The scenic cruiser and I are the same age, my sister and use to enjoy riding from Mississippi to Chicago each summer. My mother use to say that double deck hound can out run the word of God. There will never will be another bus put on the road like the greyhound scenic cruiser. 1964 was the last time I road it. Thank you for your service! We left the driving to you. Love you always-SANDRA.
That’s probably the last year riding greyhound was a good experience. I took one for Xmas a week ago and it was a disgusting nightmare. The stations are filthy, the buses are deportable, and the people smell.
Rode on one in 1955 with my mother, brother and sister. A man gave up his seat so the four of us could sit in the front of the upper part. Before then busses didn't have washrooms. The ride down the NJ Turnpike was also my first ride on a turnpike. What an experience the whole thing was.
✨✨ I’m actually crying right now remembering me and Momma traveling together on Greyhound. I was privileged to ride in this fabulous bus known as the Scenic Cruiser. I still smell the luxuries of the cloth and leather seats. I can hear the swishing sounds of the brakes as we pulled into the different stations. I remember how important I felt just being on that bus looking out the clear massive windows. 🤗 I can see the majestic looking drivers, fully uniformed, including their caps, that I so admired. This Scenic Cruiser was my favorite bus in the fleet! Thank you for hidden memories that I have in my memory bank that this segment allowed to once again materialize! 😌
Rođe many miles on these in the late 50's, early 60's. Always loved the ride. Best part for me was sitting in the terminals watching all the hustle and bustle of a larger city. And the glorious smell of the diesel coming in from the outside.
These Greyhound Scenicruisers were the most comfortable smooth riding buses ever built its no wonder they are a Icon I'm over 80 and rode in them many times when younger.In fact met my wife of over 50 years riding in one from Tennessee to Washington DC when in the Army in 1957.Married in Mar 1958.
Awesome restoration. Rode on those in the middle of snowstorms from St. Paul, MN to Chicago as a kid. Then had the opportunity to drive M/C for Jefferson lines in St. Paul, when i wasn't driving for Murphy Motor Freight. Anyway, I've driven the 4103, 4104,4107, Then when Greyhound hired me, it was the MC5-MC7, MC8's and finally the MC9. Great experience, passengers were fun, (yes even the drunk) and the (Dancers). Never forget the phone trick a driver friend played on the first front 2 rows of people. He actually had them believing the slim line phone was able to talk to dispatch, and even his wife. But that was in 1975, RIP Graham.
I rode on a Scenicruiser in September 1955, boarding it in Boston for a 3 and a half day journey to Tucson, Arizona, to begin college at the U of A. I remember it having two separate engines, posing a challenge to the driver to synchronize engine speed. I remember being awakened at night by the jolt that was delivered to your back as the driver attempted to change gears. I recall the gentle rocking side to side, thanks to the air suspension. I recall how I craved the need to lie down, and would have even done it in the aisle were it permitted. All in all, I remember it to be the adventure of my life up to that point. Robert B.Young, Phoenix, Arizona.
This brings back fond memories, in the late 50's early 60's yeah back when people Dressed Up to ride Greyhound. My younger brother, myself and mother lived in Eureka, CA. We made several trips to San Francisco during that time and the buses we rode the most were the Super Scenic Cruisers, I remember when first boarding the bus we (my brother and I ) would fight to get one of the first row seats in the upper section so we could stand up and look out at the traffic, it also gave mom a little more room to keep a bag or two on the floor in front of us. In the mid 60's we moved to Santa Maria, once again riding the trusty greydog there. We made a number more trips to San Francisco after that. I remember mom calling the trip a "Milk Run" took a while to understand the difference between that and an "Express". Back in those days there weren't many Express routes North of the Bay area, especially those going up the coast. When it was time for me to leave home I rode greyhound to LA to the entrance and examining station (Navy) and then on to San Diego. Greyhound was always my means of transportation until I finally bought a car. And I still rode the bus on long trips (didn't trust the car). Two things started to turn me against riding Greyhound, in the mid- late 70's, dependability was a biggy and two the class of people that were on the buses around that time. I later read or heard that greyhound was giving tickets to cities so they could relocate homeless people, it was getting so bad I didn't want my family riding because of it. One of the last times I rode greyhound in the late 70's we were plagued with late arrivals and departures and a totally missed connection in Santa Barbara because they didn't have enough seats on the bus and no other bus available had to call home and have my Step father come get us. It just got to where I couldn't depend on the bus to get me where i was going. The very last time I rode it was around 1996 or 7 from Long Beach to Phoenix, It was supposed to be an express bus but ended up more of a Milk Run and it was long and tedious, And some of the people on the bus were downright disgusting. I vowed never to ride again. But I will always have those found memories of when I was young and we were taking the bus to the "City".
It’s exactly how I remember it!! When I was around 7 yrs of age in the early 70’s , I climbed aboard a Scenicruiser that was parked and empty at a Greyhound station and I was in awe of its beautiful, bright, and comfortable interior. I sat down imagining myself taking a long trip in such comfort. I never got to take that Scenicruiser trip but it’s sure nice to see it again and restored so beautifully!!!
Between traveling as a kid in the 1960's and being in the Army in the 70's travel on Greyhound buses was a pretty regular occurrence and was not considered "sluming it". As soon as the camera entered the bus the smell of the inside literally hit he again.
Use to ride on these and I love it. The ones I rode on were straight shifts. Last time was from Roanoke, Va to Washington in the winter of 1966/67. The coolest looking Greyhound ever!!
I think I'm in love. What a beautiful restoration. My dream is to drive a Scenicruiser some day. I trained on her little sister, the 4104, now I'm in a J-4500.
Beautiful Scenicruiser. great memories. I first rode one from Saint Louis to Los Angeles from April 2 to April 5 of 1956. There were big tornadoes breaking out along the way in Texas and Oklahoma. I also rode them in 1958 between Los Angeles and Fort Gordon GA when I was in the US Army. I rode Scenicruisers many times. Many happy experiences. There is a scene before the crop duster appears in North by Northwest with a Scenicruiser.
