The demonstrator 1000 was the first ever type of Novabus RTS in TTC livery. Since the Novabus RTS is constructed with stainless Steel, the RTS may be harder on brakes and tires due to the extra weight than the current Orion models that are being used widely in TTC fleet. However, it has only 210bhp compared to 240bhp on New Flyer (6560 series) and 270bhp on Orion (7000series) @2100rpm. Here, 1000 was seen together with street car #4110, and Mississauga's #9370 (bottom centre) on a Toronto Transport Society tour on Nov 16 1997. Click for a larger photo.

1000
The 1995 demo RTS 1000 displayed the route 71 sign.
 
1000 front
The front of 1000. This is the steering wheel of 1000.
 
1000 rear
Left side view of 1000.
 
1000/9383
RTS 1000 met 9383 at CNE Dufferin gate.
 
1000/6624
RTS 1000, Orion 7054 and Flyer 6624 were together at Queensway garage
 
1000/6045
RTS 1000 and unrebuilt Flyer 6045 in front of a traffic light.
 
1001
1001 was on 34 for a trial purpose. Here is the side view of 1001.
 
Danforth yard
Danforth yard was closed for redevelopment as New Eglinton garage was open in April 2002. Here 8392, 6167, 6165, 7200, 1000 were seen at Danforth yard in between 1997 and 1998.
 
1000 / 7200
Demo bus 1000 met brand new 7200 at Danforth garage.
 
7200
7200 recently arrived and stayed at the garage for inspection in early July 1998
 
7206

7206 was on her first month of service on the 72C at Pape station.
 
7212
RTS 7212 made her way to Scarborough the first time in her life as a RT shuttle bus on Jan 11 1999 voluntarily after finishing her regular morning rush hour duty. As the amount of snow increased, many parts of the subway system were shut down during the January 1999 snowstorm, RTS buses were not used as RT shuttle anymore as they were also busy to replace the subway services.
 
7218(original)

7218(new)


By the end of the year of 2000, about 10 out of the total 52 RTS buses had received new body panels at the age of 2. 7218 was one of the example. The red stripe and the TTC logo were missing on the new body panels.
 
7233

On Feb 2 1999, the Scarborough RT shut down for another 13 hours. There was no shuttle bus in the first hour of the breakdown. Buses from Danforth, Birchmount and Malvern were coming gradually in the next hour, 7233 was seen on Route 603. Comparing with another RTS 7212 (above), 7233 did not show Route 603 on the sign.
 
7243 (1999)
7243 (2006)
7243 (2007)
 

7243 received mid-life rebuild at the age of 9 years old and the back bumper is now painted black. These photos were taken in Dec 1999, Apr 2006 and Aug 2007.
 
7246
7246 (BM5967) received mid-life body rebuild and returned back to active service in April 2007, this is the rear view of the bus.
 
7250
7250 is the second last new RTS bus in the TTC fleet, she was about 7 months old when photographed.
 
RTS-DART

RTS- 2


On May 28 1999, the International Union of Public Transport's (UITP) was held in Toronto, 2 RTS buses were seen outside the Metro Convention Centre. Right is an experimental electric fuel cell bus, using a 100 kW phosphoric acid fuel cell as the primary energy source, traction batteries provide surge power. The fuel cell produces electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen into water through an electro-chemical process. Oxygen is taken from ambient air while hydrogen is extracted from liquid methanol, using an onboard reformer. Left is a DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) Nova bus, powered by a Cummins L10G- series natural gas engine fuelled by liquid natural gas.
 
RTS brake
52 RTS buses were being alleged of having brake-pedal configuration problem, this is the graphical illustration on the Toronto Star December 2 1999 edition.
 

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