What is the Lowest numbered RTS you've seen in service?

[CPBO]

This work horse is still alive and kicking....I am curious what is the lowest numbers anyone has seen on em.....I have seen a 3900 I don't remember the exact number.....

[Bill from Maspeth]

This work horse is still alive and kicking....I am curious what is the lowest numbers anyone has seen on em.....I have seen a 3900 I don't remember the exact number.....

3900's are hybrids. I did see 4900 yesterday, but that is not the oldest. The oldest I've seen, numerical wise, is 8752, but the very first one, 8750, supposedly is at LGA.

[DevilBus65]

We had 1 and 2 respectively at Queens and Steinway Transit. They had the rear doors that opened out like the front door did.

[trainfan22]

The 200 series GMC RTS Green lines used to have, in 2005.

 

The 8000 TMC RTSs, I miss these things, lots of memories riding these on FLA, ENY and MTA Bus routes except for LGA as I never caught their 90 TMCs.

 

1100s in green lines and the ex Jamaica 1100s in the MTA # system. My favorite batch of RTSs! I didn't really care for the 8600s, the PBL ones I was fond of.

[aemoreira81]

In NYC---the 1000 series RTS-03s from Green Lines...but after they were converted from slopebacks (these were built in 1979 and had 8-cylinder engines). These ran as late as 2000. Green Lines owned these buses.

 

I do remember RTS-01 and -03 slopebacks and converted squarebacks as rental shuttles at JFK way back in the day (Gilligs replaced these slopebacks).

[MHV9218]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Nova RTS 9147]

This work horse is still alive and kicking....I am curious what is the lowest numbers anyone has seen on em.....I have seen a 3900 I don't remember the exact number.....

 

I don't recall there being any RTS's numbered in the 3000s since the GMCs.

 

Recently I've seen an 8700 in Ulmer Park. Otherwise I see 5200s all the time out of Quill.

 

Something unrelated: I rode 4429 on the M9 this morning. Since when was that out of Quill?

[engineerboy6561]

The oldest RTS I remember riding was a 4xxx (I think low 4200s) on the Bx10 when I was six or seven years old; other than that I rode a couple of 80xx RTSs on Bronx Science school trippers (including 8013) a couple of years ago when the NGs were first coming to CAS.

[Cait Sith]

I don't recall there being any RTS's numbered in the 3000s since the GMCs.

 

Recently I've seen an 8700 in Ulmer Park. Otherwise I see 5200s all the time out of Quill.

 

Something unrelated: I rode 4429 on the M9 this morning. Since when was that out of Quill?

 

I think what he means is by lowest that you've seen in general, not currently.

 

4429 at Quill, thats been there since last fall, idk why though.

[Nova RTS 9147]

I think what he means is by lowest that you've seen in general, not currently.

 

4429 at Quill, thats been there since last fall, idk why though.

 

Wow, this is my first time seeing that bus in Manhattan.

 

And for the lowest Ive ever seen personally, 1117 across from Woodhaven Boulevard (Queens Center Mall or whatever).

[gtNovaBusRTS9369]

GMC RTS: 4499/45XX Series

 

TMC RTS: 80XX Series

 

NovaBus RTS: 4900

[Fresh Pond]

The only ones I can remember was the last 46xx left Flatbush back when I was in HS, and 1184 which I think was at JFK when the took over. I'll remember that one the most cuz that was also my building number at that time. Now it has to be 8752

[R42 M Train]

3900's are hybrids. I did see 4900 yesterday, but that is not the oldest. The oldest I've seen, numerical wise, is 8752, but the very first one, 8750, supposedly is at LGA.

 

8750 is at LGA and its still there AFAIK. I saw it on the Q67 a few weeks ago and I have a picture on my phone but my phone is acting up and not letting me send it anyhwere.

 

BTW Does anyone know which bus is older, 8750 or 101?

[aemoreira81]

8750 is at LGA and its still there AFAIK. I saw it on the Q67 a few weeks ago and I have a picture on my phone but my phone is acting up and not letting me send it anyhwere.

 

BTW Does anyone know which bus is older, 8750 or 101?

 

8750 is back at ECH. 8750 is the older of the two.

 

As for my oldest RTS ride---I was around when 1201 was at East New York...and all of the windows were sealed. What I never got though was why the 1981 GMCs that were originally delivered to MaBSTOA garages (before 1984, the fleets generally did not mix) had white interiors.

 

That 1981 GMC RTS order, by 4 buses, was the largest order the MTA ever received. The next largest order was the 852 O7 NG order.

 

By year of retirement (the last bus from each purchase), for units the MTA purchased new:

 

1981 order: 2002 (non-rebuilt, bus 2270)

1982 order: 2002 (non-rebuilt, bus 1852)

1983 order: 2000 (bus 3009)

1984 order: 2007 (bus 3503, later 1837)

1985 order: 2007 (not sure what the last bus was)

1986 order: 2005 (not sure what the last bus was)

1987 order: 2007 (bus 4883, later 1855)

 

The RTS is a workhorse indeed.

