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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
 Posted - 09/09/2009 : 4:12:45 PM
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Vabuslover the buses I looked at were 1986 models with 4 way lights and the engines you are thinking of was the 8.2L V8 to the Ford 6.6L in-line 6. Both were very good engines by the way. It may have been longer than 5 years that I looked to bid on those little babies, time really seems to fly lately. Vistas seem like they were only built to last 5 or 6 years, after that they rattle and just dont seem to hold up well. Our 1996 model is in pretty good shape but it was a sp. ed. bus that didnt get much abuse.
How was everyones first few days? bsaund09 you sound like not too good!! |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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Edited by - hardybusman on 09/09/2009 4:16:00 PM |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2009 : 5:27:56 PM
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| yeah, i think my bus has some sort of electric problems everything that should shut down with the key kept staying on and it finally got to the Child Safety Check System which meant i couldnt disarm the alarm but it did finally work at the garage . Our spares had not been processed yet so finding a bus was interesting and then it had problems today but one of the better mechanics got it going so Hats Off to those guys. i have always liked the '99 GMC s not a bad bus at all. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2009 : 6:18:03 PM
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| Sorry you've had a rough start. At least you got a nice spare it seems, must be nice to have a 99 for a spare. Elsctrical issues stink because they can be hard to trace and cause a lot of down time. Other than having a inner rear tire blow out on one of ours its been a smooth start. We started last week so we got a head start. Hope they get your bus straight bsaund. |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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Edited by - hardybusman on 09/13/2009 12:45:15 PM |
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 09/23/2009 : 4:42:45 PM
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| How is everyones school year going so far? Hopefully not a lot of problems. |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2009 : 07:34:32 AM
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| Basically , I am having a great year so far breakdown and all the biggest things going on here are the installation of the GPS system in all school buses and I think they are doing trucks and cars after that. We also have had a school with severe discpline issues that are about to take possession of a brand new multi million dollar green equipped building not sure what their furture will be but they are an alternative school. Our bus routes were pretty messed up when school started so that is slowly being fixed they really ought to employ drivers to help with that job instead of paying people supervisors pay that have no clue exactly how this stuff works-I think they forgot that our times should include the traffic we encounter along that route since Edulog can't see or think traffic jam. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2009 : 5:44:59 PM
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| Now you know the computer never lies and is always right. Other than constant minor mechanical problems we have had a pretty good year so far. Hope it keeps up, I've been logging 400-500 miles a week running activity trips alone, getting kinda burned out! |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2009 : 06:01:04 AM
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| Wow you do somw rolling. My problem is my day starts at 6:30 at the shop turning wrenches or mowing grass and doing repairs around school. If I'm lucky I wont have to sub. on a route then grab some lunch before I head 100+ to Greenbrier or Isle of Wight, or Roanoke Catholic, sit through a game then head 100+ home, get home 12ish get 5 hrs. sleep and do it again. Most of our route buses travel 500-600 miles a week. I imagine you would wear out a bus pretty quick. |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 10/11/2009 : 10:07:14 AM
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| Our biggest problem is our buses are pretty well worn when we buy them. I am pretty amazed sometime how well they hold up. Most of our buses have 200k+ miles and one is over 300k and one over 400k, but engine has been replaced. |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 10/11/2009 : 12:00:06 PM
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| Ours now when being sold are usually 200k+ on them unusual to be below that marker. We do multiple runs during the day so the buses and drivers are used to there fullest potential we may never get paid like that but you never know. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2009 : 12:55:00 PM
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| Mileage goes up and pay goes down. Thats an interesting scale isnt it!!!!!! Lets just be thankful that we have a job to complain about. |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2009 : 12:03:15 PM
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| Thanks bsaund09, I've been watching them and was going to ask you about them but you beat me too it. Does 416 have a lift? I see it needs a lot of work but that does keep the price down. I like the fact that Va. Beach lists the defects that are known. |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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Edited by - hardybusman on 11/01/2009 12:07:32 PM |
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2009 : 5:27:38 PM
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| bsaund09 thanks again for the heads up. I gave a bid on both and we'll see what happens. I'd love to get a couple of those 93 with the DT360 engines. They dont come much finer than those buses in my book. I just dont need anything that big right now. What are ya'll using for spares now? Did Va. Beach get a large order of new buses this year? |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 11/03/2009 : 07:02:51 AM
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| So far no new buses at all, the spare line consist of the '94s,'95s,'96 and '97 Internationals on a bluebird and thomas body. They have a few '99 GMCs in use as spares to the new buses should be arriving anytime now. Those 52 pass. are the ones like that in Va.Beach ever all the rest of the 52 pass. buses are lift equipped buses.They do have one Vista with ac and lift still running Bus 473 not sure when they plan parking that one although it has mega miles I am sure that was the second lift bus ever bought equipped with ac. The '93s they sold with it were installed ac units after purchase. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 11/03/2009 : 4:23:16 PM
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| Well I didnt get any buses. We really dont need anything right now but I dont like to let those 52's get away. Those are hard to get with no lift and a auto. trans. I been getting a couple from Loudon Co. but they are even getting hard to come by. Thanks again for the heads up! I really appreciate it. |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2009 : 07:05:00 AM
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| Sure, have you ever checked out the North Carolina State school bus sales site . They have all kinds of buses every size and year just mainly they are all Thomas built but they have low mileage. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2009 : 07:58:14 AM
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Yeah
i've browsed through N.C. but they seem to be older and are kind of pricey. I do like the Thomas body the best. Hopefully we will be getting a bus or two this summer. I've got two 5 speed buses I'd like to replace. |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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722
Senior Member
United States
129 Posts |
Posted - 11/10/2009 : 5:28:42 PM
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Dear School Bus Fleet Friends,
With great sadness I have to report that we have lost one of our forum members. Rick Williams a.k.a. Disneynuts lost his battle to cancer last Friday. As you may know Williams Bus Lines is a Northern Virginia school bus contactor for the private and parochial schools. The company will continue with the family operating it as it has been since 1983.
