MTA GLOBAL BUS SEARCH: 1981 NYC Test of Japanese Hino RC Bus [History of Buses]

Note: Many of the images in this video are from: www.nycsubway.org/wiki/Bus_Ph...
In this video on the MTA's global search for the perfect bus, we take a look at the Japanese Hino that was tested in 1981.
We review an article from the New York Times from that year when these buses first went into service. We also take a look at similar Hino buses in Cuba.
#buses #nyctransit #transitbus

[@mystica-subs]

Jeffrey, just yesterday I found your channel. I've been a transit geek ever since my mom spent 10 years driving for RTD here in Denver back in the late 90s/early 2000s. Through her first-hand recounting and over the years since, I've gained a lifetime of respect for the drivers, and the buses and trains they operate. Thank you for your very thorough and interesting historical perspective on the transit of New York and our great country as a whole!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your very positive comment! I really appreciate it!

[@brentfoster9138]

Hino commercial vehicles, especially their medium duty trucks, have earned long standing reputation within the industry of being robust and reliable.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment about Hino!

[@joshuahill6153]

New Zealand still uses old hino buses from the 80s and 90s some built from chassis in NZ and some imported directly second hand from Japan. These are great buses and can serve as passenger buses then school buses for many years because of their simple and robust chassis and body work making it easy to repair and diagnose simple faults.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment about the Hinos in NZ!

[@michaelcallummayaka]

I just found your channel and find the information you present fascinating. In never knew such buses ran in New York, nor the Renault and Leyland Atlanteans. I would imagine, like most government projects they were thinking of the economic benefits more than the benefits to passengers, as the politicians rarely use public transport other than airplanes and 1st class trains.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your very positive comment! Yes...someone like Gov. Carey, who was very rich, probably never took a bus and didn't know what was needed or what the public wanted.

[@haweater1555]

The high side windows reminds me of the look of the AM General / Canadian Flyers of the period.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment...yes, that's true...I should have mentioned that in the video!

[@viktorakhmedov3442]

When I first moved to New York in 1981 I got lost at the Port Authority terminal for 3 days.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment! LOL....only 3 days???

[@Where2bub]

Very interesting, loving the supply of info from multiple articles and the deep dive in photos. Never knew about hino busses in nyc.. actually it was only within the year I learned of hino. A friend of mine who visited Japan showed a photo of an old hino car there. I did some research on it and turns out it was a Japanese market version of a French car, possibly Renault.. the hino company went on to make trucks mostly, and currently is owned by the Toyota corporation. Toyota has Hino as their truck sales subsidiary.. and once you learn of Hino, you can’t unsee them wherever you go. Many city delivery trucks are Hino, such as fresh direct, or something like Baldor etc.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your very informative comment!

[@googleusergp]

Hino is part of the Toyota organization and today there are Hino products (not buses) in the NYC fleet. If you recall, when the Japanese started making subway cars for the MTA, I believe there had to be modifications to make them work in the system. Eventually, Kawasaki established plants in the US to do the final assembly.

[@EpicThe112]

You are correct. As a matter of fact, the New York Times has an article about the very first Kawasaki Made trains in Westchester County. Should be looking at their archives in the year 1986 in 1988 R68As. They were delivered from Westchester County to Upper Manhattan 207th St by a tractor trailer

[@googleusergp]

@@EpicThe112 They seemed reliable once they got things worked out.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment! Yes, even the latest R-211 subway cars from Kawasaki had to be pulled and fixed, but they're back on the tracks.

[@jamesl8928]

The Kawasaki trains, the R62 model, were designed and built completely according to NYCTA specifications using all american made components.

[@kelvintorrence5994]

you must love bues alot,good channel

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your positive comment!

[@christopherstory2136]

Really enjoy your channel, great video. I remember these tests...The buses we should have bought. If they were awarded a contract, they would have been brought to NY standards - and would have brought Toyota level reliability with it. Second, some of the pax comments are ridiculous. And finally, regarding seating, the newest batch of New Flyers have detestable narrow seats, fewer seats and a nice wide mid doors for fare beaters, so no progress 40+ years later (NF's numbered 79xx out of the Flatbush depot for example.)

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment! And thank you for you kind words about my channel!