[East New York]

This work horse is still alive and kicking....I am curious what is the lowest numbers anyone has seen on em.....I have seen a 3900 I don't remember the exact number.....

 

I remember a few 1200+, 2000, 3000, & 4000 series coaches. I've been on most all of them at some time or another. I don't remember the TA having any RTS' numbered below 1201. I didn't know much about the PBL's back then, so all I remember are 200 series Queens Surface, 300 series Command, and 2000 series Triboro buses.

[Kanarsie Guy]

3099 from ENY it use to be on the B50 alot & 3160 from UP. Loved that DDS50 it was kinda of new to the MTA at that time.

[MABSTOA for Life]

MABSTOA took delivery of our first RTS buses when David Gunn yanked the Grumman 870s for the second time. I was at the old Coliseum Depot back then.

 

The first wave to arrive at OA were the 2200 series equipped with 6V71 engines. The biggest objection voiced by Operators was the built-in throttle delay. You could stand on those air-assist throttles with all your body weight. The power built at a pre-programmed pace no matter what. The highest number of complaints came from the Manhattan routes because the slow takeoff speeds made it difficult to get out of a stop on the Avenues without having a fast-moving cab come up on your left side.

 

GMC told us that the throttle delay was there to protect the transmission. And that might have been true - not being a mechanic I cannot speak to technical realities. To some degree it was our own fault (the low power, that is). Given the added weight of the wheelchair lifts and other paraphernalia, the buses were grossly underpowered.

 

There is an irony here. The last delivery of Old Look Flxibles had five MABSTOA units (9160 - 9164) that came in with 8V71 motors. The guys used to line up for these buses because they really had get up and go. I remember opening them up driving from Pelham Bay to City Island. Those suckers moved. Why they reverted to the 6V71 when they knew the RTS was a heavier bus I do not know.

 

Mind you, the Grummans had 6V71s but were geared to allow full power when you punched the accelerator. Yes, we threw a lot of people onto the floor with them. You could also hold the Grumman's accelerator to the floor, release the interlock and it would go to full power. They were the only series of bus to allow that. All others needed to have the interlock off before the accelerator would engage.

 

The first 6V92 OA received was an RTS-04 numbered 2588. It seemed the startup throttle delay as not as pronounced on that unit. And while the 1982 2600 series were delivered with the 6V92 turbos, they went back to the 6V71 motors in the 1983 3000 series.

 

Once things became relatively seamless between the OA and TA some 1300 series RTS buses came into Hudson Pier from Brooklyn garages. And they had the most capable air conditioners I ever saw. We later discovered that mechanics in Brooklyn found a way to "trick" the climate control thermostat behind the rear interior grille into pumping out another five degrees of AC before cycling off. When some OA Maintenance higher-ups made a stink, I recall saying to them the problem was easy to solve if we would just show our Operators some courtesy and lose the automatic thermostat in favor of a driver-controlled gradustat like NJ Transit and a few other area properties used. Unfortunately, my suggestion was not well-received.

 

Hope this is of interest to you.

[aemoreira81]

I remember a few 1200+, 2000, 3000, & 4000 series coaches. I've been on most all of them at some time or another. I don't remember the TA having any RTS' numbered below 1201. I didn't know much about the PBL's back then, so all I remember are 200 series Queens Surface, 300 series Command, and 2000 series Triboro buses.

 

1201 was the first RTS.

 

You don't remember the 2-digit RTSs at Queens Surface? I believe that they were numbered 43-54. I'm not sure who owned them, but they and the 200-series GMCs at Queens Surface were all retired when the O5 CNGs came in or shortly thereafter (I was a freshman at St. John's when those buses were arriving in brand-new).

 

3099 from ENY it use to be on the B50 alot & 3160 from UP. Loved that DDS50 it was kinda of new to the MTA at that time.

 

I didn't even know that East New York had 3099. I remember 3068-3094 vividly, however. Then East NY later on received a smorgasbord of RTSs in the 3153-3208 range. 3158 near the end had an oversized blue stripe. Gleason also eventually received 3000s in that range, such as 3168-3171. I do not remember seeing most of the mid-3200s, however, except for 3243 and 3257.

 

But you want to know long-lasting? 1751, 1767, and 1852 ran out of Queens Village for most of my time as an undergrad at St. John's; all of them got retired in 2002.

[East New York]

3099 from ENY it use to be on the B50 alot & 3160 from UP. Loved that DDS50 it was kinda of new to the MTA at that time.

 

Those engines were actually 6v92ta's. The s50 didn't arrive standard until the 8700's came in IIRC. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

1201 was the first RTS.

