THE SHOWBUS AMERICA BUS IMAGE GALLERY
King County Metro | articulated buses
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 In partnership with MAN, General Motors (AM General) imported around 400 MAN SG220 artics which were fitted out in the US. Metro, as it was then known, in Seattle took the lion's share of 151 between 1977 and 1979, with others going to AC Transit, Charlotte, Golden Gate in San Francisco, Memphis, Minneapolis-St Paul, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Phoenix, Washington and Chicago. The latter bought another 225 direct from MAN when the partnership with AMG finished. Seattle Metro also had 202 direct from MAN, but another 46 as articulated trolleybuses. Metro sold 114 of their MAN artics for further service in Chicago. Separately Los Angeles ordered 240 from AMG. This is diesel powered AMG 1459 seen in the city in July 1986 the year the AMG trolleybuses were delivered.
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 Nearly twenty years later in August 2004 things had changed in Seattle. Simple Metro branding had been dropped in favour of King County Metro, the AM General buses and trolleys had both gone and New Flyer was the artic of choice, the rear end design featuring an inward sloping rear window. Most radical was the change in livery using a golden yellow base, a black waist band and the upper bodywork in one of several colours, with no obvious reason as to which colour an individual bus would receive. On the left with turquoise contrast is New Flyer D60HF 2326 and displaying its rear window with navy paintwork in 2446. In the background is a Sound Transit Gillig Phantom. |
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 Heading into the city is D60HF 2504 topped in green. Between 1998 and 1999 274 D60 artics were delivered. |
 King County has adopted a very pro public transport and environmentally friendly policy, so diesel electric hybrids were early additions to the fleet. A New Flyer DE60LF prototype, 2599 was delivered in 2002, but was withdrawn prematurely after a fire. Happily the 213 that followed between 2003 and 2004 faired better and have served well. This turquoise topped bus, 2614, was an early delivery. |
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 Thirty pure diesel New Flyer D60LF buses were delivered in 2004 to compare with the hybrids. So brand new 2883 is seen with navy upper bodywork on an express working. |
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