| DDOT'S FIRST FLEET OF SMALL "MINI" BUSES |
Were you aware that one of the first fleet of buses DDOT added to its roster after it took-over the DSR were a small fleet
of used GMC "baby" new-look coaches that were acquired from the city of Pontiac, Michigan?
After the City of Pontiac terminated its agreement with the Pontiac Transit Corporation (which provided bus service for
that city), it took-over the operation of the service on its two bus routes on February 1, 1971. Pontiac began providing its
service through its Department of Public Works, operating under the name of "Pontiac Municipal Transit Service." The
city had also applied for a federal grant to purchase five new buses, which began arriving in June 1971. These five coaches
*(#8501–8505) later became the property of the former regional transit authority, SEMTA (Southeastern Michigan
Transportation Authority), after it acquired the municipal bus system from Pontiac on June 16, 1973.
When SEMTA took over the operation of the Pontiac service on July 2, 1973, it also acquired the city's entire fleet of five,
small-size, 30-foot long, 96-inch wide, GMC transit coaches, model TDH-3301A. Because service on the Pontiac lines was
now being operated through "purchase-of-service" agreements between SEMTA and Great Lakes Transit Corp., these
33-passenger "baby" new-looks (as they' re often called) were no longer needed. In 1975 the coaches found a new home
in the city of Detroit at DDOT. Under DDOT, the coaches were renumbered as #3002-3006 and placed into service on
the downtown Mini-Loop #1 and Mini-Loop #2 bus routes.
of used GMC "baby" new-look coaches that were acquired from the city of Pontiac, Michigan?
After the City of Pontiac terminated its agreement with the Pontiac Transit Corporation (which provided bus service for
that city), it took-over the operation of the service on its two bus routes on February 1, 1971. Pontiac began providing its
service through its Department of Public Works, operating under the name of "Pontiac Municipal Transit Service." The
city had also applied for a federal grant to purchase five new buses, which began arriving in June 1971. These five coaches
*(#8501–8505) later became the property of the former regional transit authority, SEMTA (Southeastern Michigan
Transportation Authority), after it acquired the municipal bus system from Pontiac on June 16, 1973.
When SEMTA took over the operation of the Pontiac service on July 2, 1973, it also acquired the city's entire fleet of five,
small-size, 30-foot long, 96-inch wide, GMC transit coaches, model TDH-3301A. Because service on the Pontiac lines was
now being operated through "purchase-of-service" agreements between SEMTA and Great Lakes Transit Corp., these
33-passenger "baby" new-looks (as they' re often called) were no longer needed. In 1975 the coaches found a new home
in the city of Detroit at DDOT. Under DDOT, the coaches were renumbered as #3002-3006 and placed into service on
the downtown Mini-Loop #1 and Mini-Loop #2 bus routes.
|
Coach #1757 was rebuilt, repainted and renumbered as mini-bus #3001. Instead of carrying the 53 passengers it use to
seat in its former state, it now carried 33 passengers. Although the exterior of the bus was repainted, and those so-called
impact-absorbing water bumpers — comprised of seven rubber containers filled with water — were added to the front, the
coach for the most part retained most of the old features from its previous life.
While the five ex–Pontiac coaches also came equipped with air-conditioning, the cut-down #3001 never had air. The five
other coaches were of the smaller 96" wide design, while ex–coach #1757 (now #3001) was 102" wide. Coach #3001
still had the old style "Johnson Bar" mechanical parking brake, which was applied by manually pulling up on a lever, while
coaches #3002-3006 came equipped with the air-operated "DD3" parking brake, which was applied by pulling up on a
control valve knob located on a tower to the right of the driver's seat. Coach #3001 also retained its original 1960's style
National Seating manufactured seats, found on all the early 1960's era DSR "new-look" GM coaches.
seat in its former state, it now carried 33 passengers. Although the exterior of the bus was repainted, and those so-called
impact-absorbing water bumpers — comprised of seven rubber containers filled with water — were added to the front, the
coach for the most part retained most of the old features from its previous life.
While the five ex–Pontiac coaches also came equipped with air-conditioning, the cut-down #3001 never had air. The five
other coaches were of the smaller 96" wide design, while ex–coach #1757 (now #3001) was 102" wide. Coach #3001
still had the old style "Johnson Bar" mechanical parking brake, which was applied by manually pulling up on a lever, while
coaches #3002-3006 came equipped with the air-operated "DD3" parking brake, which was applied by pulling up on a
control valve knob located on a tower to the right of the driver's seat. Coach #3001 also retained its original 1960's style
National Seating manufactured seats, found on all the early 1960's era DSR "new-look" GM coaches.
