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Bill D
Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 332 Location: Waterbury, CT
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Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 7:57 am Post subject: PHOTOS - 1987 CT Transit Bus Accident |
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I recently found some old photos of CT Transit T6H-5308A #3073, showing the damage resulting from an accident in 1987. I was able to locate a news article at the local library, giving the details of what happened that day.
Bus #3073 had left dowtown Waterbury at 4:30 pm on the afternoon of April 20, 1987 and was headed to New Haven, operating on what was then known as the "U" route (today's J4 route). Traveling eastbound on East Main Street near the Waterbury - Cheshire town line, the bus was rounding a curve in the road when a box truck, traveling at a high rate of speed was approaching in the opposite direction. As the truck entered the curve, its' load, which consisted of one-gallon cans of pizza sauce, shifted. The truck driver lost control of the vehicle as one side lifted off the ground. It crossed into the oncoming lane and sideswiped the bus, and then rolled over at least one time.
Ten people, including eight on the bus and the two occupants of the truck were injured, some seriously. Firefighters had to extracate two of the bus passengers from the vehicle. Fortunately, the truck missed striking the bus driver's compartment directly, so his injuries were not severe.
The cans of pizza sauce in the truck broke open and sprayed all over the bus, as well as the street. The odor of the sauce filled the air.
The bus was towed to a nearby garage, where I took these pictures the following day. Clicking on the photo will take you to the gallery where the rest of the set is located.
Bill
Last edited by Bill D on Fri Mar 06, 2009 6:17 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Mr. Linsky BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 5071 Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.
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Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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Bill,
I don't think that I have ever seen a bus, much less a new look, so badly damaged!
And you're right about how lucky the driver was because one concern I have always had about the New Look design was the excessive exposure to injury that a driver might suffer considering the amount of glass area surrounding the operators compartment.
Thanks for sharing.
Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY |
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BigLarry
Age: 66 Joined: 06 Mar 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Long Island, NY
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Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:41 pm Post subject: |
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I own a sister bus to that wreck -- former Connecticut Transit #8308. It is also a T8H-5308A, same exact livery, same rollsign. I keep it in good running condition. I would post a photo of it here if someone tells me how to upload it.
Big Larry |
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BigLarry
Age: 66 Joined: 06 Mar 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Long Island, NY
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Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:45 pm Post subject: Let's see if this works -- photo of my bus |
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[img]http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30348678&l=32ef3&id=1069184741[/img]
[color=dark blue]
This is my former Connecticut Transit bus, #8308, surviving sister of the poor bus pictured above.
Big Larry[/font][/img] |
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Mr. Linsky BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 5071 Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.
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Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:46 pm Post subject: |
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Big Larry,
As the unofficial welcoming committe here at BusTalk, let me do just that and tell you that we very much look forward to your valued input (although you could make the words normal size if you like!).
Posting photographs on this site must be done via a web based photo service such as either 'Flickr' or 'Photo Bucket'(I find Photo Bucket to be pretty good.
These free services allow you to transfer images from your personal files to their site for re-transmission here, and they will help you along the way if you're unfamiliar with the procedure.
In the meantime, we will watch for posting of # 8308.
Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY |
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BigLarry
Age: 66 Joined: 06 Mar 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Long Island, NY
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Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:51 pm Post subject: Connecticut Transit Fishbowl 8308 |
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Thanks Mr. Linsky. At age 51, I find large type to be sugar for my eyes. In any event, until I figure out this photobucket thing, anyone wishing to see my bus can click this link, or copy and paste this link into the address line:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30348678&l=32ef3&id=1069184741
Big Larry |
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Mr. Linsky BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 5071 Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.
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Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:26 am Post subject: |
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Larry,
I can understand your sight situation so do whatever is most comfortable for you.
Beautiful bus that I'm certain our Connecticut expert Bill D. will enjoy.
Do you keep it on Long Island?
Anyway, I'll do you a big one and post it below.
Thanks for sharing.
Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY
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Bill D
Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 332 Location: Waterbury, CT
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Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 6:15 am Post subject: |
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Welcome to Bus Talk, Larry!
