Evacuation Article In January 2013 National Bus Trader

The January 2013 issue of National Bus Trader magazine is out. This issue features an article written by Larry Plachno about the evacuation of buses from the annex ahead of Hurricane Sandy and the arrival of the Brill and Beaver buses in October. The article contains 3 pictures taken by Tom Mozer. Thank you to Larry Plachno for writing this article.

Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays

All of us at the Museum of Bus Transportation would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. The museum will be open regular hours on Sunday Dec.23rd and will be closed Monday and Tuesday, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The museum will reopen on Wednesday Dec.26th at 9:00AM.

35 Years Of National Bus Trader

All of us at the MBT extend our congratulations to Larry Plachno, editor & publisher of National Bus Trader magazine. The December 2012 issue marks 35 years of continuous publication. Larry continues with the longest tenure as a bus magazine editor and NBT holds the record as the longest running continuously published monthly bus magazine in recent history, a testament to Larry's ongoing dedication and mission to cover all aspects of the bus industry. A photo taken by Elaine Farrell of snow covered Capital Area Transit 1001 outside the museum on October 29th, 2011 appears on page 40 of this milestone issue. Again, congratulations to Larry and his staff and thank you Larry for your continued support and coverage of the bus industry.

Happy Thanksgiving

All of us at the Museum of Bus Transportation would like to wish all our members, supporters & fans a safe and Happy Thanksgiving. A reminder that the museum will be closed on Thursday Nov.22nd in observance of Thanksgiving and will reopen on Friday Nov.23rd at 9:00AM.

Two Buses Donated To The Museum

The MBT is pleased to announce we have taken delivery of two buses that have been donated to us by Ralph Ciccone. We now have in our fleet a 1951 Brill that was we understand was originally a school bus in Reading PA and was later converted to a transit bus. We hope to have it restored to it's original school bus configuration.


Mr. Ciccone also donated a 1952 Beaver, which originally was a demonstrator, then was sold to Holloway Bus Lines in New Jersey. It was later sold to Leonard Lines before being acquired by Mr. Ciccone.
These buses were delivered to us on Thursday. Both of these buses are currently in the museum parking lot along with the buses evacuated from the annex. We'll have pictures of these buses to share with you soon.
A big thank you to Ralph Ciccone for his donation of these two interesting and rare buses to the MBT.

Buses Evacuated From Annex Today

With Hurricane Sandy threatening the East Coast and with many of the forecasts calling for the storm to make landfall somewhere between Delaware & New England, a decision was made to evacuate the buses stored at the annex today. Ken McNelis and Tom Mozer drove the buses that could be moved from the annex to the museum parking lot. Tom Collins assisted as the chase driver. Mark Watson happened to stop by, unaware that the evacuation was taking place. Mark took Tom Collins' place so Tom could go to the museum to finish the last minute preparations for tomorrow's annual meeting. A handful of buses are still at the annex as of the time of this posting. The Long Beach RTS and the Michaud GM "Little Spike" would not start and the Peter Pan MC-5 needs a jump start. Ed Wolf will assist Ken & Tom Mozer tomorrow after the meeting to get those buses started and moved. Worst case scenario if they can't be started: Ed will pull them into the annex garage. The CAT Fishbowl (air bags) and SEPTA Volvo (engine) cannot be moved and unfortunetly are stuck outside the annex. The Richmond AM General is also outside, but has been sold for scrap and will be removed from the annex property soon. Mark, Ken & Tom Mozer also moved various tools, battery chargers and other items to the highest points possible inside the annex, and after tomorrow's efforts to move the remaining buses, the annex will be secured as we keep our fingers crossed and pray that the storm does not inflict any serious damage or flooding such as was seen last year. Thank You to Ken, Tom, Tom & Mark for your help today

It's Almost Annual Meeting Day

We're getting ready to welcome those who will be attending the MBT annual meeting this Saturday. A full day is planned, mixing business with fun. We are also looking forward to welcoming Maureen Leo from Lakeland Bus Lines and her presentation on their operation. A reminder that coffee & danish will be served from 8:30-10:00AM followed by Maureen Leo's presentation. After a brief pause for the raffles, the annual MBT business meeting will take place, followed by a buffet lunch and the afternoon bus fan tour on one of Lakeland's new MCI coaches. For those who will not be taking the bus tour, the annex will be open, however no transportation will be provided, you may drive your own vehicle to the annex. The detailed schedule for this Saturday is listed in a previous post.

