The first few buses you fell in love with?

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

WMATA's Orion Vs (42,43,4400s)
WMATA's Flxible Metro Es
Ride-On's Orion Is
Ride-On's Flxible Metro Ds
Ride-On's 5546 and 5547
Ride-On's Orion Vs (upper 5500s/5600s)
The brand new Ride-On Gilligs
Broward County Transit's New Flyer D40LFs (9700s...RIP)

[DCT S9Z4Z6]

What got me in love w/ transit coaches were the D.C. Transit GMC Old Look type buses, similiar to the one in my photograph. Every day, growing up, a Z4 or a Z6 would ramble past my house, to its end of the line & 5 minutes later come rumbling back up the street. I was really happy when my Grandmother & Mom, would travel to either Silver Spring or PG Plaza (J8) & there would be an GMC Old Look that we would travel on.

I'd didnt much care for the DC Transit 35' fishbowls (4700 series) with the rear door that folded outwards.

The FLX's (6800 series) looked awesome. I would see one doing a S9 trip, making the big sweeping U-Turn at Dennis & Edgewood, and I thought WOW them buses were sleek.

I LOVED 2 TMC's that Ride-On had in its fleet. 5140 & 5142.
When I got to drive them (late '80's & Early 90's) neither bus had a working  (govorner) and deheading from Montgomery Mall down 270, you could reach 70+ M.P.H. (I once passed a new driver driving a 5500 Orion on 270 when they were brand new, coming from the Golf Tourney). I passed him as if he was sitting still. By the time he got to brookville garage, I was at the top of the hill almost to my car. Also, the A/C on 5140 & 5142 were so cold, you needed to wear a sweater.

I liked 5546 & didnt like 5547.

5514 was my favorite Orion. I just wished the brakes woulda grabbed better, so I coulda won the Bus Roadeo in 1990, instead of finishing 2nd.

My ONLY regret, well one that I can state publically, is I never got to drive the FLX's that Ride-On has in its fleet.

[WMAveteran]

I share your regret in that I never rode the Ride On Flxs either.

[WayneNYC]

Sorry you guys missed the Ride On Flxibles.  Those buses were awesome.  They seemed to be in pretty good shape.  I rode them several times when they used to own the 70.  The bad part was that they were governed to a low 55 MPH.

[Sand Box John]

Some here might think I am some kind of nut, but I have always been somewhat fond of the AM Generals. Those dam rattletraps would run like a scalded dog when asked.

RTS II
And of course the perennial favorite Flexible Metro.

[DCT S9Z4Z6]

Northern had a cpl of AM Generals that were "Hi Speed" models. Buses that had a governor set higher.

7476 was one that my Step Dad used to drive on the Z3 (SS to OLNEY).
Once past Seizure World & MD 28 on GA ave, he would open it up.


Yeah   I didnt Ride, the Ride-On FLX's either. But I woulda LOVED to have driven 1 or 2 of em.

[Perry]

I actually liked the AM Generals from a standpoint that they were much different than the Fishbowls.  I actually prefered the 35 footers as they had a slightly different sound than the 40 footers, I can't describe it but it was definitely different.  On the R8 we'd get AM Generals all the time, not so much on the C2, but every now and then they'd get them.  I never got to ride one of the AMG's painted in the second scheme, although I'd see it every now and then.

[DCT S9Z4Z6]

The AM Generals  (numbered 7000-7619) were the 1st group of buses (720 of them) that METRO bought after the merger of all the bus companies.

The buses were interchangable on the destination signs, by putting a roll from the garage into the head of the bus. meaning that the bus could be a 38B, or a Z6, or a T18, of a 9A very easily.

Only the head destination sign had a motor to change the destination. The front number sign, side numbers & destination, and rear numbers were all hand crank. Even the block numbers were hand crank, as well as the LIMITED/EXPRESS/LOCAL sign in the front window well. The AM Generals also had a headlight switch on the control panel, that you could run w/ all your lights on, and kill the headlights while your parked at a layover & keep the bus running.

When those buses were new, it had carpeting even on the ceilings & floors. The seats were made of a material that was cloth like & uneasy to clean. It retained stains.

