Student mechanics get hands-on learning from donated bus parts
Pictured above: Lake Washington Institute of Technology students Benito Gaspar, Trevor Rollins, and Samuel King stand in front of parts being donated to their school by Community Transit.
Trevor Rollins was inspired by his father to become a mechanic. The Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) student got a job as a Vehicle Service Worker at Community Transit in 2022 and last year started a mechanics apprenticeship with the agency.
He learned that the transit agency sometimes donates decommissioned bus parts to schools and asked his supervisors to make a donation to LW Tech. Last month, Rollins and fellow students Benito Gaspar and Samuel King loaded a LWTech flatbed with a donated Cummins ISL9 Engine and an Allison Hybrid EV Drive Transmission to take back to the school.
The parts were removed from a 2009 New Flyer bus that was part of the original Swift Blue Line fleet. By working with these components, LWTech students will gain expertise in the very engines and systems that power the buses riders rely on every day.
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Pictured above: Students from LWTech stand next to the engine and transmission that Community Transit donated to their school.
The students were happy to receive the donation. They mentioned that the Cummins ISL9 engine is the latest model they can now work on, and that the Allison Hybrid Transmission may be the first hybrid transmission LWTech students will encounter in the classroom. They were excited to bring these parts back to school for their fellow students to see.
Benito added that he hopes to work at Community Transit in the future, and all three students expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work with such advanced equipment.
This donation of parts helps train future mechanics and supports Community Transit's focus on sustainability and good asset management. By donating these decommissioned parts to local trade schools, Community Transit is helping to reduce waste and develop skilled workers for the future.
