image002 Kingston Transit Page

 

Bus service in the city of Kingston is provided by Kingston Transit, a city-run enterprise with a fleet of about 60 buses and an amalgamation over the years of Kingston Transit, Kingston Township Transit, Earnestown Transit and other former Frontenac County services.  The bus models currently in service are Orion VI, New Flyer D40LF, D40LFR and Xcelsior buses along with Ford and International minibuses for use on low-ridership routes.  The four main transfer points are at the Kingston Centre, the Cataraqui Centre, the Gardiner Town Centre and on Brock Street in downtown Kingston.

 

All photos are by the webmaster unless noted otherwise.

 

General Motors T6H-5307N

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7865, a 1978 GM T6H-5307N, boards passengers at the Kingston Centre on Nov. 16, 2002.  This bus is shown in the “Littlewood blue” livery, named after a former transit manager who proposed the paint scheme, but left after only a few buses had been repainted.  7865 was retired in August 2003.

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7866 was another 1978 GM New Look, seen retired behind the Kingston Transit garage on Oct. 12, 2005.  This bus had been retired in 1997 and is shown being used to store advertising signs.

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7973 lays up at the Kingston Centre in June 2001.  This bus was a 1979 GM T6H-5307N.

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7974 was another 1979 New Look, laying up at the Brock Street terminal on Nov. 16, 2002.  All of Kingston’s original New Looks have since been withdrawn from service, with 7975 being retired in February 2006.

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7828 was a 1978 GM T6H-5307N, formerly a Cornwall Transit bus of the same number, shown leaving the Kingston Centre bus terminal on October 12, 2005.  When Cornwall retired its New Look buses, Kingston acquired this bus and three GM Classics—8557, 8761, and 8762.  This bus was retired in October 2006, adding Kingston to the list of cities having withdrawn all New Looks from service.

 

Orion 01.501

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74179 was a 1979 Orion I, once owned by Kingston Township Transit and later used as a projector booth at a drive-in theatre north of Kingston.  Now abandoned, this bus sits exposed to the elements as shown in this photo taken on August 6, 2013.  (Photo by Colin J.)

 

 

GM/MCI TC-40102N

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8383 was a 1983 General Motors TC-40102N, spotted boarding passengers on King Street East on June 30, 2001.  This bus is a former GM demonstrator, along with 8384.

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8383 is shown at the Brock Street bus terminal on June 8, 2001.  This bus is painted in the “Littlewood blue” paint scheme.  It was withdrawn from revenue service in February 2004.

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8384 is seen at the Brock Street bus terminal on June 8, 2001.  This photo shows the double-stream exit doors; this bus and 8383 were the only Kingston Classic buses built in this fashion.

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8384 is shown here at the Kingston Centre on Nov. 16, 2002.

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8689 is a 1986 GM Classic, shown waiting for riders at the Kingston Centre on June 8, 2001.  This bus was originally purchased by Kingston Township Transit as 8589 and was used for trans-boundary service.

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8691 is a 1986 GM Classic, seen at the corner of Bagot Street and Brock Street in June 2000.  This bus is shown in the older Kingston Transit paint scheme.  (Thumbnail only; no enlarged photo available)

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8790 is a 1986 GM Classic, boarding passengers at the Kingston Centre on Nov. 16, 2002.  The two buses 8790 and 8791 were originally delivered as 8690 and 8691 and were renumbered in the late 1990s.

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8790 was spotted again at the Cataraqui Centre on August 6, 2007.  The 1986 Classics were the oldest buses in Kingston Transit service in April 2010.

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8762 is a 1987 GM Classic, which first ran in for the Detroit DOT as 1953 before being sold to Cornwall Transit as 8762.  It entered service for Kingston Transit in September 2005, and this photo was taken on August 7, 2007.  8762 was retired in May 2009.

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8867 is a 1988 MCI TC-40102N, seen boarding passengers at the Kingston Centre on July 19, 2003.  This bus is still painted in the old Kingston Township Transit scheme, were it had served at 88071.

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8868, which was Kingston Township Transit 88072, is another 1988 MCI Classic, shown waiting for riders at the Kingston Centre on Nov. 14, 2008.

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8870, formerly Earnestown Township Transit bus 88074, has just arrived at the Cataraqui Centre on July 19, 2003.

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8892 is a 1988 MCI Classic boarding passengers at the Kingston Centre on June 8, 2001.  This bus is equipped with a 6V71N engine and a V731 transmission.

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8893 is a 1988 MCI Classic waiting to enter service on June 8, 2001.  This bus is painted in the old Kingston Township Transit paint scheme.  This bus service was absorbed into Kingston Transit following the municipal amalgamation in the late 1990’s.

