I was watching Death Wish with Charles Bronson last night on late night TV and he got on what I think was a AMC Bus in LA to dodge a cop. that I remember riding when I was a kid in the early 1980s. One minute our local transit system in Ohio had them and then they were gone. Here is what I can find so far-
http://www.nytimes.com/1978/06/01/archives/amc-to-halt-building-standard-transit-buses-4300-vehicles-sold-over.html
This is a railroad forum and not a bus platform. Nevertheless, I do know some things about your inquiry.
The government’s efforts at promoting a miracle “Transbus” was a total flop, with nobody bidding to make them.
GMC (with its then new RTS), Grumman (with its new 870), and AM General with its old offering were the only real transit bus manufactures. Gillig got into the fray, and I suppose a few others. Most figured the lowest bidder wasn’t profitable, and exited the industry. But, that was all decades ago, and I lost awareness of transit happenings, so can’t help you further.
I suppose there are bus fans here at the forum, as some railfans that like airplanes too, and murder mysteries as well. But, each has its place for open discussions …
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
"The government’s efforts at promoting a miracle “Transbus” was a total flop, with nobody bidding to make them."
OK what was Transbus? Where is a picture?
CandOforprogress2 (2-21):
What was Transbus? It was the government’s effort some forty years ago to make a perfect bus, often with tandem wheeling and low to the ground floors, and small tires. What the government thought was a perfect bus and the market thought was a perfect bus was obviously two different things. Some photos are in the below link, with AMG and GMC models seen.
https://www.google.com/search?q=transbus+1975&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=SMMfU_NQeYrcSM%253A%252CNwmVxBAKjFY_kM%252C_&usg=__LK8ePLiRws1zFpzu3Y15Y-HeSJU%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiEn8S56LnZAhUhw1QKHTShCzAQ9QEITjAJ#imgrc=SMMfU_NQeYrcSM:
The difference between Transbus and Positive Train Control was that nobody got killed with buses per se whereas many did without PTC.
That uncaptioned photo, CandOforprogress2 … Is that a AMG that you bought and spruced it up with a paint job, or something that just passed by way in the past?
K. P. Looks to me like a regular MUNI bus in San Francisco, where apparently AMC buses were in use. I think I remember riding such a bus on the Geary Line, the heaviest SF diesel-bus line, around 1978, visiting the then-new Roman Catholic Cathedral to hear its Ruffatti organ.
This line was also MUNI's first line, a streetcar line, and remained streetcar well after WWII. The two-man law was one element that ended streetcar service on this line. And residents objected to trolleybus wire.
Death Wish 2 filmed 1982 taking place in Los Angleos with Charles Bronson aka Charles Dennis Buchinsky which I was watching late night had AMC buses with similar coloring. These AMC buses brought up memories of Cleveland RTA buses that were slightly nicer then the Old GMC Fishbowl. But these buses only lasted 3-4 years as I guess parts were hard to come by when AMC buses went belly up.
To put a railroad spin on this, I believe it was W. Graham Claytor who effectively killed the dual-rear-axle Transbus by allowing wheelchair lifts as an alternative.
Geez, just take off the rubber tires and put some flanges on steel in it's place and it looks Amtrak/Railroad ready. Oh..chuck the steering wheel and linkage. Paint scheme perfect, stick on an Amtrak decal.
MiningmanGeez, just take off the rubber tires and put some flanges on steel in it's place and it looks Amtrak/Railroad ready. Oh..chuck the steering wheel and linkage. Paint scheme perfect, stick on an Amtrak decal.
And then you would have AM General's version of GM's AeroTrain!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
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