Gillig Phantom

The **Gillig Phantom** was a transit bus available in the United States and built in Hayward, California. It was produced from 1980 to 2008 and was especially popular with small and mid-sized transit systems.

## History

In 1976, Gillig entered into an agreement with German manufacturer Neoplan to produce a bus of their design in the United States. Production of the small Gillig-Neoplan transit bus was short-lived, with production ending in 1979. Soon after, Gillig set out to design its own transit bus. The Phantom was introduced in 1980 with the goal to target small private operators and transit agencies. It was soon able to compete with the popular GM RTS, the Flxible Metro and other high-floor buses that were available at the same time.

The Phantom remained in production until 2008, when Gillig focused on only selling its Low Floor product line. The final Phantom order was placed by San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority.

### Design

Initially launched in a 35-foot length and 96-inch width, the Phantom was soon made available in lengths of 30 feet and 40 feet. A 102-inch width was later offered three years into production.

The Phantom had a diesel-powered drivetrain in a T-drive layout at the rear. As an alternative to diesel, Gillig offered natural gas engines beginning in 1992. In 1996, Gillig built their first diesel-electric hybrid bus using a series hybrid arrangement. Their second bus, unveiled in 2001, used the newly developed parallel hybrid electric system from Allison. Electric trolleybus versions of the Phantom were produced for King County Metro from 2001 to 2002.

Gillig supplied the Phantom as a "glider", which meant that they were delivered without a drivetrain. King County Metro removed the motors, propulsion controls and other components from their AM General trolleybuses, sent them to Alstom to be refurbished and then reinstalled them into the new Gillig Phantoms along with new fiberglass trolley poles from Vossloh Kiepe. The unique fleet with recycled propulsion systems saved money for King County Metro in the early 2000s.

The exterior of the Phantom would change little over the course of production. From the start of production to 1983, the bus had rectangular tail lights. A wide, louvred HVAC hood curved with the roofline. Round tail lights were later used and the HVAC hood was revised. Most Phantoms were built with dual headlights while others (an example being Foothill Transit) had single headlights. A defining characteristic of Gillig was introduced on the Phantom: its "half octagon" wheel arches have been featured in the design since the beginning.

A school bus version of the Phantom was produced from 1985 to 1993.

## Model Designation

### Standard Model Breakdown

#### 1980-1997

Model example a 35 foot long, 96 inch wide, Detroit Diesel powered unit

 1982-1983
 1983
 1984-1985
 1985-1987
 1987-1992
 1993
 1994-1997

 35/96TB/6V92T

#### 1997-2008

Model example a 35 foot long, 96 inch wide, Detroit Diesel powered unit

 C20B096N4

### Non-Standard Model Breakdown

Model example a 40 foot long, 102 inch wide, Cummins powered unit

 M11-T40-102

## Operators

### Mexico

* Transportes de Baja California Azul y Blanco, J. Magallanes, S.A. de C.V. - Tijuana, Baja California
* Transportes Mixtos Del Valle - Mexicali, Baja California
* Transporte Urbano y Sub Urbano 24 De Febrero, S.A. De C.V. - Tijuana, Baja California

