BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

N4:

As usual, another very interesting post; thanks for hopping on board!

Several years ago, I used to walk over the block opposite the nearest school to watch the buses arrive, load, and then depart.

I only did this in the Spring and Fall, and have not done it since.

I was able to get some nice photos, during that time.

At that time (maybe about 2010?) there were still some old GMC's in use; INTERNATIONALS and BLUEBIRDS are the most commonplace here in my area.

The newer INTERNATIONALS, for some reason, are QUITE loud.

I can easily see why it would be a "no no" to casual observing, especially around the schools, even if you are noticing only the buses themselves.

Sadly, this is a reflection on the sad and unstable world.

"School Bus Yellow" has been with us seemingly forever; images of bight yellow school buses have long since become as much a part of America as Mom's apple pie and Norman Rockwell.

The ONLY toy school bus in my collection that is NOT yellow (or orange) is the physcedelic one that is a replica of the one driven by the lovely Shirley Jones in "The Partridge Family"...........

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Only a replica of the famed "Come On, Get Happy!" bus, but still worthy of a look or two.........

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/16296

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Just came across this interesting (w/s'kool photos!) page:

"THE LOST HISTORY OF THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY BUS"

This is a S'KOOL page!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://telstarlogistics.typepad.com/telstarlogistics/2008/01/on-the-road-in.html

*Groovy, man! Like, totally FAR-OUT!

"NYO"

(according to the Wikipedia page on the show, the Partridge's bus was a 1957 Chevrolet Series 6800 Superior).......

[N4 Jamaica]

And another good page from Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_bus_yellow

And the link to Frank W. Cyr's obit from Teachers College
https://www.tc.columbia.edu/articles/1995/august/frank-w-cyr-father-of-the-yellow-school-bus-dies-at-the/

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

N4:

Great links..........thanks!

The subject of why school buses are yellow reminds me of that now-vanished, once oh-so-commonplace icon of American railroads, the humble caboose.

Red seemed a natural "warning" color to paint cabooses; however, as any transportation/railroad enthusiast will tell you, red was indeed NOT to be found on ALL cabooses! ("cabeese"??)

Cabooses could be found in a rainbow of colors, especially in the later diesel era: red, yellow, green, brown, orange; too, a number of railroads painted their cabooses to match their diesels, which indeed looked quite handsome.

Also, like the yellow school bus and the red caboose, red was THE color of choice for fire trucks for many decades; then, by the later 60's and 70's, some cities and towns were painting their rigs either yellow or a lime-green (yeccchhh!!), supposedly to achieve greater visibility.

IMHO (as a purist!) a fire truck is SUPPOSED to be RED, just like a CABOOSE, and just like a SCHOOL BUS is SUPPOSED to be YELLOW!

Ditto for big RED barns, yet another time-honored American icon!

Just my 2 1/2 cents worth.......

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

On a related note:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_engine_red

http://www.american-rails.com/caboose.html

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

A brief mention must be made of the transit operators who used their buses in school service, equipping them with large school flashers when operating in that service.

I have many memories of seeing PSNJ/TNJ buses in school service, brandishing those huge flashers, many years ago.......

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?1499

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?1500

(courtesy: bus.nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's another example (an Old Look suburban, this time)........

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?1483

(courtesy: bus.nycsubway.org)

[TheDriver]

my favorites were always the Thomas bodies and the Chevrolet/GMC chassis from 1967 to 1972. I didn't mind the next generation or the one after but I don't like the ones before or after. I am picky that way.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]