Oddities In Pittsburghs Transit Past

This will be the page of things that are strange and odd... nowhere else to put them where they really fit.

The Port Authority bought a series of buses from Neoplan USA Corporation. These are the 5000 - 5100 series low floors. There was a period of time that these buses were taken out of service due to frame related issues. While they were gone (not all at once) Neoplan lent us some "loaner" buses. Ross got old buses from Dallas TX, Another garage got old ones from Johnstown, PA. We at Collier, had to be different. We got these...

Port Authority has re-designated these as 1009, 1010, and 1011. These little buses came from Denver, CO. Surprisingly, these are NOT bad at all, once you get used to them. And, they are powerful. Our maintenence men refer to these as " Pokemon" buses!

Check these out!

This is a general shot of the bus. This bus is signifigantly lower than other buses in the fleet.

This is the cab area. The operator is enclosed by the little door, and the front heater makes you feel "well done".

And, of course, the dash. ALL controls are stuffed on the dash, including switches for heated mirrors, heated windshield, and the webasto heater! ( small, Huh? )

This is looking front to back, check the flip down seats on the left, people think they are a little slippery! The last seat is full row, and the seats before it face backwards! Wheelchair ramp is under the rear door.

And a back to front shot. I don't know if I'd want to sit behind me or not! Not much of an ahead view from there! Believe it or not, the grey carpet above the wheel wells are the two front "pedestal" seats! On my old 51A I used to do, anyone who sits there is usually asked if the air is better up there!!!

I happened to luck out and get qualified on one early on, and the assignment shifter gave me one each morning. They should be going back to where they came from in March 2001. It is funny how people look at you like you are from a distant galaxy somewhere when you are driving it. The little bus seems to be very well liked. Information I received is that Neoplan only produced five of these neat little coaches. We currently have three. As of January 31, 2001, I have tried out each one. I like 1009 the best out of all, except for the compartment door that likes to blow open! These little buses all have less than 31000 miles on them, and believe it or not, when new, cost over $275,000! They also have the same Cummins engines that are found in the Dodge Ram Pick-up. Maybe someday ones like these will be actual Port Authority buses...

One unique feature, or error, with these little buses is that the kneeler operates even at 35 mph. Don't ask how I know this, but take my word for it.

Here's what the little bus looked like when Harris County Texas used one pretty much the same, except better mirrors.

Here are some other things That I have found interesting...

Loaner bus for the closing of the Fort Pitt Bridge and Tunnel, 4/6/2002. These Orion I buses are being leased for us by PennDot, and I know of 20 so far.

Another shot of a Orion I loaner bus, sitting at Ross garage, awaiting repairs, only to shipped back to Harmar Garage.

Another loaner bus sitting at Harmar garage. It is a Neoplan Suburban coach, we call it 1007.

Loaner Neoplan Artic sitting at Harmar Garage, waiting for it's next operator.

Neoplan 1010 loaner bus on Wood St, turning onto 6th Ave. Yours truly at the helm.

Here is a oddity, another loaner bus that came from SEPTA, back in the 70's. The odd part is that the SEPTA striping could not be removed, so they simply pasted the logo on it. Looks kinda cool!