tomsbuspage Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 I spotted this slide for sale on eBay by googilycub. I've seen Thomas-branded SLF235 buses and Dennis Dart buses, but I've never seen one of these buses with Orion branding before. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.A Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 1 hour ago, Orion VI said: Thread bump! Since 2013, New Flyer has the rights to all Orion names, products etc. An Orion revamp is HIGHLY unlikely. Consult Transit Toronto's post on their website about it. Can you post a link? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion VI Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 3 minutes ago, Chris.A said: Can you post a link? Yep: https://transit.toronto.on.ca/bus/8509.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.A Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 2 hours ago, tomsbuspage said: I spotted this slide for sale on eBay by googilycub. I've seen Thomas-branded SLF235 buses and Dennis Dart buses, but I've never seen one of these buses with Orion branding before. Photoshop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomsbuspage Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 2 hours ago, tomsbuspage said: I spotted this slide for sale on eBay by googilycub. I've seen Thomas-branded SLF235 buses and Dennis Dart buses, but I've never seen one of these buses with Orion branding before. 25 minutes ago, Chris.A said: Photoshop? I doubt it. Orion and Thomas were both part of DCBNA, so it would make sense that they would try to market Thomas/Dennis buses to Orion customers. Having said that, this slide is the first evidence I've ever seen of any cross-marketing by DCBNA, and I've been following Orion since their first website came out in the mid-1990s. Besides, if this is a Photoshopped job, I suspect that whoever wins the slide on eBay would be mighty disappointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. Parsons Posted February 7, 2019 Report Share Posted February 7, 2019 It would take a hell of a lot of effort to Photoshop a physical slide. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H4 5600 Posted September 21, 2019 Report Share Posted September 21, 2019 Found this slide on ebay, thought it was interesting. The original orion i prototype built in 1976, and sold to G&G tours. According to this wiki page, this was the first bus ever built by orion. https://cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php/Orion_Bus_Industries_I_Serials link to the ebay listing: https://www.ebay.com/itm/G-G-Tours-Orion-bus-Kodachrome-original-Kodak-slide/293237269900?hash=item44464da58c:g:YrAAAOSwcghdgmft 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion6025 Posted August 3, 2020 Report Share Posted August 3, 2020 Sorry to bump an old thread, but I figured it would be more acceptable to bump an old topic than to create a new one with a nearly identical purpose. This past weekend I was up in Burlington, Vermont and I decided to check out the University of Vermont's bus fleet and I've been running the plates to see the VINs and one bus stood out as a little odd... Bus #107's plate A606 (VT) returned VIN 1VHGH3W2XC6708439 , one serial number higher than the purported last Orion 7 built, METRA 1223 (1VHHF3V23C6708438). Does anyone know what's up with this discrepancy? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiExpress Posted August 3, 2020 Report Share Posted August 3, 2020 1 hour ago, Orion6025 said: Sorry to bump an old thread, but I figured it would be more acceptable to bump an old topic than to create a new one with a nearly identical purpose. This past weekend I was up in Burlington, Vermont and I decided to check out the University of Vermont's bus fleet and I've been running the plates to see the VINs and one bus stood out as a little odd... Bus #107's plate A606 (VT) returned VIN 1VHGH3W2XC6708439 , one serial number higher than the purported last Orion 7 built, METRA 1223 (1VHHF3V23C6708438). Does anyone know what's up with this discrepancy? I would have to look through my photos but Columbus 1223 was apparently the last Orion to roll off the line. They had a nice little celebration with balloons, banner etc on the bus before it rolled out. It could be that the VINs and build numbers weren't in sequence and Columbus 1223 had a higher build number than Vermont 107. Build numbers are a separate 5 digit number from the VIN and is what production would go by. If Columbus 1223 had a higher build number then it would have been the last regardless of VIN. Of course, some people do prefer to go by the VIN so for some, Vermont 107 would be the last. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2044 Posted October 21, 2020 Report Share Posted October 21, 2020 Found this photo on a consulting firm’s website. It looks like the interior of the NY State 3-axle Orion VI HEV prototype. