Museum of Bus Transportation

Our goal is to preserve the heritage of the bus industry, and educate the public on the its contributions to this great country. We’re not alone in that endeavor, and want to make sure you were aware of other outstanding groups working towards that same end The covid pandemic has made life difficult for the bus industry where a lot of support for historic preservation originates. We at AACA Museum’s bus collection need your help, but so do our compatriots. ... Antique bus preservation is at a tipping point, and some historic coaches are at risk of becoming homeless. We benefit from the fact that the AACA Museum remains open to the public, creating a bit of revenue our colleagues shoulder their burden depending solely on the generosity of folks who love buses. We all need your financial support. In addition to the countless hours of dedicated volunteer work to preserve these treasures, it requires lots of money to restore, store and insure them. If you can, please consider supporting us No matter what you’ll enjoy the websites ;-) https://www.aacamuseum.org/ https://busboyscollection.org/ https://www.friendsnjthc.org/ https://pacbus.org/ https://www.commonwealthcoachandtrolley.org/ https://busmuseum.org/ (which has merged with the AACA Museum )

This may be the one that started it all In the 1970’s and 80’s the late bus photographer/historian Bob Redden supported motorcoach industry enthusiasts with gatherings of antique coaches he called called Bus Bashes. Bob LOVED buses, and had a long friendship with the family that owned Michaud Bus Lines in Salem, MA. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, take note of the large percentage of old motorcoach photos that come from Redden Archives... In 1979 Bob called his friend Spike Michaud with news that Red Hicks, President of Batavia, New York based Empire Trailways wanted to sell their 1947 GM PD3703. Redden knew that Michaud Bus Lines had operated a similar coach in the 1950’s. Owner/patriarch Alex Michaud had begun naming buses after his kids and the round-back GM was called Little Spike. Michaud Bus Lines bought the antique coach, and Spike and Bob drove it to Salem, where it was restored. Redden formed a club of enthusiasts named the Little Spike Club and began organized Bus Bash gatherings all over the country. The Little Spike Club evolved into International Bus Collectors IBC, a club/publication for folks who loved bus history. During an economic downturn, Michaud sold the bus to Louis Magnano of Blue Bird Coach Lines, who ultimately donated it to the Museum of Bus Transportation, where it was refurbished again, this time by ABC Companies, funded by the Michaud families generosity. A lot of people feel that this particular coach was a catalyst in jump-starting the movement to preserve the history of the bus industry and we are grateful to have it as part of our historic bus fleet.

Just stumbled on these photos of the late Roy McBride with an Eagle Eaglet. These would have been taken in the late 80’s McBride was a beloved (and immensely respected) Eagle Technical/Service Rep for years, and built a few of these gasoline powered models on the side. Kids of all ages love them. This is not the Eaglet that was donated to the Museum by Marty Kramer, long time owner of Southeastern Trailways, but is nearly identical.... Mr. Kramer met Roy in Texas after he had already built 3 (one each for Trailways, Greyhound and Zanetti Bus Lines). In 1990 McBride built for him... the one that now is part of the museum’s collection.

Help us to accelerate Museum support on #GivingTuesday: December 1st, midnight - 11:59 PM. We invite you to help us rev up during this uncertain time to advance the Museum's mission of preserving and presenting motoring history ... cars, buses, motorcycles, and trucks. Please join us again this year for this annual global day of philanthropy. https://www.aacamuseum.org/join-support/donate/

