Old Buses of Florida

[DJ MC 1,207]

Since the RTS days will eventually be numbered I decided to take a ride on them as well as seeing various buses in the area including two D60s on the 50 yesterday. 4780 is a 1990 TMC RTS with a 6V92TA engine. 4800 has the same engine and transmission as 4780. Also note 4780's taillights. These are similar to what you would find on a GMC or Flxible New Look bus. Other New Flyers, NABI 416s, and Phantoms were also present around yesterday including a Shades of Green Phantom and 349 (a former Lynx bus).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 16, 2013 by DJ MC

[User 2,251]

Do you know what kind of destination signs the Disney Transport RTSes had?

[DJ MC 1,207]

Do you know what kind of destination signs the Disney Transport RTSes had?

 

I assume they are luminators, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

[Turbo19 2,509]

Great pics. Thanks for sharing.

[DJ MC 1,207]

Great pics. Thanks for sharing.

 

Thanks.

[GojiMet86 4,695]

Cool pics!

[mtattrain 1,185]

Great ones. Would you happen to know where those ShadesofGreen Gilligs, Transistar D40LF, and white NABI come from?

[DJ MC 1,207]

Great ones. Would you happen to know where those ShadesofGreen Gilligs, Transistar D40LF, and white NABI come from?

 

The 416 came from AC Transit along with the other 416s that are blue or white like 3715 there. The Phantom from Shades of Green I have no idea where it came from. The D40LF may have come from either BCT or PSTA. 

[Minato ku 631]

Disney mostly uses old buses ?

[DJ MC 1,207]

Disney mostly uses old buses ?

 

100 or so are old buses built from 1988-1994. The rest are from 2000-2012 all of which are low floors. Many private companies around here however use buses dating from the 1980s and 1990s. A few have 1970s built buses still running around here.

 

Cool pics!

 

Thanks.

Edited March 17, 2013 by DJ MC

[MTARegional Bus 247]

100 or so are old buses built from 1988-1994. The rest are from 2000-2012 all of which are low floors. Many private companies around here however use buses dating from the 1980s and 1990s. A few have 1970s built buses still running around here.

 

 

Thanks.

Yup I remember seeing Baby RTS And Baby flexible from the 80's still running when I was there in 2009. I guess the Orlando DOT is less trick when it comes to Retiring buses, as long as they run that's what's important. 

Edited March 26, 2013 by MTARegional Bus

[DJ MC 1,207]

Yup I remember seeing Baby RTS And Baby flexible from the 80's still running when I was there in 2009. I guess the Orlando DOT is less trick when it comes to Retiring buses, as long as they run that's what's important. 

 

It's not just Orlando, it all of Florida. Buses in this state are rarely retired at age 12 unless of a few circumstances like the buses go bad or they are transferred to other TAs for further use. Most buses go for 14-15 years in many cases around here. HART retired all of their Flxibles and RTS buses built from 1982-1988 in 2001-2006, many of which were nearing 20 years old by the time they were retired.

 

They were replaced by the Gillig Advantages. Gainesville retired former Lynx Phantoms that were 16 years old. Gainesville had some GMC RTS buses that came from Ohio and the MTA that were retired and auctioned off in 2005-2006, replaced by 40 foot Orion Vs that came from Lynx. Palm Tran bought used Flxibles from Ohio and ran them along with some Grummans they bought from BCT as late as 1999.

 

They also had Flxibles they bought that were retired in the early 2000s. Ironically that is how PalmTran (formerly Cotran) got started in the first place. They used a fleet of GMC Old Look buses that were bought from Miami and they ran them until 1979.

[BM5 via Woodhaven 5,155]

Some collection you got there. Nice pics!