### United States

* Academy Bus Lines - NJ
* AC Transit - Alameda & Contra Costa Counties, CA
* Albany Transit System (ATS) - Albany, GA
* Altoona Metro Transit (Amtran) - Altoona, PA
* Antelope Valley Transit Authority - Palmdale & Lancaster, CA
* AppalCART - Boone, NC
* Arcata and Mad River Transit System (AMRTS) - Arcata, CA
* Athens Public Transit - Athens, OH
* Augusta Transit - Augusta, GA
* Autoridad Metropolitana de Autobuses (operated by First Transit) - San Juan, PR
* Avon Transit - Avon, CO
* Banning Transit - Banning, CA
* Bay Metro Transit - Bay City, MI
* Beach Cities Transit - Redondo Beach, CA
* Bear Transit - University of California, Berkeley
* Beloit Transit System - Beloit, WI
* Ben Franklin Transit - Richland, WA
* Benicia Breeze - Benicia, CA
* Berks Area Reading Transportation Authority (BARTA) - Reading, PA
* Bloomington-Normal Public Transit System - Bloomington & Normal, IL
* Boise Urban Stages (BUS) - Boise, ID
* Broward County Transit - Fort Lauderdale & Broward County, FL
* Bull Runner Transit (University of South Florida) - Tampa, FL
* Butte Regional Transit - Butte County, CA
* Camarillo Area Transit - Camarillo, CA
* Cambria County Transit Authority - Johnstown, PA
* Cambus (University of Iowa Transit) - Iowa City, IA
* Capital Area Transit System - Baton Rouge, LA
* Capital Metro Transit - Austin, TX
* Cedar Rapids Transit - Cedar Rapids, IA
* County Connection - Central Contra Costa County, CA
* Central Florida Regional Transit Authority (LYNX) - Orlando, FL
* Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) - State College, PA
* Chapel Hill Transit (CHT) - Chapel Hill, NC
* Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) - Charlotte, NC
* Chatham Area Transit (CAT) - Savannah, GA
* Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) - Chattanooga, TN
* Chico Area Transit System (CATS) - Chico, CA
* CitiBus – Watertown, NY
* Citizens Area Transit - Las Vegas, NV
* City of Commerce Municipal Bus - Commerce, CA
* City of Lompoc Transit (COLT) - Lompoc, CA
* City of Winter Park - Winter Park, FL
* Clallam Transit - Clallam County, WA
* C-TRAN - Vancouver & Clark County, WA
* Clarksville Transit System (CTS) - Clarksville, TN
* Clinton Municipal Transit Administration (MTA) - Clinton, IA
* Commerce Municipal Bus Lines - Commerce, CA
* Community Connector - Bangor, ME
* Community Urban Bus Service (CUBS) - Longview & Kelso, WA
* Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST) - Portsmouth, Dover & Exeter, NH
* Coralville Transit - Coralville, IA
* Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority - Corpus Christi, TX
* Corvallis Transit System - Corvallis, OR
* County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS) - Scranton, PA
* CUE Bus - Fairfax, VA
* Culver CityBus - Culver City, CA
* CyRide - Ames, IA
* Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
* DASH - Alexandria, VA
* DART First State
* Denver International Airport Shuttle Service - Denver, CO
* Denver Regional Transit District - Denver, CO
* Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority - Des Moines, IA
* Dumbarton Express - Union City, CA
* Durham Area Transit Authority - Durham, NC
* Dutchess County LOOP - Dutchess County, NY
* Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) - Escambia County, FL
* Escot Bus Lines - St. Petersburg, FL
* Eureka Transit Service - Eureka, CA
* Everett Transit - Everett, WA
* Fairfield-Suisun Transit (FTS) - Fairfield-Suisun City, CA
* Foothill Transit - San Gabriel & Pomona Valleys, CA
* Fort Wayne Public Transportation Corporation (Citilink) - Fort Wayne, IN
* FAX - Fresno, CA
* Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) - Greenfield, MA
* Gainesville Regional Transit System (RTS) - Gainesville, FL
* Glendale Beeline - Glendale, CA
* Go West Transit (Western Illinois University) - Macomb, IL
* GET - Bakersfield, CA
* Golden Gate Transit - San Francisco Bay Area, CA
* Grant Transit Authority - Moses Lake, WA
* Grays Harbor Transit - Aberdeen, WA
* Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority (GBTA) - Bridgeport, CT
* Greater Bridgeport Transit District (The People Mover) - Bridgeport, CT
* CityBus - Lafayette & Tippecanoe County, IN
* Greater Lynchburg Transit Company (operated by First Transit) - Lynchburg, VA
