By James Bow
See Also
- A Brief History of New Flyer Industries
- The Western Flyer D700 Series Bus
- The Flyer Industries D800 Series Bus
- The Flyer Industries D901 Series Bus
- The New Flyer Industries Xcelsior Series Bus
Privatization and Reorganization
In July 1986, the government of Manitoba successfully sold Flyer Industries to Den Oudsten of Holland, one of the biggest bus manufacturers in Europe. The new owners quickly reorganized the company and renamed it New Flyer Industries to highlight their break from the past. These changes were reflected in the models of buses New Flyer Industries offered after 1986
The New Flyer D40-87
New Flyer Industries took their successful D901 series model and redesigned it inside and out. The D40-87 was their first offering (D standing for “diesel”, 40 standing for its length of 40 feet, and 87 for the year of the design). The TTC placed an order for 60 D40-87s, which were distributed throughout the system. The buses’ smooth exterior made it the ideal candidate for the new ‘shrink wrap’ advertising the TTC was experimenting with at the time.
Unfortunately, the D40-87 proved to be a disappointment, as severe corrosion problems caused many of these buses to be retired in 1998 and 1999, after only 11 years of service. By comparison, the D901 buses purchased in 1985 and 1986 were still in operation and would be fully retired until 2007. The last bus in the D40-87 class was #6330. It was retired in February 2000.
Second, Third and Fourth Chances
New Flyer Industries made minor modifications to the D40 design and, in 1988, the TTC purchased another 15 of these vehicles, designed D40-88 and numbered 6420-6434. This was followed in 1989 with a purchase of another 82 buses (6440-6521). These lasted well enough to be rebuilt in the 1990s, and these continued to operate until retirement beckoned between 2007 and 2009. The last of this class of buses were numbers 6422 and 6457, which stuck around until February 2009. Unit #6488 was bought by Cullingford Coaches for use in movie shoots and can still be seen in television commercials.
Finally, in 1990, the TTC purchased 79 D40-90 buses (6560-6638), which were delivered in 1990 and 1991. These would be the last high-floor buses to be bought by the TTC from New Flyer Industries, and the first regular TTC buses to be equipped with air conditioning. Unlike the other vehicles in the D40 class, these buses also used a Cummings diesel engine, and were beset with mechanical problems. They class was systematically retired through 2003 and 2004, with the last buses leaving the system in June 2004.
Going Low Floor
As the high-floor D40 series buses served Toronto through the 1990s, the TTC’s relationship with New Flyer Industries waned. “Buy Ontario” edicts from the government of Ontario forced the TTC to deal more exclusively with Ontario Bus Industries (later Orion Bus Industries). Around this time, New Flyer Industries was working on a model for a wheelchair accessible bus that could operate on heavily-used city transit routes. In 1989, New flyer unveiled the prototype for the D40LF, called the first 40-foot low-floor bus in North America.
The D40LF was based off the B85 series bus offered by Den Oudsten Bussen BV, New Flyer’s European parent company. New Flyer Industries originally marketed the D40LF as “The User Friendly” or “TUF” bus, but soon dropped that designation. The D40LF lowered the floor on the front of the bus, using a radically redesigned axle. A raised rear section, accessed by steps within the bus, meant that only the front half of the bus was truly accessible, but this was the only way to fit the bus engine beneath the passenger compartment. The wider doors in the front plus a ramp allowed access to the front of the bus for wheelchairs and walkers, and promised to pull limited-accessibility passengers off of specialty services and onto the regular bus network.
The low floor design was not without its critics, however. The need to keep seating at a minimum in the front section raised questions over capacity issues. The TTC was reluctant to use low-floor buses because high-floor buses were more efficient at carrying passengers, but provincial edict overruled the commission, and the Ontarians with Disabilities Act required that the TTC become fully accessible to wheelchairs by 2025. So, the TTC entered the market for low-floor vehicles. They asked for samples from a number of companies, and purchased equipment from Orion Bus Industries (the Orion VI), as well as looking at Nova’s LFS. They also turned to New Flyer Industries.
The D40LF Comes to Toronto
In 1998, the TTC placed an order for 51 D40LF buses (#7300-#7350) after the Commission cancelled the half of the 100 bus order by Nova Bus. These were delivered in 1998 and 1999 and offered air conditioning, extra-large electronic destination signs, a wheelchair ramp and the ability for the bus to ‘kneel’. These buses were the last to be received by the TTC in the 20th century. After being broken in on the 29 DUFFERIN route, they were assigned to Old Eglinton Garage on Yonge St. and Eglinton Avenue West servicing its midtown routes such as 6 BAY, 11 BAYVIEW, 51 LESLIE, 56 LEASIDE, and 97 YONGE; before moving to the newly-opened New Eglinton Garage on Comstock Rd. after fitting with UWE (pronounced oo-vay) connectors in order for the storage of these buses in the outdoors during the winter months. The series has since been assigned to Queensway Garage in 2004.
