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School Bus 101

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14 hours ago, TechSpotlight said:

First's new numbering system is actually the last few characters of the bus' VIN.  In the case of the IC CE, the first digit of the fleet number is the model year of the bus, with the VIN letter coding system.  "K" signifies  that it is a 2019 model year.  The second digit of the fleet number is the plant of manufacture.  "B" signifies Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The numbers that remain are simply the serial number of the bus.

Interesting. We also had 9559 and 9508, buses that don't really match the First Student numbering system I've seen in Toronto. They were C2s.

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Three buses have been spotted in the Calgary Metals scrapyard in SE Calgary.  I see P320, a Chevrolet Corbeil cutaway, a short Thomas FS-65 (similar to 3121) and aa completely mangled Girardin Ford Cutaway (maybe 2200s??).  Also spotted the remains of 2 old Thomas bodies and 1 old BlueBird body.

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4 hours ago, TechSpotlight said:

Three buses have been spotted in the Calgary Metals scrapyard in SE Calgary.  I see P320, a Chevrolet Corbeil cutaway, a short Thomas FS-65 (similar to 3121) and aa completely mangled Girardin Ford Cutaway (maybe 2200s??).  Also spotted the remains of 2 old Thomas bodies and 1 old BlueBird body.

Dude you missed Minotour day last Friday. Bunch of em were hauled in last Thursday and we're scrapped on the Friday

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3 hours ago, TechSpotlight said:

First unit 3132, a 2003 Thomas FS-65 with a CAT 3126, Allison 5-speed (and with 293,715 kms on it) is now listed on Kijiji.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-trailer/lethbridge/freightliner-thomas-school-bus/1470985054

Nice find! Never seen that one before. 

Attached pictures for when the listing goes down. 

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$_59 (1).png

$_59 (2).png

$_59 (3).png

$_59 (4).png

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Can we please keep this thread for discussion of First Student Canada in the Calgary area?  If you want to talk about First Student in other areas, please start threads in the appropriate section.  Thanks :)

Today, I spotted unit 171113, a Chevrolet Thomas Minotour with a propane engine.  I noticed some text below the First Student lettering saying "Corvalis SD" (school district/division), which narrows down where these 17xxxx Thomas Minotours are coming from.

Yesterday, I spotted three units.  #320952 (picture attatched), #232784 (2004 BB 3800 w/ T444E) and #150546 (IC CE, MaxxForce 7 powered).  Regarding 320952, me and "BCT-3122-D800-10240" have spotted this unit several times in the past week.  This unit was definetely picked up second hand from somewhere in the US based on the specifications.  I'm unsure of where this unit may have originated from at this point in time.

 

First Student Canada 320952 1-23-20.jpg

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2 hours ago, TechSpotlight said:

320952

First Student Canada 320952 1-23-20.jpg

Wow, great find! I haven't seen that unit before. I think that one was transferred from Oregon as well, as it shares some similarities with these units - notice the same black decal on the rear exit door, and similar placement of the emergency side door: https://flic.kr/p/zK1f1N & https://flic.kr/p/rpboBu 

Thanks for the picture, looks like I'll have to checkout the Main Yard sometime to see what else they may have acquired recently. 

 

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7 hours ago, BCT-3122-D800-10240 said:

Spotted 2892 yesterday.  I have not seen this one before and suspect it was moved here from another location. Either that or it is from out of town still, but was in town working a Charter as I saw it arriving at C.O.P. 

That's an FS-65 if I recall correctly, yes? 

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44 minutes ago, TechSpotlight said:

Looks like I have not mentioned this in here yet.  Mid last month, I noticed the First Blackfoot yard has vacated of all buses.  Sometime this month, if I have time, I will drive up to the yards up in the North and see whats up there.

I noticed this as well recently, but have not had the time to checkout their Main Yards. Also interesting to note that the most recent Google Streetview pictures from August 2019 show a "For Sale" sign outside their Main Yard. 

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10 hours ago, School Bus 101 said:

I noticed this as well recently, but have not had the time to checkout their Main Yards. Also interesting to note that the most recent Google Streetview pictures from August 2019 show a "For Sale" sign outside their Main Yard. 

https://www.schoolbusfleet.com/news/737746/first-student-parent-starts-process-for-sale-of-north-american-transportation-companies

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On 6/3/2020 at 11:51 PM, School Bus 101 said:

I noticed this as well recently, but have not had the time to checkout their Main Yards. Also interesting to note that the most recent Google Streetview pictures from August 2019 show a "For Sale" sign outside their Main Yard. 

Just drove by the main yard along McKnight Blvd and it is still occupied, albeit absolutely packed with buses.  Some spottings my friend was able to see from McKnight Blvd:

2705 - 2005-07 Corbeil minibus (couldnt tell chassis but probably Ford)

2582 - first generation BB Vision

2717 - 2003-04 Corbeil E-350 single rear wheel cutaway

121226 - 2012 Thomas EF

121281 - Federal Coach Permier on a Freightliner M2 chassis

130717 - Thomas C2

204446 - ex-California IC CE

208807 - 2007 IC BE

220446 - ex-California IC RE

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  • 2 months later...

First has brought in some 72 passenger IC CEs from Idaho. Spotted 15-20 units at the Main Yard, including the following: 

100182 (pictured below)

102377

110575 (pictured below) 

110578

110583

All units have an emergency exit door on the left side, and at least one of them (could not see the fleet number) had an exterior camera on the driver's side. 

 

Other observations: First still occupies the Main Yard, despite there having been a "For Sale" sign outside of it last year; 2580 is in the process of being parted out and has been sitting in the same spot for over a year now; I did not see a single transit-style bus, so looks like all those 12122* and 13227* Thomas EFs and the IC REs have been transferred elsewhere. 

 

110575.jpg

100182.jpg

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