A Far Too Brief History Of The School Bus
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ม.ค. 2023
- The school bus is everywhere, it's literally part of the fabric of traffic in the mornings and afternoons.
but have you ever stopped to consider it's history, how it developed, and the many changes that have occurred even while they remain instantly recognizable?
and why the heck are they all YELLOW?
This is a far too brief history of the school bus!
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I was a special education student in the early 70s, and attended an "all-grades" private school for learning challenges in West Fort Worth, Texas. The school utilized the Fort Worth ISD bus service. But due to our "low tier" status, they dispatched the older busses that were prone to breaking more frequently than the latest ones. They were manual transmission, and I remember a couple of Fords, a GMC, and a Dodge. The Dodge seemed to be the most problematic, and was probably ready for retirement. One day I was picked up, and one of the students announced the brakes were out. That was an interesting commute! Another time, we had a carburetor fire. I think the driver put it out with the on-board extinguisher. Soon after, we got a late model International "short bus" with Wayne-built coach. It had the classic Allison 4-speed automatic. From there on, we had the modern busses everyone else enjoyed.
I was a special education student in the mid 90's to the mid 00's in high school and all our busses were the short Laidlaw Fords with the IWI diesel (I remember the distinctive sound) they were in that orange colour too.
One year in elementary school, I was picked up in a raised roof mid 70's Dodge van and when I was transfered to the special education program at a new school in the fall of 96, we had purple early to late 90's Dodge Caravans and Plymouth Voyager minivans.
When I was in high school, it was back to the short Laidlaw Fords.
Buses I rode in the early 60s had non-synchromesh transmissions, manual steering and turn signals. That got me interested in school buses and I never got over it. I took an early retirement from the publishing business and have been driving for the local district `17 years. Now I have a diesel International. They wanted to give me a propane Blue Bird, but I said I'd retie if they did that, so my International stays, at least for now. Of course, its not as interesting as the Internationals I rode as a kid. I bet not one driver in our district could handle one of those.
@@1940limited International Harvester was the school bus king in the 70s. I'll never forget the sound of the Allison automatic, riding in the bus or hearing it as a bus drives by. I guess most of the aging stick shift busses got sold to churches at auctions.
Imagine riding the short bus
I’m a former school bus mechanic and my wife is a current school bus driver. Very interesting and informative video, thanks so much!!
Glad you enjoyed it
While growing up in Rural Arkansas in the late 60s and early 70s, I lived on a sharecroppers farm, however, my foster grandfather also drove the school bus for 40 years, therefore the school bus was always parked at our house year around. My evening chores included sweeping the bus every afternoon, and in the winter time, I begged my grandpa to let me start the bus to warm it up. It had the tightest clutch I'd ever pushed, and when no one was looking I would put it in gear and pull forward and back it up. Later I attended college between '85-'90, I drove the school bus for the Arkadelphia, Arkansas School District. I drove a 3-speed 1978 GMC school bus with that beautiful boxy hood. Still to this day, I consider that to be the best looking school bus. Driving the school bus back then was by far the most fun I'd ever experienced in my working career to this day. Great memories and a great article! Thanks Jon! 😁
I loved my bus so much I ultimately bought one just for fun and had it several years. I'm sorry I didnt' keep it: 46 International K6 with a Superior body, 5-speed non synchromesh transmission, OHV 6. The International I rode in the early 60s had the same drivetrain. They were 56-57 vintage.
@@1940limited My grandpa drove an older 70s style IH school bus as well. The GMs always looked the best to me. That's interesting you name is Bridgman just like the little town in southern Michigan. My foster parents last name was Bridgeman, which I changed to my middle name back in the late 80s. 😊
Thanks for sharing!
I don't know where you went to school but my school had no bedrooms in it!
I drove a bus for the very first school bus Co. in IL (Kickert School Bus Lines)
They started out in the 1800's as a horse and carriage. They are still operating today, although i'm sure it is no longer family owned.
Thanks for the video!
Thanks for sharing!
Two other points about north American school buses. After a horrible crash by a drunk driver into the fuel tank area (just behind the loading door) on a school bus used for a school trip I believe in Kentucky, there had be added crash structure around fuel tanks. Another is the location of the 3 black painted reinforcements on the sides and back of buses. The lower one is the floor level, the middle the seat bottom level and the top the shoulder level. Automatic transmissions were added and are the only ones used today due to the decline of persons who could drive stick. Most states have separate school bus license endorsements due to medical exam, competency as to the special rules as to school buses and including fingerprint and background checks to make sure you can be around minors.
My favorite bus is the 50s i think until 90s Crown round tail, split window buses. Very cool looking
Thanks for the comment...
I've never considered what my favorite bus would be. Now I'll have to think about that all day.
My favorite school busses are the ones I don’t get stuck behind.
