School buses, Half white half yellow Laidlaw school buses Options

[MT0603]

Today my hole school (Well not everybody) went to the Science Center. So we chartered 3 buses from the Wolfedale Laidlaw garage. So they pull up at my school and I'm like "WTF?". 2 of the 3 were new IC CE200s, the front half was white, the rear half was yellow, and around the windows was black. They had no stop lights, no crossing arm and no stop sign and didnt have "SCHOOL BUS" written on both ends. They had luggage bays and luggage racks inside. On the driver's side of the bus, there was vents around the bottom of the body, which I was told is the A/C. One of the fleet bus's fleet numbers were 200038. Unfortunately I had to ride in a 92' Corbreil on (922298).

I thought I had seen one of these buses last year on the 427, but I thought it was just a dream.

Also I saw 2 Laidlaw buses with a white flashing light at the end like on school buses in the States. One was a long Corbeil and the other one was a mini Corbeil.

So does anyone know anything about this? I'm sure General682002 could help out here.

Also, whatever happened to Corbeil?

[ttcgeek]

Also, whatever happened to Corbeil?

Umm, heres something related... Back on 2004, I took a school bus to school everyday because my school was getting rebuilt. The garage was Thornhill. Our driver, Steve, pulls up with a new bus (he normally lays over about 10 feet away before coming ). When I stepped into the bus, is smelled like it was fresh off of the line. Before we left, he annouced that this bus was a new 2005 bus. YAY!!!! As usual, he told us to take care of it. The bus was 210163.

[Orion VIII]

There are 8 of them: 200018-200088, and are from 2006, never mind that their numbers suggest they are 08s.

Apparently they are not licensed/insured from pickup and dropoff on streets, and hence are used only for charters.

[mike from edmont...]

"Select Parts" of Corbiel is now owned by Collins, go to: www.corbeilbus.com and look at the September 27th announcement under Company News on the right hand side

[Cogeno]

The bus company for my school has been getting new Internationals since '06. Apparently in QC, you can only run school buses for 12 years max (Some exceptions depending on the mileage).

The Thomas-Freightliners are the worse. With the exceptions of the '01s, they're all locked at 90 (The charter/spare buses are locked at 100), and the long ride on them kills my back.

The Blue-Bird/GMCs are the best.

[leylandvictory2]

The bus company for my school has been getting new Internationals since '06. Apparently in QC, you can only run school buses for 12 years max (Some exceptions depending on the mileage).

The Thomas-Freightliners are the worse. With the exceptions of the '01s, they're all locked at 90 (The charter/spare buses are locked at 100), and the long ride on them kills my back.

The Blue-Bird/GMCs are the best.

I believe the 12 year limit also applies to Ontario too. That policy probably explain why some school buses converted to trucks. I like International school buses. They are great.

[general682002]

I believe the 12 year limit also applies to Ontario too. That policy probably explain why some school buses converted to trucks. I like International school buses. They are great.

15 years is the official.

I belive what happened is Corbeil decided to pulled out of the conventional school builds since the International 3800 chassis have discontinued in mid-05 after 15 years of selling it. Now the International 3300 chassis have discontinued due to poor sales. I did drove one the 3800/Corbeil from Laidlaw during the Rodeo and they drive nice and nice switches to use.

Today's school buses manufacture, all 3 major companies are building their own brand which makes it much easier to get parts.As of Laidlaw, they have the half yellow/ half white because it's a charter bus. Now they are strictly buying CE200 for their standarization.

They have some flat nose (aka transit) still kicking like Ottawa, but I find the full nose conventional better because they are easier to drive.

