The one and only Vancouver Orion I

[BCT-3122-D800-10240]

A scan out of my albums of Port Coquitlam based 30 foot 1980 Orion I #9599 :

Edit: Images removed and now linked in new post to update on my website

Edited September 7, 2010 by MBTA9244-9640b

[VancouversLocalNerd]

Interesting, how long did it serve Vancouver... or rather Port Coquitlam?

Not really "the one and only" as West Van had 9 of them from 1992 until march of this year but I assume you mean the only one run by BC Transit/CMBC. In any event Orions always seem to end up being the oddball buses in Vancouver.

[BCT-3122-D800-10240]

Now that I have time to post more info, here it goes;

That bus is actually originally BC Transit Small Communities #6705 which came to Vancouver sometime in the early 1980's as 6705 and was used by ALRT Skytrain crews. After a bit, it was renumbered to A099. sometime around 1989, A099 was moved to the Burnaby fleet to run as a shuttle bus from Lougheed Mall on the route 101 during some contruction that was preventing regular route 101's to come to Lougheed Mall from 22nd St. Station. I forget exactly what and where the contruction was, but I used to go for lots of rides on that sweet little bus and they were like 15 minute round trips. Oh do I wish I could have been able to record that bus!

After it was no longer needed for the route 101 shuttle, it was moved to Oakridge and started to run on the route 51 Granville Island. I do have a crappy rear shot of it parked on Broadway on a layover while operating as a route 51. I will dig all these images up as time permits. Now, I am not entirely sure of the time frames that all this history happened with this bus so bare with me. After awhile they renumbered this bus to 3599 as well as repainting it for a downtown free shopper service. Similar idea to the old Canadian Car Brill CD-52TC's were painted up for. That service didn't seem to last long and the bus was eventually painted back to BCT Red and blue as 3599. It was then moved to POCO and renumbered to 9599 and was normally the spare back up unit to the National Eldorado #'s 9581-9585 which were operating the local Maply Ridge / Haney routes. When the new numbering system started in 1996, the bus became P5527 and did not see much service and was parked out of service at BTC for a while. It finally went back home to the Small Communities as 6705 where it was finally retired sometime around 2002 or 2003.

I seem to recall this bus being numbered as 5599 at some point, but I don't recall the details at the moment.

Anyone got any other info on this bus? Feel free to share.

[BCT-3122-D800-10240]

Found a couple of images of the Downtown Free Bus that I took back in 1992 of #3599:

Edit: Images removed and now linked in new post to update on my website

Edited September 7, 2010 by MBTA9244-9640b

[VancouversLocalNerd]

Wow, easily the best shots of an older Orion I in service I've ever seen, most of the shots I've seen of the early models have either been really grainy or were taken long after retirement, where do you keep your negatives? They've held up very well.

[M. Parsons]

Wow, easily the best shots of an older Orion I in service I've ever seen, most of the shots I've seen of the early models have either been really grainy or were taken long after retirement, where do you keep your negatives? They've held up very well.

You're on the assumption he scanned negatives and not prints.

FWIW, how negatives are stored would not effect grain. I get the impression from this post that you think it would.

[VancouversLocalNerd]

You're on the assumption he scanned negatives and not prints.

FWIW, how negatives are stored would not effect grain. I get the impression from this post that you think it would.

It's more a question of me using the term grainy incorrectly

I've seen lots of grainy photos but the word I'm actually looking for is faded which these photos are not.

[BCT-3122-D800-10240]

Wow, easily the best shots of an older Orion I in service I've ever seen, most of the shots I've seen of the early models have either been really grainy or were taken long after retirement, where do you keep your negatives? They've held up very well.

These are scanned from prints that I have.

[MCW Metrobus]

These are scanned from prints that I have.

And you have many!

[BCT-3122-D800-10240]

And you have many!

Yes! Too many to scan them all!

[BCT-3122-D800-10240]

Found another image. This image I believe I took sometime in 1991 on the route 51 before it was renumbered to 3599.

Edit: Images removed and now linked in new post to update on my website

Edited September 7, 2010 by MBTA9244-9640b

[323 Surrey Ctrl Stn]

Yes! Too many to scan them all!

Photo scanning party at Peter's!

Chris Cassidy

[BCT-3122-D800-10240]

Photo scanning party at Peter's!

LMAO!!

Ok, came across another shot of A099 taken at BTC before being moved to OTC to operate on the 51 Granville Island as shown in my earlier post:

Edit: Images removed and now linked in new post to update on my website

Edited September 7, 2010 by MBTA9244-9640b

[BCT-3122-D800-10240]

I have added a new section on my website for photos of the Orion I and they are here: http://www.busdrawings.com/Transit/British...rioni/index.htm .

[VancouversLocalNerd]

Do you happen to know for sure where this bus is now, cause it looks like it's from the same era as the ones Air Canada is using as shuttles at YVR, perhaps this bus became one of them.

[323 Surrey Ctrl Stn]

Do you happen to know for sure where this bus is now, cause it looks like it's from the same era as the ones Air Canada is using as shuttles at YVR, perhaps this bus became one of them.

The grey Orion I is a Perimeter original, the white ones are from somewhere on the USA.

Chris Cassidy

[BCT-3122-D800-10240]

Do you happen to know for sure where this bus is now, cause it looks like it's from the same era as the ones Air Canada is using as shuttles at YVR, perhaps this bus became one of them.

No. This bus was sent back to the Small Communities in the late 1990's and renumbered back to her original fleet number of 6705 that she carried when she was brand new. She has already been retired for several years now. More than likely scrapped.

The grey Orion I is a Perimeter original, the white ones are from somewhere on the USA.

And those white ones are originally from San Diego North County. There's another one just like those sitting here in Calgary in the National Motor Coach yard.

[BCT-3122-D800-10240]

Found my image of Vancouver #3599 taken shortly after refurbishing but before being repainted to the 'Free Shuttle' livery as shown in my earlier posts: