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Vintage Ottawa-Gatineau Transit Photos & Discussion


tomsbuspage

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2 hours ago, 8792 said:

I just noticed that there’s a Voyageur bus also visible. 

Yeah, I noticed that too B):

On 7/4/2019 at 12:24 PM, tomsbuspage said:

I've seen this photo before in one of OC Transpo's annual reports from the 1970s, and it is definitely from the heyday of the Ottawa Rough Riders.  One of the buses, a TDH-5303 in the foreground, in still in OTC green; three of the buses are from between 1968 and 1973--no roof hatches but they have the later marker lights--while all of the other Fishbowls are from 1974 or 1975.  There is also a Voyageur MC-7 in the background next to the Southside stands.

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On 7/12/2019 at 5:45 PM, tomsbuspage said:

I found out when smoking was banned on Ottawa buses: 10/01/1949.  I found this in the Google Newspaper Archive for 09/29/1949:

image.thumb.png.a926f5787e0c40e42e23883b099e5279.png

That bylaw was posted on metal plaques in each bus well into the early OC era.

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Posting on behalf of an OC Superintendent. A bunch of photos taken in the 80's.

26756893_2018672675068520_2495185804204406299_o_2018672675068520.thumb.jpg.3834f15c386d81421760a85230f3fcb4.jpg A fishbowl along Wellington

26757069_2018672651735189_7514719291166483547_o_2018672651735189.thumb.jpg.44f2c68b918e281a22318d7e3d708a25.jpg Two OC Fishbowls and one STO fishbowl along Wellington as well.

26757757_2018672511735203_4976162048932909013_o_2018672511735203.thumb.jpg.96c4bfa87525343ae40d31747655d403.jpg A fishbowl pulling out of Baseline station. Photo taken at Shoppers City West (College Square today)

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Here's an old photo of 8235 back when it was relatively new:

1D44C68E-D82D-41F1-B4F5-10087BD93D9C.jpeg

Photo taken by Bernie Drouillard.

I'm actually really starting to dislike the original silverside livery on the fishbowls as it just looks extremely dated.

I much prefer the maple leaf livery (if done properly like on 8102 for example) or the revision of the red-stripe livery where the bottom half of the bus was white instead.

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4 hours ago, OC Transpo/STO Fan said:

Here's an old photo of 8235 back when it was relatively new:

This photo was taken at the St. Laurent Shopping Centre bus terminal before the Transitway station opened in October 1985.  The bus route was 95 NEPEAN CENTRE, which ended at Baseline Station back then.

EDIT: Routes 4 GLOUCESTER S. and 7 CARLETON used that stop as well, and the Dec. 1982 and Sept. 1983 maps I have show the 95 sharing that stop.  The March 1984 map shows the 95 sharing a stop with route 99, and route 95 was operating on Sundays by then--note the grey numbers on the bus stop indidating that routes 7 and 95 didn't operate on Sundays--so I'd date this photo to the summer of 1983 at the latest.

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The silverside New Looks would still have there silversides. The only reason OC and I'm assuming other transit agency went to a full paint scheme was, I'm not sure of the exact date, but who ever was the company that had replacement parts for thew silversides switched from a stainless steel panels look to a olive/green texture metal panels(I'm guessing it was cheaper), hence the silverside where gone as a silverside replacement.

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Found these on Pinterest so I have no idea who the original photographer was... but found them interesting since, to me at least, this is the only old look bus I’ve seen in the “new” red stripe livery. I’ve only seen them in the old OTC colours. Does anyone know any more about this one? Based on the licence plates it looks like it must be the 70s.

I also find it interesting that they painted the bottom of the bus silver to match the “new” (at the time) Fishbowls, not white like the later non-silverside buses.

Also this is 5931 which is currently a heritage bus, so at some point they reverted it to its older OTC paint.

(EDIT: Realized these pics were posted here back in February, mod feel free to delete if needed... I’d still like to hear if anyone has the story behind this)

ED77A288-71F6-446B-B6FB-195671944F98.jpeg

8C0FBD22-FAA8-496A-9723-6C02671C911E.jpeg

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On 7/19/2019 at 11:04 AM, tomsbuspage said:

Yesterday's TBT tweet shows Lees Station under construction in 1984:

 

Construction at Lees Station (version 1.0) back in 1984 #tbt

D_w1T8rWkAEl9fl.jpg

Boy the temporary wood stairs looked better than the red monstrosity that followed. Clearly built by engineers and not architects. 

