Jump to content

School Buses


Recommended Posts

  • 2 weeks later...
As requested by another member, here is a photo of a 1980's Dodge Girardin that I found recently in Calgary.

There used to be a bunch of these style Girardins in Toronto. The first bus my mom drove for stock in 1993 was #161, a GMC girardin with that style body. These buses are actually designed by collins and were built in cambridge by Girardin in the 1980's- early 1990's before the MB-II. I remember when I was young I used to see many of these buses on GMC, Dodge, and Ford Chassis. Most of them came with the standard van passenger door, but some had a full length 2 piece entrance door, Stock Etobicoke division kept one of their old ones as a service Truck until 2005, it was a ford #502. I would be interested in seeing some more photos of this type of Girardin if any of you have more photos. Here is a link to a 1980's sales brochure which clearly shows that this model was sold in the U.S as a Collins Bantam, and in Canada also.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/24551...101686825WgbHcC

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't remember those :P

You should, since you took a photo of one from Golden arrow. Since I cannot copy the link from the website due to copyright restrictions...here are the steps lol

1) www.buses.zwebpages.com

2)Click "bus photos" on the top bar

3)Scroll down a bit and click on the blue-bird button (I know this isn't a blue-bird bus)

4)Scroll down bit and click on "feature photographers" A.Wong

5)Scroll down nearly to the bottom of the page and look under unknown/assorted buses, The link is titled "Golden Arrow Salvage Yard"

6)In the second last photo you can clearly see a 1980's Girardin Dodge with the standard door, and golden arrow logo on the side

I Love those boxy old girardins!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6)In the second last photo you can clearly see a 1980's Girardin Dodge with the standard door, and golden arrow logo on the side

The one in that shot of the Golden Arrow yard was probably the same one I rode on occasion :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quite possible! I wonder if it is still sitting in that salvage yard?

Nope, I went by there a few weeks ago :D

Right now the retired minibuses are parked further over, so it is hard to see what exactly is there. Last June, a number of us had a chance to walk though those yards (myself not included :)). There were mostly 1992-1996 Bluebird/Girardin MBIIs, along with a 1986-1993 Corbiel on Dodge Ram Van gasoline chassis (fleet 66, I'm pretty sure I've ridden on that one), and a 1986-1991 Bluebird Microbird propane (fleet 89, I know I've ridden on that one! ;)).

You should check out the various rosters on the wiki :P :

http://www.cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php?title=S...l_Bus_Operators

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope, I went by there a few weeks ago :D

Right now the retired minibuses are parked further over, so it is hard to see what exactly is there. Last June, a number of us had a chance to walk though those yards (myself not included :)). There were mostly 1992-1996 Bluebird/Girardin MBIIs, along with a 1986-1993 Corbiel on Dodge Ram Van gasoline chassis (fleet 66, I'm pretty sure I've ridden on that one), and a 1986-1991 Bluebird Microbird propane (fleet 89, I know I've ridden on that one! ;)).

You should check out the various rosters on the wiki :P :

http://www.cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php?title=S...l_Bus_Operators

I did! Which brings me to my next question, when I visited Calgary in 1998, I distinctly remember visiting Ferguson Bus Lines. They had a huge lot, and also a huge salvage yard full of old buses. They had lots of older buses, I even remember seeing a Superior or 2, Blue-bird all Canadian FE, as well as a couple of older Wayne Busettes (before the chaperone). Do any of you now of this company or have any photos of their buses?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did! Which brings me to my next question, when I visited Calgary in 1998, I distinctly remember visiting Ferguson Bus Lines. They had a huge lot, and also a huge salvage yard full of old buses. They had lots of older buses, I even remember seeing a Superior or 2, Blue-bird all Canadian FE, as well as a couple of older Wayne Busettes (before the chaperone). Do any of you now of this company or have any photos of their buses?

I do have some images of their coaches, but very few of their School buses. I was working for Cardinal Coach Lines back in 2000 when Furguson Bus Lines was taken over by Cardinal (Except for the coaches and two or 3 School Buses). Drove many of the Ferguson School buses to Cardinal's during the takeover of the school bus contracts. Cardinal did not keep some of the buses as they were a bit too rough of condition to spend money on to return to service within Cardinal's fleet.

On my website at http://www.busdrawings.com I have:

Images from Ferguson Bus Lines: http://www.busdrawings.com/coach/ferguson/index.htm

Images from Southland Transportation: http://busdrawings.com/coach/southland/index.htm

More School Bus image galleries: http://www.busdrawings.com/schoolbus/index.htm

As well as some School Bus images within this Gallery: http://www.busdrawings.com/misc/index.htm

More: http://www.busdrawings.com/coach/lynch/index.htm

And here's an image of an older Girardin that you would probably be interested in:

http://www.cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php?title=I...rtation_471.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Well, I had to pick the wettest day of the year so far and almost lost a shoe in the damn mud, but as scrapyard pics are "now or never" I went for it. These are Red Deer Catholic School Board buses. It appeared there was at least one other inside the yard but I was unable to get any kind of photo as only a bit of the roof was visible. One is a 1990 model according to it's plate inside.

P4280002.jpgP4280004.jpg

P4280005.jpgP4280018.jpg

P4280019.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One is a 1990 model according to it's plate inside.

Yup, without that data I'd guess 1987-1991 :)

Number 68 appears to have originally been from out of province, unless anyone knows of an operator around here who does the black visorless thing around the warning lights...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
I believe someone on this forum was looking for images of one of these units. This one was still sitting at First Canada (Cardinal Coach Lines) today. See attachments:

How much do you think First Student would sell something like that for if it were retiring soon or already retired?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How much do you think First Student would sell something like that for if it were retiring soon or already retired?
No clue on the price. But that is apparently what you were looking for! :lol: It has been retired for some time and is being used as a service vehicle around the yards and Facilities. I guess you could give them at call at the Cardinal Coach Lines Division.

Some seats are missing. I believe it is being used by the wash bay staff.

Im seriously interested, any way you could get more info for me? I would love to drive that old girl all the way from Alberta back to Ontario.
I dunno if she's make it all the way from Ontario. More than likely that bus is propane powered. What she make it between each town on one tank of fuel?!? EDIT: Actually I don't see anything on that bus that would indicate that it is a Propane powered unit, so probably a Diesel. That bus was not around when I drove for Cardinal and must have been based in Vancouver at the time.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...