Bus collection

lvmci · July 26, 2021, 04:33:53 PM

About 10 miles west of Flagstaff, in a village called Belmont just off I40, there's a growing collection of mostly stripped buses, couple of early MCI5s several early GMs, a Brill several early trailers, airstream and a rare Streamline Travel Home (motorhome), any one have this collection on BCM? Impressive collection...

oltrunt · July 26, 2021, 06:22:59 PM

Ha! it's enough to make a guy stand on his head to look at them.

lvmci · July 26, 2021, 06:30:34 PM

Hi Jack, tried 3 times to get it straight, hoping phyl will fix it...

Van · July 26, 2021, 06:53:17 PM

Maybe?

lvmci · July 26, 2021, 07:11:59 PM

Thanks Van...

lvmci · July 26, 2021, 09:28:06 PM

Thanks Phil!...

CrabbyMilton · July 27, 2021, 01:11:43 PM

Interesting find. One never knows what sort of vehicles lurk inside barns or warehouses too.

RollingLiving · July 28, 2021, 05:52:25 PM

Hi all...I'm the guilty party here. :-)

We live in Parks, about halfway between Flagstaff and Williams. We collect and restore old buses and trailer...and we do buy and sell newer buses, for skoolie conversions too. Some of our buses we buy with the intention of selling (just the modern ones), some we'll never sell, and some we're going to part ways with only because we cannot keep them all.

While we live on 20 acres in Parks, it's a residential area so we only keep a couple of projects here while working on them. The others we keep at that storage lot. I drive all of the drivable ones regularly, because it's fun...and good for them. A few aren't drivable...yet...but we're working to correct that.

In that photo, there are two Gillig Phantoms and an International 3800...those are all listed for sale as skoolie shells. We bought them, addressed mechanical needs, and stripped them for the conversion crowd.

We also have two GM 4104s, a '56 and a '57. Those both had bad, old conversions which had been partially stripped by the prior owners. We completed the stripping and planned to convert them, again. Both run well and are nice to drive, but we're going to part ways with them...only because we've stumbled upon some other keepers.

We have a 1980 Crown with a 6-71 that's one of my regular drivers. It's a keeper, for sure.

We also have a 1974 Gillig with a Cat 3208 and a 10-speed manual - it's a blast to drive, but I do expect we'll be selling her.

In the not-yet-running category, we have a pre-war late '30s Crown...a Flxible Clipper (still a seated coach)...and a 1949 GM 4509. I have new engines for each of these and we're working to make them local Route 66 tourist buses. One of those buses in the photo is a parts donor bus, with a rusted out frame, which is providing the parts needed to finish the 4509.

At home right now, I have a "humpback" Crown that's going to become our next home. We currently live in an MCI MC-7 and it's a great bus, but I recently rescued that Atomic Crown from a salvage yard in Idaho...and I'm in love with that bus.

We also have a couple of smaller Superior bus bodies on conventional truck chassis. We're going to turn those into small mobile AirBnB rentals.

If anyone's passing by, please feel free to let me know. I don't get into the forum often, but you can email me at ross@rollingliving.com

Happy travels!

Ross and Kara Taylor

RollingLiving · July 28, 2021, 05:57:32 PM

Oh, I forgot to mention our only RV! It's a Streamline Travel Home...one of 80 made. This one's not running...the engine is trashed, but I'm in the process of getting a new one. I had to tow it back and the tires are trashed, too. It looks really sad right now, leaning to the side on a flat tire. But, the interior's pretty intact and we're going to restore this one to her original shape.

This one's #57, which was purchased by RKO pictures for Bing Crosby. #58 was for David Janssen. These were used, primarily I think, on the set as lounge and dressing areas. It eventually ended up with Bing Crosby's estate. The manufacturer's number plate (it's not really a VIN) is stamped B. Crosby - RKO.

luvrbus · July 29, 2021, 07:43:45 PM

It is OT but what happen to the RV park in Parks I see it is closed and has been for awhile

RollingLiving · July 30, 2021, 04:49:31 PM

Quote from: luvrbus on July 29, 2021, 07:43:45 PM
It is OT but what happen to the RV park in Parks I see it is closed and has been for awhile

Yes, it's been closed for quite a long time. It recently got sold...or at least pending...and there was a community meeting with the buyers about 6 weeks ago. They presented a nice development plan and, if that happens, it will be a nice RV park again. We had actually talked to them about leasing 10 spaces, for vintage trailer and bus AirBnB lodging there. The place needs big, and expensive, improvements to the infrastructure though...so it will be at least a year before they might be open again.

luvrbus · July 30, 2021, 05:25:46 PM

Quote from: RollingLiving on July 30, 2021, 04:49:31 PM
Yes, it's been closed for quite a long time. It recently got sold...or at least pending...and there was a community meeting with the buyers about 6 weeks ago. They presented a nice development plan and, if that happens, it will be a nice RV park again. We had actually talked to them about leasing 10 spaces, for vintage trailer and bus AirBnB lodging there. The place needs big, and expensive, improvements to the infrastructure though...so it will be at least a year before they might be open again.

The PO was a nice older couple with a grown son we stayed there 2 summers, I bet that property brought some $$$$$$$ just for the water well it had a good well with good water not your typical AZ water,the PO was into growing garlic and I think the son was into growing weed lol.I was just wondering what happen,with I40 and BNSF tracks it takes a little getting used to train horns blowing all night