My first ride aboard the Greyhound Scenicruiser was in 1958....we rode on one from Atlanta to Dallas, Tx....changed buses to another Scenicruiser, and finished our ride from Dallas to El Paso. I distinctly remember being on the upper level as we rode across the Mississippi River as we crossed into Louisiana from Mississippi. The only other time I got to ride on one was in early 1967 from Fayetteville, NC., to Atlanta. I sat on the first row, left side, on the upper level all the way to Atlanta. I love these buses....just wish I could afford to buy one for myself today!
In 1967, after landing in America, my family and I took one of these from Los Angeles to Oklahoma City, on old Route 66. I was just a kid then. Next year will be our 50th anniversary in America. What a memory!
From 1965 to 1967, my dad and I would travel in a Greyhound back and forth to the hospital he often had to visit. I was always happy when we got to ride in the Senicruiser and always tried to sit in the front row in the upper level. Sadly, dad died at the hospital on our last trip but watching this video made it feel like he was next to me! Thanks for sharing and I would sure love to ride in one of these old gals again!
I started driving for Greyhound in 1974 and put many a mile on one of these monsters. The air clutches were a pain to learn. Used to drive them around downtown San Francisco and, if you could find two open spaces with a little wiggle room, parallel park them in Chinatown on charters. Glad to see this one restored. I believe when they first came out they had two 4 cyl tank engines but later converted to the 8-V71.
Anchovy99 I rode one from San Francisco to LA in December 1973. Sat up top half way back with no one beside me. Drank beer all the way when I wasn't sleeping. That bus made it feel like we were flying down the highway. In fact, that's where I just was for 2:48 :~)
The last 10 Pacific Greyhound 4501s went to Melni Lines down in Santa Barbara, while four of the old 4103s went to Riverside Bus Co. Melni ran the wheels off theirs way into the late '70s. All the US fleet was converted to 8V71s in 1960 by Marmon-Herrington. But a few that wound up in Canada retained the 2 4s and the troublesome Hydra-Shift transmission.
Drove the wheels off a small fleet of 1970 MC7s in the early '70s. Nice easy driver, but they had sloppy Ross cam and lever steering, compared to a GM in good shape (you had to be "on it" all the time to keep a straight line in an MCI) , and the GMs rode better. The MC7s had more power and better gearing though.
They sure did! So they were air, not mechanical, clutches? Cool! They originally (during the 4v71 era) had button-activated solenoid clutches. They were on the floor just as pedals. You stepped on them and they clutched the transmission! (double clutched). They also had six speeds-three gears, two speed splitter.
Hi, wow that sure brings me back to my childhood! My Dad drove for Greyhound. For 33 years. I spent many hours with my brothers. Playing hide and seek, on many different model's buses. Thank you for your post, beautiful restoration.
As an eleven year Greyhound veteran (2008-2019) seeing this makes me smile. I, of course, wasn't around for the Scenicruiser. But I certainly have plenty of model buses. Luckily, I was around for the MC12...which was a distant cousin.
In the 1970's, I rode one of these buses from Twin Falls, Idaho up to Sun Valley. It was in the summer. They carried freight in the upstairs part of the bus, which was blocked off from passengers by a door. There were only a few passengers, anyway. Certainly a memorable trip on a great old rig.
Ahh you can almost "Smell" the Diesel 😉!!! Very nice restoration 👍 Being of not great wealth growing up in the1960s I took many trips to see relatives in the East from Boston to NY, PA, OH and FL I always enjoyed seeing everything on the way and the Food stops Lol !! 😋😃 Great memories !! Sadly the Uncles, Aunts, Grandparents and Parents are gone now. 🙏
What a beautiful job on what truly is an American icon. Brings back memories of when the Scenicruiser was still plying the nation's highways under Greyhound livery, as well as memories of what was my own bus, a PD-4104, the 35-foot, two-axle, single-deck baby brother to the 4501.
What a piece of history! I expected Porter Waggoner or some Country Western Celebrity to come bounding down the steps! I rear ended one of these on my Motorcycle one time. A few too many beers. The bus just pulled away and blew smoke on me. Hurt my pride but no serious injury!
This is awesome! You have no idea how many times my grandma used to take me on this bus in the 60's! She would always visit her sister in St Paul, and bring me along! Thanks for the memories...Cheers!
That video brought back a pleasant memory. In 1970, my mother and I rode on the senicruisers round trip from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, PA. The occasion was a visit to a university in Philly on a recruitment trip. I didn't get accepted at the university, but the rides on the senicruisers were very smooth. Little did we know they would be retired as the '70's progressed. Moreover, Greyhound began building their own buses instead of having General Motors build them.
Great job so nice to see one of these beauties being preserved. Rode on one as a kid and it was so much fun. Years ago it so exciting to watch the drivers wheel these big boys right into the bus terminal so masterfully and park it perfectly in it's slot. The ride.....HOW FUN WAS THAT!!!!!
What a wonderful bus! Thanks for people that have the money and will to restore a great American icon!! These were truly the Lockheed Constellations of the road.
Excellent restoration. Just imagining how cool to turn the upper level into a living quarters and still have the downstairs seating for road trips with a few friends!
I'm a retired greyhound driver, almost 30 years driving and I was lucky to drive the last one out of Portland Oregon going to salt lake Utah. I rode them when I was in the marines .😀
I am amazed at the loudness of the engine in this video. I do not remember their being that loud in practice, say back in the late 50s onward. I traveled Sceni-Cruisers frequently when young, and I remember that the air-conditioning exhaust inlets were pierced in the overhead above each seating position, so that smoke was taken outside from right above the smokers. Thought that was very thoughtful. In some of the Trailways versions, there was an attended snack-bar/drink bar at the foot of the stairs on the right, moving to the front. Alcoholic pre-mixed drinks and beer were served to adults.
