BusTalk

Dieseljim

Out of curiosity, I thought I would throw this question out to those who know GM "Old Look" buses well. Are their any gasoline powered TGH3101/3102s still in revenue service anywhere in the USA?

RailBus63 · Moderator Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 1063

I'm not aware of any Old Look buses still in revenue operation anywhere in North America.

ripta42 · Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 1:51 pm Post subject:

Omaha. I don't know the exact model designations.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 2:51 pm Post subject:

While they may not have ever been in revenue service, I'll bet there are a couple of few still floating around as bookmobiles.

When you consider that bookmobiles had anywhere from low mileage to no mileage, you'd have to believe that the little GM's (which is what were widely used) would last forever!

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

RailBus63 · Moderator Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 1063

asdfasdf · Age: 78 Joined: 21 May 2007 Posts: 47

My understanding is that the new management in Omaha has decided to cancel the old-look rebuilding project. That magic word - cost.

A few pictures of some TDH3501/2's in unrebuilt (poor) shape were posted on another website last year.

Bob K

Dieseljim · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:18 am Post subject: GM Old Looks

My very first bus ride was on a TGH3101 built in 1953 for use as a school bus. It was owned by Chester W. Hirsch of Perry,NY, co owner of Hill-Hirsch Motors, the Dodge dealer franchise at the time. Most other school buses were Dodges. No.16 was a 1949/50 Dodge with emergency door on left side rear and two piece rear window. 19 was a 1950 Chevrolet. No.20 was about a 1950 Dodge, 21 a 1951 Dodge with Superior body, No.22, a 1952 Dodge with Carpenter Body. Nos. 23 and 24 were both 1953 Dodges with Carpenter bodies. 24 had an inline 6 cylinder engine,23 a V8. 25 a 1954 Dodge with longer Carpenter body. Most had vacuum operated wipers as did Nos. 26 and 27, delivered in 1959-60, followed by 28, a 1962 Dodge with Carpenter Body and larger windows. It was the last bus with vacuum wipers.The rest that came later all had electric wipers. I am not sure where the TGH3101, no.18 went after the driver told me it had been sold. I thought it was a neat little bus and nice rider, too. It was GM serial Number 035, making it the 35th bus of that model to have been built, having come off the line in 1953. Since they are not in revenue service I cannot help but wonder how many, if any are still around. GM had something there with this model bus. Getting back to the Chester W. Hirsch school bus operation, by the time Bus No.28 arrived, Chet Hirsch sold out to Henry L. Hill, a former mayor of Perry, and as owner of the bus company, continued the Dodge tradition. Next Dodges were Nos. 30 and 31,which were the last buses to have the single flashing red light mounted on the top edge of the roof at each end. The next two, Nos. 32 and 33 were the first with a flashing red light on each corner and a,mong the last of the Carpenter bodies with rounded rears and large back windows. No.37 was the first of the square backed Carpenter bodies and one of several delivered in 1967. The first Ford came in 1973 and the last of the Dodges in 1974 about the time Dodge got out of the medium and heavy duty truck business. Today the fleet is all Internationals all of them purchased from surrounding school districts, chiefly Wayland-Cohocton. Now owned by Edwin Wojotowicx, Henry L. Hill, Inc. is one of the last of the independent school bus operators in my area. I bet a lot of school districts once used GMC TGH3101/2 transit buses for school bus duty. They sure rode better than some of the buses, which are pieces of junk do these days.

ripta42 · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:38 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the update on Omaha; I didn't realize the project was cancelled. You would think they would at least continue to run the buses that were already rebuilt intead of completely wasting the money.

Steve Carras · Age: 63 Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Posts: 63

There was sure an interesting number of combinations of fuel and transmission due to the slow evolution [just like in any case]-
gas/manual
gas/automatic [hydralic=H]
diesel/manual
diesel/hydralic
Not to mention the fact that by the 60s that there were BOTH Old Looks AND NEW Looks, and that was just for GM. In response to our late member, on the school/GM old looks, watch the recent hit version of "Hairspray" [the version with Amanda Bynes, John Travolta et al], and there is a school/GM old look!

HwyHaulier · Joined: 16 Dec 2007 Posts: 932 Location: Harford County, MD

Posting this here, as an old Diesel Jim thread. God Bless him, at whatever bus garage he might be these days...

Anyone with any ideas were for Empty Weights, and each Axle, on these venerable little beasts? Had a fellow
asking: "...gm old look coach tgh 3102, a 31 ft bus..."

The obvious, of course, is if you have one, take it to a public scale...

..................Vern................