@@dillonh321 lol
You forgot about the terrible accident in Colorado when a bus got stuck during a blizzard. It was the reason School Bus Yellow is the color.
Living in England and not being particularly interested in cars and buses your stuff is really interesting and enjoyable spotty dog as we say here in the British Isles.
Love those one bedroom schools.
0:49 "One bedroom schoolhouse." LOL. You're allowed a slip now and then, because your videos are pretty awesome and informative. Love the "Far Too Brief History" Series."
Thanks for allowing me a flub here and there. How on earth I missed that one is beyond me. :)
@@AllCarswithJon We're all human. Besides, little flubs like that makes it come off as more human, rather than reading from a script. plus, it made me laugh a little- and we all need more laughing these days!
I always found the lipespan of a bus to be interesting. It’s starts off as a new bus in a good district, then after 15-20 years gets passed down to a poorer school district. After that they will get passed onto a church. After that some one will buy it to convert to an RV or it makes it’s way to the junkyard
Sometimes they go to the race track (like here in Indiana) where they have a demolition derby 😊
I was blessed in that i never had to ride the bus to or from school. Now for school or band functions of course i had to...but at least I didn't have to leave home so early or get home late due to the slow pokey bus.
The uphill both ways can be true if both the school and your house are in valleys separated by hills.
Grew up in western Kansas in 60s /70s. City kids walked or rode bikes to school. Farm kids got to ride buses. The only time school closed for snow was if the bus could not run the routes.( a driver would do test run) so us city kids always prayed the bus got stuck. Good times. Love your content, Thanks.
I was in public school 1968-74, and rode school buses 1969-74. That was because our family moved when I was halfway through Kindergarten. I still remember that during those 5+ school years, I only rode two different buses (and I remember the bus numbers). I'm quite sure one of them was lime green with a white roof. My Dad was an amateur photographer and took slides. So it's possible there's a picture of me and my brother getting off the bus one time. So we may actually be able to see at least part of one of those buses. My best friend's mother drove a school bus. Also starting sometime in the mid 70s my Dad was a Sunday School bus driver for our church, and the bus he drove was a 1965 Superior on International Loadstar chassis. He used to bring it home to service it, and sometimes borrowed it, if he needed to transport his extension ladder. So I saw that bus a lot. I still remember him saying that it got 5 mpg all the time. I also used to practice driving stick shift on it, in the church parking lot. But I only did that a few times. Anyway, I'm interested in all kinds of transportation, so I found this interesting.
I ode school buses from 1962 to 1964; Internationals with manual, non synchromesh transmissions. I was fascinated by the bus and probably drove the drivers nuts with all my questions. Nobody else gave a damn. I wish I'd taken pictures. I had a chance to buy oen of them in the early 70s but passed it up. I regret that, too.
@@1940limited The Christian school I went to after 1974 was run by a Baptist church. That church had a fleet of buses they used for Sunday School. They allowed the school to use just a few of them for class trips and away games in their sports programs. One of those was either a `56 or `57 GMC, but I'm not sure of the body maker. What a piece of work it was!
Good catch, Mrs. Allcars! I was just about to write a very angry letter to your husband about his callous disregard for federal colour-codes
Thanks for this comment, I shared it with Mrs. Allcars and we had a good laugh about it!
When I started Kindergarten in 1975 my school used International Loadstar buses then in 4th grade in 1979 my school changed to International S series buses until I graduated in 1988...
Can you do a far to brief history on Kenworth or Peterbilt trucks. Or even the Marmon truck company which used to make cars before class 8 trucks
What cha watching hon? "THE HISTORY of SCHOOL BUSES" what, I'm waiting here in bed & your watching bloody school buses! you can sleep under the damn house for all I care...
while I appreciate the view and the comment.... you got to prioritize just a bit differently. The video will be here when you get back! 😀
Nice guy.
Nice job. Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.
Hey, thanks! Glad you're here!
I’m sorry to correct you but Gillig didn’t go bankrupt they moved to transit buses with the Gillig phantom starting in 1980 they also had a joint venture with a company called Neoplan USA in the 80’s GM had there also moved fully to transit buses with there RTS for the US and the fishbowl/new look for Canada later to be called the GMC Classic (it’s a new look with a newly designed front end)
In Evanston, IL we had our own bus company until1974. We paid for our rides, though it was a 50 % discount over the normal fare. These were normal city busses, not school busses
That's the first time I watched a history of the much destested school bus! I perfered the lower, thinner seatbacks because you could see everywhere on the bus. The high thick seatbacks may have been safer, but you couldn't see anything! Great topic choice!! \m/
Blue Bird has very high seat back, so much so the rear windows are almost totalyl blocked. I have no idea what they're' thinking. We have a lot them in our fleet. Fortunately I don't have one.