* Greater Peoria Mass Transit District (CityLink) - Peoria, IL
* Greater Portland Transit District - Portland, ME
* Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) - Richmond, VA
* Greeley-Evans Transit - Greeley, CO
* Greensboro Transit Authority (GTA) - Greensboro, NC
* Grove Commuter Shuttle - Downers Grove, IL
* Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) - Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Newport News, VA
* CAT - Harrisburg, PA
* Hawaii County Mass Transit Agency (Hele-On Bus) - Hawaii County, HI
* Hazleton Public Transit (HPT) - Hazleton, PA
* Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HARTline)- Tampa Bay & Hillsborough County, FL
* Huntington Area Rapid Transit - Huntington, NY
* Huskie Line - De Kalb, IL
* Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (Indy-Go) - Indianapolis, IN
* Intercity Transit - Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater & Yelm, WA
* Iowa City Transit - Iowa City, IA
* Island Transit - Oak Harbor, WA
* Jackson Transit Authority - Jackson, TN
* Jefferson Transit - Jefferson, LA
* Jefferson Transit - Jefferson, WA
* Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority - Charleston, WV
* Kansas City Area Transportation Authority - Kansas City, MO
* King County Metro - Seattle & King County, WA
* Kings Area Rural Transit - Kings County, CA
* Kitsap Transit - Kitsap County, WA
* Lakeland Area Mass Transit District (Citrus Connection) - Lakeland, FL
* LakeXpress - Lake County, FL
* Lane Transit District (LTD) - Eugene & Lane County, OR
* Laredo Municipal Transit System (El Metro) - Laredo, TX
* Las Vegas Transit System - Las Vegas, NV
* LAX Shuttle - Los Angeles International Airport, CA
* Lewiston-Auburn Transit Committee - Lewiston and Auburn, ME
* Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority - Livermore & Amador Valley, CA
* Long Beach Bus - Long Beach, NY
* Lorenz Bus Service - Minneapolis, MN
* Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) - Los Angeles, CA
* Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA) - Lowell, MA
* Luzerne County Transportation Authority (LCTA) - Wilkes-Barre & Luzerne County, PA
* Madison Metro - Madison, WI
* Manchester Transit Authority (MTA) - Manchester, NH
* Mason Transit Authority - Shelton, WA
* Maui Bus - Maui, HI
* Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA) - Haverhill & Lawrence, MA
* Metro Area Transit - Omaha, NE
* Metro Regional Transit Authority - Akron, OH
* METRO Transit - Oklahoma City, OK
* MetroLINK - Rock Island, IL
* Metropolitan Area Commuter System - Fairbanks, AK
* Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority - Washington, DC
* Mid Mon Valley Transit Authority - Charleroi, PA
* Metro Transit - Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
* Missoula Urban Transportation District - Missoula, MT
* Modesto Area Express - Modesto, CA
* Monroe County Transit Authority (Pocono Pony) - Stroudsburg, PA
* Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) - Monterey & Salinas, CA
* Mountain Metropolitan Transit - Colorado Springs, CO
* Mountain Rides Transportation Authority - Ketchum, ID
* Nashua Transit System (NTS) - Nashua, NH
* New Castle Area Transit Authority (NCATA) - New Castle, PA
* Norwalk Transit System - Norwalk, CA
* OCTA - Orange County, CA
* Orlando International Airport, FL
* Ozark Regional Transit - Springdale, AR
* Pace - (Suburban) Chicago, IL
* Pacific Transit System - Raymond & Pacific County, WA
* Palm Tran - Palm Beach County, FL
* Pierce Transit - Pierce County, WA
* Pine Bluff Transit - Pine Bluff, AR
* Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) - Clearwater, FL
* Pocatello Regional Transit - Pocatello, ID
* PAT - Pittsburgh, PA
* Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority - Portage County, OH
* PRTC - Woodbridge, VA
* Poughkeepsie Transit - Poughkeepsie, NY
* The Bus - Prince George's County, MD
* Private Transportation - Brooklyn, NY
* Pueblo Transit - Pueblo, CO
* Pullman Transit - Pullman, WA
* Rabbit Transit - York, PA
* Razorback Transit - University of Arkansas
* Red Rose Transit Authority - Lancaster, PA
* Red & Tan Tours of Boca Raton - Boca Raton, FL
* Redding Area Bus Authority (RABA) - Redding, CA
* Redwood Transit System (RTS) - Redwood, CA
* Ride-On - Montgomery County, MD
* RiverCities Transit - Longview & Kelso, WA
