Gillig Phantom AC Transit 1546

[FASSY524]

Have you seen the electric trolley versions of these?

[dls99]

well as long as we have memories and videos these old machines will never stop rolling. A Detroit Diesel 6v71 was the first engine i ever laid eyes on. I was a year old with my grandfather at the Emeryville garage for ac transit. one was being test run at full throttle and i was hooked. tho it was 27 years ago it is liek yesterday in this my mind. Detroit Diesel forever!

[brianalexi]

d ones in Arcata, CA are powered with a Cummins Diesel ISM engine! But d ones in Pismo Beach, CA are powered with a Detroit Diesel Series 50 engine! and d Detroit Diesel Series 50 engine is d loudest engine, and so d Cummins Diesel engine is d quietest engine! But so far d ones in Sacramento, CA had a Detroit Diesel 6V92 turbo engine, but dose kind blew black smoke out of de engine!

[ENTERTAINMENT35]

the 2900 engines are the best. im from suffolk county long island and the buses out here that used those engines were retired in 99 and then the rest of them in 2005

[ea90744]

i luv that idle.

[TrainzFan4Life]

Where are AC Transit's 2900 series buses, they used to use them on the 14 route on the weekdays and weekends before the big changes in June 2007. The 14 only used the 2900 series buses on the weekends only a few time did they use van hools, 3000, 3100, or 4000 series buses on the route. But I do like the fact they use the 4000 series buses on the 14 now, for the weekends only though.

[rdj0690]

as of 01/2010

ALL the 2900 series NABI buses are not in service RETIRED... sold, auction, scrap etc... they were replaced with the 1200 series VanHool buses.

The 14 line operates out of the Emeryville division. You would most likely see a 5000 series VanHool or the upper 3000, 3100 NABI bus on that route.

[TrainzFan4Life]

Is there a possiblity that NABI still creates those buses or they are out of production?

[panamic855]

damn lots of power for 80s coach. 5 stars

[coreyprkr2005]

When GRTC purchased the 1996/1997/1998 Gillig Phantoms 35 ft.

GRTC had

series 101-155 [55 buses] 1988 Flixible

series 301-327 [27 buses] 1990 Flixible

series 801-837 [37 buses] 1985 Flixible

series 201-234 [34 buses] 1998 Gillig

series 401-422 [22 buses] 1997 Gillig

series 901-921 [21 buses] 1996 Gillig

[hcowhore4hire]

man, I miss the sound of those old buses on the street, I LOVE the sound of a Detroit 2-stroke - especially the blower. They make the Cummins sound timid.

[sanchezv8]

nice vid luv tht 6v92 i seen in mexico similar 1s

[8v71buses]

Man this sounds tight!!! Detroit 6V92 is a classic

[mm2haloguy]

I like AC Transits Van Hools

[ea90744]

they got too many VanHools, they shouldve just bought what they needed for their Rapid service. The NABIs are perfectly fine.

[rdj0690]

When AC Transit purchased the 1997/1998 NABI buses.

ACT [AC Transit] had

series 1400-1484 [85 buses] 1984 Gillig

series 1500-1549 [50 buses] 1985 Gillig

series 2601-2660 [60 buses] 1991 Gillig

and give or take a few then purchased:

series 2901-2971 [71 buses] 1997 NABI

series 3001-3067 [67 buses] 1998 NABI

series 3101-3165 [65 buses] 1998 NABI

could be errors: NO Comments please! lol

[coreyprkr2005]

we got ours around that time, im from Richmond VA, except they were Gillig Phamtoms, GRTC.

[rdj0690]

No can do... out of service LONG ago!

[securitas4142]

Rigt on

[rdj0690]

Air

[brianalexi]

This Gillig Bus Contains Diesel which is Detroit Diesel.

[41fevaoaklandyada]

san leandro bart station i be there

[pacjr310]

Is there any buses like out there anymore?

[rdj0690]

At AC Transit all the 1985 1500 series buses (like the one in the vid) were replaced with NABI buses 3000, 3100 and 2900 series.

