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2006bbvision
Senior Member
USA
107 Posts |
 Posted - 08/17/2007 : 09:32:17 AM
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| VABUSLOVERYeah I think they have at 1 our 2 07 visions, Because some did not come in on time and others 06s where not put into to service until 06 do to state guide line issue were not met on the buses from the dealership, so they would not sign off on them. But I to am really upset to see the first RE's go ;( I especially love 274 that is a Tc2000 RE Handicap bus. |
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vabuslover
Advanced Member
United States
246 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2007 : 8:03:42 PM
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| I remember seeing #274 around sometimes. Was that the only RE handicap bus that NN had? Do you happen to know what numbers are assigned to the 07 Visions? Is there a way to tell them apart from the others? |
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2006bbvision
Senior Member
USA
107 Posts |
Posted - 08/20/2007 : 07:42:07 AM
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| I think 185 is a 07, it has a weird looking air condition unit on it, and is also is equipped with the (smc) back up monitor and has the led stop marquee on the emergency exit door, ( this was pilot project from state given to only a phew district state wide to see if this would prevent stop sign runners) no information on how it worked out I don't think it did to well because we took them off most of the buses that were retrofitted with them. And 274 I loved that bus it was the only Re bus with a lift that has y roof, but I think we have at lest a 1994-1995 RE TC 20000 with a lift, Oh I also forgot to tell you that we place like 1 1993 Tc2000 FE on the hill I think number is 4 or 333 not to for I forgot, But it has the suicide style doors on it so it apart of the first order in 1993. |
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vabuslover
Advanced Member
United States
246 Posts |
Posted - 08/20/2007 : 8:57:36 PM
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| Back-up monitor? How does that work. Oh, and you said weird air-conditioning unit...does that mean it is really large looking on the back of the driver side? I have seen a handful of others like that too. Whatever happened to the foglights on the 06 BB's? |
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2006bbvision
Senior Member
USA
107 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2007 : 06:27:50 AM
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| VABUSLOVER, Yes the large looking units on some of the o6 bb's, they actually look pretty cool I like they way Newport News was so anti not trying anything new and really expensive until the Thomas EF order in 2001-2002 those buses were nicely spec I wish we would have got more of them, I heard them and the visions are in the shop the least. oh yeah and the tc-2000's best buses NN every purchased in my eyes, Being we have about 200 of them lol!!!!! Oh and the fog lights should still be on the visions, they look really cool in the early morning! and the monitor I was talking about is that big black oval shaped thing that is on some of the 2003 Ic' FE's and CE's and visions that talks when the bus is about to move and back up? that is a project that was tried out in 2005 I think. |
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2006bbvision
Senior Member
USA
107 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2007 : 06:32:06 AM
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| Hey vabuslover since you are still in the are, do you get pictures of some of the buses? |
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vabuslover
Advanced Member
United States
246 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2007 : 11:59:41 AM
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| I have not had time to get pics of any NN buses, and since I will be leaving to go to UVa on Saturday it will be a long time before I can do that again. I also didn't have a good camera to get any pictures with, but when I am in town again I may try to take some pictures of the NN bus fleet. |
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2006bbvision
Senior Member
USA
107 Posts |
Posted - 08/22/2007 : 08:34:24 AM
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| Wow UVA my sis is going there to. |
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vabuslover
Advanced Member
United States
246 Posts |
Posted - 08/24/2007 : 04:52:13 AM
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| If I am in town and I wanted to be able to get some pictures of NN school buses, is there a way that you would be able to help me do that, since I think you are involved with them a lot? |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2007 : 11:15:58 AM
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| i got a pic of a Bluebird Ford from say 83-85 the number painted over is 79 and looks like one from newport news. the bus was parked on big bethel rd. it look pretty good. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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poor_driver
Senior Member
162 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2007 : 7:23:16 PM
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| Dinwiddie County has received/ing blue bird visions since they came out. I know alteast since the new cowl style they have alteast 5 or 6. I saw two back in July near I-85 and passed four of them on U.S 460 in Farmville. Seems like the Vision is catching on here in VA. |
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vabuslover
Advanced Member
United States
246 Posts |
Posted - 08/28/2007 : 07:35:51 AM
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| I seen what looks like an 06 BB Vision #195 from Albermarle County yeaterday. They started school even before the college, and so you can see their buses out and about. How I know it is an 06 is the extra black around the warning lights (like a Thomas or IC). |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 08/28/2007 : 4:50:19 PM
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| So far the BB Vision I got has been awesome and the more I get use to it the better it seems to be although it is burning a lot of fuel but that maybe the newest of it. I like the child safety check system a lot better then Thomas it doesnt add in a lot noise unless you forget to cut it off and then it will scream at you. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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Gini
Top Member
USA
1249 Posts |
Posted - 08/28/2007 : 9:35:31 PM
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| how cool for you, Brian, that you get to drive BB Vision! i don't know if i would have enjoyed one, but it would have been cool to try it. |
1Peter 1:3 |
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disneynuts
Advanced Member
USA
220 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2007 : 1:03:52 PM
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Gini:
When you get tired of being retired, let us know.