The Greyhound Scenic Cruiser is my favorite bus of all time. I think its the coolest bus ever built. I use to ride it from Fayetteville, NC to New York City every summer in the late 1950s to visit family and friends. At one of the rest stops an attendant would get on and hand out fresh pillows to lay your head on to take a nap. What a treat that experience was as a kid growing up!
Loved to see the video. As a kid I was absolutely thrilled to ride in the Super Scenicruiser. I even turned down flying from Asheville N.C. to Santa Maria Ca. to take Greyhound (and Trailways). Many memories.
Yay!! It has the dog on the side!! Only problem is it isn't the original Scenicruiser as they had dual four cylinder Jimmys for engines. This one has the later 8V-71 engine of the modified Scenicruisers, but still a nice bus!! My Dad drove for Greyhound back when these were brand new so I got to learn very up close how to tell the originals from the later modifications. Still one of the most Iconic American busses ever built.
Beautiful! Thank you for putter her back in wonderful shape and sharing!! I put 17,000 miles on one of these in the 1980s coast to coast and FL to MI in 1981. Wonderful to drive. Our was all white and nicknamed 'Moby Bus'. :-)
1972 i was driving for Continal Trailways over the road buss. A verry sweat driving & riding bus. When i got to my destination rather getting a hotel room , i would sleep on the rear long seat, and i was conforable and rested well. In the morning when the mecanic would come drive the buss to the station it would wake me up i would strating my tie put my driver's cap on walk out the door and bord passenger's. Away we would go. A verry well thought out desined buss.
What a beauty! I wish I could have driven these when I worked part time for Gray Line. Saw saw these everywhere back when I was a kid during the 60s-70s. Now they're rare. I think their were 2 versions. The earlier production units with the twin engines and the later version with a single V-8. So cool seeing this piece of American history preserved.
I attended Hawthorne Christian School in Hawthorne, CA in the sixties. They had a fleet of these buses and I rode on them a few times for field trips. It is wonderful to sit up high like that and watch the sights!
Hi...Great video. Seeing this brings me back to the bus trips I took as a child (in the early 60's) from Hartford to Boston to visit family. I thought it was the coolest thing to sit behind that big window. I still have a Matchbox toy of a Senicruiser. Thanks for a memorable video.
Great memories for me. We used to ride these from Savannah, GA to Tucson, AZ about twice a year round trip. I always would sit on the top deck, front seat. We were even riding these in the mid 60s from Atlanta, GA to Dillard, GA where I went to a boarding school.
U PEOPLE ARE HEROES OF OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE ! You Restored this Scenicruiser ? Wow, that's unbelievable. I bet it must have cost a lotta hard-earned dollars together to get this baby to her present condition. You all did such a brilliant job and she's a credit to your abilities. And I know how hard it can be. My friends and I worked hard to restore a 1957 Bedford SB Duple Coach. A dream of mine. But ISN'T it GREAT the day you finally get her rolling ???!!!??! Fab upload people ! = D
I drove these back in the mid to late 60's at Houston extra board, Southern Greyhound. Also in San Francisco in early 70's. A fun bus to drive. 43 passengers except for the "Combo" model: it had more space in the back for additional Package Express. I believe the last five rows of seats were taken out and that was boxed in with a wall, creating more space for cargo. A door was added up on the right side to gain access to the room. They were replaced with the "Buffalo" model. It was all one level with a "hump" just past the front. A larger engine: 425 Cat. diesel.
@@enolamsamoht Greyhound began selling the Scenics off in 1969 and sold the last of them in 1978. By the end most of them were relegated to suburban commuter service in the SF/Oakland Bay area. The MCI MC7s took over as flagships beginning in 1970. The Scenics lasted through the introduction of the MC7s, 8s, and I think the 9s. Of course the MC-6 was introduced in 1968 but were placed in limited service due to the 102" width which was not universally accepted on American highways until the mid-1980s. I think the MC6s were sold off by 1980.
They don't make them with the detail and soul like they used too. This is a few tonnes of art, bright work and a credit to engineering. If these were in service, I'd use public transportation
This is cool, restrooms are towards the front instead of back and looks more roomy inside wow! Wish I was old enough to of rode on this version of Greyhound.
That's a "battlefield modification" most of them had. Beautiful machine! I had the privilege of riding one across the US as a teenager. I remember how smooth and brisk they could accelerate.
Don’t know how this has only just turned up as recommended, but glad it did. I can almost smell the interior. Think I was only 4 when I went on one, but still remember it.
This was the bus my grandma use to ride from Huntington to Atlanta to see us kids in 1961-64. She would sit in the upper deck just to please us cause we thought it was cool.
bathroom was in middle of bus. people bought tickets to travel on Greyhound in 50's 60's. I think I rode on one with my Aunt for Cleveland Ohio. Thank You for This share of vintage coach bus.
The restroom was on the lower level, driver's side just before going up the stairs to the upper level. it took out the space where a third row of seats would have been, Scenicruisers had three rows on the curb side, with two on the Driver's side on the lower level.