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michel Posted October 21, 2020 Report Share Posted October 21, 2020 6 hours ago, 2044 said: Found this photo on a consulting firm’s website. It looks like the interior of the NY State 3-axle Orion VI HEV prototype. Image link is broken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobayashi Posted December 16, 2020 Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 Not my picture but if anyone remembers the red Orion VII NG demo #1291 from 2007, it has been spotted in Fort Erie. A friend of mine snapped this shot. Joe C photo. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doppelkupplung Posted December 16, 2020 Report Share Posted December 16, 2020 10 hours ago, Eren Jaeger said: Not my picture but if anyone remembers the red Orion VII NG demo #1291 from 2007, it has been spotted in Fort Erie. A friend of mine snapped this shot. Joe C photo. Gotta love the random mattress thrown into the shot lmao Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leylandvictory2 Posted December 21, 2020 Report Share Posted December 21, 2020 On 12/15/2020 at 10:59 PM, Eren Jaeger said: Not my picture but if anyone remembers the red Orion VII NG demo #1291 from 2007, it has been spotted in Fort Erie. A friend of mine snapped this shot. Joe C photo. this photo was snapped in York region. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZümmyZüm Posted January 28, 2021 Report Share Posted January 28, 2021 Looking for some information on the rear panel design on the Orion V, are there any other agencies who ordered their Orion’s with the “flat top” rear design, such as OC Transpo’s 1991 V’s? photo from busdrawings.com this design seems unique to Ottawa vs the traditional elevated rear panels with the destination sign molding such as this unit, again from busdrawings.com Both designs were capable of having an AC so my only theory on this design is either the Niagara transit one provided better ventilation or OC cheaped out on a spec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrabbleship Posted March 10, 2021 Report Share Posted March 10, 2021 On 1/28/2021 at 12:22 PM, ZümmyZüm said: Looking for some information on the rear panel design on the Orion V, are there any other agencies who ordered their Orion’s with the “flat top” rear design, such as OC Transpo’s 1991 V’s? photo from busdrawings.com this design seems unique to Ottawa vs the traditional elevated rear panels with the destination sign molding such as this unit, again from busdrawings.com Both designs were capable of having an AC so my only theory on this design is either the Niagara transit one provided better ventilation or OC cheaped out on a spec Wasn't OC notorious for cheaping out on bus specs in the 90s, often to the detriment of a fleet such as their first order of LFS's? I'd tend to go with the latter here. While taking a ride on one of the last 2003 Orion V's at Duke University earlier today, I wondered how endangered of a species the Orion V is at this point. I think the last ones on the East Coast not running in private operation would be DASH, Bee Line, and the ex-Bee Line buses at BSOOB Transit/Zoom on the Maine coast while I know out west Everett Transit and Coast Mountain still have some in service. Might this be it? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MVTArider Posted March 11, 2021 Report Share Posted March 11, 2021 6 hours ago, Scrabbleship said: While taking a ride on one of the last 2003 Orion V's at Duke University earlier today, I wondered how endangered of a species the Orion V is at this point. I think the last ones on the East Coast not running in private operation would be DASH, Bee Line, and the ex-Bee Line buses at BSOOB Transit/Zoom on the Maine coast while I know out west Everett Transit and Coast Mountain still have some in service. Might this be it? I'm not sure of their current status, but CyRide may still have at least their 2005 Vs. On the private operator side, Beaver in Winnipeg is still running their fleet for assorted school services. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hothoops9000 Posted May 18, 2021 Report Share Posted May 18, 2021 To Clarify NFI has ONLY AfterMarket Part rights. They do not have name rights OR Manufacturing/Design rights. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Border City Transit Posted May 18, 2021 Report Share Posted May 18, 2021 On 1/28/2021 at 9:22 AM, ZümmyZüm said: Looking for some information on the rear panel design on the Orion V, are there any other agencies who ordered their Orion’s with the “flat top” rear design, such as OC Transpo’s 1991 V’s? photo from busdrawings.com this design seems unique to Ottawa vs the traditional elevated rear panels with the destination sign molding such as this unit, again from busdrawings.com I always noticed that too -- to the point where I started looking closely at all Orion Vs for this very detail. I never found any Vs other than OC's 9100s with the "flat" A/C design (and good -- because the "contoured" design looks way better!) Just a guess: Could it be that they were originally spec'ed without A/C... and it was a last-minute addition? Almost looks like an aftermarket vendor installed the A/C system... where the buses left the Orion plant with a rear window! