Calgary Transit #1046 Fantrip

There’s some silly fun in the forecast. Come jump on board Calgary Transit #1046, a vintage GM Fishbowl (still in old CTS blue) and hit the road with a group of crazy bus nuts for a special fantrip. We’ll be your guide, so grab a good seat and enjoy the ride while roaming the city. The tour will be stopping at select locations for photo-ops and everyone’s camera is going to get a good workout.

This venerable street warrior still belongs to Calgary Transit and brought out from time to time for charters and the like. Dating from 1980, it was part of an order for seventy five and one hundreds and hundreds of GM Fishbowls CTS owned over the years, built from the early ’60s to early ’80s. The Fishbowl name comes from that great expanse of angular front glass.

Fishnbowls were surprisingly long lasting in CTS service, with some on the road into 2013 (see: They Live! Calgary Transit GMC Fishbowls in 2013). We last spotted #1046 out in the wild in 2011, but it may have lasted a bit longer. After 2009 it held honour as the last in service bus still in the old colours and as such stood out among its contemporaries. Other transit systems similarly held onto their Fishbowls for longer than typical.

Hope on board for the Calgary Transit #1046 Fantrip.

Officially Fishbowls were called New Look by the manufacturer and this example is a sub-model T6H-5307N. T=transit, 6H=six cylinder engine (from Detroit Diesel) and hydraulic (automatic style) transmission, 53=nominal seating capacity (but it could vary), 07 is a series number and further tells us the bus is 40ft (or 12.2m) long and 102in (or 2.59m) wide; and finally N means no air conditioning. These were ovens in summer, but the CTS evidently felt this feature unnecessary at the time. You monsters!

This bus was made at General Motor’s (then) newly opened factory in Quebec but Canadian Fishbowls from years before came from the GM locomotive complex in Ontario. By 1986, GM Canada had finally transitioned to a new model (the Classic), but for a time built both concurrently.

Made by the tens of thousands (via a US factory too) the Fishbowl was an extremely popular design and certainly in appearance the most iconic transit bus ever. Everyone remembers riding one of these and that distinctive look made them stand out.

US production spanned the years 1959-1977 and in Canada from 1961-1986. After American production ceased, some operators across the border started purchasing Canadian made examples, much to the chagrin of GM in the US who was hoping to sell them on a new model down there (the RTS). The RTS was never accepted up north and this one reason why they continued production of the older design up here. GM got out of the bus business later in the 1980s but their former factory in Quebec is still at it, as NovaBus. Calgary Transit is an operator and has a fairly large fleet of their LFS series.

Fishbowls and all buses of that era were of the high floor variety, so steps had to be negotiated to get in or out. This was not a terribly convenient arrangement for folks with mobility issues or those with tots in carriages and lead to the current low floor designs. Easy curb level entry and exit.

Unit #1046 and its brethren came new with programmable destination signs, introduced by CTS only the year before, where as older buses used traditional roll signs. The seating is made from that thick vinyl stuff, industrial strength and nearly indestructible, but hardly comfortable. You’d burn your butt on that fabric come summer and freeze it off later in the year. You could not win and bare skin would stick to it as though held in a vise.

Looking over that interior photo brings back so many memories. All you Calgarians of old must remember buses like this, in that two tone blue interior scheme and maybe even rode this very one long ago. Those sideways seats in back was were where you’d always find long-legged me. Couldn’t fit in the others.

The fun begins at the Whitehorn LRT Station and the bus soon packed and on the road. The click of cameras sometimes drowns all else and let’s just say there were a lot of shots taken this evening. The ride lasted about six hours and visited all quadrants of the city.

Stoney Garage is an early stop and this visit included a drive by of the bus barn shops where heavy maintenance and repairs are performed. CTS buses put on a huge number of miles and are beaten to death by the challenging roads and conditions, so breakdowns are just part of doing business. When something goes wrong, they bring it here.

Old and new at the Stoney Garage.

Due to a double booking mix-up (doh!) this became a solo trip for Connie. Well, she was among friends, but the other half of Team BIGDoer was nowhere to be seen and instead out on assignment (here: Great Beater Challenge 2021). This spitting of gear unfortunately left her using one of our small hiking cameras, which is burdened with a slow as molasses kit lens that’s less than ideal for the tough conditions to be encountered. This shoot was for casual fun, however, so it really doesn’t matter. Still, bright lights became ugly haloed blobs and that’s a little bothersome, as is the noise from cranking the up ISO.

