bus tales from the 60’s

[tk48states]

new member here is my story: In 1963 was a freshman at Boston College, '64 my dad lt me buy a '59 Ply Sport Fury in poor shape, quickly had to learn how to fix it and pay for parts. Got a part time job at a Citgo station and garage and pumped gas, learned a lot from old time mechanics who worked in the shop. Owner of business was a William Carroll who also ran Carroll Bus Lines in Brookline. As soon as I turned 21 he told me I would be a bus driver,
got Chauffeur's license and a uniform and a school bus route in morning before classes. There was a fleet of blue birds pretty easy to get around in but one day boss shows me an old bullet back coach and says this is your new "school bus"! whoa didn't know what to think.
It was GM 3751 with Greyhound logo on sides and ratty inside but I had never had anyexperience with a diesel or a coach, had to learn fast, big and heavy and nothing like a school bus. Most puzzling was the column shift, 4speed, standard H pattern but nothing like any stick I'd ever driven. (subsequent coaches all had floor shifters) I didn't know about synchromesh trans then but did learn that engine revs were very important if you wanted to shift gears and it took a while and much grinding and stalling to get the hang of driving that beast. couple of anecdotes: drove the 3751 for a school picking upthe same kids in Waltham every morning, never had an accidentbut plenty of close calls, a coach is not meant to go down suburban backstreets. By the end of the year the batteries were dead and bus had to be jump started every morning, kept it going all trip but one day I went over a curb with the rear dual and it stalled, kids on the bus late for school and starter wouldn't turn over. Got out a looked around for some help, fortunately a father of one of the girls was following me in his pick up. I asked him if he thought he could push me off the curb before the air bled off and he said he'd try. Put it in 2'nd and waved out  the little side window for a shove, busrolled off the curb, popped the clutch and the 671 roared to life, just kept going never did see the front of his truck, doubt if it meshed very well with his bumper.
Next to driver's seat on the floor was something they called the "ICC Brake" I was told never to touch it but one day in route accidently hit the switch, bus ground to a halt and was completely dead, this time I had to call for help and mechanic showed up and chewed me out   never did find out what that was about. I think the company finally parked the 3751 in the back somewhere and there it sat until I graduated school and left. I went on to drive 4102's 4104's and even once the newest coach a 4106 on a night charter, regular driver was yelling next day " you let that kid drive my bus", remember driving it down the Mass Pike happily flashing the marker lights at Peter Pans and Greyhounds.  I went on to law school and never drove a bus again but still have these memories.    Tom Koller,Denver

[CrabbyMilton]

Interesting story. Sounds like you went thru a baptism by fire experience being that there were no ALLISON transmissions in wide use back then.