This is one of two of my favorite buses to drive. The Scenic-cruiser was smooth on both paved roads and unpaved roads. GMC design engineers had their heads on straight when they blue printed this luxury beast. Not to slight the GMC Scenic-Cruiser, the other brand made bus that I am partial too is the prestigious "Silver Eagle" touring coach. First built in 1956 by the Karl Kässbohrer firm of Ulm Germany. The Silver-Eagle was used by Continental Trailways but the majority of Silver Eagles were built with just the shell, suspension, a 230 hp diesel engine, and a Z F Media 6 M-75 six speed transmission. They ended up at custom coach building companies such as "Hemphill Brothers Coach Co.", "Roberts Brothers Coach Co." n Nashville TN. which are the most sought after custom tour bus coach designers in the entire United States. For a while, "Prevost" was a desired coach to have but the "Silver Eagle" is making a come back. Other coach bus manufacturers are MCI, Blue Bird (built mostly school buses). I drove both the GMC Scenic-Cruiser and the "Silver Eagle" custom tour coach's. I can't say one is better than the other because each bus had it's positive points. The Scenic-Cruiser could handle rough roads almost as good as an ATV. But it wasn't wise to push it too hard. I drove the "Silver Eagle" for several Country Music Entertainers. Just like the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, touring in a "Silver Eagle" was like achieving a high point in a persons life. One thing I really liked about th "Silver Eagle" was the "Bogie Wheel". It made sharp turns so much easier. The big thing I liked about the Scenic Cruiser was, 'it was huge on the inside and lots of leg and elbow room". Glad you got your S.C. up and going. "Keep the shiny side p and the dirty side down" We're going 10-10 on the side.
6 років тому+1
wayne what was a bogie wheel? and did you ever drive for waylon jennings?
@@wishusknight3009 I just never heard a tag or pusher called a bogie. Tag in back of drives, pusher in front of drives. I thought it was some doodad exclusive to these buses. Were they liftable, or always down? I can lift the tag on my intl. for sharp turns, so they don't chew up the shoulder on the tire.
Love the style of 50s American vehicles and this Grehound certainly has class!!! For some reason I imagine one of these buses being a private travel bus for some 80s glam metal band with their band name painted on the body and appearing in one of their music videos driving around and the camera cuts to the band inside the bus with leopard fur seating singing their song and partying hard with chicks on-board while the bus travels around the highways of America from gig to gig.
My Brother and I used to ride one of these beautiful buses when we were youngster's. Dad used to put us on the Tarzana Greyhound to Thousand oaks Ca. to visit our mother who lived there. Our father and stepmom lived in Lake view terrace around 1964. My Bro and I are now in our early 60s
Thank you for sharing this. I had always wanted to see what it's like on board a GM 4501 Superscenicruiser. It's even more beautiful and stylish than the Motor Coach Incorporated M-9. In fact it's one of the most beautiful touring buses I have ever seen.
My private school had three of these busses when I attended way back - ahem. They were an icon. Bus 1 for band, bus 2 for choir, and bus 3 for gymnastics.
I haven't been on one of those in decades! When our small town lost its rail service, it was replaced with Greyhound. This type of bus was used on our route.
I remember well when these ran the roads. Never got to ride in one but remember them rolling into the local greyhound station and remember the sound. They have always intrigued me.
The scenic cruiser and I are the same age, my sister and use to enjoy riding from Mississippi to Chicago each summer. My mother use to say that double deck hound can out run the word of God. There will never will be another bus put on the road like the greyhound scenic cruiser. 1964 was the last time I road it. Thank you for your service! We left the driving to you. Love you always-SANDRA.
That’s probably the last year riding greyhound was a good experience. I took one for Xmas a week ago and it was a disgusting nightmare. The stations are filthy, the buses are deportable, and the people smell.
Sandra,lo confundiste con faldas y sandalias o zapatos de taco alto y agujero para poder ver los dedos de tus pies?
Has conducido?
Rode on one in 1955 with my mother, brother and sister. A man gave up his seat so the four of us could sit in the front of the upper part. Before then busses didn't have washrooms. The ride down the NJ Turnpike was also my first ride on a turnpike. What an experience the whole thing was.
Love it when they are restored as buses and not RVs. This is beautiful.
I sure agree it is absolutely beautiful meticulously done just like what I remember back in the early 60s very good
✨✨ I’m actually crying right now remembering me and Momma traveling together on Greyhound. I was privileged to ride in this fabulous bus known as the Scenic Cruiser. I still smell the luxuries of the cloth and leather seats. I can hear the swishing sounds of the brakes as we pulled into the different stations. I remember how important I felt just being on that bus looking out the clear massive windows. 🤗 I can see the majestic looking drivers, fully uniformed, including their caps, that I so admired. This Scenic Cruiser was my favorite bus in the fleet! Thank you for hidden memories that I have in my memory bank that this segment allowed to once again materialize! 😌
Rođe many miles on these in the late 50's, early 60's. Always loved the ride. Best part for me was sitting in the terminals watching all the hustle and bustle of a larger city. And the glorious smell of the diesel coming in from the outside.
My dad was a Greyhound bus driver. I used to go with him all the time. Been on a bus like that many times. Good times.
So was my dad. In Cleveland and then Richmond.
These Greyhound Scenicruisers were the most comfortable smooth riding buses ever built its no wonder they are a Icon I'm over 80 and rode in them many times when younger.In fact met my wife of over 50 years riding in one from Tennessee to Washington DC when in the Army in 1957.Married in Mar 1958.
Thank you for sharing your story and for your service Sir.
Kind regards, Eric Dee.
Didn't these sometimes have a lounge with card tables on the lower level?
@@TJ-kd9ic :Yes, the 1948 Silverside Scenicruizer. There is a video here on UA-cam titled "1948 Silverside scenicruiser"...
How did you sit with your wife
My father flew East and drove one of the first scenicruisers used in the East. I still remember how excited he was.
Awesome restoration. Rode on those in the middle of snowstorms from St. Paul, MN to Chicago as a kid. Then had the opportunity to drive M/C for Jefferson lines in St. Paul, when i wasn't driving for Murphy Motor Freight. Anyway, I've driven the 4103, 4104,4107, Then when Greyhound hired me, it was the MC5-MC7, MC8's and finally the MC9. Great experience, passengers were fun, (yes even the drunk) and the (Dancers). Never forget the phone trick a driver friend played on the first front 2 rows of people. He actually had them believing the slim line phone was able to talk to dispatch, and even his wife. But that was in 1975, RIP Graham.