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8893 was spotted again at the Kingston Centre on Nov. 14, 2008.  By this time, the bus had been repainted into the new KT livery, though it still retained the old logos at the time.

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8894 was another 1988 MCI Classic, seen on Ontario Street in downtown Kingston in June 2000.  (No enlarged photo available.  Sorry!)

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8894 is seen at the VIA Rail train station in June 2000.  This photo clearly shows the single-width exit doors.

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8894 is laying up at the Brock Street terminal on July 19, 2003.  This was bus was retired during the summer of 2008.

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9095 is a 1990 MCI TC-40102N, shown at the Kingston Centre bus terminal on Oct. 12, 2005.  This was the first bus purchased with the large-sized destination sign, which has been replaced on this bus with an electronic display.

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9196 was a 1991 MCI Classic seen on Princess Street in downtown Kingston in June 2000.  This bus is equipped with a 6V92TA engine, and was still painted in the old Kingston Transit paint scheme.

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9196 is seen at the Kingston Centre on June 8, 2001.  This bus is shown equipped with the colour-coded destination curtain which had been installed on the buses.  9196 was retired during the summer of 2009.

 

Orion 05.501

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9298 is a 1992 Orion V, seen at the Kingston Centre on Nov. 16, 2002.  This shopping mall has since been extensively rebuilt, and a new transit terminal was opened in 2004.

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9299 was a 1992 Orion 05.501 originally purchased by Kingston Transit and retired in 2008.  This bus is shown a full-body advertisement for Kingston PUC (Public Utilities Company).  This picture was taken in June 2000 at the Brock Street terminal near Bagot Street.

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9202 was a 1992 Orion 05.501, originally Kingston Township Transit 92027 and shown in the old KTT livery.  This bus has several minor design differences compared to 9299, such as double-width exit doors and sliding windows.  These pictures were taken at the Kingston Centre on June 8, 2001.  This bus has since been repainted into the new livery as shown below.

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9202 was shown at the Brock Street terminal on Aug. 14, 2005.  Like many other Kingston buses, this bus has been equipped with an electronic destination sign.

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9202 was spotted again at the Cataraqui Centre on August 6, 2007.

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9202 was shown at the Cataraqui Centre on August 8, 2009, appearing little changed since the photo taken in 2007 aside from a new set of license plates.  Until being retired in August 2010, this bus was the only Orion V in Kingston Transit service after 9298 was withdrawn from service in early 2009.

 

Orion 06.501

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9803 is a 1998 Orion 06.501, seen at the Kingston Centre bus terminal on July 19, 2008.  These buses were the first to be delivered in the blue and black stripe livery used from 1998 until 2006.

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9803 was spotted again at the Kingston Centre on August 20, 2011.  By this time, the livery on the bus had been updated to the blue-and-orange stripe scheme.

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9804 was another 1998 Orion 06.501, shown at the Kingston Centre bus terminal on Sept. 1st, 2006.  This bus was withdrawn from revenue service in July 2012 and was sold to Cornwall Transit, where it runs as 9878.

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9805 is another 1998 Orion VI low-floor bus, shown at the Brock Street terminal in downtown Kingston in June 2000.

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9805 was seen again at the Cataraqui Centre on August 6, 2007.  This photo shows the bus with its new electronic destination sign.

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9805 is shown parked at the Kingston Centre on July 19, 2008.

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9805 has been repainted into the new KT livery and is shown at the Kingston Centre on Nov. 14, 2008.

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9806 was another Orion VI which has been repainted.  This photo was taken while the bus was waiting for passengers at the Kingston Centre in August 8, 2009.

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9807 was still in the old KT paint scheme when this photo was taken on August 8, 2009.  The bus was at the Kingston Centre at the time.

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9807 was spotted again at the Kingston Centre on August 20, 2011.

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9808 has just arrived from Amherstburg, and is loading passengers at the Gardiner Town Centre on July 19, 2003.  At this time, these buses were still equipped with their original destination scrolls.

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9808 was spotted again at the Kingston Centre on Nov. 14, 2008.

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9809 was seen waiting to resume service at the Kingston Centre on July 19, 2008.  As of May 2013, 9803, 9805 and 9807 were the only Orion VI buses still in revenue service, and 9804, 9809 and 9810 were sold to Cornwall Transit in October 2012.

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9810 is shown at the Kingston Centre on June 8, 2001.  These buses were the first buses equipped with air conditioning to be purchased by Kingston Transit.

 

Dennis SLF 230

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0311 is a 2003 Dennis SLF 230, seen at the Cataraqui Centre.  This photo was taken on July 19, 2003.