Some very interesting information here Jon, thanks for taking the time to make this video. I've been a bus mechanic for about 15 years total, primarily school buses, but about 1.5 years public transit experience in the mix.
I have today learned some things I wasn't aware of, for which I'm grateful. I do have more trivial bits I can share, but it's a sleepy Sunday afternoon and my old brain's a little foggy. I'll come back and post again later.🙂
Best regards,
Shea Laking
One of the most interesting vehicle history videos I've seen. Keep up the great work.
Much appreciated!
@@AllCarswithJon My pleasure
I have been a bus driver for 16 years old. My favorite and current bus is a 2020 🐦. Qualility is horrible!Unfortunately they are going cheap. Nothing like my 06 🐦. I still am fond of a carpenter.
I've been driving for 17 years and currently have a 2016 International CE300. they wanted to give me a newer propane Blue Bird at the end of 2022. I told them I'd retire if they did that. I still have the International.
This my second history video about a school bus 🚌
In approximately 2010 Florida and I'm sure several other states, introduced a single white strobe light on the rear roof of school buses. The problem I have with this is that the light flashes all the time, so it really doesn't signal anything. There is no purpose other than to say "I am a school bus". Well Duh. We have managed well for decades that the unique yellow color indicates that. And if you can't tell the difference then you should not be driving.
It has always seemed that these white strobe lights could serve a purpose - such as loading/unloading children (which the red flashing lights already do a good job of doing), or simply indicate that there are children on board and the bus is not empty. Another useful reason for using the white strobe light would be activated during bad weather or fog.
Again, I see no reason the white strobe lights are flashing all the time without reason.
It’s to get the attention of distracted idiots, and it works. They’ve been around since the 80s
Our strobes are manually operated. I only use it in dense fog. They always want them turned off when we're parked in the lot before dismissal. They don't bother me but it seems most drivers don't like them flashing in their face. I've seen school buses with two strobe lights on them that don't go off. That's excessive. You can always hide behind the "safety" excuse as you spend more taxpayer money.
Weren't there at some point in the US some areas with red/white/blue school busses in maybe the 60s or 70s? Could be earlier
Great job again on the bus documentary buddy ☮️❤️
Thank you kindly
@@AllCarswithJon Ha, ha. You said "One bedroom school house" lol.
Alot of school busses get repurposed as a motor homes shuttle busses and other uses a service trucks. Alot of transit componies get school busses fitted for transit service plus military department of corrections use same bus fitted to their needs and short distance charter companies
A smart wife, you got there!
There are school buses that have engines in the front or engines in the back. Those with engines in the back, have a flat windshield. When I was in high school in the 1990s, we had school buses with radios but not air conditioning. So on hot days we had to have all windows open. i don't know why they put A/C in school buses
In the 80s there were plenty still with no heat in the back
Cost, I'm sure.
Having lived and gone to school on both sides of the Atlantic, I've always wondered why american school buses are so strange. Now I know more history about it. Here in Europe kids get to school in exactly the same kind of buses that are used in public transport in or between of cities. Mostly in open-to-all public transport bus lines, and also dedicated school runs.
In Philadelphia they go to school on the subway trains.
Not a good idea to transport children along with public passengers though.
At a whopping $430,000 each, compared to $125,000 for a conventional diesel bus, I can't see districts going to electric buses not to mention all the logistics problems of limited range and charging.
Good stuff Jon enjoyed the video
Thanks 👍
Thomas Built is now owned by Daimler, the parent company to Mercedes-Benz
Besides school busses, Thomas also built city transit busses. Many cities have Thomas transit buses in their fleets.
I don't like them. Wolfington Internationals are best but also expensive. I'm fortunate to have a 7 years old one that I'm fighting to keep.
Always enjoy your videos!
Thanks!
"1 bedroom schoolhouse" ??? LOL
I used to take the school bus when I was a boy until high school. I actually enjoyed the ride. I didn't have to walk to school. Some of my classmates would refer to the school bus the *"Shame Train".* Damned if I know why. I thought it was the best way to travel to and from school or other school related activities.
I enjoyed it too. I lived close enough to walk to elementary school before I was transfered, then I was bussed to middle and high school, then I was close enough to walk again when I was transfered to another highschool to finish up.
Very interesting video, over here in the U.K. any old bus will do for the school run.
We don't have tour buses in the US like Europe does
Out of curiousity - are they a specific color (like our yellow) or just whatever they happen to be?
@@AllCarswithJon no specific colour, although a few companies have yellow buses set aside just for school contracts.
Interesting.. never knew that.
Sounds good.
I'd like to see school buses with seat back that flip forward or back like railroad cars. Then students could face each other. It would eliminate all the kibitzing of kids trying to talk to those behind them as they kneel on the seat cushion facing backwards. I have an idea in mind for a premium school bus but it would probably never fly. Sealed windows that span at least 2 seats, air conditioning, seat belts, seat backs that flip forward or back.
