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Scenicruiser
The GMC PD-4501 Scenicruiser, manufactured by General Motors (GM) for Greyhound Lines, Inc., was a three-axle monocoque two-level coach that Greyhound used from July 1954 into the mid-1970s. 1001 were made between 1954 and 1956. The Scenicruiser became an icon of the American way of life due to its presence throughout the United States in cities and along highways and popularity with the traveling public. The name was a portmanteau of the words "scenic" and "cruiser". The high-level design concept of Scenicruiser resembles some of the rolling stock of the passenger-carrying railroads of the United States and Canada, particularly their popular stainless steel dome cars. This type of two-level motorcoach body was common in the late 1940s in Western Europe, including Great Britain, where it was known as ''Observation coach''. The concept of two-level monocoque body had been used earlier in the Spanish Pegaso Z-403 two-axle coach, designed in 1949 and entered production in 1951. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
GM Buffalo Bus
GM Buffalo bus was the slang term for several models of intercity motorcoaches built by the GM Truck and Coach Division at Pontiac, Michigan, between 1966 and 1980. "Buffalo" coaches have a stepped roof in front, and the first three rows of seats are at different levels, mounted on stepped floors similar to some theatre seating. History Predecessors Scenicruiser The GM "Buffalo" bus models were strongly influenced by the PD-4501 Scenicruiser, a model GM manufactured exclusively for Greyhound Lines between 1954 and 1956. The Scenicruiser was a parlor bus intended for long-distance service with two levels: a lower level at the front containing the driving console and 10 seats behind it, and an upper level containing seating for 33. This allowed for a huge baggage compartment beneath the raised upper level, and also provided a 360-degree view for upper level passengers. A lavatory was located at the rear of the first level. Scenicruisers were equipped with air-ride suspension wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
GX-2
The GX-2 (Greyhound Experimental #2 – The Scenicruiser) was a prototype bus built for Greyhound that would eventually be developed into the Scenicruiser. After Greyhound's initial experiences with GX-1, the 50-seat double-decked bus, Greyhound President Orville Caesar decided that the next prototype would be a deck-and-a-half style. This decision resulted in the iconic silhouette of the Scenicruiser. It began in mid-1948 as a 35-foot design, but, in part, to accommodate more passengers, he directed his engineering department, which had obtained from GM a PD-3751, to add five feet in length to the upper deck. Design The design, introduced to Greyhound's executives in the fall of 1948, was "a coach with an observation dome following somewhat the general idea of the astrodome cars recently put in service by some of the railroads." Or, as Orville Caesar later summarized, "the observation dome model coach is basically a Silversides coach with a dome and the Model GX-1 front end ad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and package delivery services. Greyhound operates 1,700 coach buses produced mainly by Motor Coach Industries and Prevost serving 230 stations and 1,700 destinations. The company's first route began in Hibbing, Minnesota in 1914 and the company adopted the ''Greyhound'' name in 1929. The company is owned by Flix North America, Inc., an affiliate of Flixbus, and is based in Downtown Dallas. History 1914–1930: Early years In 1914, Eric Wickman, a 27-year old Swedish immigrant was laid off from his job as a drill operator at a mine in Alice, Minnesota. He became a Hupmobile salesman in Hibbing, Minnesota and, when he could not sell the first seven-passenger Hupmobile that he received, he began using it along with fellow Swedish immigrant Andy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
GX-1 (bus)
GX-1 (Greyhound Experimental #1 – The Highway Traveler) was the first post-WWII concept bus from Greyhound that evolved into the Scenicruiser PD-4501. History Known as the “Greyhound Experimental #1” or GX-1, Orville Caesar’s postwar bus was designed by him and by Raymond Loewy, a multi-year activity beginning in the mid- to late-1930s. The “blue-sky sketches” of Loewy gave form and function to the many ideas seen in Caesar’s earlier patents that fit with his convictions of what the travelling public would want and what an intercity transportation company would need. A full-size mock-up with three levels was built in the early 1940s. It was studied and refined throughout the years of World War II, but nothing could be built during that period because of the war effort. The first public mention of what would become GX-1 was August 1944 when Greyhound let two contracts for new buses, one with Consolidated Vultee, the other with General Motors. The design had been r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Raymond Loewy
Raymond Loewy ( , ; November 5, 1893 – July 14, 1986) was a French-born American industrial designer who achieved fame for the magnitude of his design efforts across a variety of industries. He was recognized for this by ''Time'' magazine and featured on its cover on October 31, 1949. He spent most of his professional career in the United States, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1938. Among his designs were the Shell, Exxon, TWA and the former BP logos, the Greyhound Scenicruiser bus, Coca-Cola vending machines and bottle redesign, the Lucky Strike package, Coldspot refrigerators, the Studebaker Avanti and Champion, and the Air Force One livery. He was engaged by equipment manufacturer International Harvester to overhaul its entire product line, and his team also assisted competitor Allis-Chalmers. He undertook numerous railroad designs, including the Pennsylvania Railroad GG1, S-1, and T1 locomotives, the color scheme and Eagle motif for the first streamliners of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pontiac West Assembly
Pontiac West Assembly (also known as GMC (automobile), GMC Truck & Coach, GM Truck Validation Center and Pontiac Centerpoint Campus Validation Center) was a General Motors manufacturing facility located in Pontiac, Michigan. The manufacturing complex occupied an irregular 82-acre site bounded on the North side by Rapid Street, on the South side by South Boulevard W, on the East side by the Grand Trunk Western Railroad/Woodward Avenue (U.S. Route 24 in Michigan, U.S. Route 24), and on the West side by Franklin Road. The complex included GMC Truck & Coach Plant 1, 3, 4 and 5, as well as numerous administrative and support buildings. The last GM operations at the facility were closed, and the site completely demolished, in 2008. History The complex was originally many separate privately owned parcels belonging to various manufacturing companies as well as private homes. By 1909 Rapid Motor Vehicle Company occupied a plant at 25 Rapid Street abutting the Grand Trunk Western Railroad t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pegaso Z-403
