BusTalk

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Tin toy SCENICRUISERS from Japan were quite in profusion from the 1950s through the 1960s.

Among the most rare are the "Sonar-Guided" SCENICRUISER and the "electronic" SCENICRUISER ("The Bus With The Brain"); the former was beautifully made of plastic, and its mechanism was actuated by blowing on an "atomic whistle".

Whistle-actuated tin toy buses from Japan were commonplace for several years-in the late 1950s and early 1960s; I have several in my collection (these were the "SONICON " buses) and often resembled the highway buses of that era.

The "Sonar-Guided" SCENICRUISER (plastic body) is virtually impossible to find today-----and it is even more rare to find one that still functions.

The other vintage (battery operated) toy SCENICRUISER that is very difficult to find today is one touted as "The Bus With The Brain"; this bus (made of tin) dated to about 1960-1963; several colored plastic strips (each with a "code" punched out) were to be inserted into a slot in the bus body.

Each "code" would program the bus to run in a circle, an oval, or in a figure-eight pattern.

Like the aforementioned "Sonar Guided" SCENICRUISER-this rare toy is not at all easy to find today; it is even more difficult to find one that still works-and still has its "color code" strips; it had to make for a most interesting toy when new, like its "Sonar Powered" cousin------ "NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here an interesting (and VERY "tech") page on the ultra-rare "Sonar-Guided" SCENICRUISER toy I just discussed (note that the video on the page does not work)

This was indeed QUITE an novel toy bus for certain-----and one that is almost impossible to find today-----------

https://markjsaterfiel66.blogspot.com/2018/05/a-sonar-guided-greyhound-scenicruiser.html

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"CRAGSTAN" (made in Japan) made hundreds of tin toy vehicles from the late 1950s and through the 1960s; in the early 1960s they made the "GREYHOUND 'BEEP BEEP' BUS"; this impressive toy was a HUGE (2' long!) battery operated (with "mystery action") 4104 that rolled along the floor-beeping its horn; at intervals it would stop and the door would open-revealing a "hostess"; this bus was also available as a "school bus" (I have two of the GREYHOUND versions and one of the school bus)

Interestingly, another (plastic) toy company made molds using these big buses and made free-rolling plastic (hollow) versions; these came in red/silver and blue/silver and came with either black or yellow wheels; these "blow mold" toy buses sold for about a dollar-back in the early 1960s.

Another (smaller) "blow mold"* plastic version of this bus was also made-about 1' in length, in the same color variations as the bigger buses (I have several of both sizes in my collection today)

"NYO"

*A "blow mold" plastic SCENICRUISER was also made--------

[traildriver]

NYO--

Since you also seem to be an expert on this subject, I am wondering if you ever heard of a radio controlled toy Scenicruiser?

When I was in around the third grade, I vaguely recall during a "show and tell" session in class, that a classmate brought in his rather large, perhaps 18" or so in length, a toy Scenicruiser that he could move forward, back, left, or right with a hand held radio remote control. Do you recall ever seeing or hearing of such? I had a toy '57 Plymouth that you could control with a cable connected remote doing similar, but not radio controlled. IIRC, the bus had a short antenna wire on its roof, in approximately the same place that the SEG prototypes did later for their "Sound tube" Motorola's.

Needless to say, I was extremely envious of that fortunate classmate...

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

SMALLEST of the toy SCENICRUISERS (two of which which I have in my collection) is one "soft metal" version that is barely more than an inch in length; the other (almost flat in contours) is made of tin (with friction motor) and measures about 3" in length (these could be had for about 19 cents in any "5 and 10" store........60-odd years ago)-------- "NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Another rare tin SCENICRUISER (battery operated, circa-1960) I have in my collection is a "compact" one, operated by a battery box (w/steering wheel and forward/reverse buttons) attached to the bus with a cable, and is lettered "GREYHOUND LINE".

This bus is about 11" long and was available in two GREYHOUND schemes (it was also available as an airport bus, lettered "AIRPORTER" (I have the two GREYHOUND buses as well as the "AIRPORTER" version)---------

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here is, perhaps, the most "bizarre" tin toy SCENICRUISER ever to come out of Japan (circa-1960)

Shades of "POPULAR MECHANICS", perhaps?

