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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
 Posted - 07/25/2006 : 09:34:23 AM
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| I have a pic of a 1964 International Thomas and it is labeled Va.Beach City Public Schools. I am not sure when that photo was taken but it was the old old Bus # 138. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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IC RE 1629
Top Member
United States
5085 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2006 : 10:01:49 AM
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| Could you share that pic? |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
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IC RE 1629
Top Member
United States
5085 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2006 : 12:06:57 PM
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| Hit the send user a e-mail thing in my profile. I'd prefer not to announce my e-mail on the forum. |
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VetteMonte
Active Member
USA
33 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2006 : 5:21:50 PM
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"Next door in Va Beach, they are in the process of retiring their 88 and 87 GMCs, both Blue Bird and Thomas bodies. Since 1980 though, Virginia Beach has spected their buses with Automatic Transmissions, Air brakes, and Diesel engines. In 95, they introduced the white roofs, then in 96-97, they introduced the air doors, and finally, in 00 (ish) they introduced tinted windows. They are mostly conventional still, however they do have a few Thomas HDX CNG buses floating around as well. They are the only Thomas HDX buses I have ever seen with only one roof hatch! They also have a few All American REs from the late 90s (also with one roof hatch)."
Yes, we have 7 transit style buses. Buses 73, 74, and 78 are 1998 BlueBird All American REs. Buses 280 and 150 are 2004 Thomas Safe-T-Liner HDXs. Buses 301 and 302 are 2006 HDXs. All 4 HDXs are CNG powered. Bus 120 is our sole Thomas C2. The driver RAVES about it. Below are all the major changes in our fleet
1983 (Ford/BB) diesel, automatic, airbrakes
1984 no buses purchased
1985 (Int/BB) year of the gajillion Internationals, late buses have wider emergency doors
1986 (GMC/Thom)
1987 (GMC/BB) 8-lamp warning system
1988 (GMC/Thom)
1989 (Ford/BB) turbodiesels
1990 (Ford/Thom) Air brakes in SpeEd buses
1991 (Ford/BB) intercooled turbodiesel, vandalock system
1992 (Ford/BB) high back seat, 3-pointbelt, smaller steps...no vandalock auto in SpeEd buses
1993 (Int/BB) "new" Internationals (Navistar)
1994 (Int/BB) white-tops, side emergency door
1995 (Int Thom) some Vistas, roof vent
1996 (Int Thom) air door (some Vistas, ONE SpeEd conventional)
1997 (Int/BB) ALL air doors, no side door, pop-out windows instead
1998 (Int/BB) strobe lights
1999 (Frt/Thom and GMC/BB) Freightliner Dynasty begins, 2 roof vents
2000 (Frt/Thom) Side mirrors change to split type
2001 (Frt/Thom) Crossview change to elliptical from banana shaped
2002 (GMC/BB and IC) No FS-65s
2003 (Frt/Thom) MBE904-190 engine trials
2004 (Frt/Thom) tinted windows
2005 (Frt/Thom) childminder system
2006 (Frt/Thom) 2-stage air door switch (coolest thing EVER) |
Stephen Kilby
Virginia Beach City Public School
2003-04 Bus Driver of the Year (Area A) |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2006 : 7:56:47 PM
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| VetteMonte's list is pretty accurate expect that there were two years of the 83 fords the first year with tan interior and green seats the second year had tan interior and brown seats and the left side number went in front of the stop sign. The 84/85 Internationals were in two years with the back door being wider the second year and with a painted black stripe along the rub rail at the battery box. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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BusFreak
Top Member
USA
798 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2006 : 10:46:10 PM
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Brian, used to wonder about that black stripe on the batter box! There was also one Blue Bird Ford diesel/auto/air from 82ish that had an all green interior. I want to say it was bus 3, but I could be very mistaken. My driver had it once as a spare in middle school, and it sounded like the engine had been rebuilt, as it was much quieter inside than the others of the same era.
Some other improvments to go on the list are:
1999 the Blue Birds got high back seats. Before, only Thomas had the high back seats.
1990 Ford Thomas also had a 3 point safety belt. Some had the real deal (like 192) but others just had the lap belt with a shoulder strap that was permanently attached to the ceiling and floor
2000 was the first year for the Thomas buses to have the center mounted fuel tank.
1994 was the fist year they got TWO fans in the drivers area, and also the only year the Blue Birds had those extra convex mirrors above the double nickle mirrors. This was also the first year for Vinyl lettering for the number. |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2006 : 06:11:38 AM
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| One of the first diesels was all green that very well may have been Bus 3 i was never really around that one to much. I drove 5,8,and 10 but never bus 3. The driver that had that Bus 3 from 1983 had Bus 52 a 1972 International Ward and she drove lots of miles along Shore Dr after bus 3 she went to Bus 381 and then she moved to Florida.The 88 GMC 381 got torched in 2000. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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VetteMonte
Active Member
USA
33 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2006 : 4:37:16 PM
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<shudder> Green seat Bluebirds...
"Some other improvments to go on the list are:
1999 the Blue Birds got high back seats. Before, only Thomas had the high back seats.
