BusTalk

Dieseljim · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 6:05 am Post subject: Dayton's Electric Buses

Is Dayton,Ohio still running their famous trackless trolley buses, including some GM"fishbowls" purchased from Edmonton? Or have they all been replaced with diesel, hybride/cng buses?

timecruncher · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 6:58 am Post subject:

GDRTA is still running their Skoda trackless trolleys on routes 7 and 8, along with some short trippers on other routes. Last I heard, trackless operation was Monday - Friday only.

The ex-Edmonton GMDD units are stored or have been sold since they have no a/c and no wheelchair lifts. It would not have been economical to add either to them.

I'll check with my sources and see if I can get a more accurate update for you.

timecruncher

roymanning2000 · Age: 75 Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 198

Jim,

In addition to the information in Cliff's post, route 4 is also trolley-coach Monday through Fridays. It is a diesel route on weekends.

Also, route 8 seems to be trolley-coach seven days a week. Route 7 uses diesels on weekends sometimes. This past weekend, it was trolley-coach. However, it is not unusual to see diesels on route 7 even on weekdays.

The trolley-coach operating in Dayton is nothing like it used to be but, it's still there. A year or so ago, the executive director of the GDRTA was quoted in the local newspaper as expressing an interest in testing a diesel-hybrid as a potential trolley-coach replacement. As far as I know that hasn't happened.

Roy

Dieseljim · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:40 am Post subject: Dayton's Electric Buses

The Edmontons would sure make a fine diesel bus or even an all service vehicle. Just a thought.

timecruncher · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 7:52 pm Post subject:

The ex-Edmonton buses were just an experiment before RTA went out to bid for the Skodas, which have been somewhat less than stellar performers.

Of course, they could have purchased off-the-shelf New Flyers, but the management of the system at that time wanted off-line capability and other stuff that NFI simply could not provide. Plus, with NFI's legendary bad financial condition, that builder probably couldn't have provided the performance bonding required by the typically conservative and cautious Ohio transit system!

But they sure did look and ride nice...

And even while they were being 'Americanized,' the original New Flyers kept soldiering on:

The Skodas would have been okay had it not been for all of the FTA-mandated crap that American transit buses must have that European buses do not need, such as a/c, wheelchair lifts, etc.

A face only a mother could love, I think.

timecruncher
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