For those who are attending, we can't wait to see you and safe travel to all.

MBT Annual Meeting Saturday October 27th

The MBT will take place Saturday October 27th at the museum in Hershey. The annual meeting registration form and election ballot have been mailed to all members, those need to be returned in the envelopes enclosed in the mailing no later than Monday October 22nd.


The agenda for the day is as follows:

Social period with coffee & danish served 8:30-10:00AM

20% off any bus related item in our gift shop.

Lakeland Bus Lines will have a new MCI coach on display in front of the museum, along with their former 4515 (given to the MBT several years ago) and other Lakeland artifacts are planned for display.

10:00-11:15- The first portion of the annual meeting begins with our guest speaker, Maureen Leo, VP of Lakeland Bus Lines sharing the history of their 60 years of operation.

11:15-11:30-50/50 raffle and door prizes

11:30-12:30- the business & financial portion of the annual meeting, with flood & fleet recap.

12:30- full buffet luncheon catered by "What If", one of Hershey's outstanding restaurants.

2:15-Bus fan tour to charter bus destinations in the Lancaster area and will also check out what's new at Red Rose Transit (Lancaster) & Lebanon Transit. Coach provided by Lakeland Bus Lines. Bus returns to Museum approx. 5:30PM

The museum gif shop will be open till 5:00PM. For those who do not want to go on the bus tour, the George M. Sage annex will be available to view. There will be no transportation provided but you may drive your own vehicles to the annex.

Hope to see you October 27th

Indian Trails Coaches Now "In The Loop"

From Bus Ride magazine, here's an article on how Indian Trails, a Michigan based motorcoach company that has been in operation for over 100 years is now one of the first companies in the country to install technology in 17 of their coaches used in line run service throughout the state to enable passengers who are hard of hearing to clearly hear the PA system announcements made by the bus driver. Indian Trails teamed up with the Michigan DOT on this project.


http://busride.com/2012/09/motorcoaches-are-now-in-the-loop/

Bob Beard Silver Eagle Plaque

A special plaque featuring a Silver Eagle, inscribed in honor of the late Bob Beard has been completed and Bob's name has also been placed on the front window of the George Sage Annex.

Board Meeting Reminder

A reminder that MBT Board meetings are open to all members to attend and are now back to starting at 6:30PM. We had experimented with starting the meetings at 6:00 but with several of the board members still working they found getting to the museum on time for 6:00 was a challenge. The schedule for the remaining MBT Board meetings for 2012: Sept.4th, Oct. 2nd, Nov. 6th and Dec.4th.

COLTS Bus Driver Dies While On The Job

Angelo Dominick, the senior driver for COLTS in Scranton PA died while on the job yesterday. He had been with COLTS for 39 years and had just celebrated his 44th wedding anniversary last Friday. Click the link to read more about Mr. Dominick in this article from the Scranton Times-Tribune.


The MBT extends it's condolences to Angelo Dominick's family, friends and co-workers.
http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/colts-driver-dies-doing-what-he-truly-truly-enjoyed-1.1358503

Terry Cosentino Presents Model To NJ Transit Heritage Museum

Terry Cosentino presented a model of a NJ Transit Flxible Metro to members of the New Jersey Transit Heritage Museum at the 2012 Spring Fling. This is a model of one of the vintage buses in their fleet. Thank you to the NJ Transit Heritage Museum for being a part of our Spring Fling and thank you to Sharon Ogden for sending us thie picture of Terry presenting the model.

Fleet Update Part 2

.A little more news on our fleet: The individual who is doing the body work on the 1945 Ford 59-B at the annex has offered to repaint the bus once the body work is completed. Mike Demeter, who donated the bus has supplied us with the original DuPont paint colors. Thank You Mike and the person doing the body work for your efforts.