I rode on a Scenicruiser in September 1955, boarding it in Boston for a 3 and a half day journey to Tucson, Arizona, to begin college at the U of A. I remember it having two separate engines, posing a challenge to the driver to synchronize engine speed. I remember being awakened at night by the jolt that was delivered to your back as the driver attempted to change gears. I recall the gentle rocking side to side, thanks to the air suspension. I recall how I craved the need to lie down, and would have even done it in the aisle were it permitted. All in all, I remember it to be the adventure of my life up to that point.
Robert B.Young, Phoenix, Arizona.
This brings back fond memories, in the late 50's early 60's yeah back when people Dressed Up to ride Greyhound. My younger brother, myself and mother lived in Eureka, CA. We made several trips to San Francisco during that time and the buses we rode the most were the Super Scenic Cruisers, I remember when first boarding the bus we (my brother and I ) would fight to get one of the first row seats in the upper section so we could stand up and look out at the traffic, it also gave mom a little more room to keep a bag or two on the floor in front of us. In the mid 60's we moved to Santa Maria, once again riding the trusty greydog there. We made a number more trips to San Francisco after that. I remember mom calling the trip a "Milk Run" took a while to understand the difference between that and an "Express". Back in those days there weren't many Express routes North of the Bay area, especially those going up the coast. When it was time for me to leave home I rode greyhound to LA to the entrance and examining station (Navy) and then on to San Diego. Greyhound was always my means of transportation until I finally bought a car. And I still rode the bus on long trips (didn't trust the car). Two things started to turn me against riding Greyhound, in the mid- late 70's, dependability was a biggy and two the class of people that were on the buses around that time. I later read or heard that greyhound was giving tickets to cities so they could relocate homeless people, it was getting so bad I didn't want my family riding because of it. One of the last times I rode greyhound in the late 70's we were plagued with late arrivals and departures and a totally missed connection in Santa Barbara because they didn't have enough seats on the bus and no other bus available had to call home and have my Step father come get us. It just got to where I couldn't depend on the bus to get me where i was going. The very last time I rode it was around 1996 or 7 from Long Beach to Phoenix, It was supposed to be an express bus but ended up more of a Milk Run and it was long and tedious, And some of the people on the bus were downright disgusting. I vowed never to ride again. But I will always have those found memories of when I was young and we were taking the bus to the "City".
Yeah, starting in the eighties the demographic for bus travel began to plummet. Before that, bus travel was safe, convenient, and dignified.
It’s exactly how I remember it!! When I was around 7 yrs of age in the early 70’s , I climbed aboard a Scenicruiser that was parked and empty at a Greyhound station and I was in awe of its beautiful, bright, and comfortable interior. I sat down imagining myself taking a long trip in such comfort. I never got to take that Scenicruiser trip but it’s sure nice to see it again and restored so beautifully!!!
My Dad flew from Wpg. to Toronto and picked up a new bus for the western region. I remember how excited he was.
Between traveling as a kid in the 1960's and being in the Army in the 70's travel on Greyhound buses was a pretty regular occurrence and was not considered "sluming it". As soon as the camera entered the bus the smell of the inside literally hit he again.
Use to ride on these and I love it. The ones I rode on were straight shifts. Last time was from Roanoke, Va to Washington in the winter of 1966/67. The coolest looking Greyhound ever!!
I think I'm in love. What a beautiful restoration. My dream is to drive a Scenicruiser some day. I trained on her little sister, the 4104, now I'm in a J-4500.
Beautiful Scenicruiser. great memories. I first rode one from Saint Louis to Los Angeles from April 2 to April 5 of 1956. There were big tornadoes breaking out along the way in Texas and Oklahoma. I also rode them in 1958 between Los Angeles and Fort Gordon GA when I was in the US Army. I rode Scenicruisers many times. Many happy experiences. There is a scene before the crop duster appears in North by Northwest with a Scenicruiser.
My first ride aboard the Greyhound Scenicruiser was in 1958....we rode on one from Atlanta to Dallas, Tx....changed buses to another Scenicruiser, and finished our ride from Dallas to El Paso. I distinctly remember being on the upper level as we rode across the Mississippi River as we crossed into Louisiana from Mississippi. The only other time I got to ride on one was in early 1967 from Fayetteville, NC., to Atlanta. I sat on the first row, left side, on the upper level all the way to Atlanta. I love these buses....just wish I could afford to buy one for myself today!
On the Atlanta to Dallas leg, you would've crossed to Miss River from Memphis into Arkansas, not Louisiana.
In 1967, after landing in America, my family and I took one of these from Los Angeles to Oklahoma City, on old Route 66. I was just a kid then. Next year will be our 50th anniversary in America. What a memory!
must of been a real hoot going over the hill from oatman!
rmwtsou Howdy!
Here's a belated Welcome!
HAPPY 50 th BIRTHDAY
Mono Ped - "...must HAVE* been..."
From 1965 to 1967, my dad and I would travel in a Greyhound back and forth to the hospital he often had to visit. I was always happy when we got to ride in the Senicruiser and always tried to sit in the front row in the upper level. Sadly, dad died at the hospital on our last trip but watching this video made it feel like he was next to me! Thanks for sharing and I would sure love to ride in one of these old gals again!
Great story brother!!.
SOMETIMES THEY HAVE PARADES IN DIFFERENT STATES.
I love it! They NEVER should have gotten rid of this design!
Only seats 43 and they guzzle fuel! The new ones are smaller more efficent and seat 55 for more profit! 👍
I started driving for Greyhound in 1974 and put many a mile on one of these monsters. The air clutches were a pain to learn. Used to drive them around downtown San Francisco and, if you could find two open spaces with a little wiggle room, parallel park them in Chinatown on charters.
Glad to see this one restored. I believe when they first came out they had two 4 cyl tank engines but later converted to the 8-V71.
