In September 1953 Niagara Frontier Transit received its first General Motors transit bus. It was also the first bus equipped with air suspension and a two-speed V-drive transmission. Originally numbered 100, it was changed to 7000 in 1954 when 29 additional model TDH-5106 buses (numbers 7001-7029) were received. Fifteen additional buses (7100-7114) arrived in 1957. In 1961, 20 more idential units (600-619) were added when NFT purchased Bufffalo Transit, Inc. Photo by General Motors Corp.

A mid-day weekday scene in January, 1970, as NFT number 7018 is inbound on Main Street at Chippewa in downtown Buffalo. The last of these 65 coaches was retired in 1979. One unit – 7101 – was converted to a vault bus in 1971 and continued to run until 1992. Today it survives in private preservation.

To celebrate the American Bicentennial in 1976, two buses – 604 and 7022 – were repainted in a special commemorative color scheme. Number 604 was caught behind the old garage in Niagara Falls, while 7022 is seen on route 22, posed in the loop near Walden & Bailey. Upper photo by Alan Gryfe   Lower photo by Walter Bailey

NFT 604 was originally Buffalo Transit Company 304 and was delivered in 1958. BTC was acquired by NFT in May, 1961. Interior photos of any BTC buses are rare. Although in service for NFT Metro when this picture was taken in 1976, the only noticeable changes were NFT's ubiquitous Grant Moneymeter farebox, and fiberglass passenger seats that were installed in 1971. Photo by Alan Gryfe

NFT and its predecessor IRC were loyal Mack customers, purchasing a total of 1,195 buses between 1935 and 1958. The “new look Mack” was created by Mack for the NFT, although many features were dervied from Mack’s “Bus of Tomorrow” built in 1950. This member of the group is southbound on Main Street at Tupper in January, 1970. The old Teck Theater to the left of the bus is the former Courier-Express building. Across the street, the red stone edifice at the right of the picture is the Sidway Building, converted to loft apartments in 2004.

Niagara Frontier Transit 7523 was a GMC model TDH-5304 built for NFT in late 1964. In 1975 NFT Metro began operating a connecting bus service between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, NY for Amtrak. Special baggage racks were constructed by company shop workers and several seats from recently retired T-NT school buses were installed. This service was replaced by Amtrak Rail in 19xx. 7523 continued to operate until 1983. photo by Alan Gryfe

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Acquired by NFT Metro when T-NT (Tonawanda–North Tonawanda) Transit was purchased in 1975. NFT Metro's first new buses – Twin Coach model TC-31s 3001 to 3012 – replaced this particular unit. Photo by Alan Gryfe

GMC highway coach model PD-4106. Photo by Alan Gryfe

Originally Grand Island Transit 114 and purchased by NFT Metro in 1975 when GIT's Grand Island route was acquired, it was subsequently repainted into Metro colors and remained active until 1989. Photo by Alan Gryfe

Originally Niagara Falls Municipal Transit Corporation number 540 and acquired by NFTA in May, 1974, this bus was photographed heading southbound on Main at Allen Street in 19xx. 540 was retired in 1991. Photo by Alan Gryfe

The first bus to be painted into metro's new colors. Photo by

In 1941 the IRC (International Railway Company) received 10 Mack single-door model LC transit buses for interurban service between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. They were equipped with special high-speed gearing, mohair seats and trumpet air horns. In 1954 two were converted to transport farebox vaults for NFT’s new Grant farebox system. This particular bus, number 12, ran until December 1971. It was photographed near the end of its service life in January 1970 in front of the former NFT headquarters building at Main and Virgina Streets.

Two 1958 Dodge tow trucks were purchased in 1958. These units, along with two Chevy wreckers built in 1947 and 1951 and originally owned by BTC, remained in use until 1976. Photo by Alan Gryfe

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