The D40LF vehicles were given a midlife rebuild between 2007 and 2009 (starting with #7331, which had caught fire in May 2004 and had been in storage ever since, and ending with #7345), enough to keep this fleet on the road for the next couple of years at least. All buses were modified to accept bike racks, automated stop announcements, CCTV cameras and driver enclosures.
In spite of the longevity of the New Flyer Industries’ D40LF buses, the TTC went with Orion to make the remainder of its fleet accessible, and only recently made a non-Orion purchase in the form of the Nova low-floor articulated bus in 2013. New Flyer has continued to redesign and improve its models, however. Throughout the first decade of this century, a number of new designs streamlined the look and improved the performance of its low floor vehicles. One of these models, the Xcelsior, serves passengers in Brampton on board the Zum bus rapid transit service.
Specifications for the New Flyer D40LF
- Numbers: 7300-7350
- Length: 40’
- Width: 102”
- Height: 111”
- Engine: Detroit Diesel Series 50, 275 hp
- Transmission: Allison World B400R 5 speed
- HVAC: Thermo King T11 rear mounted
- Axles: ArvinMeritor
- GVW: 27,500 lbs. (35 seated, 40 standees)
Condensed D40 Series Roster:
- 6300 - 6359 - NFIL D40-87 - Delivered 1987; Retired 1998-2000.
- 6420 - 6434 - NFIL D40-88 - Delivered 1988; retired February 2009
- 6440 - 6521 - NFIL D40-89 - Delivered 1989; retired February 2009
- 6560 - 6638 - NFIL D40-90 - Delivered 1990/91; retired June 2004
- 7300 - 7350 - NFIL D40LF - Delivered 1998/9
New Flyer Industries D40 Series Image Archive
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A rear shot of TTC New Flyer D40-89 bus #6450 on the 6 BAY route at Bay and Bloor Sts in the 1990s. Photo courtesy of the City of Toronto archives. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-87 bus #6301 departs Finch station on the 53 STEELES EAST. This photo was taken on October 16, 1997 by Felix Tse. |
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TTC D40-87 Flyer bus #6306 prepares to turn into Eglinton subway station, in service on 54 LAWRENCE EAST in this December 1987 shot. The photographer is unknown and the image is courtesy the John Knight collection. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-87 bus #6310 idles at Finch station running on route 42B CUMMER on December 20, 1997. Photo by Felix Tse. |
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TTC New Flyer D40-87 bus #6310 seen leaving Elinton station on route 54 LAWRENCE EAST in August 1989. This photo was taken by Bob Hussey and donated by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos. |
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A TTC New Flyer D-40-87 #6310 wrapped for Nike operating on route 41 KEELE. The photographer is unknown. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-87 #6330 picks up a passenger in the Queens Quay and Spadina loop. Photo by Brad O'Brien. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-87 bus #6337 exits Finch station running the 53 STEELES EAST going eastbound on Pharmacy Avenue on October 16, 1998. Photo taken by Felix Tse. |
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In August 1988 photo from Bob Hussey, TTC New Flyer D40-87 bus #6351 seen laying over at Finch station on route 36 FINCH WEST. This photo is donated by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos. |
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TTC Flyer D-40-87 6357 amongst a line of retired D-40-87s awaiting scrap. Photo by Brad O'Brien |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-88 bus #6429 shown rebuilt at Finch station running on route 125 DREWRY. Photo taken by Bob Hussey in July 1997. This bus has the black numbers on the sides of the destination sign. |
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TTC Flyer D-40-88 bus #6430 is seen here, alighting and loading a crush of passengers on 45 KIPLING at Finch. Photo by David Cavlovic. |
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TTC Flyer D-40-88 bus #6430 is seen here, pulling away from Kipling and Rowntree almost at the end of its northbound run. Photo by David Cavlovic. |
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TTC Flyer D-40-88 re-build #6430 operates northbound on 45 KIPLING approaching Finch. Photo by David Cavlovic. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-88 bus #6434 seen in service at Victoria Park Avenue and Kingston Road on route 12 KINGSTON ROAD in 1999. Photo by Brad O'Brien. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-89 bus #6443 drifts in the cold winter at Scarborough Centre Stn. on route 129A McCOWAN NORTH heading north to 16th Avenue. This photo was taken on January 12, 1993 by Paul A. Bateson |
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TTC New Flyer D40-89 bus #6445 seen on a Winter 1990 day in service on route 133 NEILSON by an unknown photographer. Photo donated by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos. |
