Coast Mountain Bus Company 3258-3282
Coast Mountain Bus Company 3258–3282 were a set of 25 New Flyer Industries C40 units built and delivered in 1995.
These were the first compressed natural gas buses ordered for service in the Greater Vancouver region. BC Transit began evaluating the potential use of natural gas buses as early as 1991 by converting three MCI Classic diesel buses due to the abundance of natural gas in the province and its low polluting characteristics. In November 1994, the order was placed as part of a more extensive study of the economic and environmental benefits of a natural gas bus fleet and the order for these 25 units was partially financed by BC Gas, who had similar interests in studying the use of natural gas in buses. An agreement was made between BC Transit and BC Gas for the installing and use of natural gas fueling stations at Port Coquitlam Transit Centre with the fuel paid for under a standard tariff rate. The first of 25 units entered service in November 1995 and the performance of these buses was monitored from April 1996 to April 2000.[1] All 25 buses were painted in the Clean Air Bus livery.
By October 2001, all units were withdrawn from service and placed into storage at the Crane warehouse. Between 2004 and 2006, they returned to service with diesel engines replacing the Detroit Diesel Series 50G engines and were repainted from their Clean Air Bus livery, although a few units returned to service running on CNG before shortly going through engine conversions. 3269 was the first to be recommissioned in September 2004 and assigned back to Port Coquitlam Transit Centre running on CNG, although it was converted to diesel shortly after. The first unit converted to diesel was 3281 and assigned back to Port Coquitlam Transit Centre as well. They were re-allocated to North Vancouver Transit Centre in 2006 to replace the retiring GM/MCI Classic buses. Some were returned back to Port Coquitlam Transit Centre.
While the New Flyer D40 units were unlikely to see service after 2010, these units were expected to be in service until 2015. With the pending expiration of their leases at the end of February 2011, the units were placed on sale in January of that year, which fell through.[2] They were subsequently placed into storage at Oakridge Transit Centre in late March 2011 and were listed for sale once again[3]. Six units were sold to Southland Transportation in late 2011 and the rest were scrapped.
Compared to the other New Flyer high floor models in the fleet, these units were most similar to the 1992 D40 units in terms of exterior appearance and interior layout as all 25 units of this order were in suburban configuration with individual reading lights and American Seating Model 6484 seats, instead of Otaco Innovator 850 seats. Unlike any other New Flyer high floor models in suburban configuration, these buses had full-sized, single-piece "tip-in" windows as opposed to Storm-Tite dual slider windows
These units formerly operated under BC Transit with Vancouver Regional Transit System with the same numbers until April 1999, when all Greater Vancouver operations split off into TransLink.
Unit(s) | Engine | Transmission | Seating | Destination sign |
---|---|---|---|---|
3258–3282 | Detroit Diesel Series 50 275 hp | Allison B400R 5 speed | 45 – American Seating Model 6484 | Luminator Super Matrix:MAX |
Details
Note: Dates of retirement are dates when units were spotted at Oakridge Transit Centre and not necessarily confirmed retirement dates.
Fleet number | Thumbnail | Paint | Date | VIN | License plate | Transit centre | Status/Disposal | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3258 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL17SU015952 | 2023 HX | North Vancouver | Retired – April 2011 |
| ||
3259 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL19SU015953 | North Vancouver | Retired – April 2011 |
| |||
3260 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL10SU015954 | North Vancouver | Retired – March 2011 |
| |||
3261 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL12SU015955 | 1994 LP | North Vancouver | Retired – April 2011 |
| ||
3262 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL14SU015956 | North Vancouver | Decommissioned – April 2011 |
| |||
3263 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL16SU015957 | 1506 KS | North Vancouver | Retired – April 2011 |
| ||
3264 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL18SU015958 | 5176 JA | North Vancouver | Decommissioned – April 2011 |
| ||
3265 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL1XSU015959 | 1507 KS | North Vancouver | Retired – April 2011 |
| ||
3266 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL16SU015960 | 5267 JA | North Vancouver | Decommissioned – April 2011 |
| ||
3267 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL18SU015961 | 7875 HR | North Vancouver | Retired – April 2011 |
| ||
3268 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL1XSU015962 | North Vancouver | Retired – April 2011 |
| |||
3269 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL11SU015963 | 1512 KS | North Vancouver | Retired – March 2011 |
| ||
3270 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL13SU015964 | 5143 JA | North Vancouver | Decommissioned – March 2011 |
| ||
3271 | September 1995 | 2FYC2DL15SU015965 | North Vancouver | Decommissioned – April 2011 |
| |||
3272 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL17SU015966 | 5191 JA | North Vancouver | Decommissioned – April 2011 |
| ||
3273 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL19SU015967 | 5131 JA | North Vancouver | Retired – April 2011 |
| ||
3274 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL10SU015968 | 8899 HS | North Vancouver | Retired – April 2011 |
| ||
3275 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL12SU015969 | 1509 KS | North Vancouver | Retired – April 2011 |
| ||
3276 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL19SU015970 | 5148 JA | North Vancouver | Retired – March 2011 |
| ||
3277 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL10SU015971 | 5179 JA | North Vancouver | Retired – May 2011 |
| ||
3278 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL12SU015972 | 5266 JA | North Vancouver | Retired – May 2011 |
| ||
3279 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL14SU015973 | 2592 HF | North Vancouver | Retired – May 2011 |
| ||
3280 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL16SU015974 | 5265 JA | North Vancouver | Retired – April 2011 |
| ||
3281 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL18SU015975 | North Vancouver | Retired – May 2011 |
| |||
3282 | 1995 | 2FYC2DL1XSU015976 | North Vancouver | Retired – May 2011 |
|
References
- ↑ Vancouver Transit Natural Gas Bus System Transit Museum Society, retrieved 06-06-2021
- ↑ Fleet of 25 Passenger Buses, ebay.com, retrieved 21-01-2011
- ↑ 1995 New Flyer Bus Package 25 Buses 40' Long OEBIN, ebay.com, retrieved 28-06-2011