[@nlpnt]

A Canadian-owned company, NovaBus which I think was taken over by Bombardier, did build a factory in New York State to supply (mostly) MTA. It's in Plattsburgh on the former air force base, a straight shot down I-87 from corporate HQ in Montreal.

[@brentfoster9138]

The parent company is Volvo and the Plattsburgh faculty recently closed, ending US production.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment!

[@kastellolo5212]

We had the RV 850 in Cuba. People used to call them "white fang". Very comfortable and could reach 140 km/h. Their suspension was also great. Thanks for the memories.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thanks for the additional info! Thank you for watching and for your comment!

[@seansheppard8635]

These also remind me Flyer D800 buses we had here in Canada in the late 70's up until the 90's.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Yes - especially those rectangular windows! Thanks for watching and for your comment!

[@trainluvr]

That's me in the window with friend. We took kodachromes that day at the bus rodeo at Floyd Bennett Field.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Awesome! Must have been interesting and fun event! Thank you for watching and for your comment

[@tanggololongproductions]

Hino buses in the Philippines is very well loved. I love Hino made buses. Hino Buses are built very well RC buses and FC. In the late 1970:s there is a government subsidised bus company named "Love Bus" The route is Manila to Makati and other various route in metro manila. Also there's a provincial route buses. Their route is the north and south of Luzon. Hino buses have really strong and reliable straight six diesel. engine

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your very interesting comment about Hinos in the Philippines!

[@user-cr3jv8se1u]

Rode lots of Hino products in Yokohama in the early 1970s, these were always packed but the buses themselves were quite agreeable. MUCH smaller than US counterparts. The Singapore Hino picture brings back (good) memories.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Interesting to hear! Thank you for watching and for your comment!

[@AdarshRai-yc1gu]

It's evident that Hino took the humiliation very seriously. It wasn't avenged until the arrival of the Hino 600 in 2004. Now known as the L and XL Series, it still remains the only Japanese commercial vehicle with exactly NA-specific conventional-cab design.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Very interesting about Hino!! Thank you for watching and for your comment!

[@alpzepta]

Now this is more interesting than GMC and Nova RTS. Hino bus in America is the most insane thing I have ever seen in American buses

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, it is insane, isn't it!! Thank you for watching and for your comment!

[@ThePenguinCorporation]

These busses oddly have a similar body to Flyer busses? Is this pure coincidence or is it that they borrowed/slightly modified the D700/D800?

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment! Yes, you are right, it does look like the D700/800 AM General buses. I should have mentioned that in the video!

[@burbank]

That is what I was thinking and some of the images I saw look like these buses that were also made by AM general that were running in Boston and some other cities and then flyer had a similar model. The Canadian flyer buses that were also in Boston were nice because they were very spacious. Buses in Asia are a lot smaller than here. I'm very surprised that the lobby of general motors and flexible / Grumman we're not trying to divert Governor Kerry from even considering a foreign manufacturer?

[@billmcdonald0256]

Thankyou for Hino historical review..It's a good bus in It's own market.. Just can't stand up to the ware & tear of Big citys with long hours of service eachday 😮‍💨 as in Newyork 🗽Enjoyed your article 🚎💨

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your very nice comment!!!

[@Gypsycat19]

Hino makes school buses for Australia

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment!

[@angelfromnyc5547]

hi good afternoon jeffrey and yes I am new Yorker grew up for a number of recent years or decades and seen all types of varieties of classic buses from all types ranging from old looks the new looks and even from the very first advance design the Grumman model 870 when I moved to queens in 1908s accompanied with my parents at the time I have spotted two of them on the B58 now the Q58 and the other called the Q88 bus route that you typically mentioned at queens village bus depot and also grew up seen other buses like hino from Japan and other bus makes from France. and lastly I remember seen the British Leyland double decker buses that desperately want to go on when I lived those years in Manhattan at that time but missed at the time thank you again Jeffery for sharing you history about the vintage buses of New York city and PS I would like to see more about the flexible bus of NYC from 7000 to 9000 series.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you very much for watching and for your very nice comment! I will look into the 7000-9000 flxible buses you mention - I remember riding them as well!

[@viktorakhmedov3442]

Now this guy is a real New Yorker

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

How did you ever know??

[@franbrinda]

Still in service today in Thailand.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment!