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TTC New Flyer D40-89 bus #6447 seen operating on route 13 ROUGE HILL in 1989. The photographer is unknown and from the Jelo Gutierrez Cantos collection. |
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TTC New Flyer D40 bus #6449 picks up passengers at Old Mill Station, in service on 66 PRINCE EDWARD on September 4, 2000. This photograph was taken by James Bow. |
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Old and new but both rebuilt. TTC Flyer D-40-89 bus #6467 pauses at Kipling station (in service on 44 KIPLING SOUTH), with Flyer D-901 #6196 in background. Photo by David Cavlovic. |
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TTC New Flyer D40 bus #6474 on a layover at York Mills station on route 115 SILVER HILLS in August 1988. Next to it is Flyer D901 #6060 on route 122 GRAYDON HALL. This photo is taken by Bob Hussey and donated by Jelo G. Cantos |
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TTC Flyer D-40-89 #6484 waits at Queensway Garage before entering service. Photo by Brad O'Brien |
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TTC New Flyer D-40 bus #6489 seen at Rosedale Station in service on route 82 ROSEDALE. Photo taken on an unknown date by Bob Hussey, from the Jelo Gutierrez Cantos collection. |
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TTC D-40-89 Flyer bus #6493 poses at Lansdowne Garage, bearing a 41 KEELE rollsign exposure in this October 1991 shot. The photographer is unknown. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-89 bus #6512 arrives at Finch station via Bishop Avenue operating on the 53 STEELES EAST service in August 1989. This photo was taken by Bob Hussey. |
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Out of service TTC New Flyer D-40-90 #6562 speeds west on Sheppard after having crossed over Highway 404. Photo by David Cavlovic. |
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TTC Flyer D-40-90 bus #6564, seen here being rebuilt at Hillcrest. Photo by George Davidson. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-90 bus #6567 seen on 85 SHEPPARD EAST route after Papal Mass during World Youth Day 2002. Photo taken by Felix Tse on July 28, 2002 |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-90 bus #6567 seen here southbound on Route 31 GREENWOOD at Greenwood Avenue at Felstead Avenue in May 1995. Photo by Robert Lubinski, courtesy of BARP.ca. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-90 rebuild 6573 is seen here running eastbound on 54A LAWRENCE EAST, approaching Victoria Park with GM rebuild 2097 following. Photo by David Cavlovic. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-90 rebuild #6585 operates westbound on Sheppard at Victoria Park, heading to Sheppard station on 85 SHEPPARD EAST service. Photo by David Cavlovic. |
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Felix Tse captured TTC New Flyer D-40-90 bus #6594 at McCowan and Steeles loop on route 129 McCOWAN NORTH dated December 20, 1997. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-90 rebuild #6594 operates eastbound on 39D FINCH EAST at Victoria Park. Photo by David Cavlovic. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-90 bus #6602 seen in service on the 133B NEILSON at Scarborough Centre station. Photo taken in 1999 by Brad O'Brien. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-90 bus #6620 takes a break at the Arrow Road Garage. Photo by Brad O'Brien. |
New Flyer Industries D40LF Series Image Archive
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TTC Flyer D-40-LF bus Route 7303 heads out from Kipling station on a run on 44 KIPLING SOUTH on March 19, 2010. Photo taken by G. Viloria. |
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TTC New Flyer D40LF bus #7306 pauses on Yonge Street, south of Wilson, bearing a 197 NORTH YONGE rollsign exposure during the early evening of a November day in 2001. As the route had been re-aborbed into 97 YONGE a month before, this was likely a charter. Rob Hutchinson took this photograph. |
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TTC Nova D40LF bus #7306 is hauled away from Hillcrest on Bathurst Street for the scrap yard on June 13, 2016. This sad shot was captured by Patrick Yutiga. |
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TTC Flyer D-40-LF bus 7312, signed on the 128 BRIMLEY NORTH, on Brimley Road during the charter. Photo by Brad O'Brien. |
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A meeting of the malls! TTC Orion VII bus #8069, operating in service on 112 WEST MALL, meets up with TTC New Flyer D40LF bus #7316, operating in service on 111 EAST MALL, at Kipling station on the afternoon of January 29, 2015. Photo by James Bow. |
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TTC New Flyer D40LF bus #7320 pulls up to Yonge Street in service on the 300 BLOOR-DANFORTH NIGHT early Sunday morning on June 21, 2015. The photographer is anonymous. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-LF bus #7322 seen here in her first week of service and on rush hour route 28 DAVISVILLE on August 3, 1999. This picture was taken at Belsize Drive and Bayview Avenue by Felix Tse. |
