Exploring the Busses at the Commonwealth Coach and Trolley Museum

During my April 2015 trip to Roanoke, Dieselducy treated me to a tour of the awesome bus collection at the Commonwealth Coach and Trolley museum. I'm by no means an expert on vintage buses, but I enjoyed this collection very much. The museum is absolutely worth a visit while you're in Roanoke. I hope you enjoy!
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[@504RoadTrips]

Former Minneapolis municipal bus driver here. The driver's side windshield on the Gillig Phantom is angled inward to prevent the interior lighting from reflecting back into the driver's eyes at night.
Thanks for this video!
Kari

[@OregonTransitFan]

Very cool! Loved seeing that Phantom! I also saw a Flxible Metro 9:25. Trivet unfortunately retired theirs just recently, but replaced them with the best kind of bus, Gillig!

[@mikemccloud1276]

I am an avid bus enthusiast. So this video makes me happy wish I lived there. I would be there checking out buses all the time. Mike

[@patrickrichmond9896]

Seeing the old GM Scenicruiser takes us back to the days when Greyhound showed respect for everyone. No matter who was buying a ticket. Those days I miss.

[@mikeswanson849]

Windshield slanting began with the GMC old looks. The first old looks had vertical windshields which would reflect the dashboard lights on the glass at night and would interfere with the bus operator's ability to adequately see the road and traffic at night. So later old look buses had slanted windshields to eliminate this problem. Slanted windshields continued to be featured on new look buses and later on advanced design buses. On advanced design buses like the Gilling Phantom, the Flexible 870s and Metros, the Orion V and others, only the left windshield segment is slanted while the right windshield is vertical. The left segment preserves the visibility advantages of a slanted windshield while the right vertical segment affords more interior space for boarding and de-boarding passengers -- including wheelchair users and others needing the lift or ramp.

[@gladfan1989]

Those New Flyers were the start of low floor busses for Spokane Transit. The wheelchair ramp flipped over, but left a half-inch lip to contend with.

[@stiewie]

The slanted window is to protect the driver against reflections at night from the lights indide the bus.

[@jnk26]

The slanted driver windshield is for reduction of reflections from the interior lights at night

[@jimster586]

I so want to visit this place some day...

[@Daniel28021991]

Great video!!

[@retroolschool]

Great job Jacob!

[@garygee34]

I've been on the 91 Orion :) This is fun video!

[@patrickrichmond9896]

If you look at the Flxible New Look at 1:24 which was often called the Rhor Flxible, they had two types of aluminum plates between the upper and lower windows. Roanoke and Ride KC had one with this configuration with just the solid piece of aluminum between the two panes. WMTA and Bi-State had a little "dish" inserted between the two panes and a flat rail to go across. This one had the light blue interior, and Ride KC had a light brown interior.

[@ronaldpendergraph991]

Windshield inward was also to keep sun light out of drivers face

[@liamjmbtaandrailfan2791]

really cool

[@_thebusphotograher_cali]

Love these old buses

[@liamjmbtaandrailfan2791]

so they repaint them and put new seats in?

[@thewildeeper]

I wonder why that Blacksburg bus was there?

[@WestCoastElevators]

I don't know much about busses either, but those are all really cool! I wonder why they have a few newer buses, like the 1998s.

[@haitranthi9037]

jj

[@rayfridley6649]

Any Thomas buses in the museum?

[@kendall8500]

Dieselducy should take the air start bus for a ride

[@patrickcharles5093]

We still have two of those Gillag Phamtoms in service where I live

[@TheElevatorChannel]

+Patrick Charles There's still plenty driving around St. Louis as well.

[@patrickcharles5093]

+The Elevator Channel I was also curious how much does it cost to ride the bus in st Louis? where I live it operates on zero-fare

[@leno4399]

A massive fire just destroyed this place😔

[@angelsepulveda8393]

What!?!?!?

[@joshhhieee1]

Didn't Andrew get rid or sell the celebrity ?

[@TheElevatorChannel]

+joshua clark Yep. This was shot back in April.

[@joshhhieee1]

What a shame looked mint what went wrong with it ?

[@liamjmbtaandrailfan2791]

where is this!!!

[@TheElevatorChannel]

+Liam Santry Roanoke VA. I'd highly recommend going if you're ever in the area. Visits are by appointment only, but admission is free (donations suggested).

[@liamjmbtaandrailfan2791]

Thanks

[@otisman1000]

Is dieselducy a vaper?

[@TheMatsushitaMan]

Gaping, like smoking is harmful to health. So unless you want an early death, don't smoke