Rapid Transit Series


The Rapid Transit Series city bus is a long-running series of transit buses that was originally manufactured by GMC Truck and Coach Division during 1977, in Pontiac, Michigan. First produced in 1977, the RTS was GMC's offering of an Advanced Design Bus design and is the descendant of GMC's prototype for the U.S. Department of Transportation's Transbus project. The RTS is notable for its then-futuristic styling featuring automobile-like curved body and window panels; the Advanced Design Buses were meant to be an interim solution between the high-floor transit buses that preceded them, such as the GMC New Look, and modern low-floor buses that would facilitate passenger boarding and accessibility. Most current buses are now made by specialized coach manufacturers with flat sides and windows.
Production of the RTS transitioned from GM to Motor Coach Industries in 1987, moved to NovaBus in 1994, and finally moved to Millennium Transit Services in 2003. Production ceased with the closing of MTS in 2009.
The RTS was offered in -, -, and -long models and was built using a modular design that allowed the same parts to be used for all three lengths, the longest of which could seat up to 47 passengers. It was originally powered by either 6- or 8-cylinder versions of Detroit Diesel's Series 71 two-stroke diesel engine channeled through an Allison V730 or ZF 5HP-500 transmission. Later models could be powered by a 6-cylinder Series 92, or the 4-cylinder Series 50 engines.

History

Pre-production

The RTS is the descendant of the GMC RTS-3T, its prototype built for the Transbus project; the RTS-3T was preceded by the RTX, a turbine-powered prototype produced in 1968 that had been under development since 1964. Both the RTX and the RTS-3T Transbus prototype had a similar design as the production RTS, though there were numerous detail differences, such as the prototypes having a less-rounded body design, a one-step entryway, and a length. RTX used the same GT-309 gas turbine engine that had previously been fitted to the Turbo Titan III and Turbo-Cruiser II/III concept vehicles along with a "toric" continuously variable transmission. RTX also used smaller wheels and a "kneeling" suspension design to reduce first-step height by, aiding boarding, and the interior floor height was, lower than a contemporaneous "New Look" bus. However, the passenger capacity of a 40-ft bus was reduced from 50 to 29.
Wanting a backup plan in case the Transbus project was abandoned, GMC decided to modify the RTX/Transbus design and in 1970 began the RTS-II project that became the earliest RTS with the first prototype being assembled in 1973 at which point the project went onto hiatus. Though closer to its predecessors than the production models, the RTS name debuted with this prototype. After the project was revived in 1974, GMC would later withdraw from the Transbus project and focus their energies on the RTS, which was billed as an Advanced Design Bus representing a "transitional" or "interim" step towards a low-floor bus to facilitate boarding and disembarking. GM announced it was ready to accept orders for the RTS in October 1975.

Production

In September 1985 GMC announced that due to lower than expected, or poor sales of their RTS series buses, that it was in the process of trying to sell or close its transit bus building business, and then later announced that they have sold its RTS design, and patent rights, and bus manufacturing equipment and production line to Transportation Manufacturing Corporation of Roswell, New Mexico, a subsidiary of Motor Coach Industries in May 1987, though the two companies completed a joint order for the New York City Transit Authority to prepare TMC for the production. TMC eventually sold the design and patents to NovaBus in September 1994 in the midst of an order for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Production under NovaBus continued until 2002 when NovaBus left the U.S. market and concentrated on its latest LFS low-floor design.
Production was revived, however, by Millennium Transit Services, which announced plans to manufacture the bus in both high and low-floor configurations at the shuttered TMC facilities in Roswell. However, after poor sales and failure to fulfill orders, Millennium ceased production on the RTS and went out of business in 2009. In September 2011, MTS re-entered the market and showcased its latest RTS product at the 2011 APTA Expo in New Orleans. It also announced plans to introduce a version of the standard floor RTS, which would go into production in the near future. MTS ceased to exist sometime after 2012 after failing to win any substantial bus orders, as the market for high-floor buses had essentially vanished by that point; transit agencies had turned to New Flyer Industries, Orion, Gillig, NovaBus, and NABI and their low-floor models equipped with front door wheelchair ramps.