Some drivers would hand crank the rear route number signs to B-Y-E
Your running for the bus, wondering what the route was, and you would see BYE.
Not very good from a customer service standpoint.

[Perry]

I remember those seats very well.  They were incredibly itchy in the summer and was very happy when they were replaced with the vinyl ones.

[79MetroExtraMD]

Sorry you guys missed the Ride On Flxibles.  Those buses were awesome.  They seemed to be in pretty good shape.  I rode them several times when they used to own the 70.  The bad part was that they were governed to a low 55 MPH.

Yea. I didn't get a chance to ride them when they were with us at Baltimore. I did ride one on the 70 a couple years back. I rode another one on the 100, but it broke down just inches from GTC on Germantown Road.

[79MetroExtraMD]

For me (its gonna be mainly Bmore ones)
Flx Metro As (8519, 8556, 8467)
Flx Metro Bs (8713 (had a Twinvision LED sign), 8730s (the L10s))
Flx Metro Cs (9064, 9079-9080 (the 6 WC sections), 9200s (6v71 baby. My favs were 9202, 9204, 9211, 9213, 9214, 9222, 9231, 9233, 9245, 9247, 9250)

WMATA
MAN SG310s (even I remember them though I never got a chance to ride them)

RideOn
C40LFs
Orion Is
Orion V (5546)
Orion V CNGs (the cricketing sound)

Connector
Orion I (I rode my first and last trip on one on the 380 from Springfield to Pentagon)

[DCT S9Z4Z6]

RTS II

When I worked at Disney World in 1987-1989, the buses we used at the time were the GMC RTS II's.

Awesome ride. .  like sitting on a cloud (this was WDW of course)
Downside. .  before the advent of the A.D.A. all the wheelchair controls & access were thru the rear doors of the 40' buses. Front doors too narrow & from a customer service standpoint, dont wanna load ppl, then ask them to clear the seats to put in 2 wheelchairs thru the back door. . .  also wasnt nice to let off your guests (we called them guests there, not passengers), close the door on the waiting guests, to run to the back door, open the panel & operate the wheelchair lift & secure the guests.

[Annex4421]

The 87/88/8900 Metro B's
The 92' Orion V's when they first came out
The MAN artics
The 95' NABI artics (In the Old paint)

[NewFlyer9736BCT]

WMATA's Orion Vs (42,43,4400s)
WMATA's Flxible Metro Es (my very first ride on a metrobus was on 4006)
Ride-On's Orion Is
Ride-On's Flxible Metro Ds
Ride-On's 5546 and 5547
Ride-On's Orion Vs (upper 5500s/5600s)
The brand new Ride-On Gilligs
Broward County Transit's New Flyer D40LFs (9700s...RIP) (that's why my name is NewFlyer97BCT)

to add to this list (more specific buses this time)...

Ride-On's 5518 (in my earlier days of busfanning, this bus was going nice and FAST, plus the convenience store noise it makes sometimes (like when you open the door), I just loved it, RIP)
Ride-On's 5541 (first Hammerhead Orion I that I ever saw and rode. before the Orbital system came into effect on all Ride-On buses, I think this bus had its own next-stop system (like 5610 had as well))
Ride-On's 5546 and 5547 (I remember riding them on a cold winter day on the 55...back when the sign said "Dorsey Mill", gotta love the engine, RIP 5547))
Ride-On's 5576 (I just love everything about this bus. Try riding it every morning on the 74 northbound, it's a fun ride through Great Seneca Hwy, trust me)
Ride-On's 5623 (The first bus that I actually saw and remembered the number to (built my way from there and eventually understood the Ride-On numbering system), I used to ride this all the time on the 56)
Ride-On's 5720 (makes a noise while accelerating, now it doesn't make the same noise but it still makes a cool noise)

WMATA's 9761 and 9823 (love that screaming whistle)

[Annex4421]

The 87/88/8900 Metro B's
The 92' Orion V's when they first came out
The MAN artics
The 95' NABI artics (In the Old paint)

Also THE BUS's Gillig Phantoms