TransLink - Photos and Discussion

[Retrovision]

Because of a lack of visibility, the front doors on new trolleys being delivered to Vancouver have a modified set of front doors, with only 2 vertical panes of glass instead of 4 as before...

New:


Old:

[Mike C]

I was wondering about that. Thanks for clearing that up

[Retrovision]

And the view through the new front doors from inside


www.masstransport2010.fotopic.net/p41442568.html

[Neil]

Speaking of modifications, the other day I saw one of those converted diesels that still had the trolley poles on top, out here in North Delta. Are those things actually still in service anywhere?

[Retrovision]

hornbyguy said:

Speaking of modifications, the other day I saw one of those converted diesels that still had the trolley poles on top, out here in North Delta. Are those things actually still in service anywhere?

Not at all, not for years - oddly enough I rode the very same of those Triesels as a school special while in high school that is now part of the Transit Museum Society's historic bus fleet, #1109


From the parade marking the handover to the new garage near the Arthur Laing Bridge in Marpole


www.masstransport2010.fotopic.net/p33827820.html


www.masstransport2010.fotopic.net/p33833277.html

This might help shed some light
cptdb-old.barp.ca/index.php?showtopic=7717

...If I'm right, the last one(s) operated out of BTC (Burnaby Transit Centre) on routes within Burnaby; I also remember riding aboard one between Metrotown Station and Lougheed Mall via City Hall years ago.

[Retrovision]

Short clip of new trolley (E40LF-R) front door modification enhanced visibility

[Northern Exploration]

Oh my. I remember those buses with the rounded back windows. There also were trolleys with the same windows that I think hung around longer. And the boring beige colour scheme. lol

[Retrovision]

pnwtraveler said:

Oh my. I remember those buses with the rounded back windows. There also were trolleys with the same windows that I think hung around longer. And the boring beige colour scheme. lol

The Brills were the backbone of Vancouver's trolley system for decades, up until the current fleet came along in the early 1980s if I'm right.


www.masstransport2010.fotopic.net/p33827837.html

[Northern Exploration]

Cool. That is them exactly. Thanks. We had two cars so almost never got to ride the bus. I can remember insisting on taking the trolley bus to the first McDonalds in Vancouver for my birthday. My parents weren't too impressed but they did it lol.

[Retrovision]

Thanks for sharing.

pnwtraveler said:

Cool. That is them exactly. Thanks. We had two cars so almost never got to ride the bus. I can remember insisting on taking the trolley bus to the first McDonalds in Vancouver for my birthday. My parents weren't too impressed but they did it lol.

Unfortunately that sort of attitude, prevalent even more today, is what keeps transit systems in North America grossly underfunded; good of you to stand up to such a socially accepted attitude.

[Northern Exploration]

I think times are changing for the good. Certainly here in Toronto. I know a lot of people now who are without cars. My brother was almost surgically attached to his car since he started driving at 16. He lives downtown now and walks to work. On the rare occasion he needs a car he rents one. Saves a lot of money for parking $150 per month, insurance, maintenance on the vehicle not to mention gas. They have those rent by the hour cars positioned all over downtown now. Two competing companies (names slips me). You become a member, reserve a car online and drive away from the parking lot. Toronto's subway needs to be tripled at least but there is no funding for it currently. I zip all over Manhattan when I am there and New York is one of the fittest cities for all the walking they do. Seems Toronto will expand its streetcar routes (current vogue name is light rail) but use lighter less expensive cars.

[SS San Mateo]

How many of the new trolleys have the old doors? Will the ones with the old doors get the new doors?

[Retrovision]

vashondude said:

How many of the new trolleys have the old doors? Will the ones with the old doors get the new doors?

I'm not up on the numbers, and they don't arrive in numerical order necessarily, but as far as I know 2199 is the lowest number of in the new fleet to have the new doors, the series starts at 2101, and we have already received many between 2101 and 2199. I'll take some time to skim over the archives at the Yahoo Group Transit-Vancouver later to see if I can't find anything more specific; Im wondering myself.

[Fenklebaum]

pnwtraveler said:

Oh my. I remember those buses with the rounded back windows. There also were trolleys with the same windows that I think hung around longer. And the boring beige colour scheme. lol

Don't be knockin' the BC Electric. 'Boring beige', you say? The correct term in transit fanatic circles would be 'big red tomato'. (check out BC Electric's 1940's/50's logo, you'll get what I mean). And it was a delightful shade of cream, actually. One that completely suited the Brills... not so much the PCC cars they decided to apply it to. *shudders* Never did look right.

Being a member of the Transit Museum Society, I've ridden both Brill trolleys that are in the collection, and I can safely say that they far surpass both the current generation of Flyers as well as these New Flyers. They're faster, quieter, and quite frankly, more comfortable. Rest assured, riding one of these buses would not give you a case of 'bus butt'. Humourously enough, the last Brill fan trip I was on, a lady asked us if they were "one of the new buses"; yes, they look THAT good.

As for the Triesel, it was one of Vancouver's short lived second generation of trolley buses. Most were converted to conventional diesels, but two retained their poles for 'de-icing' services. It's quite fun to ride the sucker down the street at full tilt boogie having people staring and asking what the smeg is going on.

