BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The "SCENICRUISER", post-GREYHOUND...........

The very first SCENICRUISER sold by GREYHOUND was in 1968; this bus went to "MICHAUD BUS LINES" of Salem, Mass.

This company purchased a second SCENICRUISER not long afterwards.

Many of these iconic buses went to charter operators; others were purchased by private groups; a few entertainers even purchased a few of these buses after retirement.

In later years, a few even wore TRAILWAYS colors for a time (recall, GREYHOUND later took over TRAILWAYS, and EAGLE coaches were then repainted in GREYHOUND paint)

Roughly 230 (out of nearly 1,000) SCENICRUISERS still survive today; while some are little more than stripped, abandoned shells, others have been magnificently restored. brought back to operating condition, turning the heads of all that are fortunate enough to see one!

Hard to believe that this once-commonplace, now historic bus has just tuerned 70!

Happy Birthday, "SCENICRUISER"!

(In my extensive vintage toy bus collection, I have at least 100 "SCENICRUISERS"!)

"NYO"

["EXPRESS"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Interesting........

SCENICRUISER production only lasted from mid-1954 and into 1956.

On the other hand, TRAILWAYS' iconic EAGLE coaches were manufactured from the late 1950s and into the 1980s.

I always found this quite interesting.............

"NYO"

["5 STAR LUXURY SERVICE"]

[Cyberider]

NYO:

Greyhound was still running a few Scenicruisers when I was travelling back and forth between Phoenix and LA and I always enjoyed getting one. Even at this late date, they were still runners, apparently. I remember a driver change at Blythe when the driver told his relief to take it easy because this bus was really fast. I think he said it would do 80.

Anyway, I guess that design didn't last for all the reasons previously given. I think the engine problems initially soured Greyhound on the design and maybe GM in general since they started buying more and more MCI's. I think the single 8V-71 in place of the two 4-71's solved the problem but it must have been a hugely expensive conversion on all those buses.

While I liked the Scenicruisers, I didn't care much for the Eagles. The few times I was going to take Trailways, the buses were broken down or otherwise late. Watching the Bus Greasemonkey work on old buses, it seems like the Eagles have more structural problems in their old age than the GM's, though the Scenicruisers have their share as well.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Cyberider:

In later years, GREYHOUND converted some SCENICRUISERS into "ComboCars", removing some seats from the upper level, and converting the area into cargo space.

TRAILWAYS also did this with a number of EAGLES.

I always liked both the SCENICRUISERS and the EAGLES (I also have many vintage toy EAGLES in my collection today!)

TRAILWAYS, back in the 1960s, also operated the famed "5 Star Luxury Service", where the bus was boarded via a red carpet, and a uniformed hostess was on board (drinks and snacks were also served en route.....imagine such a service today!)

Yes, it is all so long ago, now................

"NYO"

["SILVER EAGLE"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Cyberider:

Talk about a long-lost era of civilized (and stylish!) intercity bus travel!

See:

https://blog.chron.com/bayoucityhistory/2010/07/a-red-carpet-ride-courtesy-of-continental-trailways/

["DALLAS"]

[Cyberider]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

cyberider:

Sorry your trip turned out less than perfect!

Hard to believe that CONTINENTAL TRAILWAYS is today long gone, and the once-mighty GREYHOUND is but a mere shell of its former self.

Another (EXCELLENT (softcover) book you would certainly relish in your library is "AMERICAN BUSES" (David Jacobs, 1985)

Two outstanding (all color!) photo chapters on both GREYHOUND and TRAILWAYS; the photos depict the buses at various big city terminals and small town depots, as well as garage and shop photos, shoeing buses being washed, serviced, and overhauled.

There are also great color photos of various city buses, sightseeing buses, etc.

Also, some neat photos of different drivers with their buses.

If you can grab a copy off the 'net, do so!

It is an EXCELLENT little book, depicting buses which were commonplace nearly 40 years ago, which, sadly, are now all gone.

Some nice photos of GM "Buffalos" as well!

"NYO"

["NEW YORK CITY"]

[traildriver]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

traildriver:

WELCOME BACK, MY FRIEND!

GLAD to have you "back within our ranks"......you were indeed missed!

BTW:

Great info; thanks for sharing!

Isn't it odd, that, no other bus ever became a true "flagship" for GREYHOUND< as did the SCENICRUISER?

Tue, in earlier years, the YELLOW "743" and the "SILVERSIDES" both became quite associated with GREYHOUND, though neither ever achieved the far-flung fame and associated hoopla as did the SCENICRUISER.

The "Buffalos" (in the late 1960s) as we already know, were the last GM buses purchased by the company; the MCI era had already begun in earnest, and their big, hard-working, reliable coaches would eventually fully dominate the GREYHOUND fleet.

On the flip side, no other bus could ever be more associated with TRAILWAYS than the EAGLES; they were as much a "trademark" bus as were the SCENICRUISERS..........

"NYO"

["DALLAS"]

[traildriver]

Eagles's were more properly associated with Continental Trailways, as its founder, M. E. Moore, was responsible for their design and manufacture. Not all associated Trailways carrier's were enamored of the Eagle. Many only went to Eagle's, when they were finally acquired by Continental. Martz never did own an Eagle, although they did briefly operated them when in around 1970, they ran a couple of pooled thru runs with Continental Trailways (TNE), between Wilkes Barre-New York City-and either Springfield or Boston.
Adirondack tried them for a few years, but were one of the first Trailways carrier's to purchase the MC-7 "Challenger".
In another curious situation, on the pooled run between Empire Trailways, Capitol Trailways of Pennsylvania, and Short Line (Hudson Transit), The former two carrier's ran "Buffalo's", while Short Line contributed Eagle's on the Buffalo-Elmira-Binghamton- New York City thru runs.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

traildriver:

1:

Again, WELCOME BACK!

