Grand Island Transit Corporation/Grand Tours
Grand Island Transit and Grand Tours is a regional carrier that had previously offered public transportation services to the Buffalo, New York area and a charter coach and tour business that continues to operate today.
In addition, a subsidiary named Ridge Road Express operates school bus service to some school districts in Niagara County, New York.
History
Founded in 1936, the Grand Island Transit Corporation was created to operate short-distance line run service between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York via Grand Island, using the then recently opened Grand Island Bridges. As the line run grew, Grand Island Transit also expanded their tour and charter services as well. In as late as 1938, Grand Island local service was operated. Grand Island local service was eliminated before service was taken over by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority in 1974.
In 1966, Genesee Bus Lines merged with Grand Island Transit, with Grand Island Transit inheriting their line run service,
In 1968, Grand Island Transit stopped the line run branch service into Hornell.
Grand Island Transit reduced the Buffalo to Wellsville line run to a franchise run in 1970, operating on Saturdays only.
In 1975, Grand Island Transit sold their Buffalo to Niagara Falls line run and four buses (66, 68, 104 & 114) to the NFTA. Today, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority operates the line run as part of their route 40-Grand Island.
The Wellsville Line run continued for six more years, at which time it was reduced to a once-weekly franchise run, and was discontinued entirely in 1981.
Routes
- Buffalo - Niagara Falls via Grand Island: This route, by 1958, gained the reputation of being the "Honeymoon Route", transporting passengers from Buffalo to Niagara Falls, popular for newly wed couples during that era.
- Buffalo - Wellsville - 1966, from Genesee Bus Lines, until 1981
- Buffalo - Hornell - 1966, from Genesee Bus Lines, until 1968
- Grand Island: Connecting services on Grand Island to Buffalo to Niagara Falls services. Locations on Grand Island included Edgewater Beach, Beaver Island State Park, Staley and River Roads, Homewood Beach, Long Road at the Express Highway (I-190), Sandy Beach and Ferry Village.[1]
Roster
| Fleet Number(s) | Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flxible | Clipper (29BR45) | Assigned serial number 6590 | |||||
| Flxible | Clipper (29BR45) | Assigned serial number 7030 | |||||
| Flxible | Clipper (29BR45) | Assigned serial number 7031 | |||||
| Flxible | Clipper (29BR46) | Assigned serial number 7186 | |||||
| Flxible | Clipper (29B147) | Assigned serial number 7854 | |||||
| Flxible | Clipper (29B147) | Assigned serial number 7858 | |||||
| Flxible | Clipper (29B147) | Assigned serial number 7864 | |||||
| Flxible | Clipper (33B148) | Assigned serial number 8656 | |||||
| Flxible | Clipper (29B148) | Assigned serial number 8830 | |||||
| 1951 | Flxible | VisiCoach (218B7-51-3750) | Assigned serial number 30219 | ||||
| 1951 | Flxible | VisiCoach (218B7-51-3750) | Assigned serial number 30220 | ||||
| 008 | 2007 | Van Hool | |||||
| 009 | 2009 | MCI | J4500 | VIN 2M93JMFA69W065017 | |||
| 012 | Van Hool | CX45 | |||||
| 50, 52 | 1952 (7) | GMC | TDM-4509 | DD 6V71 | |||
| 54 | 1953 (1) | GMC | TDH-4509 | DD 6V71 | |||
| 56 | 1953 (4) | GMC | TDH-4509 | DD 6V71 | |||
| 58, 60 | 1954 (5) | GMC | TDH-4515 | ||||
| 62, 64 | 1956 | GMC | PD-4104 | DD 6V71 | |||
| 66, 68 | 1960 | GMC | SDM-4501 | DD 6V71N | To Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, fleet number 166, 168. | ||
| 72, 74 | 1961 | GMC | SDM-4501 | DD 6V71N | Retired in 1975. | ||
| 84 | 1957 | GMC | PD-4106 | DD 8V71 | |||
| 86, 88 | 1963 | GMC | PD-4106 | DD 8V71 | |||
| 90 | 1964 | GMC | PD-4106 | DD 8V71 | |||
| 92, 94 | 1965 | GMC | PD-4106 | DD 8V71 | |||
| 96 | 1966 (3) | MCI | MC-5A | DD 8V71N | |||
| 98 | 1966 (5) | MCI | MC-5A | DD 8V71N | |||
| 102 | 1967 (2) | MCI | MC-5A | DD 8V71N | |||
| 104 | 1967 | GMC | SDM-5302 | To Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, same fleet number. | |||
| 114 | 1970 | GMC | S8M-5303A | To Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, same fleet number. | |||
| 116, 118 | 1971 | MCI | MC-7 | DD 8V71 | |||
| 120, 122 | 1971 | MCI | MC-7 | DD 8V71 | |||
| 126 | 1972 | MCI | MC-7 | DD 8V71 | |||
| 128 | 1973 (5) | MCI | MC-7 | DD 8V71 | |||
| 134 | MCI | MC-8 | DD 8V71 | ||||
| 140 | MCI | MC-8 | DD 8V71 | ||||
| 150, 152 | 1981 | MCI | MC-9 |
| |||
| 156 | 5/1982 | MCI | MC-9 | VIN - 1M89CM8A1CP037039 | |||
| 160 | 1983 | MCI | MC-9 | VIN - DP038424 | |||
| 162, 164 | 1984 | MCI | MC-9 |
| |||
| 172 | MCI | 102-B3 | Grand Tours livery | ||||
| 174 | 8/94 | MCI | 102-D3 | Detroit Diesel Series 60 |
| ||
| 178 | MCI | Grand Tours livery | |||||
| 200 | MCI | Grand Tours livery | |||||
| 207 | 2007 | MCI | J4500 | VIN 2M93JMDA17W064020 | |||
| 208 | MCI | Grand Tours livery | |||||
| 209 | 2009 | MCI | J4500 |
| |||
| 210 | 
|
2010 | MCI | D4005 | Cummins ISM | VIN: 1M85DMEAXAP059375 |
External Links
References
- ↑ The Grand Island Route, Grand Island Transit, Buffalo NY, August 7, 1938.