The Manitoba Transit Heritage Association Inc. (MTHA) is a non-profit tax charitable organization whose members volunteer in the restoration, maintenance and display of Manitoba’s largest collection of vintage transit vehicles.
Current logo designed by Ron Zaballero while studying under Prof. Al Guzzi at Red River College in 2010[1] | |
| Formation | July 21, 1989 |
|---|---|
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Registration no. | 88775 1659 RR0001[2] |
| Legal status | museum and charitable organization |
| Location | |
| Website | mtha |
The mission of the Association is to restore old transit vehicles for historic purposes; to create a transit museum for display of transit vehicles and related transit-industry memorabilia; and to provide restored transit vehicles for public parades and community event displays.
The MTHA has a fleet of operational historic vehicles, and further vehicles which are awaiting restoration. These buses were previously used in public transportation service (both public and private companies) between 1937 and 2019.
The genesis for MTHA was a search in summer 1987 by retired Winnipeg Transit employees Ron Alexander and John Kapusta for old Studebaker automobiles in rural Manitoba. During that search, they found an old electric streetcar in a farm field, and were inspired to found a preservation group for bus, streetcar, and trolleys in Manitoba along with other current and retired Transit employees on July 21, 1989. The group’s charter was “restoring old transit vehicles for historical purposes; creating a transit museum for the display of vintage transit vehicles; [providing] restored vehicles to transport senior citizens, disabled persons, school children and other such groups for tours and outings; and [providing] restored transit vehicles for public parades and displays”.[3]
The group’s first restoration project was the 1941 Twin Coach 30GS, which had been abandoned in a farm yard in Grand Marais; it was purchased by MTHA for one dollar. The second project was the 1937 Twin Coach 23R, which was in the yard of King’s Welding of Ladywood; it was acquired by MTHA in October 1990 and the restored vehicle was unveiled on November 2, 1991. Also in 1990, the group began restoring the 1946 Ford 69B; although work was substantially complete by 1992, it was not fully operational until 2018 due to other projects.[3]
As of 2019[update], the 1979 OBI Orion I is intended to serve as a mobile transit museum.[3] MTHA’s vehicles have appeared in several television shows and movies filmed in Manitoba, including Less Than Kind and The Don Cherry Story.[3]
| Year | Image | Manufacturer | Model | S/N[6][7][8] | Agency | Fleet No. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Twin Coach | 23R | 95582 | Winnipeg Electric Company | #111 | Found at Ladywood, MB;[9] acquired in 1990 for $750.[10] | |
| 1936 | Dodge/Lawrie | 4024R9 | Winnipeg Electric Company | #501 | Unrestored[6] | ||
| 1941 | Twin Coach | 30GS | 108770 | Winnipeg Electric Company | #214 | Found at Grand Marais, MB[9] | |
| 1946 | Ford Transit | 69B | 66116X | Winnipeg Electric Company | #565 | Found at Fisher Branch, MB[9] | |
| 1948 | CCF/Brill | C-36 | CCB-CD36-47-2329 | Winnipeg Electric Company | #707 | Unrestored[6] | |
| 1950 | CCF/Brill | T-48A | 8151 | Winnipeg Electric Company | #1768 | Last electric trolley coach to operate in revenue service (Oct 30, 1970).[11] | |
| 1954 | GMC | TDH-4801 | TDH4801-249 | Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority | #6583 | Representative of several “Old Look” types previously operated in Winnipeg. Donated in 2016.[12] | |
| Sacramento Regional Transit District | |||||||
| BC Transit | |||||||
| Regina Transit | #200 | ||||||
| Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg | #188 | ||||||
| 1956 | Western Flyer | T-36-2L | MBPGSIN6458 | Grey Goose Bus Lines | #20 | AKA Scenic Cruiser, donated in fully-restored condition in 2009 by New Flyer.[13] | |
