they pulled me back in again .. ! "
OR ...
"out of the frying pan .. and into the fire ... ?"
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1 - Helms Twin Coach number 146
- has a new home - been sold!
2 - Helms Twin Coach number 38
- is on its way here - just bought!
3 - Greyhound Scenicruiser number 150
- is already here !!
Wow !!!
1 - Helms Twin Coach number 146
- has a new home - been sold!
So old number 38 is being trailer-ed to Texas as we speak .. but what amazing back to back finds!! I wonder, what ARE the odds of finding 2 unicorns?? -- much less several ? Wow!
2 - Helms Twin Coach number 38
- is on its way here - just bought!
3 - Greyhound Scenicruiser number 150
- is already here !!
Chad G - an internet hero of the Greyhound bus nuts especially the PD 4501 Scenicruiser folks ... (and one man historic bus salvation crew) , and his assistant Rupen ... flew out from California, and piloted the Scenicruiser from Michigan - where it had lived for several decades.
He said she drove like a dream, and could feel that the bus was glad to be running the roads again - these wonderful old machines were made to run .. mine literally has millions of miles on it .. and many more to go .. they seem to have a spirit and soul .. and respond gloriously when they know you care for them and they are in good hands ..
Chad and Rupen both made some wonderful videos of the trip and watching them .. it was almost like 1960 again .. watching rural America roll by .. truly a time machine!
in February of 1960, I spent 9 days traveling in one of these amazing coaches .. from San Francisco to Philadelphia .. .. traveled solo -- with a whopping 20 bux for the round trip ! ( a burger - fries and coke in 1960 was 75 cents!) ,, used 10 bux going east .. and had 10 for the return the following year .,, in July .. Philly to SF .. another 9 days .. what an amazing experience for 14-15 year old .. see the USA and leave the driving to us .. rode thousands of miles on these old time machines!
Chad and Rupen are great videographers and have lots of great videos on the "Scenicruising" Facebook page ... (and soon on Chad's YouTube channel) .. all worth viewing!!
The sleek lines on this old dog are wonderful .. she is a marvelous old gal .. the design was ground breaking .. and changed the laws to allow a 40 foot bus .. until the Scenicruiser .. busses could only be 35 feet - and mostly 2 axle .. the added 5 feet and extra tag/ bogey axle is unique to these - changed interstate laws to allow 40 foot vehicles ... but one rear axle only has 1 tire each side - so these have 8 tires .. wonderful machines .. the air ride was sooo smooth .. like flying really - this represents a different time of travel for sure!! The bus was a way of life for us in the 50's and 60's !
This wonderful '1950's Music themed Bus' is phase one of my master plan to film a reminiscing drive ... up the California coast .. from Sandy Eggo to Nor-Cal .. and then down the Central valley - possibly to Death Valley .. then on to Arizona - see Paul Bunyan's big ditch - hopefully swing by Phoenix and see family .. would love to go thru Tucson Saguaro Monument and environs .. and then scat right back to the shack .. :D
The idea is a grand bucket list trip to re-live favorite spots of my youth in California and Arizona .. whilst I have the time, and can still dip a toe in the Pacific !! .. YOLO baby !?! lol
Tentative planning is for the springtime .. before brutal summer heat!
Possibly looking at some other busses as well ... they are remarkably inexpensive .. (the bus was less than my 5 year old hybrid lol ) checking into some that might be more appropriate for long travel - more RV like inside .. but busses and nomadic travel are a wonderful and exciting world that I am having a blast exploring and revisiting .. amazed to find how many folks live full time in bus conversions .. a lot of folks that work from home have found that home can be anywhere !!! lol
well ... now I have my ticket .. oh!! I see my bus has just arrived -- gotta go!!! .. talk to y'all soon!
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1 comment:
I can remember taking many trips on these buses up and down the coast of California. I also took a few from Santa Ana to Tucson and back.
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