About the GM “Old Look”
Known as the “Old Look,” this American-built transit coach was available between the late 1930s and 1959, when it was superseded by the “New Look” or “Fishbowl”. Before the early ’60s, GM coaches were not very popular in Vancouver, being mainly used in Victoria. When the Bureau of Transit Services expanded bus services in 1974, used buses similar to this model were bought second-hand from operators in California.
About #730
Originally serving in Victoria and later Powell River, Mission and other small communities in B.C., 730 retired from service in 1986 as BC Transit 642, bearing the red, white and blue livery applied to their buses between 1982 and 2008, and was exhibited at Expo 86 following its retirement. It was then restored externally and converted to a mobile theatre and public relations vehicle in 1989 for BC Transit’s Centennial Celebration the following year.
Most recently, 730’s interior was extensively refurbished. The formerly dark interior was brightened up with new paint and LED lighting, made easier to move around in with the removal of original seats, and the timeline mounted on the bus’s walls was updated to reflect the history of transit in Metro Vancouver from its beginnings to the present day. The refurbished 730 made its formal debut in the summer of 2019 as part of TransLink’s Transport 2050 Expo at the PNE Fair.