How did the Fairfax Connector begin?

[Tritransit Area]

Did the Fairfax just take over WMATA routes?  Did it start off with 35/40 foot Orion Is?

Just curious about the history of this transit service.

[TransitGuru1981X]

I cannot help you much in regards to the routes, but as to the buses, the initial delivery was a fleet of 33 35-foot Orion I's powered by Detroit Diesel 6V-71N engines and Allison MT-644 transmissions. The buses entered Fairfax Connector garages in September 1985. This was then followed up a little over two years later by two more fleets of Orion I's, consisting of ten 30-foot buses using the same 6V-71N engine but an improved MT-647 Allison transmission, and in this same order, there were seven more 35-foot buses, but these employed the more powerful 6V-92TA Detroit Diesel engine and HT-747 Allison transmission.

~Ben