Thursday, December 31, 2009

Wishing you all a safe and healthy 2010! Have you made up your list of resolutions yet? Did you put on there "volunteer at the Museum of Bus Transportation?"

HAPPY NEW YEAR Everyone!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Now I shared some quirky buses with you--this one will get you laughing----and thinking about summer!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

A recycled school bus drives home the point that public transportation is a great alternative. Sculptor Christopher Fennell used parts of three old buses, plus the seat of a decommissioned city bus, to give citizens of Athens, Georgia, a unique place to catch a ride.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Another quirky bus I found: The Boat Bus, a British bus capable of surfing the Thames. Kind of like the "Ducks" seen in Baltimore Harbor.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Here is probably the world longest bus. It was presented at Shanghai's Busworld Asia 2007. With a top speed of 51 mph (82 km/h) and a maximum capacity of 300 passengers, it works only in cities without corners or the other way would be to drive from one block to another without turning (driving between Beijing and Hangzhou).

It is 83 feet long and is divided into 3 compartments. Price of this very attractive bus (also called "red dragon") is between US$155,000 to $258,000 - compared to the common bus that ranges between US $80,000 to $100,000.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Created by car artist Tom Kennedy, the Topsy-Turvy Bus (Topsy) is a bus made of two school buses welded together, one upside down on top of the other. The bus is currently touring the country to "dramatically depict America’s upside down budget priorities."

Friday, December 25, 2009

From all of us at the Museum of Bus Transportation, to all of you--Merry Christmas and we hope you all have a fun day filled with lots of memories, good food, and fun!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

While we didn't quite get this much snow--I do believe parts of the east coast feel like this is what they got! I know Long Island has been inundated with snow. Hope you have all finished your Holiday Shopping and can enjoy the day tomorrow!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Just a note that the Museum will be closed on Thursday, December 24th and Friday, December 25th. They will reopen on Saturday, December 26th at 9:00 a.m.

The Museum will also be closed January 1st to January 8th for Maintenance. They are repainting the floors.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Here's a few more remembrances of our Spring Fling.....sure looking forward to another GREAT Spring Fling on June 4-5, 2010--hope you are already planning on attending.

Monday, December 21, 2009

On this First Day of Winter, here are a few more remembrances of our SPRING FLING (oh boy--think SPRING!)......the buses that came from NJ. What a beautiful display they made up at the Museum--unfortunately because of the soggy ground from the rain--we couldn't park them at the Annex--but they did well up at the Museum.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Well--as with many, many others on the East Coast--we are socked in with SNOW....14+ inches in parts of Lancaster County where we live. Where the Museum is located - they got a little less but still lots of blowing snow everywhere. The Museum was closed on Saturday because of the weather so if you are planning on visiting--call first to see if they are open.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Wow, only 12 days until the end of the year and what a year it has been...here are a few pics from our VERY successful Spring Fling back in June.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Here it is just one week from Christmas--are you ready???

While Christmas is around the corner--some of our viewers/readers are already thinking about the Spring Fling and corrected an earlier Blog where I put in the wrong dates--sure glad SOMEONE is reading this blog!

Anyway, the CORRECT dates for the 2010 Spring Fling are Friday/Saturday, June 4, 5, 2010. (NOTE: If you try to go back and check the old blog--I corrected it! LOL)

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Okay - here's just one more - a Ford T Bus from Poirot (1989-2009).

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Here are two Flxible Clippers I found--one in A Star is Born (1954) and the other from Dragnet (1951-1959).

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Here's an Eagle Model 2 in Exterminator - 1984.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Here are some Crown Coaches - seen in I Love Lucy (1951-1957) and Andy Griffith (1960-1968).

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Here are two more ACF-Brills used in Bus Stop (1956) and Picnic (1955).

Saturday, December 12, 2009

A few more movie buses--seems like the ACF-Brill was a popular one to use....seen in Perry Mason TV show (1957-1966) and The Fugitive (1963-1967).

Friday, December 11, 2009

Happy Hanukkah to all our Jewish friends.

The second panel available for sponsorship is on the Eagle....check it out below. You can go to our website to the "Membership page" and click on the timeline on the bottom and see a full-size version--unfortunately, this copy of it is washed out--colors are better on the original.

