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1998 TTC NovaBUS LF40102N
(LFS demonstrator)
Introduction...
In 1998 the TTC purchased a demonstrator
from NovaBUS Corporation for $360,000, the demonstrator was their LFS which
coems from the NovaBUS line of Classics and also RTS. To this date the two
models above are out of production and the LFS is the only NovaBUS model still
in production. Well anyways back to the TTC LFS demonstrator, the NovaBUS
LFS demonstartor arrived on TTC property in May 1998 and was given the license
plate BJ5 468 in June 1998. For about two months two NovaBUS demonstrators
were in Toronto, the other NovaBUS demonstrator was an RTS built to NYCMTA
configurations and given a powertrain NJ Transit was to test out (Cummins M11
w/Allison V-731) and this unit was numbered 1000. The LFS demonstrator
then received the fleet number of 1001 since 1000 was still with the TTC, in
July 1998 1000 was decommissioned and shipped back to NovaBUS. 1001
was a unique bus, an attraction indeed as the other low-floors at the time 1001
was around, the Orion VI (9200-9249) and pilot bus at the time D40LF 7300 were
of a box shape, 1001 had a different design. 1001 had entered revenue
service in July 1998 mainly running rte 6 Bay and 11 Bayview in which 1001 was
common on.
A few new things...
When 1001 arrived a few features were new
with this bus. One was the powertrain which 1001 used a Detroit Diesel
Series 40 engine which was not a TTC standard. The second thing was that
the wheelchair ramp 1001 came with was a slide out type rather than a fold out
type in which the Orion VIs and the New Flyer D40LFs used. The slide out
type was more easily prone to break down and overriding of the ramp was more a
pain than the fold out ramps. And third and last was that the rear doors
were operated by passengers through the use of a infrared beam in which to open
the door passengers would simply wave in front of the doors to break the beam
thus causing the door to open. In 1001s operation it was more a pain than
a luxury to use the infrared beam so in 1001 last days the driver would use
his/her controls to operate the rear door.
Routes ran...
As the years passed on from 1998 1001
ventured out onto other routes such as 5 Avenue Rd, 32 Eglinton West, 28
Davisville, 34 Eglinton East, 51 Leslie, 54 Lawrence East, 74 Mount Pleasant, 88
South Leaside, 97 Yonge, 103 Mount Pleasant North, 141 Downtown Express via
Mount Pleasant and 320 Yonge Bluenight. 1001 even saw service on rte 29
Dufferin which was a Wilson route until Eglinton and Wilson did a switch during
a board period to test out the new D40LFs and as well 1001 was included.
Closing in on the end...
Nearing the end of 1001s demonstration life
with the TTC, 1001 was limited to spare runs and saw less service. Finally
1001 was pulled from service after August 2000 and kept in storage in the Bay 12
and 13 area of Eglinton Stn, 1001 was moved to the Lakeshore garage for public
tendering. After a close sell to Oshawa Transit 1001 was sold to Barrie
Transit for $306,000. Once 1001 was sold off it went back to the Eglinton
Garage where it was decommissioned officially on September 5, 2000 and parked in
Bay 13 of Eglinton Stn until November 15, 2000 when it's new owners took the
former 1001 to Mississauga to get repainted into it's new owner's livery.
Now the reason the TTC sold off 1001 was that it was not economical for them to
keep a one of a kind bus around in their fleet and the potential in buying LFSs
in the future was low since the TTC was sold to the semi-low floor design of the
New Flyer D40LF. But now 1001 holds a home as yet again a one of a kind
bus in their fleet as Barrie Transit 65598.
Specification
Model- NovaBUS Corporation LF40102N LFS
Model year- 1998
Fleet Number- 1001
Length- 40
Width- 102 inches
Tare Weight- 27,866lbs
Engine- Detroit Diesel Series 40
Transmission- Allison B400R 5-speed
Garage 1001 was based at- Eglinton
Photographs (photo by myself unless otherwise noted) click to view
   
   
   
  
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©2002 TTC 1001s Page
1-2-03
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