Our last salvage bus from the flood, the ex-Jamaica T8H-5308 has been removed from the annex grounds. The salvage firm also inspected the ex-Richmond AM General and may consider purchasing this bus as well. This bus suffered a fair amount of water & mud damage but has a fair exterior. The Fleet Committee will discuss the status of this bus. The Fleet Committee is also planning ahead for switching the museum floor display, which has not been changed for 18 months.

Fleet Update Part 1

Some other news regarding our fleet as we continue to recover from last year's flood. Service First recently completed work on the PD 4103, PD 4106 and MC-5C. There are no other vehicles that we have to run through their program. The PD 4103 has an entirely new black floor which is nearly identical to to the original floor this bus had. This new floor replaced the floor that was in the bus when we received it several years ago, a type of linoleum floor which was in bad shape. Thank you to the folks at Service First. for the great work.


We had two mechanics from SEPTA visit the annex (on their day off) to work on the engine on the Volvo B-10M. It appears there was extensive damage to the underfloor engine from the flood waters and mud so it is unlikely this bus will ever run again. However they were able to free up the braking system which will enable us to tow the bus around the property and eventually onto the museum floor once we complete additional interior cleaning. Thank you to these two maintainance folks from SEPTA for your efforts.

Williamsburg TGH 3301 Update

We want to update you on the status of the Williamsburg TGH 3301. Our newest board member Jeff Goldwasser has arranged with Perfect Body Company to have this bus repainted in it's original Colonial Williamsburg two shades of grey. The bus is currently at their facility and should be returned to the museum in time for the next floor display change. Thank you Jeff for your efforts, we can't wait to see this bus sporting it's new paint!!

Bob Devine Appointed A Museum Advisor

We are happy to announce that Robert "Bob" Devine has been appointed to be an advisor to the Museum of Bus Transportation. Bob has been instrumental over the years in suggesting several changes especially in regard to the fleet & the storage garage. Bob has also given many volunteer hours over the years working the museum floor and other various projects. Congratulations Bob on your appointment as an advisor.

Annual Meeting Saturday October 27th

Attention MOBT members: the 2012 annual meeting will take place Saturday October 27th starting at 9:00 AM at the museum. Our guest speaker for this year's meeting will be Maureen Leo, Vice President of Lakeland Bus Lines, based in Dover NJ. With a fleet of about 80 buses, Lakeland operates scheduled commuter line run service between the "Lake Area Communities" in northern NJ and New York City, along with scheduled casino runs, and an extensive charter and tour department. Lakeland also donated the "Forrest Gump" GM bus to the museum, one of the most popular buses in our collection. We also congratulate Lakeland Bus Lines on their 60th year of service in 2012. If you want to learn more about Lakeland Bus Lines you can check out their website:



http://www.lakelandbus.com/


The fee for the annual meeting is $35, which includes coffee and danish upon arrival, a buffet luncheon served after the business meeting, gift shop specials and a bus fan trip in the local area after the luncheon (trip details TBA). For more information please call the museum at 717-566-7100 X119. Hope to see many members on October 27th.

Thank You Spring Fling Sponsors, Vendors & Volunteers

The Museum of Bus Transportation would like to give a big Thank You to the following who sponsored the 2012 Spring Fling: MCI, American Bus Association, Pennsylvania Bus Association, United Motorcoach Association, REI Electrics, Lancer Insurance, Robert Sauer, LVT, Buses On Line, Members 1st Federal Credit Union, and ABC Companies. Also a big thank you to the vendors who supported the event by renting table space and the volunteers who helped with set up, clean up, and other duties before, during and after the event.

A Summer Day's Visit To The Museum

If you're Summer vacation plans find you staying or passing through the Hershey area, please set aside a couple of hours to visit the Museum of Bus Transportation. On a hot or rainy day, the museum is a great alternative to staying in your hotel/motel room. Explore the history of buses in America from the early 20th century through the modern era. A great educational experience for young and old alike. The museum is open 7 days a week including Independence Day (Wed. July 4th) and Labor Day (Mon. Sept.3rd). Hope to see you this Summer.

