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Orion I

Orion I buses
Top: Original production (round headlights)
Bottom: Late production (square headlights)
Overview
ManufacturerOntario Bus Industries
Production1978–1993
Assembly
Body and chassis
ClassTransit bus
Body styleMonocoque, all-welded steel frame
LayoutRR
Powertrain
Engine
Transmission
Dimensions
Wheelbase
  • 180 in (4.57 m) (30')[2]
Lengthover bumpers:
  • 376 in (9.6 m) (30')[1]
  • 437 in (11.1 m) (35')[1]
Width96 in (2.44 m) [30' or 35'][1]
Height114 in (2.90 m)[1]
Curb weight
  • 19,250 lb (8,700 kg) (30')[1]
  • 20,500 lb (9,300 kg) (35')[1]
Chronology
Successor

The Orion I was a line of rigid high-floor transit buses made in 30-, 35-, and 40-foot lengths by Ontario Bus & Truck (renamed to Ontario Bus Industries (OBI) in 1977) between 1976 and 1993 for the Canadian and United States mass transportation markets. The Orion I was the first bus offered by OBI and was available in transit (2-door) and coach/suburban (1-door) models. It was replaced by the rigid Orion V (introduced in 1989) and low-floor Orion VI (introduced in 1993).

A licensed version of the 30-foot model was produced by Transportation Manufacturing Corporation (TMC) as the T-30 Citycruiser from 1979 to 1982.

Design

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The bus was available in both transit (two-door) and suburban (single front door) configurations;[1] in addition, OBI used the Orion I to produce an ambulance and a motorhome.[3]: 4–158  It uses a welded monocoque steel tube frame clad with steel panels.[1] Although a prototype was produced in 1976, serial production did not begin until 1978.[3]: 4–158  The 30-foot Orion I filled the "medium" transit bus segment left vacant by the withdrawal of the 30-foot GM New Look (discontinued in 1974) and Flxible New Look buses (discontinued in 1976); by 1982, TMC (a licensee of the Orion I design) was dominating the U.S. market for medium transit buses, alongside Blue Bird Corporation's City Bird.[4]: 2–2, 2–3 

OBI marketed the Orion I to both the Canadian and United States transit markets. Canadian buses were assembled at the OBI plant in Mississauga, Ontario. For the US market, to meet 'Buy America' requirements for federally subsidized transit vehicles, the Orion I was initially produced under license before OBI incorporated the wholly owned subsidiary Bus Industries of America (BIA) in 1981 to assemble the Orion I in Oriskany, New York.

TMC marketed the T-30 Citycruiser as an ideal vehicle for smaller transit agencies; although it only seated approximately 2⁄3 as many passengers as a typical 40-foot transit bus (31 versus 47), it offered better fuel economy at 7.7 mpg‑US (0.31 L/km), compared to 4.5 to 6 mpg‑US (0.52 to 0.39 L/km), with a turning radius of 28 feet (8.5 m).[5] Eventually OBI began producing larger Orion I buses, introducing a 35-foot model in 1979 and a 40-foot model in 1984.

Models

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Internally, OBI designated the bus model as 01.5xx, with xx denoting a combination of vehicle length and door configuration.

Model
number 		Length Width Type Years
produced 		Fuel
Nominal Actual
01.501 30 feet 31 ft 7 in
(9.6 m) 		96 in
(2.4 m) 		transit 1976–1993 diesel or
CNG (from 1988)
01.502 transit
01.503 suburban
01.504 35 feet 36 ft 8 in
(11.2 m) 		transit 1979–1993
01.505 suburban
01.506 transit
01.507 transit
01.508 40 feet 40 ft 7 in
(12.4 m) 		transit 1984–1993
01.509 suburban
01.510 35 feet 36 ft 8 in
(11.2 m) 		suburban

Citycruiser

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A TMC T-30 Citycruiser

Transportation Manufacturing Corporation (TMC), a subsidiary of Greyhound Lines, began manufacturing buses in Roswell, New Mexico in 1975, producing approximately 450 per year to replace older suburban coaches for its parent company.[6] Because Greyhound retired its coaches seasonally, production at TMC was inconsistent, and TMC acquired a license from OBI to produce the Citycruiser in 1979,[3]: 4–155  ensuring that year-round work could be sustained.[7] TMC unveiled its first Citycruiser on May 31, 1979,[2] during dedication ceremonies for the new factory.[8] The entire 1979 production had already been sold.[9]

TMC sold its license back to OBI in 1981,[3]: 4–155  and the last Citycruiser left Roswell in 1982.[10]: 26  OBI, as BIA, subsequently assembled Orion I buses for the United States transit market in Oriskany, New York, starting production in June 1982.[3]: 4–158 

CNG

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U.S. Energy Secretary John S. Herrington driving a CNG-powered Orion I in 1988.

In 1988, two 40-foot Orion I buses were converted to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) by Brooklyn Union Gas Company and placed into express route service by Command Bus.[11]

Deployment

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The Orion I was OBI's initial transit bus.[12] Customers included many small transit agencies.[13]

By 1984, more than 1,400 Orion I buses had been produced, including approximately 950 Citycruisers built under license by TMC. The Mississauga and Oriskany factories had a capacity of three and ten buses every two weeks, respectively.[10]: A-5 

Competition

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "The bus you've been waiting for (brochure)". Ontario Bus Industries.
  2. ^ a b "TMC completes first Citycruiser". The Roswell Daily Record. May 31, 1979. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e Weiers, B.; Rossetti, M. (March 1982). Transit Bus Manufacturer Profiles (Report). U.S. Department of Transportation, Urban Mass Transportation Administration. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  4. ^ Weiers, B.; Rossetti, M. (March 1982). Entry and Competition in the U.S. Transit Bus Manufacturing Industry (Report). U.S. Department of Transportation, Urban Mass Transportation Administration. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  5. ^ "Citycruiser makes its debut". Arizona Republic. May 14, 1978. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  6. ^ Martinez, Thomas (July 16, 1978). "Firm Builds 450 Buses a Year". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  7. ^ "TMC's first Citycruiser bus will roll out — soon". The Roswell Daily Record. April 6, 1979. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  8. ^ "Greyhound official praises Roswellites". The Roswell Daily Record. June 1, 1979. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  9. ^ "New Citycruiser". The Roswell Daily Record. May 31, 1979. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  10. ^ a b Weiers, Bruce J. (January 1985). Small Bus Manufacturing Industry (Report). U.S. Department of Transportation, Urban Mass Transportation Administration. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  11. ^ Wald, Matthew L. (July 8, 1988). "2 BUSES TO RUN ON NATURAL GAS IN EXPERIMENT". The New York Times. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  12. ^ Brophy, Jim (July 16, 2016). "Bus Stop Classics: Orion I Thru VII – Cross-Border Cruisers..." Bus Stop Classics. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  13. ^ Bow, James; Lubinski, Robert (January 5, 2017). "The Orion I Bus". Transit Toronto. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
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