Orion Bus Industries 'Orion VI'

Orion VI
Years of manufacture	1995 to 2003
Length	40 feet
Width	102 inches
Propulsion	Diesel, CNG, Diesel-Electric Hybrid

The Orion Bus Industries Orion VI (model 06.501) was the company's first full sized low floor transit bus. A fair number of buses were sold in Ontario as the provincial government committed to funding the accessible, low floor bus. Outside of the province, sales of the Orion VI were markedly less.

The prototype was introduced in 1993 at that year's American Public Transportation Association Expo. Regular production began in 1996, with Capital District Transportation Authority receiving the first buses, followed soon after by Brampton Transit. Production continued into 2003 when the Orion VI was replaced by the Orion VII.

Design

The Orion VI was one of the first fully low floor buses built for the North American market. Portal axles and an offset drivetrain allowed for a mainly level aisle to the rear of the bus. A second door could be placed at the very rear or near the middle. A wheelchair ramp was commonly placed at the front door, though one could be specified at the middle doors.

Often times the space above the rear wheel housings became unused on early models. Some agencies would specify three seats over the rear closed side wheel, accessed by a small step intruding into the aisle. With a mid-mounted door, some agencies would specify a raised floor height that was a step higher before the rear wheels. This allowed for easier access to the aforementioned three seats and the addition of two seats over the other wheels.

Roof mounted equipment, such as HVAC or CNG tanks, was built into the overall height of the bus. Diesel powered, buses had the fuel tank immediately behind the front open side wheel.

A prototype diesel-electric hybrid Orion VI was produced in 1996. Development, which began in 1993, was funded by the Federal Transit Administration, the New York Power Authority and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. The three-door bus had tandem rear axles. Each of the four rear wheels featured induction hub motors from General Electric. A 5.9 litre Cummins engine powered an Onan generator, which produced electricity to power the vehicle. Following non-revenue testing, results showed that hybrid buses could reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

Orion moved toward production of the hybrid Orion VI and received an order for 10 trial buses from New York City Transit (NYCT). These buses used the Lockheed Martin HybriDrive system which included a 230 hp Detroit Diesel Series 30 diesel engine, a 170 kW generator, and a 187 kW AC traction motor. The first buses entered service in September 1998. The NYCT would eventually go on to purchase a substantial number of hybrid Orion VII buses that were equipped in a similar fashion. Trial fleets of the hybrid Orion VI were also purchased by Fresno Area Express, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, San Francisco MUNI, and Torrance Transit.

Specifications

Dimensions
Length: 40'
Width: 102"
Height: 122"
Wheelbase: 277"
Engine
Cummins L10G (CNG)
Cummins M11
Detroit Diesel Series 30 (HEV)
Detroit Diesel Series 50
Transmission
Allison B400R
Hybrid system
Lockheed Martin/BAE Systems HybriDrive
Axles
ZF
Meritor
HVAC
Thermo King

Operators

Canada

• Ajax Pickering Transit Authority (APTA) - Ajax/Pickering, ON
• Barrie Transit - Barrie, ON
• Belleville Transit - Belleville, ON
• Brampton Transit - Brampton, ON
• Cambridge Transit - Cambridge, ON
• Cornwall Transit - Cornwall, ON
• Durham Region Transit (DRT) - Durham Region, ON
• Grand River Transit (GRT) - Waterloo Region, ON
• Guelph Transit Commission - Guelph, ON
• Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) - Hamilton, ON
• Kingston Transit - Kingston, ON
• London Transit Commission (LTC) - London, ON
• Markham Transit - Markham, ON
• Mississauga Transit - Mississauga, ON
• Newmarket Transit - Newmarket, ON
• Oakville Transit - Oakville, ON
• OC Transpo - Ottawa, ON
• Peterborough Transit Peterborough, ON
• Pickering Transit - Pickering, ON
• Richmond Hill Transit - Richmond Hill, ON
• St. Catharines Transit - St.Catharines, ON
• Saint John Transit - Saint John, NB
• Sault Ste. Marie Transit - Sault Ste. Marie, ON
• Sudbury Transit - Sudbury, ON
• Thunder Bay Transit - Thunder Bay, ON
• Timmins Transit - Timmins, ON
• Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) - Toronto, ON (1997-2006)
• Transit Windsor - Windsor, ON
• Vaughan Transit - Vaughan, ON
• Whitby Transit (WT) - Whitby, ON
• York Region Transit (YRT)- York Region, ON

United States

• Broome County Transit (B.C. Transit) - Binghamton, NY
• Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) - Albany, NY
• Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) - Los Angeles, CA
• Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) - Boston, MA
• Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York City Transit Authority) - New York, NY
• Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (MAX) - Birmingham & Jefferson County, AL
• Pace - Suburban Chicago, IL
• Ride-On - Montgomery County, MD
• Sonoma County Transit - Sonoma County, CA
• Torrance Transit - Torrance, CA
• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) - Washington, DC

Demonstrator and engineering units

Below is a list of known demonstrator and engineering buses

Fleet number	Thumbnail	Year	VIN	Engine	Transmission	Notes
		1993	P5040001			3 door purple demo
		1995		Cummins B5.9	General Electric hybrid system	NY State Consortium hybrid bus prototype 3 door, tandem rear axles with single powered wheels, NiCd batteries
10		1995	R5040003	Cummins L10G	Allison B400R	1994 model. CNG demo London Transit specs Bought by Ride-On
2000		1995	2B1669K76S5040004	Cummins L10G	Allison B400R	CNG demo TTC pilot bus Bought by Ride-On
		1996	2B1669K7XT5040007	Cummins L10G	Allison B400R	3 door CNG demo
		1997	2B1669N71V5060001	Detroit Diesel Series 30	Lockheed Martin HybriDrive hybrid system	3 door hybrid
		1997	1VH669P72V6040198	Detroit Diesel Series 50	Allison B400R	Leased to YRT in 2003. Sold to Saint John Transit in 2003 after lease to YRT.
		1999	2B1669K74X5040008	Detroit Diesel Series 50	Allison B400R	CNG demo. Bought by MTB and converted to diesel. To Milton Transit 9901 in 2008. Retired in 2015.

Preserved units

Year	Thumbnail	VIN	Original Owner	Fleet Number	Current Owner
1998		2B1669N75V5060003	New Jersey Transit	4000	Metropolitan Transportation Authority
1998		1VH669U72W6040322	Cambridge Transit/GRT	534	Private owner
1999		X6600089	OC Transpo	4024	OC Transpo