BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

(SEE PREVIOUS POSTS)

.......at least a brief mention should also be made of the group of SCENICRUISERS (and 4104s) which were shipped over to Korea, and which, for a time, operated for "KOREA GREYHOUND", back in the 1970s...........

"NYO"

["906"]

[traildriver]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Just thinking..........

IMHO, both the SCENICRUISER and the EAGLE were the most iconic highway coaches of the 20th century.

Recall, now, that when the SCENICRUISER first debuted, there was much nationwide hoopla surrounding this startling new coach, from both the traveling public and the news media.

It was not long before the SCENICRUISER became "America's bus".

It did not take long for this sleek highway coach to become an integral part of American icons.

Now, several years after the SCENICRUISER arrived, another eye-catching, modern coach, the EAGLE, quickly became the gleaming flagship of CONTINENTAL TRAILWAYS.

Now, what I've been pondering over the last few days......

I am now wondering if the EAGLE would have appeared had the SCENICRUISER not been developed?

Was the EAGLE the response from CONTINENTAL TRAILWAYS, basically saying, "Hey, we have to come up with our OWN all-new, all-modern, eye-catching coach!"

What I'm saying here, is that, had the SCENICRUISER not been developed, would TRAILWAYS looked to develop the EAGLE, and thus, NOT have to "keep up with the Joneses"?

IMHO, it seemed as though TRAILWAYS saw great potential in designing and building an all-new, modernistic coach that would at least TRY to give the SCENICRUISER a run for its money?

In other words, had the SCENICRUISER never existed, would there have ever been an EAGLE?

Just thinkin'........

"NYO"

["SCENICRUISER SERVICE"]

["RIDE GOLDEN EAGLE LUXURY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Also interesting.........

Even though the SCENICRUISER's production spanned only a few years, the coach's overall appearance remained the same.

However, the later EAGLES indeed presented a noticeable difference to the original 1957 coaches, built by KASSBOHRER..........

"NYO"

["FIVE STAR LUXURY SERVICE"]

[traildriver]

[traildriver]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Traildriver:

Good responses, all!

I STILL regret, many years ago, NOT taking at least ONE trip aboard an NJT "Eagle"; yes, I saw them quite frequently, and, yes, I HAD planned to "go for a jaunt" aboard one of these handsome coaches, but, alas, somehow, I never got around to it.

Well, if nothing else, I DO have the memories!

"NYO"

["165 NEW YORK"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Think about this..............

The legendary PCC is often hailed as "The Ultimate American Streetcar; if that is the case, them, without a doubt, the iconic SCENICRUISER was/is the ULTIMATE in American highway coach design......and no wonder!

"NYO"

["SCENICRUISER SERVICE"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

................."runner up" for the most iconic American highway coach, is, of couse, the ever-sty;ish and gleaming EAGLE.......

"NYO"

["DALLAS"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

.....that the SCENICRUIDER indeed wasa design far ahead of its time was evident iin the fact that at least one non-GM manufacruer tried to "cash in" with a "SCENICRUISER" pf its own.
r
This, of course, was the "ACENUCRUISER "clone" built by BECK.

This handspme bus was indeed MORE than inspired by the SCENICRUISER, but, of course, a purist could easily see the differences in design.

The old saying goes, "....imittion is the sincerest form of flattery....."

That about says it all........

"NYO"

["TURNPIKE EXPRESS"]

[traildriver]

The CD Beck imitations got closer and closer to the 'real thing' as they evolved, to the point where GM and Greyhound warned them of litigation for intellectual property infringement, so they ceased production.

The basic idea of the raised rear deck goes back much further in history than the GX-2....there were various schemes dating back to the 1930's, of similar designs on buses built by Kenworth, and others.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/14024074@N05/51969931808

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

traildriver:

Thanks for the link!

Yes, that "split level" design indeed goesway back before the SCENICRUISER; I'e seen photos of som eeally eye-cAtching highway coaches fromthe 193-s

Reclal, too, that FLXIBLE's 1950s "VISTA-LINER", a two-axle coach cwas laerly SCENICRUIER insired.

Msny tin ltho tpys replicated this design, back in the day..........

NYO"

["FLXIBLE"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

taildriver:

Note the highly-unusual "splitt level"/three axle trolleybus, preserved in Great Britaini.......

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

["LEYLAND"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

traildriver:

Take notice that this stylish SCEICRUISER-esque coach (manufactured in Spain) debuted in 1951. a few years before the 4501 appeared here in the States...........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegaso_Z-403

["Z-403"]

[traildriver]