There are many people who work within and outside of pupil transportation who love this industry. This series of photos features impressive collections of school bus memorabilia, as well as shots of people's favorite school buses.
A Love for School Buses, Part 2
"I have been collecting buses for some time now," Lister says. "I have around 350 buses ranging from small buses to large buses. It has become known around the community that I collect buses, and people are always looking for different buses for me. Recently, a friend brought me one back from Switzerland."
Cindy Hardin of Academy School District 20 in Colorado Springs, Colo., says this is a sample of the bus memorabilia she has received as gifts over the past 25 years.
Benassi's collection also includes this turkey that he made from several bus parts.
This coffee table and chair are made from many leaf springs.
Pictured is another photo submitted by Travis Hall of a 2007 Saf-T-Liner C2 unit from Thomas Built Buses.
Pictured is a close-up of a school bus crayon holder in Woodstock Safety Mirror Co. Inc.'s collection.
This impressive collection belongs to Ferron Lister of Weber School District in Ogden, Utah.
Another piece from Lister's collection.
John Clements, who recently retired from Kings Canyon Unified School District in Reedley, Calif., says that of older model school buses, the 1975 Crown Coach that he was assigned in his third year as a school bus driver is his favorite. "Today I have a new favorite," Clements says. "The all-electric Motiv/Trans Tech school bus that I have been privileged to test drive and help bring to the industry. It reminds me of the rocket ride at Disneyland." Clements is pictured here with the bus.
Another shot of Hardin's collection. "People know that I love anything connected with school buses!" she says.
Pictured is one of Norman Mars' favorite school buses. "It’s a Pacific, manufactured by Kenworth," he says. "It was manufactured in the mid-1950s. It was still in service at the Arlington (Va.) Public Schools when I took this photo in 1980." Mars currently works for First Student Inc. in Springfield, Ill.
Here, Norman Mars is pictured with a Gillig school bus built in the early 1960s. "This picture was taken during my vacation in July 1980," he says.
Curt Benassi of Proctor Public Schools in Duluth, Minn., submitted this photo of a chess set that's made from the valves of an Allison transmission.
Student Travis Hall's favorite school bus is the 2003 GMC Blue Bird conventional, which he rode growing up. "Those buses were great," he says. "They had a true school bus feel to them — powerful and rugged, and boy were the seats comfortable!"
Gary Elliott, director of transportation at Copperas Cove (Texas) Independent School District, has worked in the district's transportation department for approximately 30 years, according to dispatcher Robert Wade. Here's a sample of the collection in Elliott's office.
Another photo of the school bus swag in Elliott's office. Wade says Elliott has collected most of his memorabilia in the last three to four years, when he became the director of transportation.
Elliott's office even includes a school bus float.
This is a photo of school bus enthusiast Matt Sayer's memorabilia collection.
A close-up shot of part of Sayer's collection. He also owns four repurposed school buses.
Woodstock Safety Mirror Co. Inc. in Saugerties, N.Y., submitted several photos of its school bus memorabilia collection. The collection comprises more than 70 items, including a Walt Disney school bus lunch box and thermos, four school bus coin banks, a cookie cutter in the shape of a school bus and a school bus cookie jar.
Another close-up from Woodstock Safety Mirror Co. Inc.'s collection. This is a business card holder that was made by prison workers in Maine.
Roger VandePoel of Tetra Tech Architects and Engineers submitted this photo. "This is a photo of my son’s winning Cub Scout Pinewood Derby car (school bus)," he says. "The bus took first place for speed and creative design idea. It is modeled after his bus 101 at Lansing Central School District in central New York state."
Kristen Bouffard of Tetra Tech Architects and Engineers sent in this photo of school buses in her cubicle at work. "I am an architect and we specialize in K-12 school design. This collection started with a few different co-workers, and now it is all in one place here at my desk. Many people have added buses to it over the years, and we all have fun with it, as you can see. The most recent change was turning it into 'Bushenge' by standing some of them up," she says.
To see photos from "A Love for School Buses, Part 1," click here.