Spring Fling Pictures On Museum Website

Please be sure to check our website for pictures from this year's Spring Fling. There's also pictures of the buses from the New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center alsong with information about the center and their buses written by Ken Miller. Here's the link to the Spring Fling pictures on the website:
http://www.busmuseum.org/Bus_Museum/Spring_Fling_2012.html

More Post Flood Clean Up Report

Tom Mozer sends the following post flood recovery and Spring Fling prep work report:

May 2, 2012: Ken McNelis,Tom Mozer, Ed Wolf,Tom Collins were at the annex, the following work took place: Steering Wheel removed from Jamaica to Altoona, Mail Box installed, No Trespass signs installed. Batteries charged on the Golden Gate bus and the Volvo, Repaired bathroom from flood damage. Installed shelves, medicine cabinet and mirror.

Bulletin Board installed in tool room. Mrs. Smith' s lawn repaired. Repaired skid in pit. Re-set Alarm system. Waiting for Septa Mechanics at Museum. Supervised Harran installation at Museum and removal of Ford. Volvo on blocks for Septa mechanics. Towed Harran to Museum and returned Ford to Annex.

Ed Wolf brought diesel fuel and portable air compressor. Carburetor for Williamsburg rebuilt at Wolf's and is now in tool room.

May 21, 2012: Ken McNelis,Tom Mozer,Tom Collins,Ken Thomas,Tom Conley,James Mahraj at the annex, following work took place:Administrative work and standby for SEPTA mechanics.

SEPTA Volvo: Charge batteries and troubleshoot.  36 Chevrolet: Tried to start. Took battery out and worked on carburetor.Golden Gate: Charge batteries and move into garage.Grass cut and weed whack .

Manuals placed in tool room. Inventory tables. Replaced steering wheel on Altoona.

We were not able to start Volvo . This is the only flood damaged bus we could not get running. However, it would not start before the flood.

May 31, 2012

Ken McNelis &;Tom Mozer at the annex. Cleaned tables from flood and move to museum. New batteries purchased for 36 Chevrolet.Peter Pan GMC: Charge batteries and move outside.Golden Gate: Replace batteries.

June 1, 2012

Ken McNelis,Tom Mozer & Ed Wolf at the annex. 36 Chevrolet: New battery installed and car moved to museum.Golden Gate: Prep for delivery to museum.Check all batteries with Ed Wolf's tester.General housekeeping. Prep for Saturday tool donation delivery.

Thank You all for your work.

King Ward Limo Coach

Among the 24 visiting buses at this year's Spring Fling was this 1980 GMC coach owned by King Ward Coach Lines of Chicopee MA. They converted this bus from a seated coach into a 14 seat limo coach. Thank you to our friends at King Ward for bringing this interesting coach to the 2012 Spring Fling.

2012 Spring Fling Is History

The 2012 Spring Fling is now history. We had 351 visitors and 24 visiting buses on display outside the museum. A big thank you to everyone who attended and to all the MBT volunteers who helped out .We'll be posting pictures of this year's event over the next several days so please be sure to check back often.

3 Days Till Spring Fling

Just 3 days till our annual Spring Fling. Saturday the doors open at 8:30AM for a day of fun, bus memorabillia for sale and buses (vintage & modern) on display. The bus flea market takes place inside the museum, and the food court will also be located inside. Our friends at Wolf's Bus Lines will operate a shuttle bus between the museum & the annex so you may view the buses stored at the annex. Looking at Saturday's forecast looks like clouds & sun, hopefully no rain on our outside bus display. We look forward to seeing you Saturday.

11 Days Till Spring Fling

We're 11 days away from Spring Fling. Hope you can join us on Saturday June 2nd here at the museum for what should be a fun day. The bus memorabillia flea market will be held inside. We will have vintage and modern buses on display outside on the museum grounds plus the display buses on the museum floor. There will be a food court available in the museum. Wolf's Bus Lines will run an hourly shuttl...e bus between the museum & the annex for those who would like to check out the buses stored at the annex. MBT members will receive free admission to Spring Fling (please be sure to bring your membership card) and non-members admission will be $5 on June 2nd (50% off the regular admission charge). Donations for the shuttle bus will also be accepted. We look forward to seeing you June 2nd.