[capridrifter]

That looks like the tri-met busses used here in Oregon....the sound of the turbo is pretty cool....the seats are hard as a rock though:(

[redoctober90]

We still have a few 1985 Gillig Phantoms here in State College PA (with the rear doors being push-open and not hydraulic powered). They're 6V92 powered and are fleet # 26, 27, 29, and 31 and only run rush-hour service.

[pacjr310]

Please make videos on them!!! I would love to see them!!

[redoctober90]

Yea, I just have to find them. Often, I want to film them but they only run once in a blue moon and not much around campus.

In lieu of that, though, I have videos of some DD50 powered 30 footers (half with the flipdot Lumi's, half with LED's). They have hydraulics on the back and I think a 5 speed Allison (it makes a grinding/vibrating noise between 2nd and 3rd gear). The older ones are probably about 10 years old; there are some from 2001 which have body wraps, and we have 30' LFS hybrids too.

[javonds1]

Gilligs phantoms are powerful

[Alchemy510]

is the begining in bay fair?

[godumbboy]

Yes

[Sulaco516]

The 1500 series Gillig Phantoms (which 1546 is in) use by Alameda-Contra Costa Transit (AC Transit) were built in the 4th quarter of 1984.

[Sulaco516]

Correction: used

[Kaufmancab51]

yeah i used to get the phantoms without a back door. They had comfy seats on the inside.

[raiderdawg2006]

Phantoms are cool

[Kaufmancab51]

yeah rts retired these for some newer gilligs.

[pacjr310]

They dont make'em like this anymore.

[Sulaco516]

It sounds also like a Santa Cruz Metro Gillig Phantom.

[HKT120]

But Santa Cruz's Phantoms were repowered with Cummins ISC...

[Sulaco516]

I see.

[campsports]

they sound just like the Orion V's..coool tho

[HKT120]

Well, if they have the same powertrain, I'm sure they sound very similar.

[DaPlatinumJedi]

I really like how the 1400 and the 1500 series engines sounded! Plus, those coaches were my favorite Gillig types from AC Transit, including the 2800 series. Seems that the Gilligs are soon-to-be extinct in AC's fleet. The few surviving Gilligs are the 2700 and the 2800 series (most of them are now with MUNI).

In addition, the NABI 3100 and 7200 series were also my favorites when there were added to the fleet, around 1997.

[HKT120]

AC Transit is also getting rid of their 29XX, NABI 416 with Series 50....what a sad thing...

[metroktransit]

That's horrible there is nothing wrong with those buses.

[s172mch]

couldnt agree more

love the phantoms

we have a ton here in pittsburgh

we have series 50's motors though

i dont remember having any 6v92

[Flxiblemetro]

California State budget cuts...

AC Transit and other CA TAs are downsizing thier bus fleet. to close a budget shortfall. I just hate it.

[ClassicTVFan82]

Obviously, the NABIs (at least those ones) don't seem to have a good reputation...

[ea90744]

AC Transits NABIs were perfectly fine. After GM Sharon Banks passed away in '99, the current GM Rick Fernandez took her place. He started his quest to getting rid of the good stuff. He spent the taxpayers money A LOT of trips to Europe, including other places besides the VanHool facility. He asked the board to approve a 5yr No-Bid contract to VanHool, and yet another for more artics to get rid of the NFIs. Theres more to elaborate on the subject. Do a web search on AC Transit and the VanHools

[phsycopiano]

@DaPlatinumJedi remember when they used to have red wheels. I love buses but I dont now nothing about them

[pacjr310]

Thats the best sound in the world. I dont care what anybody says. By the way could you get a video on board this bus please? Like a 5:00 video?

[HKT120]

I'll have to look into my collection first. Stay tune thanks!

[pacjr310]

OK cool thanks. I love this drivetrain. Please let me know ASAP. lol

[newyorkfan16]

Just like CAT's 1990 Gillig Phantoms.

[s172mch]

sounds like a 2stroker! that thing puts a bit of smoke out

u should put a coldstart on here if u had access to there garage/depot

[ClassicTVFan82]

Of course, the engine's a Detroit Diesel 6V-92TA.

[seagravefan]

Nice engine sound. Too quiet to pass for a fire truck, though.