Brampton Transit 8575, 8690-8691
Brampton Transit 8575, 8690-8691 were T8H-5307A (New Look) built in 1982 and 1985 by General Motors Diesel Division. They were originally built for Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines and acquired by Mississauga Truck & Bus after retirement, who refurbished them for Brampton in 1999 and 2001. 8273, 8274 & 8575 were acquired first (1999) at the same time as their 1999 Orion V and ex-GO D40 Suburban buses, then 8289, 8690 & 8691 a few years later (2001), which were acquired instead of one extra bus in the 2001 Orion V order.
Both orders featured bench seats, inoperable A/C and inoperable front wheelchair lifts. 8273-74/8575 were equipped with rollsigns and standee windows and retained their original SMMBL run boxes and some interior signage in Spanish, while 8289/8690-91 had Balios electronic displays and had had their standee windows blanked out (except 8691 that retained them). For a short period of time, 8690 was originally numbered 8590 (likely renumbered because it was built in October 1985, and renumbered to go by a 1986 "model year") and had rollsigns (which were changed to electronic displays over a year later).
8273-74, 8289 & 8691 (a 1982 unit but numbered as a 1986) were equipped with Detroit Diesel 8V71N, while 8575 & 8690 were built later and used Detroit Diesel 6V92T engines because of California emissions laws. The latter two units were part of the last GM New Look buses ever built, a 1986 order for Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines.
The last of the six ex-SMMBL buses was retired by January 14th, 2007, when the second order of 2006 LFS were delivered and entered service. The final units were stored at the public works yard on Rutherford Road awaiting disposition, and eventually sold for scrap.
When delivered, there was initially some confusion over the identity of 8691. Some sources listed the unit as ex-SMMBL 5131 (built 1985), but the VIN was checked to be that of ex-SMMBL 5122 (built 1982), and the body spotting features and interior configuration suggest 8691 is a 1982 model by the lack of a rear vent, in comparing 1982 (missing) and 1985/86 (present) body styles. Thus, it is likely that 5131 was initially allocated for rebuild, but later found unsuitable and 5122 substituted by MT&B. The unit was numbered as a 1986 model because that is what it was supposed to initially have been rebuilt from (some speculate the engine inside is a 6V-92T, which MT&B could have installed themselves, but this was not verified and it's more likely it retained its 8V-71N).
Initially, 8575 was supposed to have been 1982-built unit ex-SMMBL 5112, but may have been found to be unsuitable for rebuild and 1985-built unit 5127 substituted in its place (8575's VIN was also checked and verified to be that of 5127).
| Buses | Engine | Transmission | Seating | Destination Sign |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8575 | Detroit Diesel 6V92T 220 hp | Allison V730 3 speed | Rollsign | |
| 8690 | Detroit Diesel 6V92T 220 hp | Allison V730 3 speed | Balios LED | |
| 8691 | Detroit Diesel 8V71N 235 hp | Allison V730 3 speed | Balios LED |
Details
| Fleet Number |
Thumbnail | Build Date |
VIN | License plate(s) |
Status/Disposal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8575 | Oct. 1985 | 2GHYT82J1G3500020 | BK3 778 | RETIRED November 2004 Sold - Scrap - Future Enterprises (Dec. 2005) |
Ex-Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines 5127. | |
| 8690 | Oct. 1985 | 2GHYT82J5G3500022 | BK9 359 | RETIRED December 2006 Sold - Scrap - Beeton Truck & Auto Wreckers (Sept. 2007) |
| |
| 8691 | 
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Sept. 1982 | 2GHYT82H4C3500794 | BK9 755 | RETIRED December 2006 Sold - Scrap - Beeton Truck & Auto Wreckers (Sept. 2007) |
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