Models

Through the history of the RTS, there have been six generations of production plus two experimental variants.
  • RTS-01 : Produced for a consortium of agencies in California, Massachusetts, and Texas led by Houston, the RTS-01 was similar to the replacement RTS-03 only with some minor differences and a different style bumper.
  • RTS-03 : The first mass-produced version of the RTS that gained popularity among transit authorities.
  • RTS-04 : Introduced in the early 1980s, due to the popularity of air conditioning, and engine overheating failures of the earlier series RTS buses, the RTS-04 eliminated the sloped rear end with a squared-off rear end in order to provide the necessary space to house a larger air conditioning unit away from the engine compartment. The RTS-04 also introduced a newer DD6V92T engine with turbocharger, and a more pronounced side windows that are similar to those featured in the latest RTS buses. These and previous models use independent front suspension. Most buses are given the option of tell-tale lights on each side of the destination sign; some were offered the lights on the backplate near the rear destination sign.
  • * A, 2, and a articulated versions known as the RTS Mega were built, but never passed the prototype status.
  • RTS-05 : GMC's attempt to move the RTS to a T-drive configuration, where the engine is mounted longitudinally, at a right angle to the axle. Rear module structure was heavily modified for the 'straight-in' arrangement, and would later be used as the design source for the Series 07.
  • RTS-06 : The most common RTS found today and the only one made by three manufacturers. The RTS-06 is extremely similar to the RTS-04, except for slightly different rear ends found in later models that house the Detroit Diesel Series 50 engine. The front suspension for the -06 and later models was changed to a solid beam front axle. LACMTA RTS-06 buses also had a different radiator in the back.
  • RTS-07 : Experimental T-drive RTS; never put into mass production. The two models that were produced were for SMART in suburban Detroit.
  • RTS-08 : Front Wheelchair equipped RTS. The Chicago Transit Authority had wanted a bus with a front wheelchair lift and a back window, and contracted TMC to create such a bus. Fifteen -wide RTS-08s were also produced, all of which went to the CTA. After NovaBus took over production, the RTS-08 was replaced by the RTS-06 WFD, which are easily differentiated by the radically different front end and the presence of a slide-glide front door.
  • RTS Legend : The first Millennium Transit RTS, it is similar to the earlier RTS-06 with the differences of a T-drive configuration and a new front bumper. Wide-door models were reportedly available, but none were ever ordered. For a host of reasons, no more than 10 buses were built before the contracts were cancelled; rejected coaches were resold to Foxwoods Resort Casino, Somerset County Transportation, and Texas A&M University.
  • *RTS Extreme : The first semi low-floor version of the RTS.
  • *RTS Express : RTS variant for "express" suburban use, with suburban seating and other features commonly found on motorcoaches.

    First series (RTS-01, 1977–78)

  • Produced for a consortium of agencies in California, Massachusetts, and Texas
  • Similar to the replacement RTS-03, with some minor differences and a different style bumper
! Type !! Models !! Example

  • Tn-7601: ×
  • Tn-8201: ×
  • Tn-8601: ×
! colspan=3 |

Second series (RTS-03, 1978–80)

  • First mass-produced version of the RTS that gained popularity among transit authorities.
  • Modular design: seamless, un-openable side windows; sliding front and rear doors; and a distinctive, sloped rear module.
! Type !! Models !! Example

  • Tn-7203/T7n-203: ×
  • Tn-7603/T7n-603: ×
  • Tn-8203/T8n-203: ×
  • Tn-8603/T8n-603: ×
! colspan=3 |

Third series (RTS-04, 1981–86)

  • Eliminated the sloped rear end with a squared-off rear end in order to provide the necessary space to house a larger air conditioning unit away from the engine compartment.
  • Introduced a newer DD6V92T engine with turbocharger
  • More pronounced side windows that are similar to those featured in the latest RTS buses.
  • Most buses are given the option of tell-tale lights on each side of the destination sign; some were offered the lights on the backplate near the rear destination sign.
! Type !! Models !! Example

  • T7n-204: ×
  • T7n-604: ×
  • T8n-204: ×
  • T8n-604: ×
! colspan=3 |

Fourth series (RTS-06, 1986–2002)

  • Most common RTS found today and the only one made by three manufacturers
  • Externally similar to the RTS-04, except for slightly different rear ends found in later models that house the Detroit Diesel Series 50 engine
  • Front suspension changed to a solid beam front axle
! Type !! Models !! style="width:200px;" | Example

  • T7n-606: ×
  • T8n-206: ×
  • T8n-606: ×
! colspan=3 |