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largebus
Advanced Member
USA
468 Posts |
 Posted - 06/18/2001 : 2:50:23 PM
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How big are the different sizes of buses in terms of length, width and height? How much do they usually weigh? School buses sometimes seem very big but when compared to motorcoaches they can seem quite small. What are some of the average sizes?
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Phil4747
Top Member
USA
695 Posts |
Posted - 06/18/2001 : 3:30:48 PM
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Well, compared to a full-size motorcoach, yes a school bus is small. Coaches are generally about 12' high, while the average school bus is 10' to 10'6". Coaches are also wider, at 102" (8.5'), whereas school buses are only 96" (8'). In terms of length, there's a lot of variety. Anything from 20 ft to 40 (maximum allowed until very recently).
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wagonmaster
Top Member
USA
2298 Posts |
Posted - 06/19/2001 : 10:27:27 AM
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In recent years we have been purchasing 84 passenger RE's that are 40 feet long and 77 passenger FE's that are 37 1/2 feet long. Motorcoaches are 40-45 feet long and 96" or 102" wide, usually. Hope this helps.
Joe
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largebus
Advanced Member
USA
468 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2001 : 5:02:03 PM
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Have their ever been buses closer to 50 feet in length? What was the size of the largest school bus ever built?
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Phil4747
Top Member
USA
695 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2001 : 7:39:14 PM
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longest was 40 ft. that's all the standards allowed, altho it was changed to 45 last year.
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whe8913
Advanced Member
United States
301 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2001 : 8:00:24 PM
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The largest bus ever manufactured was made for transport of oil workers in Saudi Arabia. This bus was, I believe, 77 feet long and was made by Wayne. You can see it at www.busexplorer.com under the category world bus explorer. I am not sure where it is from within there, but it is there somewhere.
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Phil4747
Top Member
USA
695 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2001 : 07:25:52 AM
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yes, i heard about that, but the longest SCHOOL bus was 40 ft, unless one was made before the standards limited them to 40.
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SteveCof00
Senior Member
USA
128 Posts |
Posted - 07/17/2001 : 7:43:52 PM
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Re: average size of buses?
Well, from what I have seen around here, most school buses are around the 71/72 pass. mark (36' transit, 37' 6" conventional). Some are 65, but you see a few 83 pass. (Thomas FE). I have yet to see any 90 pass. schoolies here in IL. I guess they are too $$$$ oh well...my district could use them!
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largebus
Advanced Member
USA
468 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2001 : 08:14:24 AM
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I recently saw a good comparison-a motorcoach pulled into our front bus loop one morning to pickup the drama club for a 3 hour trip. The coach parked right next to a full size bus that was waiting to take vocational students. It was dwarfed! The coach was much taller and wider, and also longer. The drivers talked to each other a few minutes, and the coach pulled around to get the kids. Very interesting. I believe the coach was a Prevost. If anyone can help me identify it there is a picture of buses identical to it on http://www.bluebirdcoachusa.com
Thanks!
"If it's long, wide and high with wheels it's a bus. If it's yellow with black stripes it's a school bus" |
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Steven A.Rosenow
Top Member
USA
1926 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2001 : 09:40:25 AM
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Ok, now to settle this debate, and to originally answer your question.
The largest school bus ever built for daily use in terms of size and passenger capacity was the Gillig 855-DT-16. It had a length of 40 foot, width of 8 foot, a height of just over 12 feet, and a passenger capacity of 97. Unladen, it weighed just over 27,000#, but its Gross Vehicle Weight Register (GVWR) is about 46,000#. No school bus built to date could fit that many passengers.
It had tandem rear axles, both of which were connected to the transmission.
Crown followed with the second largest bus, although they built the first tandem rear axle school bus. It was about the same size, but only had a passenger rating of 90, instead of 97 passengers.
On average, most large school buses weight about 30,000#, and have an average passenger capacity of between 60 and 90 passengers.
"Preserving America's best - THE GILLIG! - THE BEST NEVER REST" http://www.geocities.com/gilligcoaches/ |
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BusDiva
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2001 : 10:05:28 AM
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In Michigan you can operatea bus with a capacity higher than 90. The bus also, when mirrors mounted must not exceed 40 feet in length and the widt of 8 feet.
Since we are not allowed to run a bus with a higher capacity, the highest that has ever been in Michigan has been 90- in which most districts do the 87 passenger because of the jump seat in the rear.
The Wayne Bus you were referring to overseas was also in the Guiness Book of World Records from 89 until 94 I believe. Then they deleted it with something else by VanHool that was apparently longer.
It's the little things that count |
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BusFreak
Top Member
USA
798 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2001 : 10:46:51 AM
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Largebus,
The coach you saw was indeed a Prevost. Most likely either a Prevost H3-45, or H3-41. As coach buses are significantly larger than typical school buses, a Prevost coach is one of the larger and taller coach buses in the industry. Other coach buses, such as the MCI 102DL3 (now it is called something else) dont dwarf a school bus as much as that bus did. It is kinda funny sometimes to be on a long trip with one of those and pass a school bus. You have to look so far down to see anyone in the school bus. Hope this helped.
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largebus
Advanced Member
USA
468 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2001 : 2:13:45 PM
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Thanks BusFreak, I appreciate it!
"If it's long, wide and high with wheels it's a bus. If it's yellow with black stripes it's a school bus" |
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Buskid
Top Member
USA
3368 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2001 : 10:15:30 PM
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quote:
Crown followed with the second largest bus, although they built the first tandem rear axle school bus. It was about the same size, but only had a passenger rating of 90, instead of 97 passengers.
Hi Steve!
FYI - We had some 97 pax. Crowns at Saddleback Valley U.S.D. I can't remember all of them, but I think one of them was old # 15. So, yes, Crown had a max cap. of 97 available, although the 91 pax. (or after 1976, 90 pax.) ones were more common.
The Buskid - CrownBus32@aol.com - http://www.crownbus.com |
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Admin
Administrator
USA
1662 Posts |
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Average Size of Buses
