MIKE'S SECOND GMC TRANSIT BUS PAGE

NOTE: '***' denotes photo was taken by me

A tailend of a 1972 GMC New Look bus running on Cumberland Avenue near the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in summer of '99 . This bus is temporarily running on the free Orange Trolley route while the other "typical" trolley buses are in the garage. Bus #835 is the only GMC fishbowl in the fleet that is wheelchair accessible. Unfortunately, KAT has decided to sell this bus off (found out after the fact) during last auction in November '99.***

Two GMC fishbowls in the CyRide bus garage at the Iowa State University in Ames. The university runs the local transit system (including having Iowa State students as bus drivers!!). The buses are getting a handsome red/yellow paint scheme similar to the brand new Gillig LowFloor bus on the left. CyRide is one of the few transit systems left in the US that still has faith in GMC New Look/Fishbowls.***

I briefly visited Montgomery, Alabama to check out the Montgomery Area Transit System (MATS) and was suprised to see that this bus fleet is entirely 1974 and 1976 (counted 38 buses) GMC Fishbowl buses. This is the OLDEST bus fleet in the United States. All of the GMC buses have been retrofitted with wheelchair lifts (same retrofit as CARTA GMC buses in Chattanooga, TN) so they don't get hassled by the FTA. Believe it or not- MATS only runs Mon-Fri at rush hours! No midday or weekend service at all. But the good thing is that these buses look like they're in excellent condition. This makes sense since most are probably not used at all. ***

A GMC fishbowl operating for Rochester Transit being "borrowed" by members of the Motor Bus Society during our Spring '99 Convention in Minneapolis/St Paul. This is the transfer point in downtown Rochester, Minnesota. Rochester Transit still uses GMC fishbowls in revenue service. They also use Flxible Metros, Gilligs and one RTS. Photo taken April '99 ***

A 1968 GMC fishbowl sits in one of the NFTA bus garages on Main Street in Buffalo, NY. This bus is not used in revenue service but does occasionally see daylight during special events in Buffalo. Oddly, NFTA personnel were not bothered by my taking still photos around the bus yard. In fact, they just waived at me.....so I waived back and kept taking photos! Photo taken summer of '98***

Here is a fully restored ex-San Diego Transit 1975 GMC T8H5307A resting at roadside in southern California. This handsome photo was donated by owner Mike Jones.

***While driving around Windsor-Canada, I discovered several bright yellow colored GMC Fishbowl/New Looks roaming the streets in revenue service. Here is a Transit Windsor bus just outside of the International Tunnel to Detroit, Michigan. Photo taken by me Sep '98.

Here is a model of GMC fishbowl bus for Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines (southern California). Looks to me like a TDH 5301 (without air conditioning) from 1960 or 1961. This photo was recently donated to me by another New Look/Fishbowl fan.

This is a San Diego Transit GMC New Look ('70s model) in its older light blue paint scheme. Photo taken in 1993.

An electric GMC New Look trolleybus heading outbound from downtown Emdonton, Canada.

***A SCE&G(South Carolina Electric & Gas) GMC New Look (early 1970s model) resting on a scorching hot Monday afternoon [Labor Day] in Columbia, SC- photo taken by me Sep 1998.

*** Tailend of my 1969 GMC TDH3301A "Baby Fishbowl". Unfortunately, I sold this bus in July 1998. Photo taken by me May '98.

*** My 30-ft GMC Baby Fishbowl covered with snow in my backyard in Knoxville, TN....her last winter with me. And yes, it does snow in Knoxville. Photo taken by me in winter 1997.

*** This is a 35 foot 1973 GMC T6H4523A for CARTA in Chattanooga,TN. This bus is currently in revenue service. CARTA has 27 35-ft GMC New Looks along with 29 35-ft Flxible Metros, 10 brand new 30-ft Gilligs, and dozens of 25-ft electric buses. Photo taken by me May '98.

This is a 1966 GMC New Look (TDH5304-No A/C) running for the newly formed MSBA (Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority) in Nassau County, Long Island-NY. In recent years, the MSBA has been renamed LI Bus. This bus is resting at Jones Beach i n the summer of 1975.

1969 GMC New Look (w/o AC) operating for San Francisco MUNI. This bus, as well as the rest of the MUNI GMC fleet, were retired in the early 1990s. Photo taken in 1992.

*** A CARTA GMC New Look (T6H4523A) on a lift in the maintenance shop in Chattanooga, TN. Photo taken by me May 1998.

1968 GMC New Look (TDH5305A) in Queens, NYC- photo taken in 1971. I rode only one of these Green Line buses- route Q10 (Lefferts Blvd) back in the mid 1970s. Today, Green Bus Lines (a NYCDOT contract carrier) runs mostly RTS equipment- al l of the GMCs have been taken out of service in the late 1980s. Take notice of the old NYC bus stop sign.

***Back shot of one of many GMC New Looks operating for SCE&G in Columbia, SC. Chattanooga, Knoxville, Columbia(SC), Colorado Springs, Lexington(KY), Milwaukee and a couple other cities have bus systems still using GMC New Looks. Most other transit properties have sold or scrapped these wonderful buses in recent years....sighhhhh -photo taken Sep 1998.

Here is a 1969 GMC New Look T8H-5306A operating for Rockland Coaches Red & Tan Line of NY (recently purchased by Coach USA). Photo taken in summer of 1982 in upstate NY.

***Retired 1973 GMC T6H4523A sitting in a back lot at the CARTA facility in Chattanooga. Notice the unique square windows before the back door. All of CARTA's GMC New Looks were retrofitted with wheelchair lifts- it appears that a third door was fabricated to accomodate the wheelchair-bound. Not sure how this works.

A 1964 35 foot TDH4519 GMC New Look (w/o AC) on a downtown Albany (NY) street operating for the CDTA (Capital District Transit Authority) in early spring 1991.

Two 1970s models GMC New Looks operating for the now defunct Steinway Transit (merged with NYCDOT carrier Queens Transit). Photo taken in NYC in summer of 1986. I have ridden Queens Transit only a couple times- never rode Steinway Transit. Unfortunately, Queens Transit, like most of the other NYCDOT carriers as well as the MTA, have gotten rid of all of their GMC New Looks and settled for boring RTS models.