I've had this "oddball" in my collection for close to 10 years now.........

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/310044755579458908/

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

On the "flip side" now-this handsome realistic tin litho SCENICRUISER indeed makes for a beautiful display piece today in 2024; Your's Truly received this one as a birthday gift-way back in '62! (and it is today a prized part of my collection!)

This sharp-looking friction toy 'hound was also available as a battery-operated bus---------

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/16-tin-friction-greyhound-1757404659

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Made in Japan by "KTS", this "magic" tin SCENICRUISER (circa-1960) features lever-action boarding/debarking passengers, and a hostess at the door (one version of this toy also features a rotating destination sign)

I have two of these buses (one w/box)......the two I have do not have the rotating sign; they are still quite nice display pieces, recalling the long-ago heyday of GREYHOUND......

(be sure to click on the thumbnails!)

https://www.mainstreettoys.com/products/kts-japan-tin-greyhound-scenicruiser-magic-bus

[traildriver]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

traildriver:

The radio-controlled Fishbowl I have is all silver (no paint/lettering); ditto one of the "rounded back/ACF-BRILL rear window 'SONICON' "buses I have); both have a thin antenna that protrudes from the roof. A number of the larger tin friction SCENICRUIERS I have had body shells that were also adapted for battery-operated versions.

Interestingly-two of the rarest tin GREYHOUND buses were offered just prior to most tin toys falling by the wayside, in favor of plastic.

One, a handsome MC-6, is getting more and more difficult to find nowadays; ditto the friction "Bison" in my collection (I have examples of both; however, some "genius" decided to "slop paint" the "Bison" a solid blue, covering the lithography)

ARRRGGHH!!!

No matter-it is STILL a piece I am glad to have in my collection, and also the ONLY toy "Bison" I currently have in the archives!

Some of the battery-operated SCENICRUISERS also had working head/tail/marker lights.

Toy GREYHOUND Fishbowls (in several sizes; and in varying degrees of authenticity) were also made during the 60's (the later ones had solid plastic wheels)

The smallest of these (friction) Fishbowls were about 10" long; the biggest about 16" long.

NO SHORTAGE whatsoever of the endless varieties of toy GREYHOUND buses-way back in the day!

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"CRAGSTAN" also made tin friction buses clearly patterned after the iconic ACF-BRILL IC-41 (with some interesting "liberties"!); these were a little more than a foot in length; some had opening doors to reveal a driver waiting to greet his passengers.

Through the years, these buses were "updated" and featured different lithography and graphics; these neat buses were also available in TRAILWAYS colors, as well as school buses, sightseeing buses, etc (I have quite a number of these); all but one of these buses were friction; the rarest is the lone battery-powered one I have ("COAST-TO-COAST EXPRESS") which has the typical "bump-and-go" action

Earliest versions had the windshields and two front passenger windows cut open, with seats featuring a driver and passengers; the later ones did not feature cut-out windows.

One of the rarest (all sealed windows) is lettered in stylish script "INDIAN LINES" and features-interestingly enough-a VERY distinctive "Chief's Head" logo on each side that clearly was inspired by the SANTA FE!

The oldest of this type dates to about 1957/1958; the newest-roughly about 1965, or thereabouts-----Yours Truly happily played with these buses as a kid, and today proudly display them all in my personal "bus museum"........ "NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

I have this sharp blue-and-white version of the late 1950s whistle-activated "SONICON BUS" (mine is missing the "radar" unit on the roof); I also have a friction version of this bus (w/battery headlights) lettered "SIGHTSEEING BUS" (this bus* features side windows with a lithographed driver and passengers)------

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/183381016061865273/

*(Two other "SONICON" buses were also offered at this time; one painted green, and the other red; both featured operating headlights and were simply lettered "CITY BUS LINES"; both utilized the same body shell as the bus in the picture)

I have both the red and the green buses---------

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

This large (and most unusual!) toy bus was made right here in the good ol' USA, back in the 50's; the "ROBOT BUS" was quite unusual, in that it was a MECHANICAL (wind up) toy utilizing "bump-and-go" action (a blue and cream version of this rare bus was also available; I have the one pictured here)------------

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/135248795046119851/