Anchovy99 I rode one from San Francisco to LA in December 1973. Sat up top half way back with no one beside me. Drank beer all the way when I wasn't sleeping. That bus made it feel like we were flying down the highway. In fact, that's where I just was for 2:48 :~)
The last 10 Pacific Greyhound 4501s went to Melni Lines down in Santa Barbara, while four of the old 4103s went to Riverside Bus Co. Melni ran the wheels off theirs way into the late '70s. All the US fleet was converted to 8V71s in 1960 by Marmon-Herrington. But a few that wound up in Canada retained the 2 4s and the troublesome Hydra-Shift transmission.
Drove the wheels off a small fleet of 1970 MC7s in the early '70s. Nice easy driver, but they had sloppy Ross cam and lever steering, compared to a GM in good shape (you had to be "on it" all the time to keep a straight line in an MCI) , and the GMs rode better. The MC7s had more power and better gearing though.
They sure did! So they were air, not mechanical, clutches? Cool! They originally (during the 4v71 era) had button-activated solenoid clutches. They were on the floor just as pedals. You stepped on them and they clutched the transmission! (double clutched). They also had six speeds-three gears, two speed splitter.
Use to ride those on ski trips from school in the Bay Area to the Sierra’s 1972-75.
Hi, wow that sure brings me back to my childhood! My Dad drove for Greyhound. For 33 years. I spent many hours with my brothers. Playing hide and seek, on many different model's buses. Thank you for your post, beautiful restoration.
As an eleven year Greyhound veteran (2008-2019) seeing this makes me smile. I, of course, wasn't around for the Scenicruiser. But I certainly have plenty of model buses. Luckily, I was around for the MC12...which was a distant cousin.
In the 1970's, I rode one of these buses from Twin Falls, Idaho up to Sun Valley. It was in the summer. They carried freight in the upstairs part of the bus, which was blocked off from passengers by a door. There were only a few passengers, anyway. Certainly a memorable trip on a great old rig.
Ahh you can almost "Smell" the Diesel 😉!!! Very nice restoration 👍
Being of not great wealth growing up in the1960s I took many trips to see relatives in the East from Boston to NY, PA, OH and FL I always enjoyed seeing everything on the way and the Food stops Lol !! 😋😃 Great memories !! Sadly the Uncles, Aunts, Grandparents and Parents are gone now. 🙏
What a beautiful job on what truly is an American icon. Brings back memories of when the Scenicruiser was still plying the nation's highways under Greyhound livery, as well as memories of what was my own bus, a PD-4104, the 35-foot, two-axle, single-deck baby brother to the 4501.
YES!! the Highway Traveller!! Excellent bus in it;s own right. The later 4106 was a screamer by comparison though as it had the 8v-71 engine in it.
great job! thank you for saving her!
What a piece of history! I expected Porter Waggoner or some Country Western Celebrity to come bounding down the steps! I rear ended one of these on my Motorcycle one time. A few too many beers. The bus just pulled away and blew smoke on me. Hurt my pride but no serious injury!
This is awesome! You have no idea how many times my grandma used to take me on this bus in the 60's! She would always visit her sister in St Paul, and bring me along! Thanks for the memories...Cheers!
WOW that is awesome. Just another reason why the good old days were so special. Thanks for sharing this with us. Love it!
what a beautiful greyhound bus, brings back memories as a kid back in the 60s
as a former bus driver, I love the restore you guys have done. Front bumper needs a little work, but. totally great job.
That video brought back a pleasant memory. In 1970, my mother and I rode on the senicruisers round trip from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, PA. The occasion was a visit to a university in Philly on a recruitment trip. I didn't get accepted at the university, but the rides on the senicruisers were very smooth. Little did we know they would be retired as the '70's progressed. Moreover, Greyhound began building their own buses instead of having General Motors build them.
Great job so nice to see one of these beauties being preserved. Rode on one as a kid and it was so much fun. Years ago it so exciting to watch the drivers wheel these big boys right into the bus terminal so masterfully and park it perfectly in it's slot. The ride.....HOW FUN WAS THAT!!!!!
What a wonderful bus! Thanks for people that have the money and will to restore a great American icon!! These were truly the Lockheed Constellations of the road.
Remember seeing them on the road as kid in the 60's. Always thought they were so cool looking. 👍🏻😉
Excellent restoration. Just imagining how cool to turn the upper level into a living quarters and still have the downstairs seating for road trips with a few friends!
As a 12 year old in 1966, I rode one of these with my mom from Laredo to St. Louis. Thanks for sharing!
I'm a retired greyhound driver, almost 30 years driving and I was lucky to drive the last one out of Portland Oregon going to salt lake Utah. I rode them when I was in the marines .😀
I am amazed at the loudness of the engine in this video. I do not remember their being that loud in practice, say back in the late 50s onward.
I traveled Sceni-Cruisers frequently when young, and I remember that the air-conditioning exhaust inlets were pierced in the overhead above each seating position, so that smoke was taken outside from right above the smokers. Thought that was very thoughtful.
In some of the Trailways versions, there was an attended snack-bar/drink bar at the foot of the stairs on the right, moving to the front. Alcoholic pre-mixed drinks and beer were served to adults.
Beautiful relic from the golden age of bus travel
The Greyhound Scenic Cruiser is my favorite bus of all time. I think its the coolest bus ever built. I use to ride it from Fayetteville, NC to New York City every summer in the late 1950s to visit family and friends. At one of the rest stops an attendant would get on and hand out fresh pillows to lay your head on to take a nap. What a treat that experience was as a kid growing up!
Loved to see the video. As a kid I was absolutely thrilled to ride in the Super Scenicruiser. I even turned down flying from Asheville N.C. to Santa Maria Ca. to take Greyhound (and Trailways). Many memories.
Beautiful, original bus. This is the way they should be.
I fully agree. RVs are a dime a dozen except price so its nice to see one still as a passenger bus
bg147 It said restored, not original. That front bumper certainty isn't restored. Still, it's amazing to see one of these again.