A message from Rick's family
Hello Family and Friends,
Thank you all for your loving care and support. As we are saddened by the passing of my daddy, we have the following information for his celebration of life service.
The service will be held on Saturday, November 14th at 11:30am at
The Alive Gathering Ministries
6820A Commercial Drive
Springfield, Virginia 22151
Donations to the American Cancer Society in Rick's name in lieu of flowers.
Please send your thoughts and prayers to Rick and his wonderful family.
Rick's journal can be found here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/rickwilliams/journal
Thanks,
James Day, CDPT
Executive Secretary, VAPT
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2009 : 4:21:22 PM
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| I enjoyed chatting with him. He will be missed. |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 11/12/2009 : 4:41:26 PM
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| Hey bsaund09, keep your head above water. Hope you dont get flooded out. |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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bsaund09
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 11/14/2009 : 12:22:35 PM
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| Hey, thanks no flooding on this street but plenty of streets still covered in water. We lost power during the night Thursday and was restored today- saturday.I hear we have a bus with a tree on the top of it. |
keep those buses rolling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/schoolbushistory |
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 11/17/2009 : 3:33:03 PM
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| Glad to here all is good. No major issues here except a lot of roof issues with hatches leaking. Other than that no problems. I have to come your way football this Saturday to play finals at Isle of Wight Academy. I would have liked to seen that barge up on the beach. I caught a glimpse on the news. |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2009 : 5:02:38 PM
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| Any updates from anyone on the Roanoke contract? I'm really interested in hearing how that is going. |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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SWVA Busdriver
New Member
7 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2009 : 7:02:35 PM
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| I know someone who drives for Roanoke and it has been tough with route issues and lack of drivers...PR in the news was not good at first. I know the drivers lost sick days and personal days and retirement...but pay is decent.. I hear they are training new drivers daily and still have garage people driving..Much turnover..State regs. have made it difficult for them also as a contract operation..Geared toward public run operation....Seems also much of the problems there are because of Roanoke City management issues that the contractor had to deal with... |
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 12/05/2009 : 7:59:51 PM
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| I thought it would be rocky for the first year. I work for a private school which merged with another school and adjusting to the new way of doing things is not always accepted at first. I can imagine the contractor had their hands full with good 'ol government mangagement and drivers and staff angry over losing their benefits. It seems like it would be tough to make a profit with the state regs. like you are talking about. SWVA, where do you drive? I'm Transportation/Grounds Maintenance Dir. at Blessed Sacrament Huguenot Catholic School in Powhatan, Va. Dont let the title fool you. Basically I'm a driver that works on buses and cuts grass. |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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SWVA Busdriver
New Member
7 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2009 : 5:10:50 PM
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| I am a driver , and trainer for Montgomery County schools. This be my 31st year driving.. I have a few friends that drive at other systems near me and in other parts of Va. Met several of them at state conferences and bus driving competions. |
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2009 : 5:10:23 PM
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| Well its nice to meet you. I enjoy chatting with other drivers and mechanics, especially from Virginia. I looked at a couple of buses that were sold on public surplus.com from Montgomery Co. a couple of weeks ago. We buy all of our buses used so I'm always on the look out. Some of my family is from Carroll Co. and I do love traveling down that way every year for reunion. I've been in this buisness for almost 14 years and have really enjoyed every day of it. |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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Tatum
Top Member
United States
606 Posts |
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BusFreak
Top Member
USA
798 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2009 : 08:21:10 AM
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| I don't think either one of those are from Prince William. For the Vista, by 1996, they were getting tinted windows. The second one i REALLY don't think is prince william for two reasons. It looks to have an air door, and it has green seats. It could be any one of many Virginia districts as it looks to be speced as a trip bus (storage, etc.). Quite a few districts bought a handful of REs to use as trip buses (york county is the first that comes to mind). City of Richmond also had some Thomas ERs of that vintage in their fleet. |
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2009 : 5:20:27 PM
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That Vista is an old Henrico County bus and is actually a '95.
The pusher is an old City of Richmond bus. Rode hard and put up wet.
The Prince William pushers were '91 and up and had brown interior.
Both were at SMI this summer. We own a '96 from Henrico and it has a white roof, tinted glass, and is not high headroom. |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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Edited by - hardybusman on 12/25/2009 12:34:43 PM |
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hardybusman
Advanced Member
United States
470 Posts |
Posted - 12/19/2009 : 5:48:58 PM
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| Why do we get record snow fall the FIRST day Christmas break and not the LAST day before we go back to school? |
Mr. Courtney Hardy
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Topic |
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Official Virginia School Bus Thread