Fleet Update

Fleet update: board member Dino Mandros continues to search for a technical-vocational school to paint the GM TGH-3301 back to it's original Colonial Williamsburg grey & white. Several schools have been contacted but none have the space available. Also, Peter Pan Coach Builders in Springfield MA worked on the 1975 MCI MC-8, the only bus physically damaged in the flood. The coach was formerly in th...e livery of Red Lion Tours and is now repainted as Peter Pan 158 and sports the Peter Pan livery of that era. The coach was found to be solid despite the flood damage and thanks to the Peter Pan Coach Builders team it looks great. We expect the bus back in time for display at the Spring Fling. More updates to come soon.

Thank You For Donations

The Fleet Committee would like to thank the following members for their donations: Stanley Fetter for donating items (tools) from our wish list and Jeff Holland for his donation of the side decals and unit numbers for the Johnstown Bus.If anyone has tires, tools or parts you think the Fleet Committee could use, please contact Ken McNelis at 610-203-7998 or Tom Mozer at 717-343-0058.
A reminder the MBT is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization and can provide you with a letter for the value of donated items for tax purposes. Thank You for helping us maintain your fleet.

MBT Board Meeting Time Change

The MBT Board has had a very busy Winter meeting season. Thanks to the mild weather none of our first Tuesday of the month meetings were cancelled. Our last few meetings of 2011 were very long so we have changed the starting time of the monthly board meetings to 6:00PM in order for the meetings to finish at a decent hour. Most meetings last about 2 and a half hours. Remember all board meetings are open to all MBT members and are held at the museum in Hershey.

More Recent Post Flood Work

Some more recent post-flood clean up activity: On April 5th, Ed Wolf helped with moving the 4104 to the annex and the Bonanza MC9 to his garage. On April 17th Tom Collins, Dan Lehman, Ken McNelis, Ed Wolf and Tom Mozer assisted with the following: Moving the Bonanza MC9 to the annex and parking inside, charged the battery of the 36 Chevy and some prep for museum display, charged the battery of the... 4106 and moved it to the restoration facility. James Mahraj oversaw the removal of the Orion by the salvage company and the moving of the Peninsula Charter Lines Ford from museum to the annex. Cal Little assisted with many tasks at the annex: repairing the fence and front gate, met with the sign shop, helped to plan the grading of the annex lot, installing property signs, cleaned annex yard of debris, removed trash and put in dumpster, repaired neighbor's lawn damaged by tow trucks, put down grass patch and top soil, obtained and put down skids for pit, secured electrical box, labeled tool chest, grass cut and weeds whacked, water turned on to annex building and purged system of air. Thank you all for the time and work

Getting Closer To Spring Fling

We're less than 2 months away from our annual Spring Bus Fling, which will be held Saturday June 2nd from 8:30AM to 3:30PM at the Museum. Once again this year the bus memorabillia flea market will take place indoors in air conditioned comfort, with buses on display outside on the museum grounds in addition to our regular display on the museum floor. Food will be available for sale in the food court. If you're a dealer looking to rent table space, tables are $35 each or two for $65. To rent table space please call 717-566-7100 X119, leave a message if no one answers and someone will contact you shortly. Hope to see you there!!

MOBT Website Revamped

Our website has been recently revamped. Please take a moment to check out the new look of the site and let us know what you think. www.busmuseum.org

International Bus Driver Appreciation Day

March 18th is International Bus Driver Appreciation Day. When was the last time you said thank you to a bus driver when you rode a bus?