UPDATE: Thanks to Jim Michaud - this timeline has been sponsored!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

One of the most unique ways you can honor or remember someone this holiday season is to sponsor a timeline panel on the wall of the Museum--we currently have two available...this would be an ongoing tribute or memory to a loved one....can't beat that "giving" 365 days a year!

This one is on COACH USA. Tomorrow I will show you the other one. Just call Bob Smith (717 361-7575) and order the panel. It is ready to go--just waiting for a sponsor.

You can also go to the Membership page of our website and click on the timeline on the bottom of the page for a full-size version of it to show up.

These are VERY reasonably priced--under $600 to have this wonderful tribute or memorial on display in the Museum.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

We have another member of the Board who has produced a book: John Dockendorf's book "Greyhound in Postcards - Buses, Depots and Post House" has been a great seller and would make a worthy Holiday gift for the bus person in your life. Again--it is available through the internet on our webpage or at our physical Gift Shop at the Museum.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Just look at this great tow truck!!! It is a Model ACF H-13.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Another great idea for a Christmas gift for that bus person in your life is a license plate that states "Museum of Bus Transportation - Hershey, PA".

In the US - the following states require only a single plate--so you could use this plate for the front plate of your vehicle: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia.

They are available through the gift shop or online at our Gift Shop web page (http://www.busmuseum.org/GiftShop.html).

Sunday, December 6, 2009

The countdown to Christmas continues....only 19 days left....do you need something for the bus person in your life??? How about one of our Museum of Bus Transportation tee shirts....they are available through the internet on our webpage (http://www.busmuseum.org/GiftShop.html) or in the physical Gift Shop at the Museum. There are several shown on the page. As an example, here is the latest one.....the Fitzjohn bus is currently on loan to us from Wolf Bus Lines in York Springs, PA.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Today I'd like to show you another picture from our archives--this one is of a Flxible - Model F2D6V-401-1. According to the photo--it appears to be an early 1960s model.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Two more Fitzjohns from our archives - the one is a Cityliner and the other is a 1939 Duraliner.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

We still need some help getting things ready for winter--do you have a few hours that you could spend with us down at the Annex??? We need to get the buses coverd for the winter. If you are available and flexible with your time--please email us and let us know. Thanks in advance for any help you can give us.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Are you still looking for a gift for the person that has everything??? Is there a bus person in your life that is hard to buy for??? The answer may be a brick honoring them that would permanently reside in our entry. Just email us for the details--they can have the Bus Museum logo on them at no additional cost or they can just have a name/town on them.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

We are very pleased to have received notification of the publication in May of a book based on the timelines in our Museum....this is quite a milestone ... here's a look at the cover. It is edited by our Board Member, Bob Smith.

The title is Museum of Bus Transportation Presents Motorcoach Milestones. Amazon is already offering a presale on it or you can wait and get your own autographed copy at the Spring Fling in June 2010.

Monday, November 30, 2009

I know it isn't too early for this--you should start thinking about attending the 2010 Museum of Bus Transportation SPRING FLING....it will again be a two-day affair: June 4 and 5, 2010. This is the first weekend in June. We had a very successful two-day Fling last year and hope to make 2010 even better.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Hoping you have enjoyed the long weekend--just a heads up for the beginning of 2010--the Museum will be closed from January 2 through January 8, 2010 for floor painting. That's all I know about it--saw a notice in the Fliver (the volunteer newspaper)--I'll keep you posted as I find out more info.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Sorry - no, I wasn't out shopping....we went to Lewes, DE, for the day and I forgot all about doing the blog before I left. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Don't forget to think about the Museum Gift Shop for any stocking stuffers you might need for that "bus" person in your life.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Are you all out shopping on BLACK FRIDAY??? If not, stop by the Museum and do some shopping in our gift shop--we have LOTS of great Christmas ideas for the "bus" person in your life.

Enjoy your day!

Thanksgiving Day - November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States. But it was Thomas Jefferson who opposed him. It is believed that Franklin then named the male turkey as 'tom' to spite Jefferson.

Here's a picture of the turkey that has taken over our yard since last April - and NO, we are not eating him today!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

In the first Thanksgiving celebrations a thanksgiving feast was organized in which there were dishes like boiled turkey, corn, fruits, vegetables, along with fish, which was packed in salt, and meat that was smoke cured over fires.