We have routes that go from Ashburn to Arlington ( 1 stop ) and Ashburn to Fairfax ( 2 stops ).
Air conditoned bus, not new but still a/c. Can't quited match the county pay scale, but its not too bad.
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Gini
Top Member
USA
1249 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2007 : 9:59:12 PM
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| thanks disneynuts! i'm pretty sure my bus driving days are done w/. tho i gotta admit, driving from Ashburn to Arlington sounds tempting................ |
1Peter 1:3 |
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jclick
Active Member
United States
33 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2007 : 05:33:53 AM
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| Hello everyone. Here in Accomack county on Va's Eastern Shore we have started receiving C2's. We got 3 basic buses with white tops and one special needs bus with everything but A/C. Our fleet is all Thomas conventional, mostly Freightliners with about 35 internationals out of 108 buses. We always got manuals until the state mandated autos. Our neighbors to the south in Northampton County have been getting Thomas's with yellow tops for a couple years. They still have many Gasoline GMC's in their fleet as they only started switching to Diesel a few years ago. I may be wrong but I think I saw one of the New Bluebirds in their bus yard a few weeks ago. Good luck in the new school year! |
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Gini
Top Member
USA
1249 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2007 : 10:17:00 AM
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| welcome aboard jclick! |
1Peter 1:3 |
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jclick
Active Member
United States
33 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2007 : 10:32:33 AM
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| Thanks Gini |
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poor_driver
Senior Member
162 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2007 : 1:07:27 PM
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| The state mandated automatics? that's strange? why not the choice of 5 speeds? |
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BusFreak
Top Member
USA
798 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2007 : 8:04:43 PM
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| The state does not mandate automatics, and infact, in the state specifications, it still states the automatic as if it were an upgrade. The main transmission specification is for "mechanical" transmissions with direct shift into 5th. Also, on the state bid sheets, the line is available on the pricing guide for a manual transmission. The only company who bid on such a spec, however, was Sonny Merryman with Thomas. Just more proof that the C2 is indeed available with a manual transmission. I'd love to see that too...Power operated entrance door, with a clutch and stick! |
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ltrain2001
Senior Member
139 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2007 : 8:09:19 PM
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| How much extra is it for a manual transmission on a C2? How about for a Vision also? |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2007 : 05:33:39 AM
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| Va Beach still has four stick buses in the spare fleet all are 36pass buses for sped. the only others 1 or 2 are used out at Vo Tech for carring students to and from job sites. Some days I miss the manual trasmission but when sitting in bumper to bumper traffic glad to have an automatic. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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jclick
Active Member
United States
33 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2007 : 07:32:31 AM
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| Hey Busfreak, whatever the change was, it caused our district to start getting automatics. I've spoken to our Super many times about it as he is opposed to getting the autos because of higher cost and maintenance, not to mention the headacke from drivers saying they have knee problems and need the new bus with the auto. |
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2006bbvision
Senior Member
USA
107 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2007 : 10:08:23 AM
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Hey BSAUND09,
What type of manuel buses does VA Beach still have in the fleet? I have seen I think #495 a Sped late 80's Inter that was parked at a school near one of my friends apt's when I lived in that area. Do you guys still have the Blue Bird GMC'S as Activity buses? What buses did you guys retire this year? |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2007 : 8:28:21 PM
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| They are all Internationals from 1992(540,541,542) and 1993(253). Yes , 495 is gone now they sold it a couple of years ago. All the GMC s of the '80s and early 90s are gone now to they sold the last ones last spring. The new buses coming in will start replacement numbers for the 1993 Bluebird Internationals and complete the final Fords in the fleet very hard to believe that Va Beach is that close to losing the Ford name on school buses. They have been here all my life it will just be weird. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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2006bbvision
Senior Member
USA
107 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2007 : 8:42:30 PM
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| wow I did not know VaBeach has 1992's with manuel what made them only buy 4 of them? when is the first year you guys started having air doors as a standard option? I have always loved to see VABeach buses on the rode... What was the first year you guys got the first generation of FS-65??? oh and is bus 595 still in service I love the way that bus looks I think it is like a 1995-1996 Thomas international t-444e with a flat floor option, and a lift. it also has the black out window specs looks really nice, just needs to have a strobe light!!!! |
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BusFreak
Top Member
USA
798 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2007 : 9:44:59 PM
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Virginia Beach stopped getting Manuals for regular ed buses in 83, which happened to conincide with the switchover to diesel/airbrake. They continued to get the manuals for special ed buses till 92, with the first automatic handi buses in the fleet. They were 92 Thomas Fords. For some reason, among the 93 Special Ed Blue Bird Internationals, there was one lonely manual transmission. The rest of the 93 special ed buses featured the 7.3 liter engine, with automatic/air brake options.
The first air door I remember seeing was bus 620 (I think), a 95-96 Thomas Vista regular ed. All buses purchased after that featured air doors. Strobe lights started appearing in spring of 97 on about half of the buses purchased that year, and were standard on Virginia Beach buses after that.
The First FS-65s showed up in spring of 99. The 99s are the only FS-65s to have cummins engines, and two roof hatches. |
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Lena
Senior Member
United States
120 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2007 : 08:42:28 AM
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welcome jclick...are you Jeremy, who won the State Roadeo again this year?
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Most smiles are started by another smile...  |
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jclick
Active Member
United States
33 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2007 : 11:28:02 AM
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| Hey Lena, thanks for the welcome. Yes, I am Jeremy. |
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2006bbvision
Senior Member
USA
107 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2007 : 1:57:24 PM
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| Hey IC1629, When is your web site going to be updated? Cant not wait to see the new pics! |
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jjf221fe
Advanced Member
United States
275 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2007 : 2:34:02 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by 2006bbvision
Cant not wait
That's a double-negative  |
What is this "Hydraulic Brakes" nonsense you speak of? |
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IC-RE
Top Member
USA
4117 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2007 : 3:52:45 PM
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| Hey jff221fe I see you're in a 2008 IC CE with the new Maxxforce DT! How do you guys like it? Does it have the updated guages? |
 bus 1980, a 2008 IC RE 300 for Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax, Virginia. |
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jjf221fe
Advanced Member
United States
275 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2007 : 5:02:35 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by IC-RE
Hey jff221fe I see you're in a 2008 IC CE with the new Maxxforce DT! How do you guys like it? Does it have the updated guages?
Well, from what I've experienced so far this school year it seems to be holding up pretty well, certainly a decent amound of power under the hood. One thing I don't care for too much is the air door it's equipped with. Don't get me wrong, I like air doors, but when I'm boarding the bus I have to purposely wait there for about 4-5 seconds or so. It almost seems "choppy". It opens fast, then it stops, and then it opens really slow the rest of the way open, and vise-versa. I really think my driver, Mikki, enjoys the air-ride seat (her and I were taking turns bouncing in it a few days ago ) along with the driver's area. My former bus for at least 4 years has been a 1999-2004 Thomas FS-65. She doesn't need to heeve over to pull and release the parking brake, it's right next to her right hand as all CEs' parking brake knobs are, both for airbrakes and those wannabe hydraulic knobs. Standing very tall for my age of 13 at 6'1", I praised the lord for the standard high-head room of IC. I could've gone for highback seats like all my previous Thomases had, these are rather uncomfortable. I can feel and hear the metal in the seat when I sit... As far as the gauges go, I'm honestly not too sure, due to the fact that I haven't paid too much attention to our new CE's gauge cluster. Although, I do have a question: What was the former CE's DT466 governed at? I think our RPM gauge goes all the way to 4000 RPM. I'm not sure what the former CE's gauge went to, but I'm certainly not used to looking at it while my driver's driving and watching it climb those big diesel RPM numbers like that, all my former Thomas' RPM gauges only went to 3,000 RPM. They were all equipped with the Mercedes-Benz MBE 906. |
What is this "Hydraulic Brakes" nonsense you speak of? |
Edited by - jjf221fe on 09/13/2007 7:07:30 PM |
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IC-RE
Top Member
USA
4117 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2007 : 7:03:29 PM
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Cool, Im glad you like it. Yeah the ICs all have those seats, they pop when you sit down, they put a whole new meaning in the saying "POP A SQUAT!" hahaha
not sure about the RPMs |
bus 1980, a 2008 IC RE 300 for Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax, Virginia. |
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Official Virginia School Bus Thread