YOU GOT IT BROTHER... AMEN
@@neildickson5394 Transmission is dffernet.
So cool to one restored to its original state, usually they are customized. This looks incredible !
Yay!! It has the dog on the side!! Only problem is it isn't the original Scenicruiser as they had dual four cylinder Jimmys for engines. This one has the later 8V-71 engine of the modified Scenicruisers, but still a nice bus!! My Dad drove for Greyhound back when these were brand new so I got to learn very up close how to tell the originals from the later modifications. Still one of the most Iconic American busses ever built.
But the transmission was replaced..,
Awesome! My favorite greyhound bus of them all! Excellent job!
Beautiful! Thank you for putter her back in wonderful shape and sharing!! I put 17,000 miles on one of these in the 1980s coast to coast and FL to MI in 1981. Wonderful to drive. Our was all white and nicknamed 'Moby Bus'. :-)
This the best GM Bus restore have seen. From interior to exterior a Tribute to early travel and Greyhound Bus Lines Thanks.
Brings back great memories. Always excited when the bus we would be taking was a scenic cruiser.
1972 i was driving for Continal Trailways over the road buss. A verry sweat driving & riding bus. When i got to my destination rather getting a hotel room , i would sleep on the rear long seat, and i was conforable and rested well. In the morning when the mecanic would come drive the buss to the station it would wake me up i would strating my tie put my driver's cap on walk out the door and bord passenger's. Away we would go. A verry well thought out desined buss.
Warren Hemminger ....Not shower/freshen up before starting your working day......Phew!? ;-/.
I rode in a few of these back in the mid sixties. I always liked sitting in the upper area in the first row.
What a beauty! I wish I could have driven these when I worked part time for Gray Line. Saw saw these everywhere back when I was a kid during the 60s-70s. Now they're rare. I think their were 2 versions. The earlier production units with the twin engines and the later version with a single V-8. So cool seeing this piece of American history preserved.
The twin 4-71s were ripped out during the conversion to the 8V-71s during 1961-1962 by a company I think in Indianapolis.
It be nice to have the money and have a RV company do a total update inside and out and make a monster RV for the 20s.
I took a trip, with my Mom, from Hartford Conn. to Winchester Va. aboard this style Greyhound. Unforgettable!!
Absolutely gorgeous! Congratulations on owning such a beautiful bus.
I attended Hawthorne Christian School in Hawthorne, CA in the sixties. They had a fleet of these buses and I rode on them a few times for field trips. It is wonderful to sit up high like that and watch the sights!
that was fantastic, i drove greyhounds for 10.5 years and only ever saw this model in pictures, thanx for sharing this with the viewers , thumbs up,
Hi...Great video. Seeing this brings me back to the bus trips I took as a child (in the early 60's) from Hartford to Boston to visit family. I thought it was the coolest thing to sit behind that big window. I still have a Matchbox toy of a Senicruiser. Thanks for a memorable video.
I wish Greyhound could go back to a design similar to this, it would make riding the bus more appealing and beautiful. I love the foot rests!
I always loved the scenic cruisers! A masterpiece in automation!
Great memories for me. We used to ride these from Savannah, GA to Tucson, AZ about twice a year round trip. I always would sit on the top deck, front seat. We were even riding these in the mid 60s from Atlanta, GA to Dillard, GA where I went to a boarding school.
Wow! Nice work. Beautiful restoration.
U PEOPLE ARE HEROES OF OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE ! You Restored this Scenicruiser ? Wow, that's unbelievable. I bet it must have cost a lotta hard-earned dollars together to get this baby to her present condition. You all did such a brilliant job and she's a credit to your abilities.
And I know how hard it can be. My friends and I worked hard to restore a 1957 Bedford SB Duple Coach. A dream of mine. But ISN'T it GREAT the day you finally get her rolling ???!!!??! Fab upload people ! = D
Thanks to you too Doug Cameraman because you also always have such amazing classic cars vehicles on your channel too. = )
I drove these back in the mid to late 60's at Houston extra board, Southern Greyhound. Also in San Francisco in early 70's. A fun bus to drive. 43 passengers except for the "Combo" model: it had more space in the back for additional Package Express. I believe the last five rows of seats were taken out and that was boxed in with a wall, creating more space for cargo. A door was added up on the right side to gain access to the room. They were replaced with the "Buffalo" model. It was all one level with a "hump" just past the front. A larger engine: 425 Cat. diesel.
When d greyhound get rid of these? And which make and model replaced them?
@@enolamsamoht Greyhound began selling the Scenics off in 1969 and sold the last of them in 1978. By the end most of them were relegated to suburban commuter service in the SF/Oakland Bay area. The MCI MC7s took over as flagships beginning in 1970. The Scenics lasted through the introduction of the MC7s, 8s, and I think the 9s. Of course the MC-6 was introduced in 1968 but were placed in limited service due to the 102" width which was not universally accepted on American highways until the mid-1980s. I think the MC6s were sold off by 1980.
They don't make them with the detail and soul like they used too. This is a few tonnes of art, bright work and a credit to engineering. If these were in service, I'd use public transportation
This is cool, restrooms are towards the front instead of back and looks more roomy inside wow! Wish I was old enough to of rode on this version of Greyhound.
That's a "battlefield modification" most of them had.
Beautiful machine! I had the privilege of riding one across the US as a teenager. I remember how smooth and brisk they could accelerate.
She's absolutely beautiful!!!
Don’t know how this has only just turned up as recommended, but glad it did. I can almost smell the interior. Think I was only 4 when I went on one, but still remember it.
Wow i love that coach,,I would convert that coach into my next home and drive off into the sunset. Thank you for posting and enjoy that amazing Bus 🚌.
This is one of my favorite buses to ride on
I rode in one of these from San Francisco to Hopkinsville, Ky when I was a small kid. I was amazed it even had a bathroom on it !!!!!!!!