This event happened almost a full year ago, incidentally, and speaks of a huge backlog here. Just thought we’d mention it and just accept that we’ll never be timely in our postings. Ever.

Out on the apron at Stoney Garage #1046 is parked next to one of Calgary Transit’s newest buses (a NovaBus – remember them – LFS on Natural Gas) and it’s #8385 from 2019. The difference between the two is night and day, yet they are kin.

The 66th Avenue/Ranchview Link NW Transit Bypass ducks under Sarcee Trail while connecting the neighbourhoods of Ranchlands and Dalhousie. It’s for buses only and made a stop along the way.

There’s some nice shots to be had of #1046 from the pedestrian bridge over Bow Trail, with downtown seen prominently in back. Later they’d head that way and use the LRT right of way in the core. In the time #1046 was in service it no doubt visited all corners of Calgary, but likely spent a fair bit of time downtown as well. Could 7th Avenue, along the LRT tracks, be its old old stomping grounds? Probably.

A trip to the airport, via that big road tunnel, happens later. Let the funny looks begin and no doubt anyone paying attention there, and along the entire route for that matter, must have been surprised to see such an old bus out on the road. Are we seeing things? There were more than a few over-the-shoulder double takes witnessed. A time shift, maybe? Nope, just a bunch folks out for a ride in something historic and having a good time.

There were countless other stops along the way (thirteen in total) and had we shared photos from each, it’d have turned this post into a big bloated mess. More so than usual that is.

Back where the tour started, a special and unexpected visitor makes an appearance. Everyone wondered why that one guy had to suddenly leave the group while grinning as he was, and now we know he was up to something. Here’s CTS #1130, a Fishbowl belonging to collector Nick B*. It’s slightly newer than #1046 and one of sixty nine buses from an order delivered in 1982 (from CTS’ last order of this model).

Deep inside where heavy maintenance is done.

This newer Fishbowl is painted in the more recent white with stripes scheme in use from the early 1990s to 2007. Now they colour them white with a big swooping red stripe, although buses in this older scheme can still be found in service.

Note how the sign programming on #1046 changed as the trip progressed and you might as well have some fun with it. Each stop they dialed in a new one and some of them reflected historic routes. Look at that, it’s 11pm and the ride is over. It’s a quick goodbye and then a little basking in the afterglow. The day’s done.

*There are people that collect and restore old transit buses, strange as it might seem to someone on the outside. They tell us once you catch the bug, you’re done for, but only then could you ever understand. We know a couple of these folks – for example, here: TDH-3501 and here: The Big Red Bus.

Know more: (new tabs): Calgary Transit #1046 Fantrip (lots of nice pics to browse) and GM Fishbowl Buses.

Stay tuned for new and interesting content posted regularly.

They’re saying…

”If you grew up on the prairies, (or even if you didn’t) you are going to love what Chris and Connie do. Part urban explorers, part historians, part documentarians, and intrepid travellers, (they) make this site interesting, educational, and addicting. Highly addicting.” James Churchill. (aw shucks).

Posts where Fishbowls make an appearance…
Edmonton Transit: 95th Street – Fishbowl Trolleybus!
Calgary Then & Now: Ogden Bus Loop – DinnerInABucketInAMinute!
They Live! Calgary Transit GMC Fishbowls in 2013 – The final year.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: contact us!

Date of Adventure: August, 2021.
Location: Calgary, AB.
Article references and thanks: Nicholas Blonski, Calgary Transit, Canadian Public Transit Discussion Board and all the nice folks on this trip.

Dipping under Sarcee Trail on a bus-only lane.

From the pedestrian bridge over Bow Trail.

Flashback moment!

Once in a while we get a nice sunset in Calgary.

Many photos were shot…

#1046 has been on he road since 1980.

Downtown along the LRT right of way.

A courteous driver…

#1046 is still owned by CTS.

Visiting the airport.

Airport tunnel

What’s this now?

It’s a surprise visitor, CTS #1130 belonging to a collector.