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mzanchelli
Senior Member
95 Posts |
 Posted - 10/05/2001 : 09:49:03 AM
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Can anyone explain why some buses (especially 1970's-1980's) have the small seat on one side and the much larger on the other, as opposed to the equal 3/3 seating in newer and old buses? I don't see the logic in the 2/3 arrangement, unless it was for appearances only.
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BusladyofSoCal
Advanced Member
USA
366 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2001 : 10:28:58 AM
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Thats the way it was ordered, the customer wants a certain capacity and that's the wy some a done.
Looks funny to me.
Buslady
Long Live Crown Coach Corp! Detroit Diesel rules! |
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Blue Bird 0199
Senior Member
USA
71 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2001 : 10:44:35 AM
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That is a good question! I know all of our buses are 3/3 seating on both sides. I know before we use to have buses that had the small seat in the back on the left side of the driver. That was only on the 35 and 65 capacity shell. In 94 we went from 35 to 36 capacity shell, and 65 to 66 capacity shell. Making them both full seat in the back. I know in New Jersey that they have 2/3 seating on their buses. Baltimore Public schools use to have 2/3 seating. Baltimore went from 2/3 seating to 3/3 seating I believe in 96 if I‘m right. I think the 2/3 would never work in my district we are the fastest growing county in the state of GA. We need all seats we can get! Have any of you driver’s notice on a Thomas bus all the seats are evening on both side, and they have space behind the two last seats? On a Blue Bird all the seats are not evening on both sides? On the right side the seats are one space back, and on the left side the seats are one space forward. The last left seat has space behind it, and the last right seat is up against the emergency door. AmTran and Carpenter also do this. (One year we order Crown by Carpenter and on the 66 buses the seats were evening on both sides but not on the 72,78 buses.) Thomas is the only Bus Company that makes seat evening on both sides. I wonder why is that?
Chris |
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Jared
Top Member
USA
1865 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2001 : 12:13:42 PM
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As BlueBird 0199 mentioned, in Baltimore County, we spec;d our buses with 2/3 seating up until around 96. I am not sure why we spec;d them that way to be honest.
Hey blueBird 0199, do you live near Baltimore,,,,I am curious, cause I think I am the only one on this forum who represents Baltimore County buses...hehe....
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Brian M. Babcock
Advanced Member
USA
278 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2001 : 1:26:21 PM
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It basically depends on how the district specs. the bus. The updated federal school bus laws which took effect on 4/1/1977 forbid any ubstruction of the Emergency Door by seats. Hence the older 66 pass. buses became 65 pass. buses after that date. Then the body companys reconfigured the seat centers and in some cases changed the length of the body to allow a full seat in the rear of the bus and hence a 66 passenger bus again. That is why the seats are not close to the rear door on the left side. This is an option however and you can still order a 65/71/77 pass. bus if you wish. I am not sure how this applies to "pushers" and buses with the full rear seat. That may be up to the states.
Edited by - Brian M. Babcock on 10/05/2001 1:27:25 PM
Edited by - Brian M. Babcock on 10/05/2001 1:29:09 PM |
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Thomas Ford 85-16
Top Member
USA
4177 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2001 : 1:27:50 PM
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I think they have the smaller seat so that if the seat is right up against the emergency door, it's not limiting the area required by the federal regulations.
Stop at: www.buses.cjb.net |
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BusDiva
Top Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2001 : 1:57:11 PM
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On Pusher buses, there is no actual full width seat in the rear. All manufacturers now have some mechanism blocking the use of a full width seat.
We have a 1999 AmTran International. This bus is a 72 passenger with full rear seats. the seat on the passenger door side, is literally against the back window. We have asked drivers to only allow no more than 2 kids in the seat at any time for fear that excessive weight may crack the rear window and possibly injuring a student.
We actually have some AmTrans where the seats are even all the way down the aisle.
Get this: Ever see the 4x2 seating arrangement. We had some buses in Ohio that had a larger seat on the driver's side and the half seat on the passenger door side. This arrangement was called the 4x2 seating configuration plan. It made no sense to me as to why anyone would want to p-ut 4 students ina seat and 2 in the half seats all the way throughout the bus.
In Michigan, we use the side emergency door flip seat on pushers as an actual seat. How many of you don't allow students to sit there???
We call the students that sit here Emergency Exit Bus Captains and train them how to use the side door and whent o use it.
