BusTalk

[RTS_04]

What better way to attempt to learn the forums than to post a new picture?

The quality on this one's not that great, and my other variant's not scanned yet, but I'll have it up when we can get images loaded on the site's gallery once more....



This is the first RTS prototype that GM Truck & Coach built. Very much a modified RTX/Transbus, as evidenced by the common styling of the front fascia and the side skirts. I could tolerate the RTX's styling, and actually liked the Transbus's modifications, but this just looks awkward.

Ignore the '1970' date on the image. This coach was really built early in 1973, and was temporarily abandoned as a project until late '74, when it became obvious to GM that the RTX/Transbus design wouldn't pan out once again. That design was what we all know as the RTS-II.

My father remembers working on this coach, and seems to recall that it was named 'RTS-I'. I've heard conflicting reports on whether the RTS-II nomenclature referred to the number of axles, or the coach's generation. I really think it was the latter.

Makes you kinda appreciate the styling GM gave us all with the production coach in '78, huh?

[Busmancow]

Does anyone know what happened to the bus in the photo? That would make an excellent addition to a collection!-Kyle

[RTS_04]

As far as I know, the RTS-I, along with the 3 Transbus demonstrators, were all sent to the scrapyard a long time ago. I haven't yet seen record of their existance, but knowing GM's policy with prototypes, it wouldn't surprise me at all.

What I don't know is whether the RTX prototype was scrapped, or if it was 'updated' to be one of the 3 Transbuses. Aside from some variation in styling, layout, powertrain, and accessories, the Transbus was almost like an 'RTX 2.0'. GM possibly could have simply brought it's design up to date to become one of the three.

Hope to find out more soon...

[Busmancow]

Thanks for the information. It is a shame to think that such a beautiful and iconic piece of bus history would be just uncerimoniously scrapped as if it were an old car bound for the end of the line at the local junkyard. There is so much that could be learned from it if it were still physically present today. Just imagine what it would be worth too! I feel pretty certain that it or nothing like it is still around because if it were there would be a proud owner somehwhere showing it off, unless of course it was just resting somewhere and the current owner had no idea how special it is. That seems to be somewhat common when "non-bus people" have buses. -Kyle

[KCRam3500]

Actually, GMC was very protective of their prototypes, and to avoid having them get into competitors' hands, they were often systematically destroyed.

I'm sure TMC or Nova would have loved to have made the RTS artic (seeing how artic use boomed under their watches), but GMC left no trace of those two prototypes, and the subsequent builders determined it was too expensive to start over from scratch.

[RailBus63]

Gawd ... those headlights are just too weird looking!

[tovinman]

One of the three RTX prototypes sat in an Albany, NY area scrapyard in the 1990s, in poor shape. The others were all scrapped, along with other prototypes like the RTS Articulated units (boy did GM screw up on that call, it likely would have sold well to operators like New York City who waited one whole generation to buy artics)

[tovinman]

Those headlight bezels came straight off the Pontiac Bonneville

[tovinman]

In 1974 GM made a huge deal debuting SQUARE headlights in front of a unit that had the "RTX" moniker attached to it. Now the square headlights ended up being more rectangular, but the model showing off those square headlights sure had some nice curves!

[RTS_04]

[RTS_04]