Ben Franklin Transit- Gillig Phantom

Welcome to the Ben Franklin Tranist photo gallery. Ben Franklin Transit provides fixed route transit service, dial a ride, TransPlus, Vanpool and Taxi feeder service to Benton and Franklin counties in central Washington state. It's fixed route transit bus fleet consists of approximately 75 buses operating on 22 routes as of June 2012.

Ben Franklin Transit has had a long history with the Gillig Phanton transit bus. In 1988 they were the first new transit buses that Ben Franklin Transit had ever purchased. Prior to this the system was run largely by used GM New Look buses since the systems formation in the early 1980's.

Although no photos of the first batch of 33 Gillig Phantons exisit on this website, sources confirm that they were built in 1988 and numbered 201-233, as well they were 35 feet in length. They have long since been retired. As well in 1992 a further 8 Gillig Phantom 40 foot buses (#234-241) were also delivered, these too have been retired.

As of June 2012, Ben Franklin Transit was operating a variety of second hand Gillig Phantoms in 30, 35 and 40 foot lengths. In 2010 three groups of C-TRAN Gillig Phantoms were added. The first units were former C-TRAN #2036, 2043, 2045 and 2051, these are 1995 Gillig Phantom 30 footers that are numbered 268-271. Four former C-TRAN 1995 Gillig Phantom 35 footers were also added to the fleet with new numbers 272-275: former C-TRAN #2061-2063 & 2065. Five former C-TRAN 1995 Gillig Phantom 40 footers also came online with new numbers 276-280: former C-TRAN #2087-2090 & 2098.

In 2011 two seperate batches of used Gillig Phantoms were added to the Ben Franklin Transit fleet. The first were two 1993 Gillig Phantom 30 foots from Mason Transit (#801-802), receiving new numbers of 281-282. The second batch were ten 1999 Gillig Phantom 40 footers from Sound Transit with original numbers: 9016-9017, 9019, 9022, 9045, 9047-9049, and 9052-9053. They received new numbers of #283-292; however, as of June 2012 they still retained their Sound Transit liveries minus decals and fleet numbers.


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Thumbnail Fleet Number Year Description Photo Date (M/D/Y)
269 1995 269 arriving at Three Rivers Transit Center working Route 50. 7/12/2012
269 Rear 1995 269 laying over at Three Rivers Transit Center working Route 50. 7/12/2012
271 1995 271 parked at the transit garage waiting for its next run. 7/12/2012
272 1995 272 arriving at 22nd Street Transit Center working Route 62 5th & Columbia. 7/12/2012
272 Rear 1995 272 arriving at 22nd Street Transit Center working Route 62. 7/12/2012
273 1995 273 arriving at 22nd Street Transit Center working Route 60 Jan & Pearl. 7/12/2012
273 Rear 1995 273 arriving at 22nd Street Transit Center working Route 60 Jan & Pearl. 7/12/2012
275 1995 275 laying over at Knight Street Transit Center working Route 23 Richland TC. 7/12/2012
277 1995 277 parked at the transit garage waiting for its next run. 7/12/2012
279 1995 279 parked at the transit garage waiting for its next run. 7/12/2012
280 1995 280 parked at the transit garage waiting for its next run. 7/12/2012
282 1993 282 parked at the transit garage waiting for its next run. 7/12/2012
283 1999 283 at the yard waiting for its next run. 7/12/2012
283 Rear 1999 283 at the yard waiting for its next run. 7/12/2012
284 1999 284 departing 22nd Avenue Transit Center working Route 67. 7/12/2012
284 Rear 1999 284 departing 22nd Avenue Transit Center working Route 67. 7/12/2012
288 1999 288 departing Three Rivers Transit Center working Route 42. 7/12/2012
288 Rear 1999 288 arriving at Three Rivers Transit Center working Route 42. 7/12/2012
289 1999 289 departing 22nd Avenue Transit Center working Route 120. 7/12/2012
289 Rear 1999 289 departing 22nd Avenue Transit Center working Route 120. 7/12/2012
290 1999 290 arriving at 22nd Avenue Transit Center working Route 66. 7/12/2012
290-2 1999 290 departing 22nd Avenue Transit Center working Route 66. 7/12/2012
290-3 1999 290 departing 22nd Avenue Transit Center working Route 66. 7/12/2012
290 Rear 1999 290 arriving at 22nd Avenue Transit Center working Route 66. 7/12/2012
291 1999 291 at the yard waiting for its next run. 7/12/2012
292 1999 292 departing Knight Street Transit Center working Route 225. 7/12/2012
292-2 1999 292 laying over at 22nd Avenue Transit Center working Route 225. 7/12/2012
292-3 1999 292 departing 22nd Avenue Transit Center working Route 225. 7/12/2012
292 Rear 1999 292 departing Knight Street Transit Center working Route 225. 7/12/2012
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