| 1958 | Western Flyer | T-40 | RD115412 | Royal Canadian Air Force | #119A35-1815 | Donated in fully-restored condition in 2009 by New Flyer.[13] | |
| 1963 | GMC | SDM-4502 | C006 | Beaver Bus Lines | #33 | Donated in 2009.[14] | |
| 1966 | Western Flyer | Canuck P-41 | 3966 | Canadian Coachways | #42 | ||
| 1971 | GMC | T6H-4521A | T6H4521814 | Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg | #751 (ex-#132) | Donated to MTHA in 2000.[15] | |
| 1979 | Ontario Bus Industries | Orion 01.503 | 90810167 | Beaver Bus Lines | #43 | Donated by Vintage Railway Society; assigned Fleet No. 953/963, used as “Rolling Museum Bus”.[16][17][18] | |
| 1984 | Flyer Industries | D901-10240 | D102403025 | Winnipeg Transit | #107 | Donated in 2009. First Flyer bus in the MTHA fleet.[14] | |
| 1984 | Motor Coach Industries | MC-9 | 1M89CM6A9DP038668 | Northern Bus Lines | #112 | Donated by Northern Bus Lines in 2015. | |
| 1988 | Motor Coach Industries | TC40-102N Classic | Winnipeg Transit | #316 | |||
| 1990 | New Flyer | D40 | Winnipeg Transit | #858 | |||
| 2002 | New Flyer | D40i | Winnipeg Transit | #907 |
In addition to historic vehicles, the MTHA has a large collection of related transit-industry memorabilia such as badges, uniforms, passes, tickets, transfers, transfer punches, fareboxes, decals and manuals.
- ^ “re:Design” (PDF). The Switch Iron. Vol. 4, no. 2. November 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ “Detail page: Manitoba Transit Heritage Association Inc”. Government of Canada. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d Regiec, Alex (February 2019). “MTHA celebrates thirty years” (PDF). The Switch Iron. Vol. 12, no. 1. Manitoba Transit Heritage Association. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ “Fleet Roster” (PDF). The Switch Iron. Vol. 2, no. 2. Manitoba Transit Heritage Association. April 2008. p. 5. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ “The Vintage Fleet”. Manitoba Transit Heritage Association.
- ^ a b c “2015 Annual Financial Report: Non-Cash Assets, summary of vehicles & memorabilia owned in 2015 by the MTHA” (PDF). The Switch Iron. Vol. 9, no. 1. p. 7. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ “2016 Annual Financial Report: Non-Cash Assets, summary of vehicles & memorabilia owned in 2016 by the MTHA” (PDF). The Switch Iron. Vol. 10, no. 1. April 2017. p. 7. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ “2017 Annual Financial Report: Non-Cash Assets, summary of vehicles & memorabilia owned in 2017 by the MTHA” (PDF). The Switch Iron. Vol. 11, no. 1. March 2018. p. 7. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ a b c “Equipment & Archives”. Archived from the original on September 8, 2007.
- ^ Baker, John (July 2014). “1937 Twin Coach bus #111: A Short History” (PDF). The Switch Iron. Vol. 7, no. 1. p. 5. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ “Projects”. Archived from the original on September 6, 2007.
- ^ “1954 GM bus has been everywhere … welcome to the MTHA!” (PDF). The Switch Iron. Vol. 11, no. 3. December 2018. p. 1. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ a b “New Flyer donates coaches” (PDF). The Switch Iron. Vol. 3, no. 6. December 2009. p. 1. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ a b “MTHA adds two buses to vintage collection” (PDF). The Switch Iron. Vol. 3, no. 1. February 2009. p. 3. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ “Bus 751 shines in the bright summer sun…” (PDF). The Switch Iron. Vol. 1, no. 3. August 2007. p. 4. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ “Museum Bus” (PDF). The Switch Iron. Vol. 4, no. 1. Summer 2010. p. 1. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ “MTHA News: Museum Bus Project Update” (PDF). Vol. 5, no. 1. Winter 2012. p. 3. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Regiec, Alex (Fall 2012). “Taking it to the streets” (PDF). Vol. 5, no. 2. p. 3. Retrieved 10 May 2021.