Halifax (metro) Transit.

[esbdave]

This from a Metro Transit Driver: "They can be found on any of 4 routes. (two I dunno what they are and this is me talking) You can find them on the 1,10,?? and the ??. But all runs on the 10 are susposted to be articulated buses."

Does this answer your question? BTW the other two routes they run on are near the outskirts.

Took this shot in August, route 33, sorry a little blurry but barely had time to get the camera ready

Cheers,

Dave

[Halifax_Route10]

Well, it took long enough, but we're finally getting a new Bridge Terminal. The current one is a mess during rush hour, serving 18 routes, and 17,000 people use it every day (it's the third busiest terminal.) So, compared to the old terminal, the new one will have:

16 bus bays, 8 of which can accommodate artics

Heated/AC waiting room

Buses can layover in the terminal instead of on side streets

Passengers won't have to cross an active bus lane to board their bus

There's a rendering of the new terminal on Metro Transit's website. Looks nice!

[M.Wright]

btw someone spotted a Halifax D40LF driving through Ottawa on the 417 heading east, it's posted in the OC Bus Spottings thread.

[stm_5307N]

A few interesting sighting's from today:

GM New Look 511 on the 32 - rode it with a very friendly driver (got great shots of it too)

GM Classic 871 on the 59 & 31 (still has a rollsign)

GM Classic 874 on the 31 (still has a rollsign)

GM Classic 876 on the 80 (Luminator)

GM Classic 902 on the 81 (Luminator)

GM Classic 909 on the 20 & 23 (Luminator)

MCI Classic 928 on driver training today (last 1987 unit according to the wiki)

[general682002]

Sounds like you've had good hunting this month, Edmonton May 1/2, Halifax May 4th, you're sure putting on the frequent flier mileage too

Unless he will have some fresh Lobster too!

[SMS]

Ah ah ah Mike! I rode a D60LF with him, 4901 IIRC to Northgate on the 9!!! And then later this month there are charters in Niagara, Ottawa, and Gatineau. He sent me a SMS msg today stating he got all three GM Fishbowls baby! Walalala and he's tapping the Classic artics hardcore. And this month we should be getting our third generation LFS. What a great month!

[Halifax_Route10]

A few interesting sighting's from today:

GM New Look 511 on the 32 - rode it with a very friendly driver (got great shots of it too)

GM Classic 871 on the 59 & 31 (still has a rollsign)

GM Classic 874 on the 31 (still has a rollsign)

GM Classic 876 on the 80 (Luminator)

GM Classic 902 on the 81 (Luminator)

GM Classic 909 on the 20 & 23 (Luminator)

MCI Classic 928 on driver training today (last 1987 unit according to the wiki)

Nice to hear you're seeing all the interesting buses, and I hope you're enjoying your stay in our city! Good to see you've ridden some Classic Artics.

[stm_5307N]

Some interesting sighting's from today (day 2):

- GM New Look 511 on route 10 AM rush and route 32 PM rush (rode the full 32 route with another friendly driver)

- GM New Look 512 on route 58 AM rush and route 59 PM rush

- GM New Look 513 on route 10 AM rush (back to back fishbowl action on the 10 in the AM as it followed 511)

- Oldest GM Classic 871 on route 34 AM rush and route 31 & 82 PM rush

For you Halifax guys, D40LF 1081 has an amazing full wrap! All 4 sides are fully wrap in very flashy colors for guarantygmac.com! It looks very nice too! It was on the last run of route 3 before PM rush.

Another interest thing is that Nova LFS 990 seems to be the only unit retrofitted with a orange LED Axion display sign.

Unless he will have some fresh Lobster too!

Actually, I had supper at a great lobster place on lower water st. last night!

Nice to hear you're seeing all the interesting buses, and I hope you're enjoying your stay in our city! Good to see you've ridden some Classic Artics.

I'm having a great time so far. The only bad thing is that the weather doesn't look good for the rest of the week I'll try and ride on more artics and New Looks I guess in that case...

you're sure putting on the frequent flier mileage too

Damn right!

[general682002]

Actually, I had supper at a great lobster place on lower water st. last night!

I'm having a great time so far. The only bad thing is that the weather doesn't look good for the rest of the week I'll try and ride on more artics and New Looks I guess in that case...

That's good, home of the lobster land!

More rain perhaps?

[2822]

That's good, home of the lobster land!

More rain perhaps?

I'm now thinking I may make a trip to Halifax in the summer would the fishbowls run in the summer and what about the older classics or should I wait till September?

