New Flyer High Floor | |
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Overview | |
Manufacturer | New Flyer |
Production |
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Body and chassis | |
Class | Transit bus |
Body style | semi-monocoque |
Layout | RR |
Powertrain | |
Engine | |
Transmission | |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | |
Length | |
Width | 102 in (2.59 m) [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] |
Height | 121+1⁄2 to 128 in (3.09 to 3.25 m) [7] [8] |
Curb weight | |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Flyer 700/800/900 series |
Successor | New Flyer Low Floor |
The New Flyer High Floor was a line of conventional (high-floor) transit buses available in 35' rigid, 40' rigid, and 60' articulated lengths manufactured by New Flyer Industries between 1987 and 1996. The buses were powered by conventional diesel or natural gas engines using either V-drive or T-drive transmission couplings, with the exception of an articulated electric trolleybus variant manufactured for a single customer, the San Francisco Municipal Railway. The New Flyer Low Floor, a low-floor bus with a similar external appearance, was introduced in 1991 and proved to be more popular than the High Floor, which was discontinued in 1996 in diesel rigid form. CNG high-floor buses continued to be made until 1999, and the articulated version was manufactured until early 2006.
Motive power | Length | Model |
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C = compressed natural gas D = diesel E = electric trolleybus L = liquefied natural gas | 35 = 35 feet (11 m) 40 = 40 feet (12 m) 60 = 60 feet (18 m) articulated | -## = Year of manufacture (used between 1987 and 1990) |
For example, a New Flyer D40-88 is a 40' (nominal) rigid high-floor bus with conventional diesel power, built in 1988. The -## suffix was used between 1987 and 1990. After this time, no suffix was added to the model number, while buses from the Low Floor series, which were introduced in 1991, did have LF for a suffix.
In recent time, some listings or fleet rosters may show HF as a suffix for these high floor buses. This was a creation of public transit fans to commonly refer to these pre-low floor models. None of their model numbers ever officially had the HF suffix. The articulated D60 high floor model had the model name Galaxy, but it wasn't commonly known by that name.
The trolleybus was only made in a 60-foot articulated version (E60) for a single agency, Muni. [10]
The New Flyer High Floor uses a tubular side construction clad with either aluminum or fiberglass panels; wheel housings are made of stainless steel, and stepwells have the option of either stainless steel or fiberglass. [1] [5] To reduce weight, the roof, front, and rear panels are made from fiberglass. [5] All buses are equipped with rear-mounted engines using either V- or T-drive couplings to the transmission driving the rear axle; [1] since the D60 articulated buses use the "pusher" configuration, the articulation joint is equipped with an anti-jackknifing feature. [5]
The first New Flyer High Floor buses were model D40-87, delivered to the Toronto Transit Commission and Winnipeg Transit in 1987. [10] AC Transit was the first customer for the D35-88 (1988, along with Santa Cruz METRO) and the D60 articulated model (1989). [10] The first deliveries of natural gas-powered variants occurred in 1995: BC Transit, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and San Diego Metropolitan Transit System for the C40; Sun Metro (El Paso) for the L40. [10]
The only E60 trolleybus variants built were a fleet of 60 sold to San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) in 1993, that agency's first use of articulated trolleybuses. [11] [12] The last of the E60s were retired in 2015. [13] The last E60 (Muni #7031) was briefly put up for auction in 2019 [14] before Muni withdrew the auction at the request of interested preservation groups. [15]
North American Bus Industries, Inc. (NABI) was a manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses with its headquarters, bus manufacturing and assembly operations, located in Anniston, Alabama. Its products ranged from 31-feet to 60-feet in length, and were sold to operators throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. NABI's U.S. operations also include an aftermarket parts division in Delaware, Ohio, and an after-sales service center at Mira Loma, California.
An articulated bus, also referred to as a slinky bus, bendy bus, tandem bus, vestibule bus, stretch bus, or an accordion bus, is an articulated vehicle, typically a motor bus or trolleybus, used in public transportation. It is usually a single-decker, and comprises two or more rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint (articulation) enclosed by protective bellows inside and outside and a cover plate on the floor. This allows a longer legal length than rigid-bodied buses, and hence a higher passenger capacity (94–120), while still allowing the bus to maneuver adequately.
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With five different modes of transport, the San Francisco Municipal Railway runs one of the most diverse fleets of vehicles in the United States. Roughly 550 diesel-electric hybrid buses, 300 electric trolleybuses, 250 modern light rail vehicles, 50 historic streetcars and 40 cable cars see active duty.
The San Francisco trolleybus system forms part of the public transportation network serving San Francisco, in the state of California, United States. Opened on October 6, 1935, it presently comprises 15 lines and is operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway, commonly known as Muni, with around 300 trolleybuses. In San Francisco, these vehicles are also known as "trolley coaches", a term that was the most common name for trolleybuses in the United States in the middle decades of the 20th century. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 42,240,000, or about 132,300 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.
The Low Floor Series (LFS) is a series of transit buses manufactured by Nova Bus for North American customers from 1996 to the present. It is produced in 40' rigid and 62' articulated (nominal) lengths with a variety of powertrains, including conventionally-fueled, hybrid diesel-electric, and battery-electric. The LFS is the first transit bus designed by Nova Bus.
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