Today my hole school (Well not everybody) went to the Science Center. So we chartered 3 buses from the Wolfedale Laidlaw garage. So they pull up at my school and I'm like "WTF?". 2 of the 3 were new IC CE200s, the front half was white, the rear half was yellow, and around the windows was black. They had no stop lights, no crossing arm and no stop sign and didnt have "SCHOOL BUS" written on both ends. They had luggage bays and luggage racks inside. On the driver's side of the bus, there was vents around the bottom of the body, which I was told is the A/C. One of the fleet bus's fleet numbers were 200038. Unfortunately I had to ride in a 92' Corbreil on (922298). So does anyone know anything about this? I'm sure General682002 could help out here. Also, whatever happened to Corbeil?

Corbeil is now building for minibuses (aka 20 pass. bus) from now on.

The one you rode is a 1998. The first and last digit are the years. They still have those Ford/Thomas ex-Charterways kicking around in Mississauga.

[leylandvictory2]

On the topic of flat nose school buses, Stocks and some other small school companies in Ottawa operate them as well. They look okay. I am surprise the emergency exit door is not located at the back of the bus.

[A. Wong]

Corbeil likely stopped producing conventional bodies because there really is no chassis to go with it. They used to be mounted on the International ones quite a lot, and here it is very rare to see one with the Freightliner chassis.

As Sherman mentioned, the chassis manufacturers have their own companies as listed below - meaning they probably charge too much for the chassis to other body manufacturers, or else they would lose business:
Freightliner -> Thomas Built Buses/Daimler Chrysler (The Saf-T-Liner C2 has a Freightliner M2 chassis on it, the conventional FS-65s used the Freightliner FL chassis)
International -> IC Corporation (Obvious that they use the newer International chassis, on what was a Ward/AmTran body)
Blue Bird has their own Vision chassis now.

GM doesn't really have a big truck chassis anymore, but the Chevy and GMC chassis were common on Blue Birds, as well as the older International chassis.

The only newer Corbeils here are all mini buses, usually mounted on Ford or Chevy van chassis. Of course, this is not limited to just school buses, but ETS's DATS service has 90 as well.

On the topic of flat nose school buses, Stocks and some other small school companies in Ottawa operate them as well. They look okay. I am surprise the emergency exit door is not located at the back of the bus.

If it is a FE (front-engine) then they should have a rear door. If it is a RE (rear-engine) then it won't.

[general682002]

Corbeil likely stopped producing conventional bodies because there really is no chassis to go with it. They used to be mounted on the International ones quite a lot, and here it is very rare to see one with the Freightliner chassis.

As Sherman mentioned, the chassis manufacturers have their own companies as listed below - meaning they probably charge too much for the chassis to other body manufacturers, or else they would lose business:

The thing is the International 3800 is all mechanical (minus the engine with computer on it), and they are moving on with more sopisicated stuff. The 3300 I drove was more electronic, not to mentioned their hydralic brake system is a joke and often times the brakes do not release.

[A. Aikman]

Well I get the most wierd Laidlaw bus of them all. Every time we pull out or when the bus is just driving, the bus makes

a wierd sound and goes on and off and on again (like what a International truck makes). any ways my Laidlaw bus that

I take is #218183 and the top is

plain white and some faded yellow.

(The back-up unit is #218900)

[general682002]

For those who lived around Mississauga and west area, Attridge received some Blue Bird Vision 2nd generation (new front end) and I find it look nice as well new drivers dashboard. Unfortunately, what really not impressed me is the cramped legroom (although I don't have time to adjust it just to get a better feel)! So, watch out when they hit on the road!

And no, I won't be able to drive one as drivers who do private school will get their first priority!

[Orion VIII]

For those who lived around Mississauga and west area, Attridge received some Blue Bird Vision 2nd generation (new front end) and I find it look nice as well new drivers dashboard. Unfortunately, what really not impressed me is the cramped legroom (although I don't have time to adjust it just to get a better feel)! So, watch out when they hit on the road!

And no, I won't be able to drive one as drivers who do private school will get their first priority!

Trott got more SafTliners in August as well. I thought you drove for Stock, not Attridge?

Does Stock still have its 'flat-nosed' 800-900 series?