The fishbowl appears to be 7322. Definitely a 72xx or 73xx given the lack of roof hatches and the non-sliding square window. 

On 7/21/2019 at 5:25 AM, Loud-Invero said:

Posting on behalf of an OC Superintendent. A bunch of photos taken in the 80's.

26756893_2018672675068520_2495185804204406299_o_2018672675068520.thumb.jpg.3834f15c386d81421760a85230f3fcb4.jpg A fishbowl along Wellington

26757069_2018672651735189_7514719291166483547_o_2018672651735189.thumb.jpg.44f2c68b918e281a22318d7e3d708a25.jpg Two OC Fishbowls and one STO fishbowl along Wellington as well.

26757757_2018672511735203_4976162048932909013_o_2018672511735203.thumb.jpg.96c4bfa87525343ae40d31747655d403.jpg A fishbowl pulling out of Baseline station. Photo taken at Shoppers City West (College Square today)

Middle bowl’s fleet number appears to be 6541. 

On 7/21/2019 at 8:32 AM, tomsbuspage said:

This photo was taken at the St. Laurent Shopping Centre bus terminal before the Transitway station opened in October 1985.  The bus route was 95 NEPEAN CENTRE, which ended at Baseline Station back then.

EDIT: Routes 4 GLOUCESTER S. and 7 CARLETON used that stop as well, and the Dec. 1982 and Sept. 1983 maps I have show the 95 sharing that stop.  The March 1984 map shows the 95 sharing a stop with route 99, and route 95 was operating on Sundays by then--note the grey numbers on the bus stop indidating that routes 7 and 95 didn't operate on Sundays--so I'd date this photo to the summer of 1983 at the latest.

Yep the buses would pull up behind Dominion. The opening of the Transitway had a devastating impact on that store’s sales and about 4 years later it was closed, by that point Dominion was owned by A&P. 

If anyone has any pics of the Dominion store itself, I’d love to see them. 

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On 7/21/2019 at 9:24 AM, MCIBUS said:

The silverside New Looks would still have there silversides. The only reason OC and I'm assuming other transit agency went to a full paint scheme was, I'm not sure of the exact date, but who ever was the company that had replacement parts for thew silversides switched from a stainless steel panels look to a olive/green texture metal panels(I'm guessing it was cheaper), hence the silverside where gone as a silverside replacement.

I can remember long before the silversides went white that you’d occasionally see an olive green replacement panel on a bus. 

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This photo was posted in the "Ottawa Pics - Past & Present" Facebook group.  It shows an old OTC bus stop on what is now the corner of Glebe and Bronson Avenues, looking west:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1190817847769023&set=gm.1103665136484286&type=3&theater&ifg=1

Quote

Carling Ave. and Bronson Ave. ca. 1955

67429528_1190817851102356_71675333315699

image.thumb.png.4fd75e88e876cbab10957e4a162158a3.png

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On 7/21/2019 at 1:19 PM, whistler said:

Found these on Pinterest so I have no idea who the original photographer was... but found them interesting since, to me at least, this is the only old look bus I’ve seen in the “new” red stripe livery. I’ve only seen them in the old OTC colours. Does anyone know any more about this one? Based on the licence plates it looks like it must be the 70s.

I also find it interesting that they painted the bottom of the bus silver to match the “new” (at the time) Fishbowls, not white like the later non-silverside buses.

Also this is 5931 which is currently a heritage bus, so at some point they reverted it to its older OTC paint.

(EDIT: Realized these pics were posted here back in February, mod feel free to delete if needed... I’d still like to hear if anyone has the story behind this)

ED77A288-71F6-446B-B6FB-195671944F98.jpeg

8C0FBD22-FAA8-496A-9723-6C02671C911E.jpeg

IIRC, 5931 was one of 2 TDH5105s that OC sold to Camp Fortune in the 1970s, I forget exactly when or what the other one was . Camp Fortune took only one of them, OC painted 5931 like that.