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benton Harper Posted May 18, 2021 Report Share Posted May 18, 2021 7 hours ago, Hothoops9000 said: To Clarify NFI has ONLY AfterMarket Part rights. They do not have name rights OR Manufacturing/Design rights. Thank you. And... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Admin ORION Posted May 19, 2021 Root Admin Report Share Posted May 19, 2021 On 3/10/2021 at 3:00 PM, Scrabbleship said: Wasn't OC notorious for cheaping out on bus specs in the 90s, often to the detriment of a fleet such as their first order of LFS's? I'd tend to go with the latter here. Actually they were just the opposite. They requested customization and "one-offs" on a lot of things when it came to bus orders from Orion in the 90s. You'll notice the rear windows on the 97/98 Orion Vs are a lot taller than other systems, and the Orion VIs were also one of a kind with their narrow rear doors. They were very specific to certain things according to a friend who used to work at Orion. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomsbuspage Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 On 5/19/2021 at 2:26 PM, ORION said: Actually they were just the opposite. They requested customization and "one-offs" on a lot of things when it came to bus orders from Orion in the 90s. You'll notice the rear windows on the 97/98 Orion Vs are a lot taller than other systems, and the Orion VIs were also one of a kind with their narrow rear doors. They were very specific to certain things according to a friend who used to work at Orion. I never actually noticed that until you mentioned it just now! It looks as if OC ordered the extra-tall rear windows on their 1992 Orion V buses as well. I don't have any rear photos of those buses of my own, but I did a Google search and I found that the 1992 Orion V rear windows seem to be the same height as those on the 1997 and 1998 buses. I suppose the reason I didn't notice is that the windows weren't that much taller, maybe just a few inches, and there were no other bus companies operating non-air-conditioned Orion V buses in Ottawa at the same time. However, it is apparent when comparing photos, and really apparent on 96"-wide buses. Here are photos of OC Transpo 9828, Oakville Transit 922, and Utica Transit Authority 581: Here's the link to my Google search for OC Transpo 1992 Orion V buses: https://www.google.com/search?q=OC+Transpo+1992+Orion+V&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1536&bih=722&ei=Ha6mYPTLJrG0ggewp6m4Bg&oq=OC+Transpo+1992+Orion+V&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoFCAAQsQM6AggAOggIABCxAxCDAToGCAAQCBAeOgQIABAYUJEKWJAlYIknaABwAHgAgAFkiAHbDZIBBDIyLjGYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZw&sclient=img&ved=0ahUKEwi0zq6y9djwAhUxmuAKHbBTCmcQ4dUDCAY&uact=5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomsbuspage Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 I found these two photos of Philadelphia Airport shuttle buses, one from ebay and the other from WorthPoint. Both photos were taken in 1985 and show 35' Orion I buses with extra-wide exit doors positioned in front of the usual position. I've seen 40' buses with this option but not 35' buses! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.A Posted June 28, 2021 Report Share Posted June 28, 2021 On 3/10/2021 at 3:00 PM, Scrabbleship said: Wasn't OC notorious for cheaping out on bus specs in the 90s, often to the detriment of a fleet such as their first order of LFS's? I'd tend to go with the latter here. While taking a ride on one of the last 2003 Orion V's at Duke University earlier today, I wondered how endangered of a species the Orion V is at this point. I think the last ones on the East Coast not running in private operation would be DASH, Bee Line, and the ex-Bee Line buses at BSOOB Transit/Zoom on the Maine coast while I know out west Everett Transit and Coast Mountain still have some in service. Might this be it? WMATA and NICE bus still have some Orion Vs on their respective properties, but they are all retired. I also believe that Golden Gate Transit still have a few 2003 Vs in storage as a backup fleet last I checked. Not sure who else still have these buses anymore, but Bee Lines seems to be the last "safe heaven" for the Orion Vs, atleast for now. New buses are on the horizon for them though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8006 Posted June 15, 2022 Report Share Posted June 15, 2022 I was wondering if anyone could answer this question. Does anyone know what the ring gear size is on the rear differential on the TTC 2006/07 Orion VII is? I’m pretty sure the diff is a Meritor 61163 RX5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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