New Flyer Industries Restyled
In 2005, New Flyer introduced a revised design for their low-floor models. It was unveiled at a public ceremony in Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC on July 20, 2005 on TransLink 2101, the prototype E40LF.
The restyled versions of the popular low floor models from New Flyer Industries feature a curved front end, as well as a smoother rear with recessed taillights. The majority of the bus remains the same. Restyled buses are denoted with a suffix 'R' on the model name.
Aesthetic and design changes
Early LFR models were delivered with hinges midway up the front door, posing a safety hazard in the pinch point. The problem was remedied in existing units by covering the hinge, while newer units have hinges only at the top and bottom of the door, out of reach.
In mid-2008, the corners of the LFR windscreen were rounded off, in contrast to the angular corners that mark previous LFR buses' windscreens. For buses delivered after approximately mid-June, the doors of the bus have a design resembling the Xcelsior's doors. The edges of the windows on the doors are sharp opposed to being rounded as they previously were.
In October 2009, Capital Metro Transit of Austin, TX, USA received LFR buses with a revised headlight design. The two projector headlights were brought closer together and moved further towards the corners of the bus, and the turn signal moved upwards into a recessed housing resembling those used on the Advanced Styled BRT. This change is likely to adress headlight visibility issues on buses with bike racks. These buses, however, do not feature the new style doors. The production H40LFRs for BC Transit have the same headlight setup.
For diesel-powered models meeting the EPA 2010 emmissions standard, the HVAC was moved to the roof near the front as part of the space of its original location was needed for the exhaust aftertreatment system. On the D40LFR, the HVAC unit is housed in a rounded rectangular enclosure. On the D60LFR, the HVAC housing on the front and rear section is the older, shorter, square design. The exterior of the rear largely remains the same, however it appears there is no rear window option or ridged grill above the engine compartment door. Another small change is the vent near the end of the bus behind the last window on the open side was relocated and reshaped. Instead of a vertical rectangle shape with the bottom right corner cut out, it is a horizontal rectangle. It is relocated from under rain drip strip to above it. The relocation was neccessary to facilitate the diesel exhaust fluid tank and filling access which is in the vent's place.
Gallery
Restyled D40LFR
Non-restyled front of a D40LF for comparison.
Edmonton Transit System D40LFR (left) and D40LF (right).
Mississauga Transit D40LFR (left) and D40LF (right)
Rear of a windowed D40LF (left) and D40LFR (right)
Rear of non-windowed D40LFR (left) and D40LF (right)
Rear comparisons of Edmonton Transit System D40LFs and a D40LFR.
Montebello Bus Lines 2008 GE40LFR. Note the rounded corners of the windshield, a new standard on New Flyer's restyled vehicles.
Valley Metro 2011 C40LFRs and DE60LFRs with repositioned headlights and turn signals.
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