I live in Evansville, IN and I have family that lives in Hopkinsville which is only a little over an hour away! haha How weird is that?
This was the bus my grandma use to ride from Huntington to Atlanta to see us kids in 1961-64. She would sit in the upper deck just to please us cause we thought it was cool.
wow.....the cost of restoring this beautiful historic bus must have been astronomical..........thanks for sharing this great video
bathroom was in middle of bus. people bought tickets to travel on Greyhound in 50's 60's. I think I rode on one with my Aunt for Cleveland Ohio. Thank You for This share of vintage coach bus.
people still take Greyhound !
The restroom was on the lower level, driver's side just before going up the stairs to the upper level. it took out the space where a third row of seats would have been, Scenicruisers had three rows on the curb side, with two on the Driver's side on the lower level.
This is one of two of my favorite buses to drive. The Scenic-cruiser was smooth on both paved roads and unpaved roads. GMC design engineers had their heads on straight when they blue printed this luxury beast. Not to slight the GMC Scenic-Cruiser, the other brand made bus that I am partial too is the prestigious "Silver Eagle" touring coach. First built in 1956 by the Karl Kässbohrer firm of Ulm Germany. The Silver-Eagle was used by Continental Trailways but the majority of Silver Eagles were built with just the shell, suspension, a 230 hp diesel engine, and a Z F Media 6 M-75 six speed transmission. They ended up at custom coach building companies such as "Hemphill Brothers Coach Co.", "Roberts Brothers Coach Co." n Nashville TN. which are the most sought after custom tour bus coach designers in the entire United States. For a while, "Prevost" was a desired coach to have but the "Silver Eagle" is making a come back. Other coach bus manufacturers are MCI, Blue Bird (built mostly school buses).
I drove both the GMC Scenic-Cruiser and the "Silver Eagle" custom tour coach's. I can't say one is better than the other because each bus had it's positive points. The Scenic-Cruiser could handle rough roads almost as good as an ATV. But it wasn't wise to push it too hard.
I drove the "Silver Eagle" for several Country Music Entertainers. Just like the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, touring in a "Silver Eagle" was like achieving a high point in a persons life. One thing I really liked about th "Silver Eagle" was the "Bogie Wheel". It made sharp turns so much easier.
The big thing I liked about the Scenic Cruiser was, 'it was huge on the inside and lots of leg and elbow room".
Glad you got your S.C. up and going. "Keep the shiny side p and the dirty side down" We're going 10-10 on the side.
wayne what was a bogie wheel? and did you ever drive for waylon jennings?
Roger 4 on that 10-10 catcha on the flip an I'm back quiet.
@ The rear single axle.
@@wishusknight3009 I just never heard a tag or pusher called a bogie. Tag in back of drives, pusher in front of drives. I thought it was some doodad exclusive to these buses. Were they liftable, or always down? I can lift the tag on my intl. for sharp turns, so they don't chew up the shoulder on the tire.
@ I have seen the 3rd axle lifted on Greyhound buses in the past. Usually when its empty. I guess it saves fuel as well.
Classic old bus.... looks good, sounds good .... glad to see it restored.
You can imagine the possibilities of the scene a cruiser been lent out to group so they would love it. Absolutely love it. Good point moneymaker.
Wow this is classy and comfy.. Good job. You won't see this ever again .
Love that. When just a couple of hundred miles was an adventure into the unknown.
I've ridden on many of them in the late fifties and early sixties as a kid. So quiet in front and so much louder in the rear.
Love the style of 50s American vehicles and this Grehound certainly has class!!! For some reason I imagine one of these buses being a private travel bus for some 80s glam metal band with their band name painted on the body and appearing in one of their music videos driving around and the camera cuts to the band inside the bus with leopard fur seating singing their song and partying hard with chicks on-board while the bus travels around the highways of America from gig to gig.
Wish I owned a bus like that love the looks of them.
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. I have seen one like this in Oregon out in the country going to the coast.
Oh , Loving it! Back when travel was fun !!!!!
Mike
Spent many hours, many miles on buses like this... best ever to be put on the road.
My Brother and I used to ride one of these beautiful buses when we were youngster's. Dad used to put us on the Tarzana Greyhound to Thousand oaks Ca. to visit our mother who lived there. Our father and stepmom lived in Lake view terrace around 1964. My Bro and I are now in our early 60s
Thank you for sharing this. I had always wanted to see what it's like on board a GM 4501 Superscenicruiser. It's even more beautiful and stylish than the Motor Coach Incorporated M-9. In fact it's one of the most beautiful touring buses I have ever seen.
It sure is!
My private school had three of these busses when I attended way back - ahem. They were an icon. Bus 1 for band, bus 2 for choir, and bus 3 for gymnastics.
Definitely not fully restored but an amazing vehicle. It would be a blast to do a cross country in this one.
I haven't been on one of those in decades! When our small town lost its rail service, it was replaced with Greyhound. This type of bus was used on our route.
I traveled on one of these in Australia in around 1961. We went from Melbourne to Adelaide overnight.
Brought back memories of my army days in the 60s and early 70s.
Awesome looking bus! I've seen pics of the Scenicruiser, but I've never seen one in person, much less ridden in one.
rode in that as a kid from boston to ft wayne 1960s thanks for showing it
I remember well when these ran the roads. Never got to ride in one but remember them rolling into the local greyhound station and remember the sound. They have always intrigued me.
F'ing Sweet, I remember this type bus and Amtrak between Dallas & Houston when I was a Kid !
Rode one back in the early 70s. It was a thrill to climb the steps, to the upper deck.
had a matchbox of this. actually a few. loved it.
wow you guys saved this old girl...fantastic.... would love that here in the uk..
Always wanted to see one of these as I don't live in the USA. Pretty modern and ahead of its time. Thanks for posting.