Orion Bus Industries 'Orion VI'

Orion VI
OBI Orion VI
Years of manufacture	1995 to 2004
Length	40 feet
Width	102 inches
Propulsion	Diesel, CNG, Diesel Electric Hybrid
File:Toronto Transit Commission 9242.jpg

The Orion Bus Industries Orion VI (06.501) is a fully low floor 40 foot (12,192 mm), 102 inches (2,591 mm) wide bus. It was in development since 1991 and a prototype was first produced in 1993. The Orion VI was one of the first fully low floor buses built for the North American bus market. Unlike the later Orion VII, the Orion VI was intended to have no step in the back. The full low floor allowed for easier access and an exit door to be placed at the very rear. The downside to the full low floor design was the rear wheel space became unused. Later models were built with a step up to the rear and centre exit door. The earliest versions of these buses had many difficulties. Some blamed this on what they felt was rushed production by the government of Ontario, which desired a low-floor bus to be made within the province and sold within the province. In 2004, Orion ended production of the Orion VI.

Specifications

Engine

• Cummins L10G (CNG)
• Cummins M11
• Detroit Diesel Series 30 (HEV)
• Detroit Diesel Series 50

Transmission

• Allison B400R

Hybrid Sytem

• Lockheed Martin/BAE Systems HybriDrive

HVAC

• Thermo King

Axles

• ZF
• Meritor

Operators

Canada

• Ajax Pickering Transit Authority - Ajax/Pickering, ON
• Barrie Transit - Barrie, ON
• Belleville Transit - Belleville, ON
• Brampton Transit - Brampton, ON
• Cambridge Transit - Cambridge, ON
• Durham Region Transit - Durham Region, ON
• Grand River Transit - Waterloo Region, ON
• Guelph Transit - Guelph, ON
• Hamilton Street Railway - Hamilton, ON
• Kingston Transit - Kingston, ON
• London Transit - 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 - Toronto, ON (1997-2006)
• Transit Windsor - Windsor, ON
• Vaughan Transit - Vaughan, ON
• Whitby Transit - Whitby, ON
• York Region Transit - York Region, ON

United States

• Broome County Transit (BC 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 (MTA) - New York, NY
• Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (MAX) - Birmingham & Jefferson County, AL
• Pace - Suburban Chicago, IL
• Ride-On - Montgomery County, MD
• Torrance Transit - Torrance, CA
• Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA) - Washington, DC

Demonstrator/Engineering Units

Below is list of known demonstrator and engineering buses.

Fleet Number	Thumbnail	Year	VIN	Engine	Transmission	Notes
		1993				3 door
			2B1669K7XT5040007	Cummins L10G	Allison B400R	3 door
		1995				3 door 3 axle
10		1995		Cummins L10G	Allison B400R	London Transit specs Bought by Ride-On
2000		1995	2B1669K76S5040004	Cummins L10G	Allison B400R	TTC specs Bought by Ride-On
		1997	2B1669N71V5060001	Detroit Diesel Series 30	Lockheed Martin HybriDrive hybrid system	3 door
		1997		Detroit Diesel Series 50	Allison B400R	Leased to YRT in 2003 Sold to Saint John Transit in 2003 after lease to YRT
		1999				Bought by MTB then sold to Milton Transit in 2008