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mzanchelli
Senior Member
95 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2001 : 2:40:27 PM
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BusDiva,
Yes, I have seen the 4/2 split..thats what I guess I meant by the much larger seat on one side...p.s. whats a pusher???
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Blue Bird 0199
Senior Member
USA
71 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2001 : 3:28:21 PM
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quote:
We have a 1999 AmTran International. This bus is a 72 passenger with full rear seats. the seat on the passenger door side, is literally against the back window. We have asked drivers to only allow no more than 2 kids in the seat at any time for fear that excessive weight may crack the rear window and possibly injuring a student.
Hey busdiva, y'all asked the drivers not to put any more than two students in the rear seat on the right side. Because y'all fear the excessive weight my crack the rear window and possibly injuring students. I'm sorry I don't mean to be rude but that just sound crazy. I have never heard any districts having these problems. We have a lot of Blue Bird and their seat is right up against the window and we allow three students to sit there. The mechanic has not had one single problem with the window cracking. I sure AmTran make their rear window strong enough to take on the excessive weight of students. Or they would never place the seat that close to the rear window.
That just my two cent worth!
Busdiva please don't take this wrong way I wasn’t trying to beat you up here. 
Chris |
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John Farr
Top Member
USA
642 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2001 : 3:52:49 PM
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The BusBoy was close. In 1970 the Feds required a minimum opening by the rear emergency exit door "at least 564 sq inches of escape area with a minimum dimension of 12 inches." To comply, the manufacturer must place an imaginary box with these dimensions INSIDE the rear door. No seats or other objects can intrude in this area.
I believe this was partly in response to the Carrolton, KY accident, where passengers could not quickly escape a burning church bus.
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Blue Bird 0199
Senior Member
USA
71 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2001 : 4:06:59 PM
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Hey Jared, No I’m not from Baltimore but I went to University of Baltimore. I’m from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Now I live in Atlanta, Georgia and goes to University of Georgia School of law. Drive for Gwinnett County schools district. Hey Jared how are those 1999 AmTran buses holding up. Are they still in good shape and running good as new? What about those 1996 Crowns by Carpenter are they still junk buses? What about those 1998 Blue Bird buses? Weren’t them Birds pretty when they first arrived to Baltimore! I will have to come up this summer to see the Thomas Freightliner when I’m visiting my parents! Hey one more things Jared do Baltimore County still has the spike hubs?
In 1997 it was Thomas Buses right?
Chris |
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Jared
Top Member
USA
1865 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2001 : 10:49:43 PM
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wow! BlueBird 0199, your right on target with the Baltimore buses.
I dont hear much about the 1999 Amtrans honestly. But I still hear about how crappy the 1996 order of Crapenters are. When we began ordering the freightliner 65 pass buses in 2000, we did away with spiked hubs. You can check out our entire fleet under "general interest" topic - uniform fleet = boring. I posted a list of all the buses we have now pretty much.
I remember the day those 98 BlueBird 65 pass came in, man were they great looking. They still look pretty good. We had one of the 97 Thomas buses flip over on 795 interstate ( I think it was bus # 5170 ) and I heard it was sent to a body shop to be fixed. I couldnt believe that it was salvagable. Do you remember the older buses at all?
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Blue Bird 0199
Senior Member
USA
71 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2001 : 07:24:04 AM
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Hey Jared yeah I remember some of the older buses um...let see the 1980's Wayne Lifeguard Chevy buses, 1988 Thomas Chevy buses, 1989 Ward Volunteer Ford buses, 1990 Blue Bird GMC buses, 1993 Thomas International buses, and the 1995 Wayne Lifeguard International buses. I don't know Blue Bird GMC buses were gas engine! So Baltimore finally gave away the spiked hubs, they had those hubs forever! I not sure if I'm right about the Ward buses or the Thomas buses. I'm not really sure about the 1991,1992,1994 buses  Which buses did Baltimore County get that years
That all folks!
Chris |
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Jared
Top Member
USA
1865 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2001 : 10:18:08 AM
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Actualy those Ward Fords were 1986 models that were purchased to replace a contracter that went out of business. The Thomas Chevy's were 1989's, and 1991 they bought their first diesels. They were BlueBird Internationals. 1992 was an off year, and 1993 were those Thomas Internationals with theweird jacknife doors. 1994 was another off year.
My all time favorites were the 1984 and 1987 Wayne Chevy orders. I rode them the most. I dont know what they are buying this coming year yet, I am sure they dont either, the bid probably just went out.
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seating plan