Fenk, bus-ly butted

[Northern Exploration]

I can't remember the apple at all. You would think that would be easy for a kid to remember too. I remember the multi- coloured hydro logo though. Right beside the first McDonalds was a turnaround for the trolleys. I can't remember what street it was on. After that birthday though I switched back to A&W drive-in with the frosty mugs of rootbeer or White Spot. Loved that long tray White Spot put through the car from drivers side to the passenger side. My younger brother went through a McDonald's phase and at least we could watch the buses come and go. Until the Pirate Pack came out at White Spot thankfully and he wouldn't shut up about it haha. By then we were eating inside as drive ins were no longer in vogue.

[Dane]

Most trolleys have "old" doors, they're going to be retrofitted with new ones by NFI at no cost to CMBC.

[Emory Lindgard]

I sent the picture of the Brills trolley and the door modification to my brother-in-law who works for Metro transit on the Eastside. (Bellevue WA).

He sent me these web pages of the Metro Employees Historical
Vehicle Association.

www.mehva.org/index.php

www.mehva.org/trolley_photos_seattle.html

www.mehva.org/links.php

Enjoy.........Emory

[Retrovision]

dane said:

Most trolleys have "old" doors, they're going to be retrofitted with new ones by NFI at no cost to CMBC.

That's great news to me as I was worried about that; thanks for the confirmation of the retrofitting.

Emory said:

I sent the picture of the Brills trolley and the door modification to my brother-in-law who works for Metro transit on the Eastside. (Bellevue WA).

He sent me these web pages of the Metro Employees Historical
Vehicle Association.

www.mehva.org/index.php

www.mehva.org/trolley_photos_seattle.html

www.mehva.org/links.php

Enjoy.........Emory

Thank you for the links, Emory. I can remember finding those great photos on that webpage a couple years ago, and appreciated it as much seeing it now as I did back then. Seattle certainly chose some interesting designs for trolleys.

[Northern Exploration]

I started doing some surfing and remember the two styles of GM buses that were in use still when I was a kid. One had the angled window on the right front windscreen and one had a full window on that side. www.pacbus.org/roster/pbm8005.html and www.pacbus.org/roster/pbm246.html - not sure about the exact models.

Then I surfed to a bus museum site they listed as a link and came across www.pacbus.org/roster/pbm8005.html. I remember visiting someone in California who had one of these and had converted it to a motorhome. He showed us a pic and article about a Greyhound bus being caught doing 120mph down a straight empty highway in the dessert in Arizona or Nevada. The buses' engines were so powerful. After that Greyhound put governors and the engines haha.

Edited to fix 3'rd link (missing 'h' in 'http')

[Fenklebaum]

www.trams.bc.ca/buses.html

Note the exact same styles of GM buses. You'll see the aforementioned 'triesel' in there as well.

Fenk, redundant

[Northern Exploration]

Yeah Fenk exactly the one I remember. I remember the cream (makes no further colour comment lol) ones clearly. Mom told me we also one of the brill trolleys to the big Woodwards store downtown but I don't remember that trip. I liked the look of the old GM's too for some reason. I mostly remember the greyish colour scheme with the green/blue Hydro logo.

[Emory Lindgard]

To PNWtraveler:

I enjoyed the Links to the GM Scenic Cruiser.

When I was a kid 8 years my Mother and I went from Washington DC down to Williamsburg on a Senic Cruiser. It was eye opener for kid my age. Nice soft ride and a restroom in the back.

Note....In Hemmings Motor News April 2007 on Page 38 under:

Bus Profiile

Nothing Fishy...GM New Look" an unforgettable bus design.

It talks about the introduction of new bus that became known as the "Fish Bowl". Named for its enormous six-paine window shield which was about triple the size of the frontal glass on the so called "Old Look" buses.

Unfortunately no web page under Hemmings Motor News that has this bus article.

Emory Lindgard

[Retrovision]

Emory said:

Note....In Hemmings Motor News April 2007 on Page 38 under:

Bus Profiile

Nothing Fishy...GM New Look" an unforgettable bus design.

It talks about the introduction of new bus that became known as the "Fish Bowl". Named for its enormous six-paine window shield which was about triple the size of the frontal glass on the so called "Old Look" buses.

Unfortunately no web page under Hemmings Motor News that has this bus article.

Emory Lindgard

Thank you, Mr. Lindgard, for the tip. Would you happen to know where one would find this article?

[Emory Lindgard]

I got semi lucky this evening. Hemmings only gives you the first paragraph and the pictures. Then they say to see the rest you have to subscribe to the magazine.

www.hemmings.com/hmn/stories/2007/04/01/hmn_feature10.html


Edit: No direct linking available, please click the images at left

Below is first picture of the Fish Bowl look or New Look.

www.hemmings.com/hmn/stories/2007/04/01/hmn_feature10.html

Here is third picture.

www.hemmings.com/hmn/stories/2007/04/01/hmn_feature10.html

The only reason I have April's is the Freeland Library down here has 6 bins for used magazines that the people leave. You can get 5 magazines for one dollar. So it pretty good deal when the magazines are only 1 to 3 months old.

This Hemmings Motor News is pretty thick magazine. First part is on glossy paper on the articles. 2/3 is classified ads on recycle paper.

Here are the rest of the articles for April 2007.

www.hemmings.com/hmn/stories/2007/04/01/

Enjoy ;D

Emory Lindgard


Edited to fix first link + lack of direct linking

[Northern Exploration]

I have seen Hemmings for sale in the magazine section of Chapters but have never looked at it. I always assumed it was more for mechanics - which I am not. Will have to have a glance at it this afternoon.