Thursday, September 30, 2010

Here's a little more Greyhound trivia--sent by a Greyhound friend:

In June of 1924 Eckstrom started a new company in Michigan with four 22 passenger Fageol busses. The busses operated between Grand Rapids and Muskegon. Early newspaper ads for this company, the Safety Motor Coach Lines, call thes busses "Greyhounds of the highway" . In May of 1925, the newspaper ads started showing the running dog logo and the slogan "Ride the Greyhounds"

Wednesday, September 28, 2010

Some Greyhound trivia:

TTe very first bus to have the "Greyhound" nickname was operated by a company known as the Eastern Wisconsin Transportation Company. This company was formed in August of 1921 and was headed by E. D. Stone. The first newspaper reference to the use of the "Greyhound" nickname appeared in the Oct. 16, 1922 edition of the Stevens Point, Wisconsin paper. There are a number of references to "Greyhound" busses in Wisconsin newspapers in 1922 and 1923. At some point in 1923 Edwin (Ed) Eckstrom acquired a controlling interest in the company. In the Aug. 16, 1923 Madison, Wisconsin newspaper ad is pictured a 22 passenger bus clearly dubbed "The Greyhound". This company was sold in April of 1924.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Interesting article on the Bolt Bus and other new innovations for commercial travel by bus. Check it out: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/2010-09-21-businesstravel21_CV_N.htm

Monday, September 27, 2010

Just a little over 4 weeks until our Annual Meeting--have you made plans to attend? Now is the time to set aside the date: Saturday, October 30, 2010!

Sunday, September 25, 2010

Yippee Skippee....I have worked for 2-1/2 days and I am no computer technie--but I figured out why I couldn't upload to our webpage myself--got absolutely no help from the techies at the server or the people whose program we use....just little ole me figured it out! I'm proud of myself and happy to say you can NOW order our new book from our Gift Shop online:

http://www.busmuseum.org/GiftShop.html

Friday, September 24, 2010

It is finally here--be the first one to get a copy--visit the Gift Shop online at www.busmuseum.org/GiftShop.html. NOTE - there is a glitch with me uploading to the website--so until that is fixed--you won't find the book here...not sure what the problem is as I was able to upload to it the night before....have an email into them...hoping to get it fixed quickly.

Here is Bob Smith's book on the Museum's Timeline! Looking GREAT!

The Twentieth Century was a milestone in itself for transportation history, and buses played a major role in the transformation of America. The Museum of Bus Transportation presents this special book about the buses that made a difference, from the first Mack bus in America, the famous and few double-deckers, postwar sightseeing buses, and the various innovative designs that defined the modern bus. Important models, manufacturers, bus lines, innovative features and designs are featured with captions presenting their contributions to bus history. With this educational timeline through captioned photographs, follow the growth of the bus industry from 1895 through the 20th Century.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Checkout our NEW visors and caps--available now from our Gift Shop or online at www.busmuseum.org/GiftShop.html.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Our Annual Meeting and Luncheon are a meer 5-1/2 weeks away (Saturday, October 30, 2010)--have you made your plans yet to attend?

Here are some pictures from last year's event--luncheon in the rotonda.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Here are some more facts from METRO Magazine online about the Transit industry:

47,540 buses are 35 feet or longer; 53 percent, or 33,955, of the total vehicles are low-floor applications; and 9 percent are demand response. In total, this year's respondents report that they intend to order 4,518 vehicles in the next year.

Alternative-fueled vehicles, at 17,345 total vehicles, make up 27 percent of the fleet totals reported for 2010, with compressed natural gas (8,180 vehicles) leading the way, followed by various types of hybrid-electric vehicles

Saturday, September 18, 2010

The current issue of METRO Magazine online reports the top five Transit Bus Fleets as follows:

1. MTA NY City Transit
2. Metro - Los Angeles
3. PACE Surburban - Chicago
4. NJ Transit
5. Toronto Transit

Friday, September 17, 2010

Here's another Kansas City sign you can't miss--from the Royals' Stadium....love the big KC with a crown on top of it!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Here are a few pics of signs from our trip to Kansas City this summer. Wished I could have gotten the big sign at night--it all lights up and must be gorgeous!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Here's another GREAT sign from Roanoke, VA--Melody Haven from the 1950s--we're told that when the store moved to a new location, they took the sign with them.

If you've got any great signage or architecture to share--please email them to thebusmuseum@yahoo.com.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

How many of you traveled around the US this summer? Did you come across any great architecture or signage? Here are a few from Roanoke, VA showing the H&C Coffee signs.

Monday, September 13, 2010

A few pieces of trivia about the All-American Professional Girls Baseball Teams:

When traveling, the members of the clubs had to be at the station thirty minutes before departure time. Anyone missing her arranged transportation had to pay her own fare.

Players were not allowed to drive their cars past their city's limits without the special permission of their manager. Each team traveled as a unit via method of travel provided for the league (which very often was by BUS).

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Mark your calendars now, RUTH RICHARD, All-American Girls Professional Baseball player, who played with the Grand Rapid Chicks and Rockford Peaches, will be at the Museum signing autographs on Sunday, October 17, 2010, from 12 noon to 4 pm.

Ruth was a catcher and outfielder and played from 1947-1954.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Lest we never forget! September 11, 2001 will forever be ingrained in our memories.

This blog is dedicated to all those who lost their lives on that horrific day. May they rest in peace.

Let us not forget those who survived, many with injuries or even horrible memories that haunt them to this day.

Friday, September 20, 2010

According to the Salt Lake City Deseret News: Bus drivers have by far the best safety records of any transportation mode. A school bus is 19 times safer than a car, six times safer than an airplane.

Gillig School Buses tended to be the heaviest school buses ever built, with nearly 95% of the bus body being steel. Crowns used a mix of Steel and Aluminum, making their bodies lighter.

REMEMBER: School is OPEN - watch out for children crossing the street!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

A school bus is painted National School Bus Glossy Yellow in the United States and similarly in Canada. The color now officially known in the U.S. as National School Bus Glossy Yellow was originally called National School Bus Chrome.

Signs in the front and rear top center read SCHOOL BUS or AUTOBUS SCOLAIRE or ECOLIERS in French in parts of Canada. Each of its front and rear ends usually has alternately flashing lights with 2 red lamps at top corners and 2 yellow (amber) lamps near red lamps at the same level but closer to the vertical central line of the bus. It often has an octagon red stop arm on the left side.

Schools OPEN - drive carefully!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Sorry I have not blogged in a few days, but I had a nerve-block procedure done on my back last week and did not spend a lot of time in front of the computer.

With the kids back at school this week--I thought I'd share a few old Ford School Bus images with you.