* Riverside Transit Agency - Riverside, CA
* RGRTA - Rochester, NY
* Rockford MTD - Rockford, IL
* Rogue Valley Transportation District - Medford, OR
* RT - Sacramento, CA
* St. Cloud Metropolitan Transit Commission - St. Cloud, MN
* St. Louis Metro - St. Louis, MO
* San Diego Metropolitan Transit System- San Diego, CA
* San Francisco MUNI - San Francisco, CA
* San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority (SLO RTA) - San Luis Obispo County, CA
* San Luis Obispo Transit (SLO Transit) - San Luis Obispo, CA
* SamTrans - San Mateo County, CA
* Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD Santa Barbara) - Santa Barbara County, CA
* Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority - San Jose & Santa Clara County, CA
* Santa Clarita Transit - Santa Clarita, CA
* Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (Santa Cruz Metro) - Santa Cruz, CA
* Santa Rosa CityBus - Santa Rosa, CA
* Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) - Sarasota County, FL
* Savannah Transit Authority - Savannah, GA
* Sequoia Shuttle - Sequoia National Park, CA
* Shuttle-UM - University of Maryland
* Simi Valley Transit (SVT) - Simi Valley, CA
* Sioux City Transit - Sioux City, IA
* Sioux Falls Transit - Sioux Falls, SD
* Skagit Transit - Skagit County, WA
* Solano Express - CA
* Sound Transit - Snohomish, King & Pierce Counties, WA
* South Metro Area Regional Transit (SMART) - Wilsonville, OR
* South Portland Bus Service - South Portland, ME
* South Tahoe Area Ground Express (STAGE) - South Lake Tahoe, CA
* Southern Nevada Transit Coalition (Silver Rider Transit) - Laughlin/Mesquite, NV
* Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) - Cincinnati, OH
* Springfield Mass Transit District (SMTD) - Springfield, IL
* Springs Transit - Colorado Springs, CO
* StarTran - Lincoln, NE
* Steamboat Springs Transit - Steamboat Springs, CO
* Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation - (Suburban) Detroit, MI (1992-2004)
* Suffolk County Transit - Suffolk County, NY
* Summit Stage - Summit County, CO
* SunLine Transit Agency - Coachella Valley, CA
* Sun Valley Shuttle Services - Sun Valley, ID
* Tahoe Area Regional Transit (TART) - CA
* TheBus - Honolulu, HI
* The Rapid - Grand Rapids, MI
* Torrance Transit - Torrance, CA
* Transfort - Fort Collins, CO
* Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) - Fort Wright, KY
* TRANSPO - South Bend, IN
* Transport of Rockland (TOR) - Rockland County, NY
* TriMet - Portland, OR
* Tri Delta Transit - Eastern Contra Costa County, CA
* Twin Transit - Centralia & Chehalis, WA
* UConn Transportation Services - Storrs, CT
* Union City Transit - Union City, CA
* Unitrans - Davis, CA
* University Transit Service - University of Virginia
* Utah Transit Authority - Salt Lake City, UT
* Vail Transit - Vail, CO
* Valley Metro - Phoenix, AZ
* Vallejo Transit (VT) - Vallejo, CA
* Vacaville City Coach - Vacaville, CA
* Visalia City Coach - Visalia, CA
* Volusia County Transit (Votran) - Volusia County, FL
* Valley Metro - Roanoke, VA
* Waukesha Metro Transit - Waukesha, WI
* Western Contra Costa County Transit Authority - Contra Costa County, CA
* Wilson Transit System (WTS) - Wilson, NC
* Windham Region Transit District (WRTD) - Willimantic, CT
* Winona State University Shuttle - Winona, MN
* Winter Park Transit - Winter Park, CO
* Yolo County Transportation District (Yolobus) - Woodland & Yolo County, CA
* Yosemite Transportation System - Yosemite National Park

## References

1. ↑ United States. Urban Mass Transportation Administration. Office of Bus and Paratransit Systems, United States. Urban Mass Transportation Administration. Office of Technical Assistance, and Transportation Systems Center. Energy and Environment Office. Transit Bus Manufacturer Profiles. , 1982.
2. ↑ The Gillig Story. Gillig Corporation. gillig.com (archived 2002).
3. ↑ About Metro > Metro Vehicles > Gillig Trolley Bus, *King County Metro*. Retrieved on October 1, 2016.
4. ↑ Metro to partner with New Flyer on next generation of electric trolley buses, *King County Metro*. Dated June 17, 2013, retrieved on October 1, 2016.
5. ↑ www.flickr.com
6. ↑ www.ebay.com
7. ↑ www.youtube.com
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 www.flickr.com
9. ↑ www.flickr.com
10. ↑ www.youtube.com