A Blast From The Past

It has been one zany week in my transit travels this week. This, however, takes the cake. I went to catch the 111 Monday morning and got quite a surprise. I caught RTS #0216. What's so special about that?

Bus 0216 lacks...

...automated stop announcements

...the digital stop display (it still has the exterior destination signs of course!)

...GPS tracking and vehicle location

...and a TRANSITMASTER! The driver had no idea if they were on time or not. By the way, a TransitMaster is that little electronic device by the driver which gives information like schedule accuracy (it tells the driver if they are late, early, or on time), the next stop, etc.

Plus it still has the light up "Stop Requested" box up front! I haven't seen one of these on a bus in years. Rumor has it that #0216 was to be shipped off to Everett Shops where it would be retired and sold for scrap. However, someone accidentally mixed it back in with the regular buses and found its way back at the pullout lot.

The horn didn't work either.

I got RTS 0216 again on Tuesday during the PM rush hour. The driver told me it was all that was left at pullouts at Charlestown Garage.

What's next? A Flyer D901?

Flyer D901 #9471, Former MBTA Transit Bus, Current MBTA Fire Bus