OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY PD4501 now mine

[Mighty_Thor]

I have been pining for a Scenicruiser for years and yesterday I got one. #149 is now mine.
It will need a fair amount of work but There are so few of them left that I couldn't walk away. Now I just have to convince the wife that I am not an idiot and still useful.
Could be I just bought my new home. Oh well, could be worse, I could have had the hots for a corvette.

[Jarlaxle]

A semi wrecker can haul a loaded 50-ton concrete mixer or 55-ton tractor-trailer dump truck...a Scenicruiser is a LIGHT load for it!

How high, EXACTLY (to the inch), is the bus with tires deflated and suspension dropped?

[Daveinet]

wny_pat wrote:

Jim@HiTek wrote:

JcoFS3500 wrote:
A tow with a wrecker may be cheaper than trailering it if the permits are an issue.

Can that be done with such a large rig? Would there have to be someone inside to steer? What about brakes when there's no engine? I'm thinking if that it would have to be a huge wrecker to tow that sucker.

They lift the steer axle right off the ground, just like a motorhome and hook the air lines to the air brake system of the bus. That way the bus brakes works off the operation of the wrecker's brakes. Not much different than hooking to a tractor trailer. Only problem is the cost per mile would be higher than a tractor with a drop frame.

Something like this could do it.

[Boon_Dogger]

You have to get a drivetrain anyway, why not get one in Colorado?

[wny_pat1]

Jim@HiTek wrote:

JcoFS3500 wrote:
A tow with a wrecker may be cheaper than trailering it if the permits are an issue.

Can that be done with such a large rig? Would there have to be someone inside to steer? What about brakes when there's no engine? I'm thinking if that it would have to be a huge wrecker to tow that sucker.

They lift the steer axle right off the ground, just like a motorhome and hook the air lines to the air brake system of the bus. That way the bus brakes works off the operation of the wrecker's brakes. Not much different than hooking to a tractor trailer. Only problem is the cost per mile would be higher than a tractor with a drop frame.

[Jim]

JcoFS3500 wrote:
A tow with a wrecker may be cheaper than trailering it if the permits are an issue.

Can that be done with such a large rig? Would there have to be someone inside to steer? What about brakes when there's no engine? I'm thinking if that it would have to be a huge wrecker to tow that sucker.

[JcoFS3500]

A tow with a wrecker may be cheaper than trailering it if the permits are an issue.

[Mike_Hohnstein]

My 35'Bird made the trip to Milwaukee from Houston on a double drop flat bed and it was 3" overheight, paid 3200 bucks in 2003. The SC is going to be tall and long, probably permits up the kazoo. Not that hard to find a truck shop that could screw in a drive train, might be same money as the tow.

[Jim]

Starting to look like it's going to be a real trial to get it home. Hope the OP keeps us posted.

[wny_pat1]

tderonne wrote:
Any update Steven?

My buddy got a firetruck shipped from Iowa to Michigan a few years back, nothing's impossible...

The overheight state permit system and required escorts is down right scary unless one has lots of bucks.

[workhardplayha1]

Mighty Thor wrote:
Working on getting the bus shipped home, turns out that you just cant put a tow bar on the front and pull it home behind the Grand Cherokee. Something about air brakes and weight transfer. Also my tow lights don't have a cord long enough to reach the back of the bus.

You are correct. You have to hook the jeep to the back and push the bus.:h

[tderonne]

Any update Steven?

My buddy got a firetruck shipped from Iowa to Michigan a few years back, nothing's impossible...

[Jim]

Maybe buy another bus that could tow it?

Rent a Russian helicopter to fly it home?

🙂

Could it be put on RR flatbed? If there's no tunnels on the route, why not? After it's up there, you rent out space in it for train travelers.

Whatever you use to get it home, I'll bet it's going to be expensive. Part of the fun though.

I envy you your ambition...hope you start a blog and let us follow along.

[Mighty_Thor]

Working on getting the bus shipped home, turns out that you just cant put a tow bar on the front and pull it home behind the Grand Cherokee. Something about air brakes and weight transfer. Also my tow lights don't have a cord long enough to reach the back of the bus.

[fullmoonoversal]

SO nice!!!

[arnko37]

Hi I had a brief career driving for Greyhound in 1968. I did have some of it driving a 4501 Scenic with the 8V71 engine and 4 speed Spicer trans. I ran out of the Chicago terminal and left on my own accord due to the not very good runs for new drivers. I still think its a cool bus and liked driving it. That two cycle engine is made to runn at higher RPMs(anything below 1800 and it was lugging) but the company wanted us to keep the engine speed low going thru towns as it sounded more like you were speeding when it was running up around 2100 RPMs. This posting brought back a good memory. Thanks