerrie (Bill_gerrie)
Registered Member Username: Bill_gerrie Post Number: 595 Registered: 3-2006 Posted From: 216.198.139.38 Rating: N/A |
Ian Sounds like you may be older then I think you are. I have been retired for almost 15 years now from Toronto Transit and loving it. I remember the days of divisional seniority then along came system wide seniority. I must talk to BW and find out what you did in your past life. Might make for interesting conversation. Bill |