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TTC New Flyer Industries D40LF bus #7322 pulls into Dundas West station's terminal on October 19, 2014, in service on 168 SYMINGTON. The photographer is anonymous. |
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TTC New Flyer D40LF bus #7322 pulls into Lawrence East station on 3 SCARBOROUGH RT shuttle service on September 13, 2015. Photo by Flame Cube. |
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TTC New Flyer D40LF bus #7324 heads southbound through Humber College in service on the 188 KIPLING SOUTH ROCKET. Photo taken by Edward Brain on March 29, 2016. |
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TTC New Flyer D40LF 7329 lays over at Dundas West Station after completing a trip along the 40 JUNCTION route on May 16, 2015. Photo: Lex Reid. |
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TTC New Flyer D40LF bus #7332 is seen here servicing the Spadina Subway Shuttle at Wilson Station, heading South to St. Clair West. Taken by Lex Reid on Saturday May 9th, 2015 |
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During the TTC New Flyer D40LF charter held on June 25, 2016, Toby Rosebrugh took this photograph of TTC bus #7338 posing on the 224C VICTORIA PARK NORTH several miles near York Mills Road. The route itself was declared non-existent one week after York Region Transit took over operations of the Victoria Park corridor north of Sheppard. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-LF bus #7341 lays over in the Dufferin Loop while operating on route 29 DUFFERIN. Photo by Brad O'Brien. |
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TTC New Flyer D40LF bus #7341 is seen here southbound Brown's Line and is approaching Long Branch Loop, the final destination for the 123B SHORNCLIFFE route. Date: March 4th, 2015. Photo by Edward Brain. |
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TTC New Flyer D40LF bus #7341 crosses St. Clair Avenue West southbound on Old Weston Road, in service on 168 SYMINGTON on July 19, 2015. Photo by Flame Cube. |
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TTC New Flyer Industries D40LF bus #7343 pauses at Lawrence West station, in a rare service to Westwood in Malton on the 52B LAWRENCE WEST on the evening of July 9, 2014. Previously, those buses were occasionally common on that route at the time when it was operated between Queensway and Wilson divisions prior to the opening of Mount Dennis in 2008. The photographer is anonymous. |
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Larry Batzakis shot this view of TTC New Flyer D40LF #7344 outside Midland Station -- on shuttle duty to replace the Scarborough RT during a weekend shutdown -- September 26, 2015. |
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TTC New Flyer D40LF bus #7345 operates in service on 197 NORTH YONGE, southbound on Yonge, approaching McNairn and Yonge Boulevard on a bright late winter day in March 2001. Photo by Rob Hutchinson. |
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TTC New Flyer D40LF bus #7346 is seen here northbound on Kipling Avenue at the Birmingham Avenue stop while operating on the 44 KIPLING SOUTH line on February 26, 2016. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-LF bus #7347 seen in service at Kennedy station on route 34C EGLINTON EAST in summer of 2000. Photo taken by Jim Blair. |
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TTC Flyer D40LF bus #7347 is seen here operating eastbound on Eglinton east of Mt. Pleasant, in service on 51 LESLIE. Photo by David Cavlovic. |
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TTC D40LF bus #7347 rests at the loop at the bottom of Colonel Samuel Smith Park prior to a northbound 44 KIPLING SOUTH run on February 29th, 2016. Photo by Edward Brain. |
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TTC Nova D40LF bus #7349 is seen at Steeles loop the end of the 11 BAYVIEW route in this March 2002 shot by Rob Hutchinson. |
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On a rare sighting, TTC New Flyer D-40-LF bus #7350 seen operating on the 2 BLOOR-DANFORTH subway shuttle approaching Kennedy Station on May 24, 2014 in which that time the line was shut down for track work. Photographed by Jeremy Odai, this series buses was not seen in this station and most areas in Scarborough in over 10 years since those buses were moved from New Eglinton to Queensway in 2004 and makes rare appearances since. Note also that bus was refitted with the new Luminator Horizon destinations in the front and side as a test for future orders in 2001 while the rear sign remains unchanged. |
References
- Bus World Encyclopedia of Buses, Stauss Publications, Woodland Hills (California), 1988.
- Diesel City Bus, Toronto Transit Commission, Toronto (Ontario), 1991.
- “History.” Welcome to New Flyer! N.p., n.d. Web. 12 July 2014.
- Toronto Transit Commission 7300-7350, Canadian Public Transit Discussion Board Wiki, Website.
- Canadian Public Transit Discussion Board Wiki