The Orion-Ikarus 286 , commonly known as the Orion III , was an articulated bus marketed to Canadian transit operators by Ontario Bus Industries (OBI). It was produced as a joint venture between Ikarus Body and Coach Works and OBI from 1985 to 1989, and deployed primarily in Ottawa (for OC Transpo ) and Toronto (for the TTC ). The Orion III fleets were retired prematurely due to corrosion, and all examples were withdrawn from service by 2003.
8-509: Rolling Ikarus 280 shells (frame and body) were built by Ikarus in Hungary , with modifications to conform with standard Canadian transit bus dimensions, and then shipped to OBI's plant in Mississauga, Ontario via Montreal, where final assembly (including the installation of a domestic powertrain, doors, windows and seats) was performed. The Orion III was built from 1985 to 1989. Local assembly also
16-465: A frame , the Raba-MAN D2156 inline-6 diesel engine is mounted in the front section. It powers the middle axle, meaning that the bus has puller configuration . All three axles are air-sprung beam axles with additional telescopic shock absorbers. Both rear and middle axles were made by Rába , while the front axle was made by LiAZ . Either an automatic or a manual gearbox was installed that allowed
24-581: A standard 4.56:1 drive ratio . One demonstrator vehicle was assembled in 1984. It was later leased by Transit Windsor in June 1985 for service through the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel , then was sold to St. Catharines Transit in 1988. Eventually, the 1984 demo model was sold to OC Transpo (serving Ottawa, Ontario) for parts. The first production contract was awarded to OBI by OC Transpo in November 1984. This
32-497: A top speed of 65 to 90 kilometres per hour (40 to 56 mph). The manual gearboxes came in either five- or six-speed configuration, and were mated with a dry single-disc clutch. The Ikarus 280 has a pneumatic braking system, a spring loaded parking brake, and an exhaust brake. The steering is hydraulically assisted. The buses, in actual applications, have a minimum of 26 seats, and space for up to 134 additional standing passengers. Production started in 1973 and ended in 2002. The 280
40-571: The Orion III, but only 3 had them on full roster: Ikarus 280 Csepel HAFO 6-speed manual Ikarus 280 was an articulated bus produced by Hungarian bus manufacturer Ikarus from 1973 to 2002. It was succeeded by the Ikarus 435 in 1985. The Ikarus 280 is a model of the Ikarus 200 series. It is made of two rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint. The body is a semi-self-supporting body with
48-411: Was based on the Ikarus 200 platform and had many variants produced. Currently (2020), the number of Ikarus 280 buses in active service is declining, due to supply of new low-floor buses . The articulated buses 281(RHD), 282 and 283 (18 m (59 ft)-versions), 284 (pusher configuration), C80, C83, the articulated trolleybuses Ikarus 280T, 283T, 284T and the double articulated Ikarus 293 were based on
56-682: Was followed by an order from Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) for 90 buses in October 1986; the cost of the TTC contract was CA$ 29 million. As delivered for TTC, the Orion III had 61 seats and had a crush capacity of 107 riders. The first nine Orion III buses for TTC were delivered in 1987 for acceptance testing, with revenue service anticipated to start in early 1988. In service, the Orion III prematurely developed corrosion, and were retired starting in 1995. By 2003, both OC Transpo and TTC had completely retired their Orion III fleets. Four transit agencies used
64-523: Was used for the similar Crown-Ikarus 286 for the United States, finished and sold by Crown Coach Corporation in Los Angeles for the United States transit market. The bus used a "puller" design, with the engine driving the middle axle. All three axles were built by Rockwell International ; the non-powered front and rear axles were Model FL-941, and the powered middle axle was Model 59742W, equipped with
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