1990 Ford Thomas also had a 3 point safety belt. Some had the real deal (like 192) but others just had the lap belt with a shoulder strap that was permanently attached to the ceiling and floor
2000 was the first year for the Thomas buses to have the center mounted fuel tank.
1994 was the fist year they got TWO fans in the drivers area, and also the only year the Blue Birds had those extra convex mirrors above the double nickle mirrors. This was also the first year for Vinyl lettering for the number."
You are correct on all counts. Also, 2002s got the 2000 series transmissions. Earlier models got the AT545. 1993 Internationals also had different rear end gearing because of the then pending speed limit increase (45 to 55 on Interstate highways) to allow the buses to go 55 without over-revving the engine. They were still governed at 45, though some of them have been reset.
My friend Heather drove old bus 1 as her first assigned bus. When a new bus 1 was bought (2001), hers was renumbered A1. She DARED her students to forget it, after all, how many people ride to school in a bottle of steak sauce?
My favorite bus EVER was old bus 236 ('83 Ford). It would haul @$$ (75+ mph). I didn't do it on purpose. I had the new bus 10 (1999) last year and the year before. I had the '88 GMC 369 for two years (now I have the NEW 2006 ['07 on the registration] 369), and the bus never had me waiting for a service truck (except the one time "someone" left the headlights on all weekend...stupid vandals). The next driver to get it broke the starter 2 days later and blew 2 transmissions. I guess it missed me.
Almost all of the 1989-1992 Fords are spares along with a few '93 Internationals. Most of the 87/88 GMCs and some '89 Fords are part of the "A-Fleet" of school activity buses now, and most earlier buses are gone. |
Stephen Kilby
Virginia Beach City Public School
2003-04 Bus Driver of the Year (Area A) |
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BusFreak
Top Member
USA
798 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2006 : 11:47:52 PM
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Stephen,
How long have you been driving for Virginia Beach? I am a graduate of Salem from back in the day. I dont recognize any of the buses you mention, but I bet they were good ones! I remember when bus 1 was one of those older ford blue birds. |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2006 : 11:29:00 AM
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| The first Va. Beach Bus#1 I remember was a 72IHC Ward there were just a handful of them starting with Bus 1,27,40,44,52,56,86& 94 not sure why they bought so few them other maybe someone else backed out of the purchase all were labeled city of virginia beach public schools.they ran them pretty hard till 1985 they were the first buses to get pushed past a 12year life cycle.The two years buses were not purchased some buses had already been sold. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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VetteMonte
Active Member
USA
33 Posts |
Posted - 08/02/2006 : 03:30:18 AM
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"How long have you been driving for Virginia Beach? I am a graduate of Salem from back in the day. I dont recognize any of the buses you mention, but I bet they were good ones! I remember when bus 1 was one of those older ford blue birds."
September will start my 9th year of driving for VBCPS. My first bus was #324. It was one of those old Internationals. Top speed was 54 mph, but it would get to that speed in a loud, smokey hurry! My friend Heather (we signed our contracts the same day) had the old bus 1 that you're talking about. I used to pick on her because my bus was newer than hers. She'd say hers was faster, and I'd start mine up so I couldn't hear her...good times. She was the last driver to be issued that one. I liked those buses. They were pretty dependable, reasonably fast, and fairly quiet (for a NA diesel). |
Stephen Kilby
Virginia Beach City Public School
2003-04 Bus Driver of the Year (Area A) |
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IC RE 1629
Top Member
United States
5085 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2006 : 2:07:31 PM
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Visited Shenandoah County's main bus facility today. They have all there buses parked there for the summer. Lots of cool things there. Here is a list of different models I saw:
AmTran International Conventional
Blue Bird International Conventional
Thomas International Conventional
Thomas FS-65 Conventional
Thomas Saf-T-Liner HDX
IC CE
Wayne Lifeguard International
I will be posting the pictures I got (over 30 pics) when I do my update next week. |
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IC-RE
Top Member
USA
4117 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2006 : 2:37:08 PM
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| From What Gini showed me they also have at least 1 or 2 BE's. You can tell by a small vent on the hood, if there is one on the pax side than it is a BE and Not a CE |
 bus 1980, a 2008 IC RE 300 for Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax, Virginia. |
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IC RE 1629
Top Member
United States
5085 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2006 : 2:59:57 PM
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| The two new IC buses that I photographed were CE 200's. I found the CE200 decal by the entrance door. There were about 15 or so IC buses parked up by the office and garage. I didn't go up there, because the garage staff was working and I wanted to stay out of there way. If there were any BE's, then they should have been up there. |
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IC-RE
Top Member
USA
4117 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2006 : 4:09:31 PM
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| Okay, cool that would make sense. Any A/C buses up there? |
bus 1980, a 2008 IC RE 300 for Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax, Virginia. |
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IC RE 1629
Top Member
United States
5085 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2006 : 7:05:28 PM
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No A/C buses that I saw. The new CE's and BE's they have are replacements for the Wayne International's that they used to have. I only found two Wayne's today. Last time I visited, they had quite a few left.