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0311 was spotted exactly five years later waiting for passengers at the Kingston Centre on July 19, 2008.  Thomas Built Buses introduced these British-designed vehicles to North America in 2000, and they were later marketed by Orion and DaimlerChrysler until they were replaced by 30’ and 35’ Orion VII buses.

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0312 is another Dennis SLF 230, shown boarding passengers at the Cataraqui Centre on July 19, 2003.  These two buses were retired in March 2013.

 

New Flyer D40LF

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0314 is a 2003 New Flyer D40LF, and is one of the first New Flyer buses ordered by Kingston Transit.  It is shown at the Kingston Centre on July 21, 2003.  After this photo was taken, this shopping centre was completely reconstructed from an enclosed mall to two storefront strip malls, a Loblaws supermarket, and an open-air bus terminal.

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0314 is seen later in the day at the Brock Street terminal in downtown Kingston on July 21, 2003.  This buses are powered by Detroit Diesel Series 50 engines.

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0314 was seen again at the Kingston Centre on August 20, 2011.

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0620 is a 2006 New Flyer D40LF, spotted at the Kingston Centre on August 8, 2009.

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0621 is another 2006 D40LF, seen waiting for riders at the Kingston Centre on July 19, 2008.

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0624 is shown at the Kingston Centre bus terminal on Sept. 1st, 2006.  Since Detroit Diesel stopped making the Series 50 engine in 2004, these buses are powered by Cummins engines.

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0729 was seen at the Kingston Centre on July 19, 2008. This bus is a 2007 NFI D40LF.

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0729 was spotted again later in the day on July 19, 2008, boarding passengers at the Kingston Centre bus terminal.  This bus features the new blue and orange stripes introduced on the Ford/Aerotech minibuses.

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0729 was seen again four years later, leaving the Kingston Centre bus terminal on July 28, 2012.

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0834 is a 2008 New Flyer D40LF, shown waiting for passengers at the Kingston Centre on Nov. 14, 2008.

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0945 is a 2009 NFI D40LF, seen at the Kingston Centre on August 20, 2011.

 

Ford E-450

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0625 was a 2006 Ford E-450 with an Aerotech body, seen at the Kingston Centre on July 19, 2008.  Kingston Transit purchased these minibuses to be used on low-ridership routes and this bus entered service in February 2007.  0625 was involved in a serious traffic accident and retired in August 2009.

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0626 was spotted at the Cataraqui Centre on August 6, 2007.  These buses were the first to feature the new blue and orange stripes adopted after Kingston Transit’s rebranding in 2007.

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0830 is a 2008 Ford E-450 with a Crestline body.  It is shown at the Cataraqui Centre on August 8, 2009.

 

IC Corporation LC Series

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0938 is a 2009 IC Bus LC Series bus, seen boarding passengers at the Kingston Centre on August 8, 2009.  These low-floor buses feature an integrated body and chassis and were originally built by Navistar International before IC was turned into its own division.  It is an affordable alternative to the full-sized low floor buses offered by New Flyer Industries, NovaBus and Orion International.

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0939 is another 2009 IC Bus LC Series, spotted at the Kingston Centre on August 8, 2009.  This bus and 0938 were later renumbered 1039 and 1038 after the interior was reconfigured shortly after delivery.

 

New Flyer D40LFR

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1048 is a 2010 New Flyer D40LFR, seen at the Kingston Centre on August 20, 2011.  This bus was part of the only order for D40LFR buses for Kingston, as Kingston Transit ordered the New Flyer Xcelsior beginning in 2012.

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1051 is another NFI D40LFR, spotted at the Kingston Centre on August 20, 2011.

 

New Flyer XD40 “Xcelsior

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1253 is a 2012 New Flyer XD40, shown arriving at the Kingston Centre on July 28, 2012.

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1253 was seen again waiting for passengers at the Kingston Centre bus terminal on July 28, 2012.

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1255 is another NFI Xcelsior, shown at the Kingston Centre on July 28, 2012.  Kingston Transit ordered these buses as part of a consortium of Ontario transit agencies including those in Hamilton, London, North Bay and St. Catharines.

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1256 is a 2012 Xcelsior, seen unloading passengers at the Kingston Centre bus terminal on July 28, 2012.

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1256 was spotted again leaving the Kingston Centre on July 28, 2012.

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Starting in September 2013, Kingston Transit will begin offering its Kingston Express limited-stop service using New Flyer Xcelsior buses in a special livery.  Ten buses numbered 1361 to 1370 were delivered in February 2013, and this bus was spotted at the Kingston Transit garage on May 24, 2013.  With the exception of new seats and a rear window, these buses are basically the same as the previous Xcelsior buses.  (Photo by Colin J.)

 

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