| Author | Message | ||
| Nellie Wilson (Vivianellie)
Registered Member Username: Vivianellie Post Number: 244 Registered: 11-2008 Posted From: 4.248.49.31  Rating: N/A |
The "Free to Good Home..." thread (below) prompted me to write this. Please pardon my naive and sentimental point-of-view, BUT... In my humble opinion, it is just a crying shame to see perfectly good equipment junked or destroyed for no good reason. Likewise, to see perfectly good - splendid, in many cases - buses going to rot is absolutely heartbreaking. (My good friend Ralph, I'm pretty sure, would agree with most of the above?). When so many of us are desperately trying to resurrect a dream, it truly tears me up to see the things we so sorely need rudely tossed aside, just wasted. For example, a beautiful MCI- 9 - just taken out of service - was scrapped last month in Maryland. Everything on that bus was new or recently refurbished. The fellow who owned it (Mr. Johnson) said, "Take what you want, she's going junk tomorrow." Being strapped for time (plus lousy weather and limited tools), I only managed to salvage some light stuff (mostly electrical parts - relays and solenoids and lights and such. But I had to leave the WONDERFUL stuff - the things I really wanted (bellows and plates, brake cans, A/C evaporator and condenser, hoses and fittings and tires, etc.) I coveted the TV monitors (6), the rearview camera and the on-board lighting… even the CB radio and antenna. Yes, that's right! I could have had all the accessories, but I needed more time and a place to store it. You see, the salvage yards (at least in Maryland) pay by the pound - they don't give a rat’s ass about the 'stuff' WE all need. And every post that I read – or nearly – is one of US looking for something that someone ELSE is blithely scrapping. And everywhere I've been, and everywhere I look, this is going on… I’ve got photos and photos of buses headed for the grave or looking for a buyer (and I mean CHEAP!). In the meantime, many well maintained and still beautiful old buses – well, not THAT old (a tip of my hat to George MC6) – are being destroyed. My thinking? We must come together – maybe at a special rally or something – and figure a way to save these parts (or maybe take the whole bus) before the buses are crushed. Because, if we don’t, it won’t be long before we HAVE no parts, or we’ll have to buy them new – which, for many of us, would be the end of our little country band. Peace, Love, Dove… Nellie the Weird | ||
| Bryan Larrabee (Busasaurus)
Registered Member Username: Busasaurus Post Number: 17 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 24.84.136.155  Rating: N/A |
I couldn't agree more. I've been involved with our Transit Museum for the past 8 years and keeping those old coaches on the road has been a challenge. I used my personal contact with the Fire Department who acquire junk buses every now and then to practice their tactical rescue skills. We got New Flyer parts like compressors, fans, mirrors, escape hatches etc etc. I see there's a former Greyhound MC-9 at one of their training centres this week. We were really lucky that the Transit Company let us do a parts raid on the scrap line of GM Fishbowls two years ago and again this year with 6 MCI Classic transits. The problem is that when you strike that heavenly deal to raid parts, you have to think about what you'll need. We had enough mirrors for 20 Fishbowls but when the rear door treadle mat failed on one of our coaches.... um.... did we think to take one off any of the buses we were canabalizing? Of couse not. Our personal coach is a GM PD4108. Try and find the rear signal light lenses. Okay, it only took a bit of effort and I found one, but they're not very common. The day I find an old GM bus with the permission to do a parts raid, I'm looking at the tailgate lenses first. A parts rally is a GREAT idea. Lets do it. I can bring Fishbowl mirrors. Bryan Vancouver BC | ||
| Jim Huddleston (Eaglespirit)
Registered Member Username: Eaglespirit Post Number: 1 Registered: 1-2009 Posted From: 68.230.13.253 Rating: N/A |
Maybe form a bus converter's co-op. pool everyone's resources. | ||
| john w. roan (Chessie4905)
Registered Member Username: Chessie4905 Post Number: 1521 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 71.58.110.9  Rating: N/A |
At least we have someone that has saved some Scenic Cruisers. We just need to have him save more  . |