The Pegaso Z-403 Monocasco was a two-level monocoque (chassisless) coach, fitted with a diesel engine asymmetrically mounted amidships, designed in 1949 and built in Spain by Enasa between 1951 and 1957. The first Z-403 body design dates back to 1949. It brought notable contributions to passenger service for its safety and comfort and was considered an "auto- pullman" by virtue of its great comfort and its amenities. In the standard version it was equipped with radio, bar, and a small bookcase. The Z-403 featured a single chassisless structure which allowed a better use of space, with all the mechanical units located in the underside of the vehicle, isolated from the passenger compartment. Its split-level deck greatly improved the passengers' view and allowed for considerable luggage space. Its concept answered to the creation of a vehicle with a total length of , capable of transporting 30 to 45 seated persons depending on the comfort desired, and with good visibility. For great ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Double-decker Bus
A double-decker bus or double-deck bus is a bus that has two storeys or decks. They are used for mass transport in the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, Europe, Asia and also in cities such as Sydney; the best-known example is the red London bus, namely the AEC Routemaster. Early double-deckers put the driver in a separate cab. Passenger access was via an open platform at the rear and a bus conductor collected fares. Modern double-deckers have a main entrance door at the front and the driver takes fares, thus halving the number of workers aboard, but slowing the boarding process. The rear open platform, popular with passengers, was abandoned for safety reasons, as there was a risk of passengers falling when running and jumping onto the bus. Double-deckers are primarily for commuter transport, but open-top models are used as sight-seeing buses for tourists. William Gladstone, speaking of London's double-deck horse-drawn omnibuses, once observed that "...the best w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1955 Flxible VL100
Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first Nuclear marine propulsion, nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18–January 20, 20 – Battle of Yijiangshan Islands: The Chinese Communist People's Liberation Army seizes the islands from the Republic of China (Taiwan). * January 22 – In the United States, The Pentagon announces a plan to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), armed with nuclear weapons. * January 23 – The Sutton Coldfield rail crash kills 17, near Birmingham, England. * January 25 – The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union announces the end of the war between the USSR and Germany, which began during World War II in 1941. * January 28 – The United States Congress authorizes President Dwight D. Eisenhower to use force to protect Taiwan, Formosa from the People's Republic of China. February * February ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
London Bus Museum Transportfest 2013 019 (10383698196)
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for two millennia. The City of London, its ancient core and financial centre, was founded by the Romans as ''Londinium'' and retains its medieval boundaries.See also: Independent city § National capitals The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has for centuries hosted the national government and parliament. Since the 19th century, the name "London" has also referred to the metropolis around this core, historically split between the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire, which largely comprises Greater London, governed by the Greater London Authority.The Greater London Authority consists of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. The London Mayor is distinguished from the Lord Mayo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rube Goldberg
Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg (July 4, 1883 – December 7, 1970), known best as Rube Goldberg, was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor. Goldberg is best known for his popular cartoons depicting complicated gadgets performing simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. The cartoons led to the expression "Rube Goldberg machines" to describe similar gadgets and processes. Goldberg received many honors in his lifetime, including a Pulitzer Prize for political cartooning in 1948, the National Cartoonists Society's Gold T-Square Award in 1955, and the Banshees' Silver Lady Award in 1959. He was a founding member and first president of the National Cartoonists Society, which hosts the annual Reuben Award, honoring the top cartoonist of the year and named after Goldberg, who won the award in 1967. He is the inspiration for international competitions known as Rube Goldberg Machine Contests, which challenge participants to create a complicated machine to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flxible
The Flxible Co. (pronounced "''flexible''") was an American manufacturer of motorcycle sidecars, funeral cars, ambulances, intercity coaches and transit buses, based in the U.S. state of Ohio. It was founded in 1913 and closed in 1996. The company's production transitioned from highway coaches and other products to transit buses over the period 1953–1970, and during the years that followed, Flxible was one of the largest transit-bus manufacturers in North America. History In 1913, Hugo H. Young and Carl F. Dudte founded the Flexible Side Car Company in Loudonville, Ohio, to manufacture motorcycle sidecars with a flexible mounting to the motorcycle. The flexible mounting allowed the sidecar to lean on corners along with the motorcycle, and was based on a design patented by Young. In 1919, the company dropped the first "E" in "flexible" and changed its name to The Flxible Company as the business looked for new opportunities to expand. After low-priced automobiles became ava ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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