Click the link below for an article from Metro Magazine about this special day. Happy International Bus Driver Appreciation Day to all bus drivers and thank you for your safe and efficient work every day.


http://www.metro-magazine.com/Blog/Transit-Dispatches/Story/2012/03/This-Sunday-thank-your-bus-driver.aspx?ref=TransitDispatches-20120316&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter

More Post Flood Work Activity

On Feb.23rd, Ed Wolf replaced the brake valve on the MC5. He also arranged for the MC5 to be towed to Service 1st and the 4103 to be towed to York Springs. The MC9 & 4104 are ready to return to annex storage. On March 6th Ken McNelis worked at the Annex: cut up the old pallets for disposal, assembled & installed new shelving in the bathroom, trash from inside & outside the annex removed & disposed of, and tested all alarm system codes. Security letters for alarm system prepared and ready to be sent to volunteers needing access to the annex. Thank you Ed & Ken for your efforts.

Less Than 3 Months Till Spring Fling

Our annual Spring Fling is less than 3 months away. It will take place on Saturday June 2nd. As we did last year, all activities will take place at the museum, including the bus related flea market, indoor & outdoor bus displays, and food served in the food court. For vendors interested in renting tables, the rental rate for one table will be the same as last year, $35. New this year vendors may rent 2 tables for $65. For more details or to obtain a vendor registration form please call 717-566-7100 X119. Please leave a message if nio one is in the office when you call. Messages are checked daily and someone from the museum will contact you. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for a fun filled bus day on Saturday June 2nd.

"From The Driver's Seat" by Jim Maust

MOBT member Jim Maust wrote a very interesting book entitled "From The Driver's Seat", a very personal accounting of the encounters of a well versed and very professional charter & tour bus operator. We have seen and read several books written by regular route operators but this is the first book we're aware of by a charter & tour driver. Jim shares his likes & dislikes (note the chapter on New York City charters). He focuses on the mere fun of taking longer trips which he often refers to as vacations.

This 265 page book is available at the MOBT gift shop for $24.95. Contact us to reserve a copy and we'll be glad to mail one to you. If you're in the Hershey area, please stop by the gift shop and pick up a copy.

More Post Flood Work Activity

On Feb.15th Ken McNelis & Tom Mozer were at the annex. The burglar alarm system was installed by Shearer Security Devices. Ken & Tom sorted and stored shop manuals. Checked all batteries and ran the lawn tractor to charge it's battery. (This was done to prevent freeze up of batteries). General housekeeping and organization of tool room. Repaired front door handle. D-con pest poison placed in buses. Prepped out building for removal. Checked storage trailers. Planned work sessions. Thank you Ken & Tom for your help.

Museum Closed Sunday Feb.19th

Just a reminder the museum will be closed on Sunday Feb.19th as a bridal show is taking place. The museum will reopen on Monday Feb.20th (Presidents' Day).

Happy 100th Anniversary Post Road Stages

The MOBT recognizes yet another bus company celebrating it's 100th year in business in 2012. Post Road Stages/Collins Bus Service of South Windsor CT has been owned and operated by the Collins family since day one. Post Road Stages provides charter bus services for school groups, sports teams, tour & corporate groups and conventions. Their in house tour company, Post Road Tours offers various retail tours for individuals & groups. Collins Bus Service is the commuter service operating under contract to the state of CT DOT, providing scheduled weekday line run service between Vernon & Hartford. The MOBT extends congratulations to the Collins family and Post Road Stages on 100 years of service.

February Board Meeting

A reminder the monthly MOBT board meeting will be held Wed. February 15th at 6:30PM at the AACA Museum building in Hershey. A reminder that regular board meetings are open to all members.

More Post-Flood Work Activity To Report

Some more post-flood work activity to report: On Feb.1st the Bonanza MC-9 was moved from the Service 1st Restoration facility to Ed Wolf's garage, and the Red Rose Flxible was removed from the annex by the salvage company. On Feb.2nd Ed Wolf worked on the MCI-5, the foot brake valve is stuck and the brakes could not be released. The old valve was removed and rebuilt, a new foot valve on order. Over the past few weeks, Ed Wolf moved or oversaw the moving of the following: the Peter Pan bus and the 4106 were moved back to the annex, the 4103 was moved to Service 1st Restoration, the Capitol 4104 is at the Wolf's garage with the transmission removed. A used transmission obtained from Crawford. The output shaft is loose and a new seal will be installed. The Michaud bus is at Ed Wolf's garage, new wiring front to back, air & oil warning lights work but no guages, ready to go back to the annex. The Jamaica Lines fishbowl will be going to the salvage yard. A big thank you to Ed Wolf for the many hours of work and overseeing the bus moves.