[stm_5307N]

Some sighting's from today (day 3):

- GM New Look 511 on the 32 AM rush and saw it arrive at Lacewood terminal as 48 Mumford during PM rush! I believe that route doesn't even exsist anymore! It was on the 31 Main, but the driver must have rolled it to route 48 a few blocks before arriving at the terminal.

- GM New Look 512 on the 82 AM rush and and on the 34 PM rush (rode it from downtown out to Lacewood terminal)

I really like the two tone bell sound it make for the next stop signal

One thing I realized today by watching the LFS's more closely is that the majority of them have front luminator max signs, but the rear display's are orange Axion sign! WTF! Why would metro transit just upgrade the rear signs?

[hfx_chris]

For you Halifax guys, D40LF 1081 has an amazing full wrap! All 4 sides are fully wrap in very flashy colors for guarantygmac.com! It looks very nice too! It was on the last run of route 3 before PM rush.

That wrap has been on that bus for over a year now, and frankly I'm getting very tired of seeing it! I'm surprised it's still looking as bright as it is though.

You're correct on the discontinued 48, sometimes the drivers just change the rollsigns to a non-existent route, or kinda half way between two routes so it doesn't say anything in particular.

One thing I realized today by watching the LFS's more closely is that the majority of them have front luminator max signs, but the rear display's are orange Axion sign! WTF! Why would metro transit just upgrade the rear signs?

The front signs are all MAX 2000 and 3000 signs. As I recall, some of them were originally delivered with flip-dot rear signs, and some of them were delivered without any electronic rear signs. For some reason I'm thinking the 1999 units (986-996) had the signs, and the 2000 units (997-1000) were without signs. Didn't last long though, as I think a year or two later they were all refitted as they are today. # 1000 still up until recently, or in fact it may still have it installed, had a number/card holder bolted to the outside of the rear...where of course anybody could have stolen the numbers

[stm_5307N]

That wrap has been on that bus for over a year now, and frankly I'm getting very tired of seeing it! I'm surprised it's still looking as bright as it is though.

You're correct on the discontinued 48, sometimes the drivers just change the rollsigns to a non-existent route, or kinda half way between two routes so it doesn't say anything in particular.

I saw 1081 pull up into Portland Hills terminal on the 59 Colby today and had a nice little chat to the driver about the wrap. He did tell me as you just have that its been on the bus for a year now. He also got talking about older bus wraps and a bunch of stuff...

As for the drivers putting the front rollsigns between 2 routes, it doesn't always work. One example was yesterday at Dalhousie University. GM New Look 513 came in as 10 Dalhousie at the end of the line and the driver changed it half way between 10 Dalhousie and 10 Westphal. One passenger got on still seeing the 10 Westphal sign a little on the front. The driver and passenger got into it a little and the driver had to come out and check the front sign. He later scrolled way down the rollsign between two other routes that were nowhere close to coming to the Dalhousie university terminal. Personally, the drivers should just go scroll to the out of service or garage exposure. On the other hand when it came to GM New Look 512, everything was great! The driver just punched in out of service right away becuase its got a luminator

[general682002]

So how are the drivers treating you when it comes with photography? I guess solo vs. group that does make quite of difference.

[mtltransitguy]

So how are the drivers treating you when it comes with photography? I guess solo vs. group that does make quite of difference.

Group fanning isn't welcomed in Halifax?

This the opposite of what's it's like out here, where we have less problems in numbers

Have a great trip Steve! Looks like your getting lots of action out there!

What's the outlook for the '83 Classics?

[stm_5307N]

From this morning during AM rush (day 4):

- GM New Look 511 on Spring Garden st. signed up a Sight seeing on the rollsign! It did have a few people on board too. (I got a pic of it of course)

- GM New Look 512 on route 10 Dalhousie

- Oldest Classic in the fleet 871 on route 10 Dalhousie as well.

I forgot to mention yesterday that I saw on Nova Classic 972 on the 80 and it got pulled over by a cop that told the driver that he was leaking gas behind. So the driver ask for a change off and he got D40LF 1098.. I wasn't too happy, as I really wanted to take the long trip out to Sackville on a Classic..

What's the outlook for the '83 Classics?

There are only 3 1983 Classics left; 871, 874 and 876. The other GM Classics left are 2 1986 units 902 and 909.

Have a great trip Steve! Looks like your getting lots of action out there!

Unfortunatly my trip is coming to an end in a few hours. I leave back to MTL tonight..

Group fanning isn't welcomed in Halifax?

I don't really know, but a bunch of guys that came down a few years ago in a group ran into trouble with Metro Transit.

So how are the drivers treating you when it comes with photography?

I've been taking photos pretty hardcore and never ran into any problems I made a list of buses I didn't have after my first day, so that way I knocked them off on a need basis. That way I wasn't always pulling my camera out like crazy..