[@christopheryanoski6899]

There was another hino or two that was tested a few years later with a lot of improvements.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Yes, you are right about a second Hino. But...I heard it wasn't much better...maybe a little bit. Thank you for watching and for your comment!

[@nwfb970]

The seats were so small even in Asians' point of view... it is more or less like kindergarten buses. Even in these days the city buses in Japan still have these tiny seats, not sure why; defiantly awkward when 2 adults sitting together.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your interesting comment about buses in Japan!

[@cmdrflake]

The bus facility was originally planned for a site in Poughkeepsie. It was a plum for Dutchess County. A rival site in Maybrook was not exactly favored as that site had been a railroad yard and would need to be decontaminated.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment about the planned Hino factory!

[@alterman156channel]

I rode the Hino bus when it ran on Westchester County Route 6. It was not a great bus. It was only an O.K. bus. Not very refined. I would have preferred an older GMC "Fishbowl" bus that was still in good condition. Perhaps lack of experience on part of Hino could be a factor there at the time (1982 when I rode it). Perhaps if Hino had been given a chance, they probably would have built a much better bus and it would have been more likely to have been a success. I would give credit to Hino for making an attempt to see if their bus would have been able to make it in North American (U.S. and Canada) at the time.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment about your experience riding the Hino! Very interesting!

[@GlennBrown-il3fx]

The two 1981 Hino model RC buses that were tested (Fleet nos. 950 & 951) were basically glorified school buses. They maybe worked in Japan who tended to be smaller and thinner in physique, but they did not work in NYC. Even normal sized New Yorkers could not fit int he seats. In 1982 Hino tested another model (the RC Model) (fleet no. 952) in NYC. It was better, but not by much.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you, Glenn for watching and for your informative comments! Interesting to hear there was a third Hino tested!

[@nwfb970]

The seats are considered small even in Asians point of view...

[@dodge1515]

Can you do the MTA history with the RTS next?

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment....that's a tall order, LOL, but I will definitely consider an NYCTA RTS video!

[@jamesfrench7299]

They may be basic but reliable beyond compare. Japanese commercial vehicle manufacturers put their engines through the most rigorous testing before going to market, even more than Cummins.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your interesting comment!

[@washingtoniaofficialyoutub4551]

you should do one on the kinda recent Mercedes Citaro that MTA Demoed

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment...that's a great idea, I will research this!

[@rctopfueler2841]

My late 90s Hino ( toyota) had air over type brakes and when you hit brakes more than 2 or 3 times backing up the low pressure alarm would sound and it was just like jim carrey when he makes the most irritating sound ever heard to jeff daniels truck sound was identical

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment!

[@savoirfaire5460]

hey didn't they test that accordion bus(2 bus bodies with a accordion section between them)I think in the later 80s early 90s

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment! Yes...there was numerous artic/accordion tests and by the mid to late 1990s, they were in regular service.

[@calvincrews3885]

That bus would have been in America if they would offer it all around America including New Jersey they would look great if they changed the style a little bit

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment!

[@Twittler1]

Renault - pronounced Renno, not Renawlt. Chassis is Shassee, not shassis. Same word whether singular or plural.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Ok, noted. Will try to remember that next time! Thank you for watching and for your comment!

[@JTA1961]

Just like when you pay to ride...it's called bus~"fair"😅

[@christopherlucy1772]

It should be maneuverable & good on POT HOLED ROADS??

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Maybe...but maybe it will also break more easily? I don't know...

[@christopherlucy1772]

Why not on lighter ridership routes.?.more buses 4 more capacity is expensive💴..adds traffic in busy areas..

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Yeah...the MTA can't think out of the box! Thank you for watching and for your comment!

[@goclunker]

The Japanese variant look like something out of the 2000s, the American model looked like something from the 60s. Facedrop lol

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment!

[@goclunker]

Hino is toyota

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

Thank you for watching and for your comment!

[@believer5497]

One of the ugliest pieces of machinery ever produced. I seriously hated them. The Renolt was much better.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL, thank you for watching and for your interesting observation!

[@christopherlucy1772]

So Japan is congested..roads r. Narrow and people are smaller physically not LARGE LIKE CAREY.🫃

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

LOL!