Save The Date: Spring Fling Sat.June 2nd

Plan to join us for the MOBT's annual Spring Fling on Saturday June 2nd. Once again this year the flea market, bus displays and food court will all be held at the museum, the flea market and food court will be indoors, with buses on display on the museum floor as well as outside on the museum grounds. More details to follow, we hope you can join us and please bring a friend!!

Museum Closied Feb.19th

Just want to remind everyone that the museum will be closed Sunday Feb. 19th for a wedding show. Occasionally the museum closes to accomodate a special event, such as this show.

Happy 100th Birthday Buckingham Bus

Another bus company marking a milestone year: Buckingham Bus Co. of Groton MA is celebrating 100 years in business this year. Kim Buckingham is the 3rd generation of his family to own and operate the company. Their fleet consists of 11 MCI coaches (including it's newest, a 2011 J) and 1 Chevrolet 30 seat mini coach, and they serve both of Groton's prestigious prep schhol (Groton School & Lawrence Academy) plus senior citizen groups, tour companies, school & corporate clients. All of us at the MOBT congratulate Buckingham Bus on 100 years of service.

Happy 100th Birthday Cyr Bus Lines

One of our MOBT members dropped us an e-mail to let us know that in his travels in Massachusetts yesterday he saw 2 buses from Cyr Bus Lines of Old Town Maine, both buses sporting decals noting their 100th anniversary in business. Cyr Bus Lines operates a fleet of MCI, Prevost & Setra coaches for charters, their in-house Cyr Northstar Tours, and a daily line run between Bangor & Caribou Maine. Cyr also has a fleet of school buses servicing several school districts in Maine. Cyr Bus Lines, founded in 1912, celebrating their 100th birthday this year, still operated by the Cyr family. Congratulations to Cyr Bus Lines from all of us at the MOBT. Cyr's website can be viewed by clicking this link:

http://www.cyrbustours.com/

Blue Bird Number 1-Video

Our bus collection at the museum consists mostly of intercity and transit buses. We do have one school bus in the collection. We recently received an e-mail from a gentleman named Bob who spends time volunteering to restore transit buses related to the history of Arizona which contained a link to a video about the beginnings of the Blue Bird Body Co. of Georgia in 1927. Blue Bird remians in business to this day building school and transit buses. A very interesting video, to watch please click on the link below:


click here: Blue Bird No. 1 Video

More Post Flood Work Activity

Yesterday (Jan.11th) Ed Wolf worked on the Peter Pan bus at Wolf's garage. Work done included: front wheel bearings packed, engine oil change, other fluids checked and topped off, miscellaneous electrical work so bus will start and run, air tanks drained. Good news is the bus is running. Thank You Ed for your work and again thank you to the folks at Wolf's for the garage space.

Recent Post-Flood Work

Just wanted to update you on recent post-flood cleanup activity:

On December 20th Tom Mozer marked 3 buses for removal at the annex. Tom also updated the flood log and delivered it to the museum.

On January 6th Paul Johnson flatbedded the 36 Chevy from Wolf's garage to the annex, at Wolf''s the following work was done: fluids were changed, brakes repaired, carburator rebuilt and battery replaced. Once taken off the flatbed at the annex it was driven into the garage under it's own power. Tom Mozer opened the garage and closed the windows on the 4106. The 4104 is now at Wolf's.

Thank you to Tom and Paul for your help and also thank you to Ed Wolf and all the folks at Wolf's Bus Lines for the use of the garage space and helping out with the repairs.

Welcome To 2012

It's been a couple of weeks since our last post, as we've been busy celebrating the holidays. We hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday season. We are looking forward to a better year in 2012. Mark your calendars and plan to join us for our annual Spring Fling which will take place on Saturday June 2nd at the museum. More details to follow. If you're in the Hershey area please be sure to set some time aside to visit the museum.