2:

Great info; thank you for sharing here!

Recall that, by the late 1970s/1980s, "Big Red's" buses simply had "TRAILWAYS" emblazoned on their flanks; back in the later 1950s and into the 70s, the buses carried the "traditional" red/cream livery with "CONTINENTAL TRAILWAYS" on their sides.

The following is from an early/mid-1960s "flyer" for the CONTINENTAL TRAILWAYS "Silver Eagle" (w/photos), in my collection.........

"YOU RIDE ABOVE THE TRAFFIC IN AIR-CONDITIONED COMFORT!"

"......you're really above it all when you ride the Silver Eagle.......above the traffic noises and parking problems associated with ordinary travel. And ALL 46 lounge chair seats on the Silver Eagle are on a high-level seating deck to five you a new angle on seeing the scenery....."

"........your luggage travels right along with you in waterproof, dust-proof compartments underneath the bus. Plan now to make your next trip......all your trips....in the year 'round luxury of a Trailways Silver Eagle........"

"NYO"

["NEW YORK EXPRESS"]

[traildriver]

Back in its formative years, the 1930's and 1940's, one of the primary mission's of the National Trailways Bus System, was to string together a national network of independent large and smaller carrier's to create the impression of a standard service to compete against the more established Greyhound Corporation, and its fully, or partially owned carrier's.

In order to accomplish that, they had to all adhere closely to a unified paint and coloring scheme, purchase only coaches of a certain standard, offering a standard of amenities; the driver's would all wear the same uniform's, they would all interline ticketing, baggage, and package express services, so that someone could buy a ticket, say in Maine, all the way to say, Florida.

In addition, they would create several inter-carrier pools of similar equipment, so that even though a bus traveling the "Dixieland Route" from New York to Dallas via Raleigh, Montgomery, and Jackson involving about eight different carrier's, would be conveyed straight thru, only changing driver's at each Company division point. Sometimes they would have more than one route in a pool, but each company would provide the number of buses to reflect their proportion of the miles traveled in total each month.
They would also maintain each other's buses in their garages and shops.

The only way to tell who actually owned each bus, was to know the alphanumeric code behind their fleet numbers, or the "fine print" known as "the legal's" usually low on a baggage door.

Not all Trailways member's adhered to the "standard" livery. Some like Martz, always wanted their founders name prominently displayed, some varied in the lettering used, and some differed slightly in the paint scheme.
As Continental started acquiring other member companies, they decided they were the "more equal than equal", and insisted on adding the Continental name before the Trailways name. Sometime around the early 1950's I believe, perhaps 1953 when the GM PD-4104 was introduced, most of the Trailways members elected to change the "cream and crimson", to white and red. But when the Eagles entered the fleet in the late '50's, Continental went back to the cream and red for them. When other Trailways members finally acquired Eagle's in the '60's, they insisted on white and red.

Continental Trailways was acquired by Holiday Inn in 1968. They brought in new management a few years later, who did a marketing survey, and around 1974. They determined that the "Trailways" name by itself, was the more commonly one known nationally, so after 30 years or so, dropped the Continental from their name, and became simply, "Trailways, Inc." They were sold off a couple of times, and eventually were bought by Greyhound in 1987, and Greyhound for a couple of years, actually became a member of the National Trailways Bus System, since renamed, Trailways Transportation System.

Later Greyhound dropped out of it, and there were only a few members left doing scheduled line runs. Most of the carrier's moved only to charter's and tours. There is almost no common livery among the member companies today...many do not even have "Trailways" anywhere on their buses. It has really become just another trade association.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

traildriver:

Indeed MOST refreshing to have you "back in active duty" and sharing your vast knowledge of the intercity bus industry, back in the day; EXCELLENT information; thaks for sharing!

The very oldest tin lithographed friction TRAILWAYS buses I have in my vast collection are those decorated with the original "outline of the US" logo, reading "NATIONAL TRAILWAYS BUS SYSTEM".

And, talk about ironic, I have these two large-sized tin friction buses that, IMHO, were inspired by GARWOOD.

What makes these toy buses so unusual is that one is simply lettered "GREYHOUND" with the running dog.

The "companion" bus is lettered "TRAILWAYS'''......BUT, also sporting the running dog!!!!!

And, to think this was decades BEFORE GREYHOUND took over TRAILWAYS!

These are two of the rarest buses in my collection; I have not seen either of these for sale on eBay for many years now, and I truly value both QUITE highly!

"NYO"

["EXPRESS"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Further:

I also have in my collection a late 50s/early 60s tin friction TRAILWAYS bus, using the body shell of a SCENICRUISER toy.

It's decorated in an attractive red/white/silver scheme, with "GOLDEN EAGLE" in script on the sides, and, in smaller letters, "HIGHWAY LINER" near the underfloor baggage area.

Typical of the countless variations in tin litho buses from Japan, well over six decades ago............

"NYO"

["NEW YORK"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Speaking of EAGLES...........

Back in the (80s?) I recall NJT operating EAGLE coaches; I saw these buses often.

I always said I was going to take a ride on of them, but never did.

One thing I DO recall that sticks out in my memory, was that these buses were particularly noisy (at least, that's how they seemed to me)

If memory serves me correctly, the EAGLES did not last long in NJT's fleet (would be interested to learn who bought them, after the days when NJT were over)..........

"NYO"

["NEW YORK"]