The Transit Museum Society of British Columbia recently conducted a successful tour of suburban Metro Vancouver with vintage BC Hydro Transit Bus No. 4612, a 1964 General Motors TDH-4519 “fishbowl” model.  

Even though GM vehicles were heavily featured in BC Electric’s Victoria fleet, the Vancouver division mostly standardized on Twin Coach and Canadian Car buses. Only in 1964, five years after its introduction to the North American market, did a ‘Fishbowl’ (or ‘New Look’) become part of the Lower Mainland fleet.  In this case, BC Hydro had succeeded BC Electric, and purchased 16 such buses for its North Vancouver services.  No. 4612 later served in Burnaby and Surrey on low-ridership routes due to its shorter length of 35 feet.  The trip visited numerous scenic destinations such as Crescent Beach, White Rock, the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, Steveston and the Vancouver International Airport. Please follow the Canadian Transit Heritage Foundation on Facebook for more photos!