It's nice to see that you have preserved one of the 8300's. We operated 8 of them in Waterbury between 1994 and 1996 (but not 8308). The 8V72 engines had more than enough power to tackle Waterbury's hills, and enough reserve to keep the AC cooling the passengers as well. They were a well liked group of buses.
The 3000 series, on the other hand, had V6's and required regearing of the differentials for use on many routes in Waterbury. They were still a good bus, and many of them were in service for over 20 years.
Bill |
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BigLarry
Age: 66 Joined: 06 Mar 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Long Island, NY
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Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 1:35 pm Post subject: Connecticut Transit Fishbowl |
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Thank you, Mr. Linsky, for posting my Fishbowl photo. And hello to Bill D! When I bought 8308 from Double A Transportation, it was well-maintained except that the a/c and heat did not work. I drove the bus to a bus restorer in Pennsylvania who replaced some missing parts (thankfully the compressor was still there), recharged it with freon (and thankfully it uses the "new" freon and not the old R-12 which costs $1,000 a gallon now), and now I have one of the very few Fishbowls with the original a/c working! It needed a new heater core, which cost me $600. Not sure if I got hosed on that price.
But I absolutely love my Fishbowl. I'm currently working out a deal with the owner of an Old Look, and I hope to have that in a couple of months.
I'm also looking for a nice Baby Fishbowl and hope one day to add a 30-foot RTS (very hard to find) to my "fleet."
Big Larry |
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ripta42 Site Admin
Age: 45 Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 1035 Location: Pawtucket, RI / Woburn, MA
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Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 8:25 am Post subject: |
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Mr. Linsky wrote: | Posting photographs on this site must be done via a web based photo service such as either 'Flickr' or 'Photo Bucket'(I find Photo Bucket to be pretty good. |
Or gallery.bustalk.info |
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Mr. Linsky BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 5071 Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.
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Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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Michael,
Could you elaberate?
If there's an easier way to add pictures to our posts, I'm all ears!
Mr. 'L' |
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ripta42 Site Admin
Age: 45 Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 1035 Location: Pawtucket, RI / Woburn, MA
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Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 7:40 pm Post subject: |
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Just advocating putting photos in our own Galleries instead of Photobucket, et al. Once it's up, just right-click the image and select "Properties" for the address to put between the [img] tags.
On the subject of CT Transit Fishbowls and accidents, here's Double A/ex-CT Transit 8312 in 2002. Apparently the parking brake failed, sending it down a hill resulting in the damage to the front end and windshield.
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timecruncher
Age: 73 Joined: 23 Dec 2008 Posts: 456 Location: Louisville, Kentucky
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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 11:33 am Post subject: |
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'Baby' fishbowls are a maintenance nightmare, I'm told. The engine is the real problem. Just an FYI.
As for a 30-foot RTS, check and see when Macon, GA will be retiring some of theirs. They have around 15 of them, of differing ages.
You might be able to contact someone using their website:
http://www.mta-mac.com/
Its a typical small-city transit system in the south, but better than most in that all of their equipment is heavy-duty and their service levels are decent (as long as you don't want to ride on Sunday...).
LexTran just up the road from here in Lexington, KY had some really strange variations on RTS coaches: 30-footers that were cut down 40-foot buses! These were/are strange critters indeed, and LexTran didn't take very good care of them. I think they're all retired now, but some of them may be lurking in the Bluegrass area.
timecruncher |
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BigLarry
Age: 66 Joined: 06 Mar 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Long Island, NY
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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 12:11 pm Post subject: Connecticut Transit 8312 |
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When I bought 8308 from Connecticut Transit, "Tony," who I am told is the son of the owner of the company, told me that 8312 was hit by a school bus that was parked uphill (the right side of the parking lot) without the parking brake on, and it rolled backwards downhill into 8312. Meanwhile, I have made several inquiries to Double A over the past year seeking to buy another New Look or Old Look, and they don't seem interested in selling any, even though they did send me a complete inventory of their historic collection.
Big Larry |
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ripta42 Site Admin
Age: 45 Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 1035 Location: Pawtucket, RI / Woburn, MA
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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 12:47 pm Post subject: |
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Whoops; looks like I had the story a little mixed up. Thanks for the clarification. |
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