BusTalk

[bystander]

In the early seventies, I purchased TDH-4509-2215, aka Red Arrow (Philadelphia) #111.

I drove it around for a toy, and a bunch of us went camping in it a few times-seats and all.

At the same time, I used to spend enjoyable evenings sitting on the front porch of the Langhorne (PA) Cab Co and listening to the stories of "THe Old Timers" one of which was the owner, Spoolie (SP?) Hutchinson who had been, at one time, I believe, the stunt co-ordinator for the Lucky Teeter Thrill Show, a group of automobile trick drivers.
And,at the same time, there was a gentleman out west named Evel Knevel who insisted on jumping over 14 buses with a motorcycle..

So you can see how the conversation might turn to (Say it together, gang) jumping over 14 motorcycles with a bus.And we spent weeks calculating the ramps we needed.

Facts.
1. 4509's weigh 19,500 lbs.
2, 4509's are generally governed at around 57 MPH
3. Fourteen motorcycles parked nose to tail take up about 30 feet.
4. We would need to turn the governor up to 62 1/2 MPH.
5 Wooden ramps would not sustain a 4509 hitting it at 62 1/2 MPH
6. So we designed an earthen ramp.

And we called up the Trenton(NJ) State Fair Grounds and told them what we were planning for their 4th of July festivities and they loved it, We washed and waxed the 4509 and turned the deisel up to 63 MPH. And we loaded 14 very used Japanese Motorcycles onto a big Ford stake truck with a lift gate that we borrowed from a friend with a junkyard.

And on the second of July, the Trenton State Fairground called Spoolie up and cancelled the stunt because their insurance carrier wouldn't cover it.

We unloaded the motorcycles, returned the Stake Truck with Thanks, loaded a huge picnic with beer into the bus, and fouteen of us had a wonderful Fourth of July partying in the Poconos,

And No Jumping.

[RailBus63]

It's probably a good thing the stunt was canceled –the guys on Discovery Channel’s MythBusters show recreated the bus jump from the movie Speed with a GMC New Look and pretty much proved that it couldn’t be done.

[bystander]

Yeah,but we weren't trying to jump Two Hundred and some feet, more like 20 feet.
And we were using an old look, not a Fishbowl.I think you could drop an Old Look out of an airplane and it would likely at least try to run.