 

You don't remember the 2-digit RTSs at Queens Surface? I believe that they were numbered 43-54. I'm not sure who owned them, but they and the 200-series GMCs at Queens Surface were all retired when the O5 CNGs came in or shortly thereafter (I was a freshman at St. John's when those buses were arriving in brand-new).

 

No I don't remember them personally. As hard as I try, I just can't. They were actually numbered 1-54. They were Steinway buses that would eventually be operated by QSC. There were so many RTS' around at the time, and I didn't pay attention to the #'s of the non-TA buses back then.

 

I do however remember seeing them in Manhattan. The first time I actually went to Queens surprisingly, was in '94. If it wasn't a TA bus, I wasn't really interested at all! I did however love seeing the variety whenever I went to the city. But as I said, I can't recall the single/double digit units for some reason. After that, I didn't go back to Queens untill '02 to get a glimpse of the new MTA Bus.

 

I had also never been on any PBL buses at the time either. My first was 9750 on the Q33. Many of those ex-QSC buses ran pretty damn good too! I really wish I had gotten a chance to catch some PBL buses before the takeover. Oh well. Now I gotta take a ride on a LI Bus before it's privatized, or I will be in the same situation yet again!

[gtNovaBusRTS9369]

Those engines were actually 6v92ta's. The s50 didn't arrive standard until the 8700's came in IIRC. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

I don't know about #3099 but #3160 had recived the DDS50 in '93 to test out the engine I think.

[Joel Up Front]

Well, ENY, if you do make it out here, you'll end up on one of the NGs from 2009. Try to find a more recent NG (1800s) and then see how you like it.

[unclephil]

MABSTOA took delivery of our first RTS buses when David Gunn yanked the Grumman 870s for the second time. I was at the old Coliseum Depot back then.

 

The first wave to arrive at OA were the 2200 series equipped with 6V71 engines. The biggest objection voiced by Operators was the built-in throttle delay. You could stand on those air-assist throttles with all your body weight. The power built at a pre-programmed pace no matter what. The highest number of complaints came from the Manhattan routes because the slow takeoff speeds made it difficult to get out of a stop on the Avenues without having a fast-moving cab come up on your left side.

 

GMC told us that the throttle delay was there to protect the transmission. And that might have been true - not being a mechanic I cannot speak to technical realities. To some degree it was our own fault (the low power, that is). Given the added weight of the wheelchair lifts and other paraphernalia, the buses were grossly underpowered.

 

There is an irony here. The last delivery of Old Look Flxibles had five MABSTOA units (9160 - 9164) that came in with 8V71 motors. The guys used to line up for these buses because they really had get up and go. I remember opening them up driving from Pelham Bay to City Island. Those suckers moved. Why they reverted to the 6V71 when they knew the RTS was a heavier bus I do not know.

 

Mind you, the Grummans had 6V71s but were geared to allow full power when you punched the accelerator. Yes, we threw a lot of people onto the floor with them. You could also hold the Grumman's accelerator to the floor, release the interlock and it would go to full power. They were the only series of bus to allow that. All others needed to have the interlock off before the accelerator would engage.

 

The first 6V92 OA received was an RTS-04 numbered 2588. It seemed the startup throttle delay as not as pronounced on that unit. And while the 1982 2600 series were delivered with the 6V92 turbos, they went back to the 6V71 motors in the 1983 3000 series.

 

Once things became relatively seamless between the OA and TA some 1300 series RTS buses came into Hudson Pier from Brooklyn garages. And they had the most capable air conditioners I ever saw. We later discovered that mechanics in Brooklyn found a way to "trick" the climate control thermostat behind the rear interior grille into pumping out another five degrees of AC before cycling off. When some OA Maintenance higher-ups made a stink, I recall saying to them the problem was easy to solve if we would just show our Operators some courtesy and lose the automatic thermostat in favor of a driver-controlled gradustat like NJ Transit and a few other area properties used. Unfortunately, my suggestion was not well-received.

 

Hope this is of interest to you.

 

I was a rookie working the M3 when the first RTS came to 132nd ST. depot.I remember that we operators loved the rather weak AC and the power steering but we hated the wheelchair lift. The younger guys grabbed the RTS whenever they could and the veterans knew the lift would slow them down so they avoided the new buses like the plague.

[KNIGHTRIDER3:16]

QSC 301 RTS I've driven but I think I got a pic of 0091 RTS Mobile Command bus

[Q101 E Midtown]

Well, from NYCT, it was #1415 on the Q24. From MTA Bus, there was 319 on the B103, and from the individual PBLs, 246 on the Q35.

 

That's as best as my memory serves.

[Q101 E Midtown]

3099 from ENY it use to be on the B50 alot & 3160 from UP. Loved that DDS50 it was kinda of new to the MTA at that time.

 

I remember riding that on the B8 to go to Flatbush Av.

 

Anyone remember the 1980s RTS from NYCT that had the chrome wheels (ie, 3160, 3999)