The first few buses you fell in love with?

[orionvii2680]

The first few busses i fell in love with were...


Fairfax Connecter's Orion I's w(disabled 1st gear)
WMATA's Orion v's (2100 series)
Dash's Orion I's.

[LandoverDivision]

Definitly the Flxible Metro-B (8000 series)
GM Fishbowl
Flxible Metro-D
Flxible Metro-E
MAN Artics
NABI 60-SFW

[Tristan]

What's this disabled first gear you've spoken of?  How do you disable first gear?  I'm not a transmission expert I guess.

But to answer the question:
-Orion Is - all Orion Is - to this day, still my favorite classic bus.  I loved DASH's (hence the avatar) because they had L10s, which was relatively rare, but I equally loved the 6v92 units.  I would pay a significant sum of money for an Orion I model for my collection.

-93-9400s - I grew up on them and remember them so fondly I get memories just from smelling the exhaust.  Sounds crazy but I've been on buses all my life so cut me some slack.

-9600s BEFORE REPOWER - They had a few things that made them sound just a little different from other 6v92 Orion Vs, plus the holes in the seats were fun.

That's all I can think of for now.

[orionvii2680]

there is no 1st gear" torq convert shift.(disabled first gear)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csuxfj6HBDs&feature=channel_page

[orionvii2680]

this bus has the first gear.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yqcH-drgFQ&feature=related

[WayneNYC]

In the DC area my favs have been:

Flxible Metro B & E
NFI C40LF
NFI DE40LF

Honorable mention goes to Orion I with 6V92.

[Perry]

For me it was the Flxible New Looks.  I always liked the 8500 and 8600 series, although the 82 and 8300's were pretty fast.  Then I liked the Metro B's, all of them except the 9300's.  I preferred the Detroit Diesels over the Cummins.  I think what did them in for me was riding the 9360's on the F2, there were a couple that rattled so bad.  I much preferred the 87-8900's. 

The ones I hated riding:  AM Generals, RTS, 9600's before and after repower and the MAN artics because they were so darn slow.  One time I was trying to get to MC in Rockville and I was on a MAN bus on the Q2 and it was taking so long that I was going to be late for an exam, so I got off the bus at Rockville Station and took a cab from there.

[WayneNYC]

Perry,

I agree about the Metro-Bs.  I've never been too fond of the 93/9400 for the same reason.  That cummins engine vibrates way too much at idle.  I'd take the DD 6V92 Metro-Bs first, but they got really slow in their last years.

Back in the day Bee Line had 5 Metro-Bs with the Cummins L-10, but I never rode any of those for years.  The first Cummins L-10 equipped Metro-B I rode was one of MARTA's 3400 series.  When it started vibrating, I thought something was wrong with the bus until I rode others and they did the same. 

[Perry]

They really do vibrate a lot.  I don't know if it was the engine/tranny combo or what, but there was a tremendous difference between those and the 6V92.  When I drove at Shuttle UM I ended up trying to drive the 6V92 over the L-10's towards the end of my driving stint there.

[Tristan]

It's the powertrain, because our '91 Orion Is (same powertrain) had the same issue; in fact, the unit that Commonwealth Coach & Trolley (Roanoke, VA) got was the first Orion, the first Cummins, and the first Voith they had ever gotten, and between the growling from 1st to 2nd and the vibration, they thought they got a lemon.

[aznboy4305]

For me it would be Ride On's Orion Is and any 1st generation 6v92 Metro-B. I never cared much for the 9300/9400s either, or pretty much any 2nd generation Metro-Bs.

[C40LF_2464]

WMATA Flxible metro B

"DUH" BUS Gillig Advantages

WMATA NABI buses

[Tritransit Area]

 - Definitely SEPTA's Neoplan AN440s (especially the 3000 series) - I loved everything about them, from the (in)famous Neo-jerk to the unique sound of the brake squeal.  Those buses sounded great, and the latest ones were in service for over 18 years.  May they rust in peace, as none of them were saved much to my dismay. 


- I loved Ride-On's TMC Citycruisers.  The one panel slide-guide front door with the plug 2 panel rear door was always intriguing to me.  I LOVED the rear window back then - I'd look out the back and see the cloud of smoke coming from the exhaust pipe, where the opening was right next to the rear window.  Also, the engine sound was great, and I will never forget that high "aaaaaaahhhhhhh" sound that came from the exhaust.  It's too bad I never managed to have a farewell ride on them...the 96' Gilligs replaced them before I had a chance to!


- Ride-On's 1989 Gilligs were awesome too (what Brandon, a Gillig?!).  The sound of the engine was great, (one of the very few times I actually liked a C-series Cummins engine in a bus...the HT transmission sure helped) and there were these other sounds that were intriguing to me, like the sssssSSSSHHHHHHP! sound they made, and the fan sound blended so well with the engine.


- Ride-On's Orion Is.  I don't remember much about the 1984 models (all I knew back then is that they were different from the TMCs from the color of the front bumper - the TMCs had a white front bumper).  The 1990's series have been great.  These buses got me hooked on the 6v92TA/HT series powertrain, and I was always intrigued at how the back wall was further forward than the back part of the side window.  Also, the tailpipe with the flipping lid was one of the coolest things in the world to me!

I still remember when these buses were brand new, and I was just a little kid back then.  I saw one parked at some mall (Wheaton?) and they were letting kids on board and allowing them to sit in the driver's seat.  Of course I begged my mom to let me go on "the new bus", and she allowed me to.  That was one of my fondest childhood transit memories, if not the fondest.  I hope Ride-On still does stuff like that these days, because that's a memory I won't soon forget.


- WMATA 93/9400 series Flxibles - the "L10 Bs".  These were always my favorite series of WMATA Flxibles.  Back then, Voiths weren't really that common around these parts, so it was very interesting to hear a bus with gears that long.  Plus, the engine sound is just at the right tone where it sounds smooth and...soothing for lack of a better term.  The rattling (especially at idle...omg on some of them!) was/is a part of their charm.

I guess since NJT also had (and still has) Flxible Metro Bs with the 6v92TA/Allison V731 powertrain, I found the 93/9400 series more interesting to ride, and therefore liked them a lot better.  Of course, I didn't ride the NJT Metro Bs until about 2004 when the RiverLINE started running.

I must admit that these were the first buses where I witnessed wheelchair lifts in action.  I thought it was the coolest thing in the world to see the front steps "turn into a wheelchair lift" for people in wheelchairs.


Wow...what a nice walk down memory lane!  At the risk of sounding cliche, I will say this: They sure don't build them like they used to.  Essentially all of these buses mentioned have been/are in the process of/or will very soon be retired...growing old, I am!

[WMAveteran]

The first buses I fell love in with were all intercity coaches:
1. Flxble Clippers
2. GM PD-3751 Silversides
3. ACF-Brill (DC Transit used them)
4. GM PD-4104
5. GM PD-4501 (Scenicruiser)
6. The Silver and Golden Eagles made for Trailways
7. GM PD-4106
8. MCI MC-7
9. GM PD-4903

[WES]

It took me long enough to post to this one, but of course growing up when I did the GM and Flx new looks were on the top of the list.  I was actually one of the few people who liked the AMGs.  As I grew older the Flx Metros became my fav.