Old Pueblo Transit #5060

#5060 outside the shuttered Fox Theatre, 1970s

Background

By the late 1960s, private bus systems across the United States were failing, with many cities resorting to municipal ownership to keep public transportation going. Tucson Rapid Transit and its successor Tucson Transit Corp., faced with insolvency, agreed to be contracted by the City of Tucson in 1969. By the mid-1970s, Sun Tran was providing better services with more buses across the growing north and east sides of the city.

Old Pueblo Transit, the other bus company in Tucson, remained in private hands through the 1970s. That is not to say it was successful, as profits were marginal at best. Nevertheless, there was constant back-and-forth by the city council about acquiring the company. In the meantime, Old Pueblo Transit agreed to lease 9 new Highway Products TC-31s from the City of Tucson using federal funding.

Unfortunately, when these buses arrived in 1974, they were less than ideal, even compared to the GM “Old Look” buses it was supposed to replace. They were plagued by mechanical issues and poor manufacturing. OPT begrudgingly used them, but they were able to convince the city to replace them with something better when the option became available.

Service History

#5060 was part of a twenty-bus order made by Sun Tran and leased to OPT, arriving in 1976 and doubling the fleet size. They were Flxible “New Look”-style buses that were much preferred to the previous Highway Products, which had been returned to Sun Tran as soon the Flxibles were in service.

In 1978, OPT made the surprise decision to sell their business to Sun Tran. On September 9, 1978, OPT #5060 completed the company’s last route, finishing downtown around 9pm.

f#5060 after the final run for Old Pueblo Transit, 9/9/1978. The following day, all previous OPT routes were absorbed by Sun Tran.

Over the next 6 months, all the OPT buses were painted in Sun Tran colors and renumbered, with #5060 becoming #7660. It remained in service until it was retired in 1998 and donated to Old Pueblo Trolley.

Sun Tran #653 before it was repainted into official Sun Tran colors

Post-Service History

Restoration work began on #5060 in 2024. It was repainted to its original exterior colors. More mechanical and interior work is necessary.

Sun Tran #7657 on Pennington near Toole in Sun Tran colors

Sun Tran #7660 as it appeared before restoration

#5060 after exterior repainting, 2025

Restoration Status

#5060 was repainted to its original livery in 2025. Rubber and glass needs to be replaced and/or reinstalled. Mechanics are intact but require further investigation and maybe rebuilding. Interior needs thorough restoration.

Ownership Snapshot

Original Owner: Old Pueblo Transit #5060
Acquired From: Sun Tran in 1998
Current Livery: Old Pueblo Transit #5060 (repainted 2025)

Technical Specs

Year Built: 1976
Manufacturer: Flxible
Model: 35096-6-1
Serial: 61082
Powertrain: Rear mounted Detroit Diesel 6V71N with an Allison V730 automatic transmission
Body: Aluminum
Length: 31 ft
Width: 96 in
Seating: 35 passengers, transit seating