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IC-RE
Top Member
USA
4117 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2006 : 9:42:53 PM
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| Interesting.... sad to see all the VA Waynes on their way out. I think That Shenandoa is the only other county in VA that I have heard of to have Waynes, what other counties around here do? |
bus 1980, a 2008 IC RE 300 for Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax, Virginia. |
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BusFreak
Top Member
USA
798 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2006 : 01:11:38 AM
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| I can promise you that Staunton and or Agusta County have their newer Wayne International 3800s, as well as the few other counties that purchased those in the 90s. |
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IC RE 1629
Top Member
United States
5085 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2006 : 06:25:57 AM
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Shenandoah and Fairfax are the only counties in VA that I have seen Wayne buses in.
I must say though, the IC CE is becoming popular in VA. Counties that I've seen them in include:
Loudoun, Fauquier, Shenandoah, Warren, Alexandria City.
What other counties do you all know of that have a significant # of CE's? |
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IC-RE
Top Member
USA
4117 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2006 : 08:19:10 AM
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| Culpepper County, Williams Bus Lines, |
bus 1980, a 2008 IC RE 300 for Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax, Virginia. |
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IC RE 1629
Top Member
United States
5085 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2006 : 08:36:53 AM
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| Oops! I forgot about those two! |
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Bus 801
Advanced Member
USA
410 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2006 : 08:40:03 AM
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Stafford County and the City of Fredericksburg both had 1989 Ford Waynes and some Chevy Waynes. They had the green interiors and manual Ford gas engine with hydrulic brakes.
Chesapeake also had 86-87 4 lamp GMC Waynes. |
Rob
Floater 421
http://community.webshots.com/user/bus801
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Edited by - Bus 801 on 08/06/2006 08:46:02 AM |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2006 : 09:06:54 AM
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| The city of Portsmouth had 4 light wayne gmcs to but they have been gone for a while now. I remember when Portsmouth was way behind in keeping their fleet up to date but now I think are ahead of everyone else they have a really nice fleet. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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IC RE 1629
Top Member
United States
5085 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2006 : 09:36:47 AM
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What's Portsmouth fleet like today?
Bus801, do you have an pics of Stafford buses? |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2006 : 1:11:37 PM
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| They have some C2s not sure how many . They also have been getting the ICs and Freightliners the last few years. They are still running some 91-93 Fords but they must be close to being replaced i know they have been trading in at Sonny Merryman for the last few years.They have a lot of 95,96 International Thomas. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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IC RE 1629
Top Member
United States
5085 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2006 : 4:02:23 PM
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| How big is there fleet? |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2006 : 6:11:30 PM
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| i do not believe they are over 200 yet. They do not use their buses during the summer monthes from what i can tell anyway. I know one of their bus parking lots is competely empty during the summer they usually have 50 buses or more there during the year. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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poor_driver
Senior Member
162 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2006 : 05:56:18 AM
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Most of the Waynes i see in Va belong to private schools or their up in Fairfax. i didn't know that Alexandria and Manassas had their own buses? i figured the county served those cities
One more thing. I was surprised to see alot of Virginia back in the 80's early 90s bought alot of GMCs/chevys. I don't see the chevy cowl anymore (mostly bluebird). I still see the Gmcs(Thomas mostly (statewide)& Bluebird (mostly tidewater area). I see them still running really in Chesterfield but they are on their way out. i got to get one!!!!!! |
Edited by - poor_driver on 08/07/2006 06:03:55 AM |
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IC RE 1629
Top Member
United States
5085 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2006 : 06:22:52 AM
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| Falls Church city also has it's own fleet. |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2006 : 07:36:54 AM
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| Virginia Overland use to have a big operation near Petersburg or Richmond do they still exist and how big is their operation now. I know at one point they took over in Hampton Roads as the lead school bus contractor when Laidlaw got bought out by the city of Norfolk I have not heard or seen much of them since. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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vabuslover
Advanced Member
United States
246 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2006 : 10:48:50 AM
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York County and Gloucester County also has a lot of IC CEs in their fleet. York County has been getting them since they were called International (between AmTran and IC). Gloucester also has a lot of Carpenter and BB IHCs from the 90s. Those Carpenters look weird comapred to the rest of teh buses they have. Oh, and by the way, they do not get white roofs in Gloucester County. That is how I know that I see a Gloucester bus compared to all the other buses in the area.
Hampton ahs some IC CEs as well. |
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Busdude3
Top Member
USA
1178 Posts |
Posted - 08/13/2006 : 6:40:15 PM
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| How many Carpenters are in Virgina? Though I'm not in Virginia much, I've really haven't seen many from pictures or in person. |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 08/13/2006 : 6:48:29 PM
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They do not have many here although at one time they had a bigger share of the market.Carpenters were always a more expensive bus and most Virginia local school boards
only bought based on lower bids. The state usually had the chassis bid done in Richmond and the
body companies summited to the actual local school board. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 08/13/2006 : 6:51:34 PM
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| Cheaspeake and Hampton use to have some and other areas bought some in the nineties but they were just never a bus someone bought every year . |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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Official Virginia School Bus Thread
