Here’s a bus that certainly stood out as it cruised the roads in many Canadian and US cities in the 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s – the Orion II. Made by Orion Bus Industries of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, it may well be North America’s strangest looking bus. It may also be one of its most under-appreciated.
As we saw with the Vicinity Classic coach from several weeks ago, transport operators always seem to be looking for a small, sub-thirty foot bus carrying between 19 and 25 passengers. Add to that the paratransit and community-bus market, and you have a fairly sizable ”niche.” Rather than use the typical conventional school bus or cutaway design, Orion decided to take a much more innovative approach. Initial work began in 1982 and the bus was introduced into service in 1984.
The first goal was to have a complete low-floor bus. Note this was before the introduction of the first large, low-floor transit coach, the New Flyer D40LF, in 1991. Orion wanted to get ahead of the soon-to-be enacted Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and not have to rely on a weighty and cumbersome wheelchair lift. The problem then was how to best position the engine – and it is here where Orion got very creative.
Rather than use a rear engine, which would require a “step-up” in the back, they decided to go with front-engine/front-wheel drive – but with the drivetrain offset asymmetrically allowing for a flat floor with no “doghouse.” The engine and transaxle were placed under the driver’s area – which was on a raised platform. While this location no doubt hindered maintenance and service, it did provide for a completely flat floor from front to back, and an elevated driver’s position enhancing visibility. I was curious how the power module was oriented and packaged but found little info and no diagrams online – if any of our bus experts know, please comment below.
To further help with passenger access, the suspension was on air bags and could both raise and lower. An additional door in the rear with a ramp was also offered for hospitals and nursing homes where the majority of passengers used wheelchairs. Lengths were 22 and 26 feet with a width of 96 inches. The most popular engine was the Cummins B series, in both four and six cylinder versions, with the GM 8.2 litre diesel and the Navistar 7.3 also used. The transaxle was an Allison 545 automatic.
Besides normal transit and para-transit duties, the Orion II could also be converted for a variety of other uses; here a Fire/Emergency Management Mobile Command Center.
The reason I say this may be one of the most under-appreciated buses, is because it had a lengthy 19 year production run, and was purchased by large numbers of operators; 29 in Canada and 76 in the US. TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) by itself purchased a total of 147 Orion IIs. It could even be found in Sweden and Poland. Total production numbers aren’t available but it had to be a good amount.
It was certainly an innovative and popular coach that deserves more recognition.
I remember seeing these somewhere, in CA, I assume. It was very obvious that it was FWD and an innovative design for sure.
This is pretty damn cool. Im sure the canadian operators liked the FWD traction in the snow. Im betting its kinda weird to drive until you get used to it. You are a good two or three feet off the floor.
Did this compete with the ubiquitous Ford Econoline cutaway vans with the aftermarket bus bodies??? Those have been THE STANDARD in my area for the past 30 years. Both for school bus, church bus, and municipal transit(usually has a wheelchair lift)Every once in a blue moon you will see a Chevy express bus, but not often.
“Orion wanted to get ahead of the soon-to-be enacted Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and not have to rely on a weighty and cumbersome wheelchair lift.”
Um, no. Civic Rehabilitation Act of 1973 stipulates the accessibility and reasonable accommodations for the people with disabilities as a condition of receiving the federal funds. It was largely unenforced from 1973 to 1990 until Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was enacted.
Denver’s RTD was first in the nation to retrofit its buses with wheelchair lifts starting in 1978 and entire fleet by 1982.
Orion was targeting the public transportation operators who received the federal funds and wanted the buses with wheelchair lifts or ramps.
“Um, no. Civic Rehabilitation Act of 1973 stipulates the accessibility and reasonable accommodations for the people with disabilities as a condition of receiving the federal funds. It was largely unenforced from 1973 to 1990 until Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was enacted.”
Thank you for your comment, but I’m not sure what your point is. As you mention, the Civic Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was largely unenforced, and used as a template for the more robust ADA of 1990. Orion was responding to this fact but more to requirements requested by transport operators – a small, low-floor bus that didn’t require a bulky wheel chair lift.
Form follows function. Lets give Orion lots of credit for a very functional form even if it is not stylish.
Very cool old bus with modern flare. I love one for around town or a camper conversion. I like the 8 foot wide .
Even better packaging than the Toronado drive train. Not enough of these old decommissioned buses available to be used as RVs? https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-home-built-toronado-based-motor-home-the-poor-mans-gmc-motorhome/
“I was curious how the power module was oriented and packaged”
Here’s an image of the engine I took when I saw one abandoned once.
Here’s another view
That would be an engine/transmission service nightmare, unless the whole package easily detaches from the rest of the bus on a subframe.
Kinda guessing that the maintenance of these was difficult. I’m surprised that they were as popular as they seem to have been.
Can you imagine being caught next to one at a stoplight? All that exhaust gas directed at your vehicle, instead of “up and over”? I’ve seen conventional buses with bumper-level exhaust; once the engine gets worn, they’re a suffocating mess.
Seems like the exhaust was routed to the rear along the side, shrouded in a perforated heat shield running along the lower edge of the body as seen in the article’s lead photo and in that Albany emergency command center photo near the end.
It’s only shown disconnected and exposed to the side in Gray’s salvage photo comments here, where the rest of the tailpipe and shroud covering it appear to be missing.