Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 6169

The Truck and Coach Division of General Motors (GMC) built over 44,000 "New Look" buses beginning in 1958 and continuing to 1977 in the U.S. and 1985 in Canada. The "New Look" buses were also called "fishbowl" buses because of their angled windshields. The buses featured lightweight aluminum construction and good visibility for the driver due to the windshield design. The GM "New Look" bus was the most popular transit bus of its era. GM offered "New Look" buses in many variations including 29-foot, 35-foot and 40-foot lengths, transit and suburban configurations and through four "generations." No. 6169 is a model TDH-5303 bus indicating the following: T - Transit D – Diesel engine H - Hydraulic transmission 53 - 53 seat, 40-foot length 03 – series 3 No. 6169 is one of 220 GMC TDH5303 diesel buses (Nos. 6000-6219) ordered by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in 1966-67. At the same time, the MBTA also purchased smaller, 45 seat “New Look” buses. These were the first buses ordered by the MBTA after it was formed in 1964. The MBTA acquired these buses to replace all of the gasoline buses and most of the Mack diesel buses in its fleet. They were used on all parts of the system, and for a while Nos. 6166-6168 were leased to Lowell Regional Transit when the MBTA took over the large Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway system. No. 6169 first operated out of the Bartlett Street Garage in Roxbury. No. 6169 became a mobile classroom in the mid-1970s. Later, after rebuilding, it returned to revenue service. No. 6169 last served in Charlestown in April 1995. Seashore acquired No. 6169 in 1995 shortly after its retirement. After coming to the museum, volunteers cleaned the bus and waxed the exterior.