[hfx_chris]

Personally, the drivers should just go scroll to the out of service or garage exposure.

Not always easy to do. Those rollsigns have something like 150 exposures on them, and there's only two Out Of Services - one at the very end, and one between the routes 35 and 48. It should also be noted the very beginning is blank, so they sometimes use that.. but I would assume sitting there holding your finger on the switch can get tiring after a while.

- GM New Look 511 on Spring Garden st. signed up a Sight seeing on the rollsign! It did have a few people on board too. (I got a pic of it of course)

Now there's a rare one. They never use that anymore, must have been a mistake or something. Charter or Special are the ones they always use.

I don't really know, but a bunch of guys that came down a few years ago in a group ran into trouble with Metro Transit.

As I recall that was with the Bus History Association, the problem was just with one driver, and the inspector who was called was very friendly to them. Assuming we're talking about the same incident.

Sorry to hear your Halifax trip is coming to an end, but glad to hear you're enjoying yourself

[stm_5307N]

I stayed out a bit for PM rush before my flight back to MTL. The weather was discusting today... I did see all 6 GM Classics in service and only spotted one fishbowl #511 on the 31 Main.

As I recall that was with the Bus History Association, the problem was just with one driver, and the inspector who was called was very friendly to them. Assuming we're talking about the same incident.

Where not talking about the same incident.. somthing else happened to other transit fans in HFX.

[hfx_chris]

Where not talking about the same incident.. somthing else happened to other transit fans in HFX.

You referring to the incident where a driver asked the guy to cross the street and come over, so he could bitch him out in front of the passengers? Otherwise, I haven't heard of any other significant incidents...

[stm_5307N]

You referring to the incident where a driver asked the guy to cross the street and come over, so he could bitch him out in front of the passengers? Otherwise, I haven't heard of any other significant incidents...

No not that.. anyways, it's not important.

[Cimon8000]

No not that.. anyways, it's not important.

Glad that you had a nice trip down at Halifax, besides all the artics/fishbowls/GM Classics that you got, did you get all 3 D30LF, #505 to 507?

[stm_5307N]

Glad that you had a nice trip down at Halifax, besides all the artics/fishbowls/GM Classics that you got, did you get all 3 D30LF, #505 to 507?

Only saw 505 in service once. All the other times I took a trip out to sackville or Portland Hills terminals, it was either a D40LF or LFS on the community shuttles.

[Plastic Diver Guy]

Glad you enjoyed your visit, and sorry I didn't get back to you. You probably didn't ride with me as I had 2 straight weeks of Flyers until yesterday when I had 935 ('88 classic). 1081 has had that wrap since at least early 2008 (I have a pic of it from the day I drove it in April 2008). There are only 3 other full wraps in the fleet right now, 1077 (Salon Rewards), 1078 (weblocal.ca) and 1082 (FRED). A few buses still have the 7-up half wraps, and at least one other bus has an extended side ad for Cars R Us.

GMAC Guaranty Realty

Inside the GMAC bus

Speaking of said photo, here it is circa April 2008.

[stm_5307N]

Glad you enjoyed your visit, and sorry I didn't get back to you. You probably didn't ride with me as I had 2 straight weeks of Flyers until yesterday when I had 935 ('88 classic). 1081 has had that wrap since at least early 2008 (I have a pic of it from the day I drove it in April 2008). There are only 3 other full wraps in the fleet right now, 1077 (Salon Rewards), 1078 (weblocal.ca) and 1082 (FRED). A few buses still have the 7-up half wraps, and at least one other bus has an extended side ad for Cars R Us.

GMAC Guaranty Realty

Inside the GMAC bus

Speaking of said photo, here it is circa April 2008.

I got pictures of all those wraps during my visit. I had a great time and rode everything except a D30LF and an LFS. I did ride a D40LF, but mostly the Metro Link one's.

[general682002]

Glad you enjoyed your visit, and sorry I didn't get back to you. You probably didn't ride with me as I had 2 straight weeks of Flyers until yesterday when I had 935 ('88 classic). 1081 has had that wrap since at least early 2008 (I have a pic of it from the day I drove it in April 2008). There are only 3 other full wraps in the fleet right now, 1077 (Salon Rewards), 1078 (weblocal.ca) and 1082 (FRED). A few buses still have the 7-up half wraps, and at least one other bus has an extended side ad for Cars R Us.

GMAC Guaranty Realty

Inside the GMAC bus

Speaking of said photo, here it is circa April 2008.

Those parallel seating on the lower floor section, I've been told it's to evacuate the bus faster than face forward seating. To me, it's more like high capacity.