PAGE UPDATES:
Added buses 585 and 624 on 9/3/20.
ABOUT THE BUSES:
The 518-702 series General Motors RTS buses (model T8H-203) were New Orleans' first Advanced Design Buses.
The City ordered them for 1979 delivery to Public Service. The last ten buses came with wheelchair
lifts; 693L-702L were usually assigned to designated accessible uptown lines such as Magazine, Tulane, and South Claiborne.
None of these buses had
express lamps, although they were available as seen on Houston Metro RTS acquisitions. They brought
a new (and perhaps more appropriate) livery to New Orleans with stripes of Mardi Gras colors
(from top to bottom, gold-green-purple)
on the ubiquitous white body panels. Bright gold fleur-de-lis logos were on the rear and sides, and the
NOPSI logo was applied behind the front wheels. Buses 609 and below had roll curtain signs, buses 612 and above had
dot-matrix signs. (I don't know which sign type 610 and 611 had.)
RTA acquired these RTS buses with the July 1, 1983 purchase of the NOPSI transit system.
Some were still in service in 1997, but all were gone by 1998.
RTS 520:
RTA RTS 520 in the neutral ground busway at Canal St. and St. Charles Ave. in December 1990.
The side destination reads St. Claude-Delery. Scan of an uncredited slide added 03/25/20.
RTS 531:
NOPSI RTS 531 signed for Canal Lake Vista at the foot of Canal Street near the Rivergate in January 1980.
Melvin Bernero slide from my collection added 10/09/17.
RTS 544:
NOPSI RTS 544 on Canal-Cemeteries at Canal and St. Charles in an unknown year.
Scan of a photo from my collection added 11/21/18.
RTS 551:
NOPSI RTS 551 on display at Canal Station is visited by then mayor Ernest Morial on
September 19, 1979. Scan of a Times-Picayune press photo added 03/25/20.
RTS 556:
NOPSI RTS 556 signed for Louisa rests at Canal Station in the days before the cross streets were fenced off from the public.
RTS 562:
NOPSI RTS 562 outbound on the Franklin line stops at the Woolworth store at Canal and Bourbon Sts.
RTS 571:
NOPSI RTS 571 outbound on Canal-Lakeshore at Canal and North Rampart Sts.
RTS 574:
Brand new GMC RTS 574 on the Desire line at Canal and Bourbon Sts. in an uncredited slide stamped May 1980.
One photo added 02/25/21.
RTS 578:
NOPSI RTS 578 on South Claiborne-Carrollton via M.L. King on a rainy July 17, 1983 (after RTA takeover).
RTS 579:
NOPSI RTS 579 on 11 Magazine at what may be Magazine and Capdeville Sts. in April 1991.
RTA continued using variations of NOPSI's old yellow bus stop signs for years; it was in the 2000s that new signs with route numbers
began appearing.
RTS 582:
RTA RTS 582 on 43 Canal Lake Vista leaving the foot of canal in March 1997. The bus is decorated to advertise television station
WNOL as a WB affiliate; we see cartoon character and WB mascot Michigan J. Frog dancing on the side and inert on the rear.
Construction would soon begin on the streetcar connector linking the Riverfront and St. Charles lines.
Four photos added 08/13/12.
RTS 585:
NORTA RTS 585 on 39 Tulane at Palmer Park (S. Carrollton and S. Claiborne Aves.) on February 10, 1999. Scan of a Mel Bernero slide added 09/03/20.
RTS 592:
NOPSI RTS 592 possibly at Canal Station on November 16, 1979. Scan of a Times-Picayune press photo added 03/25/20.
NOPSI RTS 592 on the Carrollton via Poydras branch of South Claiborne at Carondelet and Canal Sts. on April 25, 1980.
Scan of an uncredited slide from my collection added 08/23/11.
RTS 593:
RTA RTS 593 with M-A-N 113 at the 16 South Claiborne terminal in February 1996. One photo added 03/18/20.
RTS 601:
NOPSI RTS 601 on Canal-Robert E. Lee via Canal Blvd. at an unknown location on January 18, 1980.
Scan of a Times-Picayune press photo from my collection added 11/21/18.
RTS 608:
NOPSI RTS 608 on the Jackson line turning from University Place to Canal St.
RTS 609:
NOPSI RTS 609 (signed 90 Carrollton), Orion 130, and Blue Bird 1028 (To Station) at Arabella Station in November 1992. Photo by Earl Hampton, Jr.
added 10/11/17.
RTS 612:
NOPSI RTS 612 on the Tchoupitoulas line at the S. Peters and Common Streets terminal.
RTS 617:
NOPSI RTS 617 on the Freret line at Dryades and Thalia Streets.
RTS 619:
NOPSI RTS 619 on 16 So. Claiborne at the Carrollton terminal in June 1990.
Scan of a Scott Page slide from my collection added 11/12/18.
RTS 620:
RTA RTS 620 Canal and Carondelet Sts. in January 1995. Scan of an uncredited slide added 03/25/20.
RTS 621:
RTA RTS 621 on 15 Freret at Canal and Baronne Sts. in September 1989. Scan of an uncredited slide added 03/25/20.
RTA RTS 621 on 11 Magazine upbound at Magazine St. and Washington Aves. in November 1992. Photo by Earl Hampton, Jr.
added 10/11/17.
RTS 624:
NORTA RTS 624 on 16 S. Claiborne at the S. Carrollton and S. Claiborne Aves. terminal on February 10, 1999. Scan of a Mel Bernero slide added 09/03/20.
RTS 629:
RTA RTS 629 on 16 So. Claiborne at the Carrollton terminal in September 1989.
Scan of an uncredited slide from my collection added 11/12/18.
RTS 637:
RTA RTS 637 on Palmer Park at the So. Claiborne and So. Carrollton layover on July 17, 1983 (after RTA takeover).
NOPSI RTS 637 on Express 81 at the foot of Canal Street. RTS 683 is parked behind. Photo from the Gerald Squier collection courtesy
Scott Richards added 01/18/14.
RTS 640:
NOPSI RTS 640 on the St. Bernard line at Basin and Canal Streets.
RTS 667:
NOPSI RTS 667 on the Canal Street neutral ground busway outbound for the Cemeteries.
RTS 668:
RTA RTS 668 on 42 Canal Cemeteries outbound at Canal and Burgundy Sts. in May 1990.
Scan of an uncredited slide from my collection added 11/12/18.
RTS 681:
RTA RTS 681 at Canal and St. Charles Sts. is signed To Station in November 1983. This is after RTA assumed control of the transit
system, but the only change visible to this side of the bus is the missing NOPSI logo and no RTA logo added.
Uncredited slide from my collection added 10/09/17.
RTS 696L:
RTA lift-equipped RTS 696L on Tulane at So. Carrollton and So. Claiborne on July 17, 1983 (after RTA takeover).
RTS 697L:
RTA lift-equipped RTS 697L on South Claiborne-Carrollton via M.L. King at So. Claiborne and So. Carrollton on July 17, 1983 (after RTA takeover).
UNKNOWN NUMBERS:
A demonstrator RTS signed for Tulane at the Palmer Park (S. Carrollton and S. Claiborne Aves.) terminal on
September 20, 1982. Scan of a press photo added 03/25/20.
A couple of NOPSI RTS buses at Canal Station. Good view of the original slope back of the RTS.
|