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Per the friendly request of another user, here are some more finds from my 2004 Ottawa adventure:

Plenty of Fishbowls going strong during early PM rush hour:

OC8005.thumb.jpg.7e1530c68b783aa0178f46a3b7e3e413.jpg

 

...and there was something particularly special about seeing the oldest buses in the newest paint scheme. On this trip, I spotted more than a few Fishbowls (mostly 8100-8200s) holding down all-day blocks. I vividly remember riding 8103 on the 85 at about 1:30pm. Here's 8107, taking care of business Downtown:

OC8107.thumb.jpg.6b49e9a775ab56232ea338682e949c9c.jpg

 

I also visited Ottawa in 1997, when the 9800-series Orion Vs were about to roll in. I kind of resented them, since they significantly cut into the Fishbowl fleet (oddly enough at the same time in the US capital city, the exact same thing was happening at WMATA: new Orion Vs to replace many [but not all!] Fishbowls). I grew to appreciate the later Orion Vs for their enormous rear windows, giddy Series 50 engines and general solidness:

OC9878.thumb.jpg.5fd640e57e92e30c50376b6f24fe7164.jpg

 

And these. I loved how ugly and utilitarian the 9000-series New Flyers were. Those silver window sashes looked awful but in a cool, endearing way. Even these were largely relegated to rush-hour service by 2004. For some reason, I have trouble ever picturing them in base/all-day service -- let alone weekends. Here's 9042, working its way out of Downtown on a peak-hour trip:

OC9042.thumb.jpg.c93c10cd1ce6552fda9af48c263b5d35.jpg

 

Enjoy! I have a few more pics from this trip, plus some from 2013. But is that vintage?! ?

 

 

 

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On 7/23/2019 at 4:54 PM, tomsbuspage said:

This photo was posted in the "Ottawa Pics - Past & Present" Facebook group.  It shows and old OTC bus stop on what is now the corner of Glebe and Bronson Avenues, looking west:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1190817847769023&set=gm.1103665136484286&type=3&theater&ifg=1

image.thumb.png.4fd75e88e876cbab10957e4a162158a3.png

Wow no traffic lights ? there in 1955. Speaking of which, I’m really liking the new double left turn lane at the intersection. Much better traffic flow. 

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17 hours ago, Loud-Invero said:

These are awesome, thank you for sharing! I wish I was born in 1990 and not 2000...

The nicest thing about all those old D40s etc was they all rode smooth as hell. That combined with the plush seats made for a real comfortable ride. As soon as things went to low floor, buses started riding like a plastic bucket and everything rattles.

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On 7/26/2019 at 4:41 PM, STO_1601 said:

STO 9705 seen at the Hull Garage in June 2003. This is the last Classic ever produced with A/C. Photo by Paul A. Bateson

61163 - Societe de transport de l'Outaouais 9705 - Gatineau - 21 Jun 2003

 

How many rolled off the line after this one and who got them?

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I think one of "Coolest" STO buses was 96XX(not sure of the fleet #)  but I know it was 96XX had small rear door was in the Hull casino wrap with tint window wrap put over the regular tinted windows and a split rear seating two seats facing forward the middle where a seat would of been had part of the engine. Not sure of the engine but it was different from the other STO buses.

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8 minutes ago, MCIBUS said:

I think one of "Coolest" STO buses was 96XX(not sure of the fleet #)  but I know it was 96XX had small rear door was in the Hull casino wrap with tint window wrap put over the regular tinted windows and a split rear seating two seats facing forward the middle where a seat would of been had part of the engine. Not sure of the engine but it was different from the other STO buses.

It was 9603 and it had a Detroit Diesel Series 50 Engine like the 97s and OC's 98 Orion Vs & Orion VIs

sto9603.jpg

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52 minutes ago, MCIBUS said:

I think one of "Coolest" STO buses was 96XX(not sure of the fleet #)  but I know it was 96XX had small rear door was in the Hull casino wrap with tint window wrap put over the regular tinted windows and a split rear seating two seats facing forward the middle where a seat would of been had part of the engine. Not sure of the engine but it was different from the other STO buses.

 

48 minutes ago, STO_1601 said:

It was 9603 and it had a Detroit Diesel Series 50 Engine like the 97s and OC's 98 Orion Vs & Orion VIs

I remember riding 9603 a few times.  It was later used on express runs to Buckingham:

STO9603.jpg

STO9603a.JPG

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10 hours ago, tomsbuspage said:

I remember riding 9603 a few times.  It was later used on express runs to Buckingham:

OK, really reaching into the archives here...

Which STO Classic temporarily wore the fleet number 7196?

It was STO's 25th anniversaire, and apparently that was one way of marking the occasion (1971-1996). I vaguely recall that bus had the same specs as 9603. Was it one of the other 9600s -- or perhaps 9603 itself?

 

 

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