[1043]

For those who lived around Mississauga and west area, Attridge received some Blue Bird Vision 2nd generation (new front end) and I find it look nice as well new drivers dashboard. Unfortunately, what really not impressed me is the cramped legroom (although I don't have time to adjust it just to get a better feel)! So, watch out when they hit on the road!

And no, I won't be able to drive one as drivers who do private school will get their first priority!

This?

[MBTA9244-9640b]

This?

Yes!

[A. Wong]

Maybe without the white roof though.

[MBTA9244-9640b]

Maybe without the white roof though.

I like them better with the white roof. That's an option anyways.... Some Ex-US units running here in Calgary have white roofs.

[Cogeno]

Miller Madore Transport in Buckingham has those Visions, as well.

[leylandvictory2]

Trott got more SafTliners in August as well. I thought you drove for Stock, not Attridge?

Does Stock still have its 'flat-nosed' 800-900 series?

stock still operates "flat-nosed" school buses in Ottawa. However, I did not catch the fleet number. I will get back to you later

[Greater Golden H...]

The bus company for my school has been getting new Internationals since '06. Apparently in QC, you can only run school buses for 12 years max (Some exceptions depending on the mileage).

The Thomas-Freightliners are the worse. With the exceptions of the '01s, they're all locked at 90 (The charter/spare buses are locked at 100), and the long ride on them kills my back.

The goverened limit of the bus can be adjusted by the bus company, our company (Elliott) has our buses governed to just over 110km/h, it's a compnay preference although there has been talk lately of legislating 105km/h for all trucks and buses in Ontario.

I believe the 12 year limit also applies to Ontario too. That policy probably explain why some school buses converted to trucks. I like International school buses. They are great.

I think there's some fuzziness on this, I drove a charter to Pembroke in June and met another school bus driver there who was driving the bigeest piece of crap around. He said (and I don't know itf it is accurate or not) that in the major urban centres and surrounding areas the limit is 12 years, then often what happens is smaller companies in the really outlying areas including northern ontario can buy them and run them longer yet, which would explain the use of the crap-mobile this guy was using.

15 years is the official.

I belive what happened is Corbeil decided to pulled out of the conventional school builds since the International 3800 chassis have discontinued in mid-05 after 15 years of selling it. Now the International 3300 chassis have discontinued due to poor sales. I did drove one the 3800/Corbeil from Laidlaw during the Rodeo and they drive nice and nice switches to use.

Today's school buses manufacture, all 3 major companies are building their own brand which makes it much easier to get parts.As of Laidlaw, they have the half yellow/ half white because it's a charter bus. Now they are strictly buying CE200 for their standarization.

They have some flat nose (aka transit) still kicking like Ottawa, but I find the full nose conventional better because they are easier to drive.
Corbeil is now building for minibuses (aka 20 pass. bus) from now on.

The one you rode is a 1998. The first and last digit are the years. They still have those Ford/Thomas ex-Charterways kicking around in Mississauga.

IIRC Laidlaw owned or owns Corbeil, which was why Laidlaw mostly has Corbeil buses. If they are in fact no logner building full-sized Corbeil buses, who's decision was it I wonder to dicontinue building them?

Well I get the most wierd Laidlaw bus of them all. Every time we pull out or when the bus is just driving, the bus makes a wierd sound and goes on and off and on again (like what a International truck makes).

If the bus is an IC it may be the accessory fan belt, often if the bus is hot and just starting off (although it may come on at other times as well), the bus engine will be really loud as the blower is running, and eventually the sound fades away, it may come back at any time. I drive an IC on a daily basis and on warm days I come off the expressway here in K-W and it takes a while for the system to shut down. For all practical purposes IC buses are practically International Trucks just with a different body and accessory components.

IMO, this are ugly buses, I drove a charter to London recently and parked beside one of them, I couldn't get over the ugly nose of these things, although I can see how they offer better visibility of students crossing in front of the bus when loading/unloading.