| This photo shows former DSR coach #1757 as rebuilt DDOT mini-bus #3001. Although repainted in a new color scheme, the rebuilt coach retained most of its standard features prior to being rebuilt, including its original bi-fold style exit doors. In this photo coach #3001 is parked along the Washington Blvd. Loop between Cobo Hall and Cobo Arena in downtown Detroit. (Schramm Collection Photo courtesy of Ken Schramm) |
*FLEET PRODUCTION INFO: City of Pontiac coach fleet model TDH-3301A, coaches #8501-8504 (101-104), bus chassis serial numbers
0121-0124 delivered June 1971, coach #8505 (105), chassis number 0160 delivered August 1971 (information courtesy of Ohio Museum
of Transportation web-site -- Bus Production List)
Information for the above article compiled from information supplied from the Motor Coach Age magazine articles titled, "SEMTA and
SMART" by Robert L. Campbell and Jack E. Schramm; and "Pontiac" by James M. Franzen (October-December 2003 edition of Motor
Coach Age magazine), and coach fleet information obtained from various Schramm Collection DSR and DDOT fleet roster listings.
0121-0124 delivered June 1971, coach #8505 (105), chassis number 0160 delivered August 1971 (information courtesy of Ohio Museum
of Transportation web-site -- Bus Production List)
Information for the above article compiled from information supplied from the Motor Coach Age magazine articles titled, "SEMTA and
SMART" by Robert L. Campbell and Jack E. Schramm; and "Pontiac" by James M. Franzen (October-December 2003 edition of Motor
Coach Age magazine), and coach fleet information obtained from various Schramm Collection DSR and DDOT fleet roster listings.
| Click here to return to "THE D-DOT YEARS" Main Page. |
| For Comments and/or Suggestions, Please contact Site Owner at: admin@detroittransithistory.info |
© 2007 (PAGE LAST MODIFIED ON 03-26-07)
It was also during this same period, that
the department's heavy repair shop was
in the process of cutting down and
rebuilding one of its large-size coaches
(#1757) for mini-bus service. Former
DSR (now DDOT) coach #1757 was
originally a 40–foot long, 102–inch wide
GM "new–look" transit coach, model
TDH-5301, which was first delivered to
the DSR between June and July 1960.
In 1975, the DDOT Heavy Repair Shop
cut down the size of the 40-foot bus so
that it could be used as a mini-bus. This
process usually involved cutting the bus
in half from the side, removing a middle
section from the bus, and then rejoining
it back together again. This usually left
the bus some five to ten feet shorter.
| DETROIT TRANSIT HISTORY |
| DETROIT TRANSIT HISTORY |
| The web-site which takes a look back at the History of Public Transportation in and around the City of Detroit. |
| .. |
| Coach #3005 was one of a fleet of five 30-foot coaches (#3002-3006) previously owned by the City of Pontiac, MI. They were used by DDOT on its two downtown Mini-Loop routes. The five ex-Pontiac coaches came equipped with air-conditioning and push-out rear exit doors. Here, coach #3005 is decked-out for the Holidays and parked along the Washington Blvd. Loop across from the Cobo Hall Convention Center. (Detroit Dept of Public Information photo) |
Rebuilt coach #3001 (ex-#1757) would now join the fleet of the
five refurbished 30–foot GMC TDH-3301As that were acquired
from SEMTA. This six coach fleet would then replace the fleet of
six 19-passenger Minibus MB-711s that were purchased by the
DSR back in 1966 and 1968. The last of those MB-711s were all
retired by 1976. All six of the DDOT mini-buses were assigned to
the Gilbert Terminal and would provide service on the city's two
downtown Mini–Loop routes. However, after the arrival in the Fall
of 1979 of seventeen new 35-foot GMC RTS coaches (#1701L-
1717L) the #3000-series new-looks would soon find themselves
replaced. In their later years, coaches #3002–3006 were mostly
used on relief runs, while coach #3001 spent its later years park-
ed in Campus Martius, serving as a downtown Information Center.
All six mini-buses were retired and off the roster by 1986.
five refurbished 30–foot GMC TDH-3301As that were acquired
from SEMTA. This six coach fleet would then replace the fleet of
six 19-passenger Minibus MB-711s that were purchased by the
DSR back in 1966 and 1968. The last of those MB-711s were all
retired by 1976. All six of the DDOT mini-buses were assigned to
the Gilbert Terminal and would provide service on the city's two
downtown Mini–Loop routes. However, after the arrival in the Fall
of 1979 of seventeen new 35-foot GMC RTS coaches (#1701L-
1717L) the #3000-series new-looks would soon find themselves
replaced. In their later years, coaches #3002–3006 were mostly
used on relief runs, while coach #3001 spent its later years park-
ed in Campus Martius, serving as a downtown Information Center.
All six mini-buses were retired and off the roster by 1986.
| Seventeen GMC RTS-II 35-footers (model T7W-203) would later replace the GM baby new-looks on Downtown Mini-Loop routes. (photo courtesy of Melvin Bernero) |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |