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722
Senior Member
United States
129 Posts |
 Posted - 02/01/2009 : 1:24:56 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by BusFreak
I know that Sonny Merryman (Thomas Dealer) made the yellow crossing gates standard in 96. I think that the Blue Bird dealer was the last to fall onto the bandwagon with them though, as the 99 Blue Bird GMCs in Virginia Beach came with wire ones. For a minute though, they upgraded the wire ones. They had yellow ends on them, with a cool rubber thing at the tip so that it did not scratch the paint when it smacked into the bumper. Come to think of it, the 97 (ish) AmTrans that Virginia Beach got for special ed also had the yellow gates, so 1629, I'm thinking your dating is correct! Blue Bird did not offer that as standard until later though.
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722
Senior Member
United States
129 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2009 : 1:29:42 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by BusFreak
I know that Sonny Merryman (Thomas Dealer) made the yellow crossing gates standard in 96. I think that the Blue Bird dealer was the last to fall onto the bandwagon with them though, as the 99 Blue Bird GMCs in Virginia Beach came with wire ones. For a minute though, they upgraded the wire ones. They had yellow ends on them, with a cool rubber thing at the tip so that it did not scratch the paint when it smacked into the bumper. Come to think of it, the 97 (ish) AmTrans that Virginia Beach got for special ed also had the yellow gates, so 1629, I'm thinking your dating is correct! Blue Bird did not offer that as standard until later though.
1629 is correct about the 1986 IHC/Wards (Amtrans)being the first buses delivered with the crossing arm installed. They were dealer installed. The early delivery buses were retrofitted and the later ones were deliveried with the arm installed. They were the early loop design.
My bus was retrofitted about two weeks after I got it in 1985/86. |
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IC RE 1629
Top Member
United States
5085 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2009 : 4:40:38 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by 722
1629 is correct about the 1986 IHC/Wards (Amtrans)being the first buses delivered with the crossing arm installed. They were dealer installed. The early delivery buses were retrofitted and the later ones were deliveried with the arm installed. They were the early loop design.
My bus was retrofitted about two weeks after I got it in 1985/86.
I believe we have some slight confusion about my question. My assumption was that Fairfax County's 1990 Blue Bird TC/2000 FE's were the first in Fairfax to be delivered with crossing gates installed.
The 1988 photo I have of an 1987 Ward IHC (FCPS bus 1076) doesn't appear to show a crossing gate of any style on the bus.
1) Anyone know how many 1986 Ward IHC's we had in Fairfax? I know we had a large number of 1987 models.
2) What buses were the first in Fairfax County to be delivered with crossing gates? (I know 722 stated the 1986 Wards, but I want to be sure he is talking about Fairfax...)
3) What buses were the first in Fairfax County to be delivered with the numbers painted on the driver's side of the front bumper? |
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722
Senior Member
United States
129 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2009 : 5:37:38 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by IC RE 1629
quote:
Originally posted by 722
1629 is correct about the 1986 IHC/Wards (Amtrans)being the first buses delivered with the crossing arm installed. They were dealer installed. The early delivery buses were retrofitted and the later ones were deliveried with the arm installed. They were the early loop design.
My bus was retrofitted about two weeks after I got it in 1985/86.
I believe we have some slight confusion about my question. My assumption was that Fairfax County's 1990 Blue Bird TC/2000 FE's were the first in Fairfax to be delivered with crossing gates installed.
The 1988 photo I have of an 1987 Ward IHC (FCPS bus 1076) doesn't appear to show a crossing gate of any style on the bus.
1) Anyone know how many 1986 Ward IHC's we had in Fairfax? I know we had a large number of 1987 models.
2) What buses were the first in Fairfax County to be delivered with crossing gates? (I know 722 stated the 1986 Wards, but I want to be sure he is talking about Fairfax...)
3) What buses were the first in Fairfax County to be delivered with the numbers painted on the driver's side of the front bumper?
There were about 200 IHC/Wards purchased at FCPS. It was a very large order that came in over a year and a half. Now I am going off memory and it's not as good as it used to be. I know a have a streak of "oldtimers" so lord knows sometimes.
You got me on the other question, but I had one of the Blue Bird Transits new and it had the gate on it from the factory. |
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IC RE 1629
Top Member
United States
5085 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2009 : 5:46:26 PM
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| Most of the Wards I remember were 87's. I there were some 86's, but it seems to me that most of those were special ed buses. |
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IC-RE
Top Member
USA
4117 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2009 : 6:54:31 PM
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| What I believe 722 is saying is.... That FCPS ordered 200 IHC Wards, and that they trickled in over a year and a half from 86 to 87... correct? If so, that is also what I heard to be true a while back. |
 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 - 02/02/2009 : 01:37:06 AM
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| I know what 722 is saying, I'm just wondering what the break-down was of 86-87 models. (i.e. about 25 were 86's, etc) |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2009 : 3:03:43 PM
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| they moved the Vistas to the Glenwood garage finally i guess there days are numbered now till they auction them. i saw a few others going over with them to . |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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poor_driver
Senior Member
162 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2009 : 09:19:41 AM
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bsaund09
Is there a 4 light system bus still floating around the garages in VA Beach? like the thomas gmcs in your photos? |
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schoolbuslover207
New Member
United States
3 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2009 : 03:46:23 AM
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| hi all. i went to great wolf lodge in va last week, and all in the williamsburg area i only saw Ic buses. i saw a few ihc vistas but other than that it was all Ic. i got a picture of a ic re 200 loadstar in a parking lot but not much else. |
Who says kids cant like buses? Future Thomas Built bus designer. Buses rule!!!!! |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2009 : 04:17:20 AM
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| poor driver-- all the 4 light buses are gone they have two in the junk yard at glenwood but that is it and the only 4 light gm s i know of are at the wave church on great neck rd. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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BusFreak
Top Member
USA
798 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2009 : 10:58:37 AM
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Does anyone know of any districts in VA that still purchase manual transmissions? I was just looking at the pricing schedules for Virginia posted in October (buses are getting EXPENSIVE BTW), and Sonny Merryman (of course) is STILL offering the manual transmission deduct on the C2.
BTW, Blue Bird did not offer a bid on type D again....only Type C. |
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pbfreak30
Senior Member
USA
171 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2009 : 9:13:05 PM
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| i know bedford, campbell, amherst, and lynchburg city are not ordering manuals...bedofrd hasnt since the early 80's, how ever campbell and lynchburg have some mid 90's thomas international's that are manuals, and pittsylvania has some manual FS-65's |
ARROW transportation RP..the best out there! |
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shadowrider257
New Member
United States
5 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2009 : 3:50:29 PM
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| What I hate is that Newport News hasn't brought any Type-D buses since 2002 when they brought the International FEs. Since then, all we've had were IC CEs and Blue Bird Visions; and what's even worse, the REs (my favorites in the fleet) are now the oldest ones and they'll probably be retired before I graduate. |
http://shadowrider257.webs.com |
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vabuslover
Advanced Member
United States
246 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2009 : 06:57:03 AM
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| shadowrider, I am from Newport News, and graduated from Woodside in 2007. I think the reason behind moving from transit (type-d) to type-c, is because it is saving them money. There was a year recently, that they did not get any new buses at all, and retired some older ones. Anywhere they can save money they are doing so, especially with how tight it is now. |
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shadowrider257
New Member
United States
5 Posts |
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poor_driver
Senior Member
162 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2009 : 2:32:54 PM
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| I'm pretty sure Lunenburg and Nelson Counties are still buying sticks. Amelia county just started buying automatics about 3 or 4 years ago. Brunswick still have a few floating around i believe (spares) |
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BusFreak
Top Member
USA
798 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2009 : 5:05:04 PM
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| Sweet. Thanks! I'm on a mission to get a picture of a C2 stick shift. |
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vabuslover
Advanced Member
United States
246 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2009 : 10:43:47 AM
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| You have some very interesting photos shadowrider. Do you know anybody within the Newport News transportation department? I like their bus fleet, and would like to at some point get in contact with some people and find out more about what they have. |
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shadowrider257
New Member
United States
5 Posts |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 04/11/2009 : 09:29:33 AM
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| Finally, spring break for those going on or off it, enjoy the time off. Not much school bus news going on around va. beach just waiting for the new birds to be assigned. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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Jared
Top Member
USA
1857 Posts |
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IC RE 1629
Top Member
United States
5085 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2009 : 07:16:44 AM
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| That almost looks exactly like one of our old 89' AA FE's. Except this one is in much nicer shape. |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
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IC-RE
Top Member
USA
4117 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2009 : 09:42:14 AM
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| I always thought these were some cool looking buses, I'm kind of sad that all of ours are gone! |
bus 1980, a 2008 IC RE 300 for Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax, Virginia. |
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Jared
Top Member
USA
1857 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2009 : 5:22:44 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by IC RE 1629
That almost looks exactly like one of our old 89' AA FE's. Except this one is in much nicer shape.
The owner said it is a 1989! |
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaredg21/sets/ |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2009 : 8:36:44 PM
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| i would say it was it has the Va. style reflectors which are basically the same throughout Va. and it is not unheard of to see someone sup it up a bit rare but it does happen. |
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 - 04/19/2009 : 06:17:49 AM
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| I was comparing this bus to a photo of one of our 89' AA FE's and this bus exactly matches. If only I could see the driver's side of the bus, I could be sure. |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
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IC-RE
Top Member
USA
4117 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2009 : 3:07:25 PM
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| we did have a bus 1254 that was a 1989 All American, BUT the numbering was on the bumpers and sides of the buses, not above the door, but that I'm sure is easily changeable |
bus 1980, a 2008 IC RE 300 for Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax, Virginia. |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2009 : 4:35:43 PM
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| yeah , it look like they try to keep it looking the same but those chrome hubs now that is a very nice touch. We have a church here use to adopt the number on the bus into their fleet of buses especially if they were just two digit numbers but then they went to numbering everything starting with an eight. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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poor_driver
Senior Member
162 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2009 : 12:19:12 PM
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| I see on publicsurplus.com that VA beach is starting to get rid of their Vistas..... Thought it was weird when they came.....hate to see them go...... |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
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Topic |
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Official Virginia School Bus Thread