Today, the tradition of pardoning the turkey was conceived by Harry Truman. After the Turkey gets the Presidential Pardon, it is transported to Kidwell Farm, a petting zoo at Frying Pan Park in Herndon, Virginia to be welcomed as the chief guest along with the President in a Turkey 'Roast' celebration. Here, the Turkey is not 'roasted' in the oven but through humor and turkey jokes. The Turkey gets a new home in the Turkey Barn.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Here's some more Thanksgiving trivia for you:

On December 11, 1620, the first Pilgrims (or Puritans, as they were initially known) landed at Plymouth Rock. By the fall of 1621 only half of the pilgrims, who had sailed on the Mayflower, survived. The survivors, thankful to be alive, decided to give a thanksgiving feast.

The Wampanoag Indians were the people who taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate the land. The Pilgrim leader, Governor William Bradford, who had organized the first Thanksgiving feast in the year 1621, invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians also to the feast. The first Thanksgiving feast was held in the presence of around ninety Wampanoag Indians and the Wampanoag chief, Massasoit, was also invited there.

The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Since this is THANKSGIVING week -- I thought I'd share some trivia with you.

Abraham Lincoln issued a "Thanksgiving Proclamation" on third October 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving. Whereas earlier the presidents used to make an annual proclamation to specify the day when Thanksgiving was to be held.

However, President Franklin D. Roosevelt restored Thursday before last of November as Thanksgiving Day in the year 1939. He did so to make the Christmas shopping season longer and thus stimulate the economy of the state. Congress passed an official proclamation in 1941 and declared that now onwards Thanksgiving will be observed as a legal holiday on the fourth Thursday of November every year

Sunday, November 22, 2009

A fancy-wrapped MCI from the archives.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Another bus that has been part of the landscape for many years was the Greyhound Americruiser--here are two nice pictures from the archives.

Friday, November 20, 2009

A few Greyhound pics--checkout the great wrap on the bus on the left.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Did you buy your turkey yet??? Thanksgiving is just a week away!

Here's another nice old bus--an ACF Model P-516 - photo take in 1933.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

I know--many of you are saying--when is she going to start talking about buses again.....okay, back to some of the pictures I have located recently - here is an ACF Model H17S.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Funny, as I do more and more research on these "strange" buildings--I ran across what are called "mid-century architectural wonders"--funny, when I was growing up--these were called MODERN buildings! I actually think it is a timeless building!

The Guggenheim Museum was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built from 1956-1959. As the exterior suggests, the interior features the unique spiral ramp exhibition space inside. It was intended to resemble the interior of a nautilus shell.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Back to seeing some of the stranger things as you travel around the country...I found this:

Josephine Stapleton began decorating her front lawn in Mays Landing, NJ, with milk jugs in the late 1960s. Her displays included over 2,000 jugs at one time. She began collecting them to build a barricade to keep the kids with mini-bikes and dune buggies off her front lawn. She saved about 400 on her own, then family, friends and even passers-by started dropping them off. Somewhere along the line, she started painting the jugs and creating colored patterns with them.
She used two methods to color her jugs. Her favorite method was painting them but this was time-consuming (requiring two coats) and costly (filling the bottoms with cat litter). The other way was by using food coloring or fabric dye and water. This made the jugs heavier and there were problems with freezing in winter.

Here's what it looked like in 2007. I understand the lady has since moved and this no longer is on display.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Halfway through the month with Christmas on the way--have you visited the Gift Shop lately??? Here are two pictures taken at the Spring Fling....lots of bus-related items to purchase. Checkout our GIFT SHOP page on our website for new items!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Another Spring Fling photo shows the bus that was donated by Jamaica Bus of New York.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Here's a picture of the 1954 Flxible formerly owned by Harran Bus of Long Island....it is a real beauty. This picture was taken at our Spring Fling

Thursday, November 12, 2009

I recently came across this picture--nice to see our buses lined up outside! It really shows the difference in sizes too when they are lined up like this.

It is a picture taken very early on because the Golden Eagle is there--and that has been on the floor for as long as I know! So I'm thinking this was taken before our original display was put ont he floor.