Hello to all As we come to the close of 2020... what an interesting year for the Museum of Bus Transportation. First a successful merger with the AACA Museum with no issues and a very smooth transition. As most of you bus enthusiasts know, the MOBT was struggling financially, and accomplishing the merger prior to the pandemic was both fortunate, and very helpful, in terms of maintaining our mission to preserve bus history.... We (annex, fleet, and bus exhibit) have been integrated with the museum and its’ volunteers and staff. The George Sage Annex is being visited every week by volunteers and staff. It has been cleaned up both inside and out, all of the vehicles have been cleaned and detailed, and prepped for Winter. The inside display at the museum it has been redone, moved around, new units put in and ones that have been there for a while moved down to the annex. Curator Stan Sipko now has the ability to mix and match buses and cars of the same era in a more creative way. Each exhibit coach has been brought up to museum quality. We’re working on moving all our bus models up into a new case we are building for the rotunda area at the Museum entrance, and plan to update it monthly. We have received three new units, all runners. Despite the Covid-19 epidemic, the workdays that our Fleet Chairman, Randy Wilcox, has led have been successful. We are particularly gratified to have a healthy mix of our old time bus folks and some enthusiastic car guys. Due to Covid-19 we had to cancel the spring fling, and the annual meeting. David Schmidt and his group have begun planning our 2021 Fling and meeting so please keep June 4th and 5th 2021 open. Our needs for financial support are still there and we are appealing to everyone who wants to preserve the history of the bus industry this to dig deep into your pockets to help us meet our 2020 goal, we are currently $10,000.00 short. Considering the loss of Spring Fling and the Museum being closed to paying guests for a period, it has been a good year but we would like to finish in the black. You can support our fleet by doing an adopt-a- bus, or donate to provide batteries, tires, electrical and brake repairs that are needed. Your help to our part of the museum is needed, and I can not say enough of how our display, quality of our fleet look, please help us in any way you can. The easiest way to donate is through www.aacamuseum.org All of us at the AACA Museum are thankful for you, andpray for all of you and your families to have a great 2021. John Oakman

World War II had just ended and Greyhound was confronted with a new and different set of problems. The war effort had revolutionized airplane technology, and a growing economy was putting private cars on the vastly improved highway network in record numbers. Innovation had been stifled by the demands of World War II, and Greyhound’s visionary President Orville Caesar knew that to survive in the coming age of the automobile, Greyhound needed something special. ... In partnership with General Motors, Greyhound engaged legendary designer Raymond Loewy to develop what became an iconic deck and a half look that influenced bus design for generations to come the PD4501 Scenicruiser. At the time regulations limited highway buses to 35’, and Greyhound mounted a successful nationwide effort to get states to legalize 40’ coaches. Air suspension, large passenger windows, massive luggage bays, integral engine driven HVAC, power steering, silver siding, and higher passenger capacity were all standard equipment. A thousand were built between 1954 and 1956, with 2 GM 4-71 diesels in tandem. That complex drive train proved unreliable, and in 1960 Greyhound contracted Marmon Herrington to re-fit the coaches with the newly developed 8V71 an engine that became the standard for the entire motorcoach industry until 1980. Some ‘Cruisers reportedly exceeded 2 million miles of active duty. They underwent several rounds of refurbishing, but by the early 70’s Greyhound began selling these experienced coaches to private operators. One of the early buyers of a used Scenicruiser was Clarence Clancy Cornell of Faribault MN, for his Faribo Lines. Mr. Cornell went on to found ABC Companies, which has grown into one of the largest new and used coach marketing organizations in North America, and is Belgian bus manufacturer Van Hool’s exclusive North American distributor. ABC Has been one of the bus museums most generous and enthusiastic supporters. In 2010 they allowed John Oakman and Dave Millhouser to drive their rebuilt Scenicruiser from their headquarters near Orlando FL to Adrian TX and back for The Hounds of the Mother Road antique coach gathering at Route 66’s midpoint. Between the robust original design and ABC’s restoration effort the 65 year old coach performed flawlessly on the 3,000 mile round trip. Subsequently ABC donated this coach (s/n 932) to the Museum of Bus Transportation, where it is currently one of the most popular exhibits in the AACA Museum’s historic bus fleet. For those interested in the history of the Scenicruiser Scenicruising by Paul von Fange (Copyright 2015 Lulu Press, Raleigh NC) is one of the most comprehensive accounts of the development of the coach, as well as the big picture of the bus industry environment that created it.