But why do so many school buses have these absurdly long rear overhangs? They just look ridiculous! There must be a reason for this.
Absurdly long wheelbase would make it even more impractical. The practical solution would be moving the engine to the back and shortening the front by several feet. The video didn't give an answer why the conventional style is still used.
Mostly for serviceability and parts availability. It's the KISS principle.
Being a former school bus driver, it would have been a bigger challenge if the rear overhang didn't exist. The turn radius would have been horrible. We just had to be careful of the tail swing, especially when making right turns.
More passenger capacity.
Why no coverage of the school bus in the North-east? Wood stoves and heaters?
Yeah lion from quebec
Ford stopped making cowl chassis in 1997 after selling their heavy duty truck line to Freightliner, due to this Freightliner put in a 10 year agreement with ford to not compete with the new Freightliner FS-65 School Bus Chassis.
FS65s were pretty decent buses a;though I prefer Internationals. The new C2s are junk IMHO, of course!
Damn! I never had a teacher that looked like that! 🙂
The school I went to had all International buses...
So did mine. They left an impression on me I carry to this day, more than 60 years.
1:04 You forgot to mention , with no shoes
shoot.. I did. :)
I lived on a hill at one side of town and the school was on the hill in the other so it was only 15-20 min walk it was up hill both ways.
Man, i have to ask how deep was the snow both ways? :)
@@AllCarswithJon well it was in Nova Scotia Canada so sometimes there were a few inches of snow to contend with. The worst was an ice storm after school started. They decided to cancel school for the rest of the day so they could get the busses done before it got much worse. The sidewalk of the school hill we were using the fence along it to get down to the flat. In freezing rain yeah!
"one-*_bedroom_* schoolhouse"?
I rode a really old Schoolbus in Kindergarten and 1st Grade on the 1st day of Kindergarten at the BusStop I suddenly had to pee I was looking at the Bus coming and at the house but was trying to figure what to do I ran towards the house (it took longer than normal because I wore leg Braces on my left leg) I peed myself and missed the Bus My FosterMom changed me and said its ok Mommy and Daddy have to go there anyways so we'll take u later that year around Christmas before or after Christmas Break I try to cross the street but fall on a patch of ice where Im laying on the road unable to move a HighSchool girl that was on the Bus saw me fall and ran out picked me up and carried me on the Bus we had a really Old SchoolBus where it was 2 red blinkers and a tiny box above the Drivers head where the lights were side by side and not up and down I still remember riding it like it was yesterday My FosterMom was wondering the reason nobody held my hand everyday to take me across the street in a way I miss the old Bus but in a way I dont
👍👍
Aren’t Yellow School Buses The Best! 😂
All the school buses for my school had Thomas bodies....
When I was a kid in 7th grade we had a 57 International with a Ward body. In 8th grade we had a 56 International with a Thomas body. The ward was much nice, more comfortable. I can remember that far back not liking the Thomas body.
One "bedroom" schoolhouse?
"THE CHEESE BUS"
0:02 no school buses are not made of fabric
One bedroom school house?
I still think they should add seatbelts 😬
I find it interesting that the battery EV buss has been around for nearly a decade now, but now that politics are involved you have idiots raising hell about it and saying “nOt WiTh mY mOnEy” and “cOmMoN sEnSe SaYs iT wOnT wOrK drrrr”
Another awesome video on a vehicle we are all familiar with but no one knows anything about
Yeah, I found the information about the Battery EV bus surprising. I see transit buses around here with natural gas, but batteries from 10 year old tech? and the fact there wasn't one company doing it, but multiple. Heck, the other day I did a video on which chinese car company will be the first to the US and sell under their own name and BYD is my thought... and THEY are already here as an EV Bus, Truck and forklift maker!
@@AllCarswithJon China low cost EVs is going to completely change the EV ball game.
I used to work diesel and fleet repair, and we were rebuilding the P/30 step vans that Frito Lay was running. It was a decent program, and there were tax incentives that made it profitable. Bush changed some of the tax laws and the whole program was no longer profitable so PepsiCo (frito lay’s parent company) closed it all down. They had rebuild centers all over the country.
Shortly after, I think maybe 2009/10-ish? The local frito lay fleet went all electric. I didn’t know Jack about the tech and I was one of the guy going “iT’LL nEvEr WoRk”. But they were the most dependable fleet in our customers. They practically NEVER came by. I started looking into it and this is our future. I changed careers because there’ll only be a fraction of the mechanics needed and I was in no position to go to school to try and learn the new tech.
This is coming. And I can’t wait.
Paris, France bought a fleet of electric buses recently. After a couple of them caught fire while charging they were all taken out of service. I don't know what they did since. I hate to think of an electric school bus full of kids catching fire. Propane concerns me, too.