New kid in town

[travlnman55]

Hi everybody! I started riding the bus to school in the fall of '67 for 7th grade in San Carlos, CA. The buses were all Gilligs, a mixture of older gas models and newer diesels. The diesel buses intrigued me, the sound, the air brakes, the massive size of the things. I was a bus junkie, I thought they were really cool. Almost all the school districts in that area ran Gillig buses. After graduating high school, I got a job driving a school bus with the local high school district. Starting in the fall of '73 and for the next 3 years I was being paid to drive my favorite bus, a Gillig. The buses I drove were all model 743's, midship engine 220 Cummins powered with Fuller 5 spd transmissions. In the summer of '76 I started driving 18 wheelers cross country. Bought my own truck in '81 becoming an owner operator. In '92 the company I was leased to went under and I applied and received my own authority becoming an independent. My current ride is a Pete 379 with 550 Cat power and 18 spd trans. Fast forward to today, I'm still trucking just like I had good sense. I would like to find a Gillig like I drove to convert, but they're few and far between. Thank you California Air Resources Board! (Don't get me started on that!) Anyway, that's my story.

 

[milkmania]

Hi everybody! I started riding the bus to school in the fall of '67 for 7th grade in San Carlos, CA. The buses were all Gilligs, a mixture of older gas models and newer diesels. The diesel buses intrigued me, the sound, the air brakes, the massive size of the things. I was a bus junkie, I thought they were really cool. Almost all the school districts in that area ran Gillig buses. After graduating high school, I got a job driving a school bus with the local high school district. Starting in the fall of '73 and for the next 3 years I was being paid to drive my favorite bus, a Gillig. The buses I drove were all model 743's, midship engine 220 Cummins powered with Fuller 5 spd transmissions. In the summer of '76 I started driving 18 wheelers cross country. Bought my own truck in '81 becoming an owner operator. In '92 the company I was leased to went under and I applied and received my own authority becoming an independent. My current ride is a Pete 379 with 550 Cat power and 18 spd trans. Fast forward to today, I'm still trucking just like I had good sense. I would like to find a Gillig like I drove to convert, but they're few and far between. Thank you California Air Resources Board! (Don't get me started on that!) Anyway, that's my story.

Welcome aboard!
Glad to have ya

 

[BogistJoeSr]

Hi travlinMan, I was intrigued as well but in OH Gilligs were only in city bus form. Our school buses were Conv's mostly, some RE's. I'm kind of a trucker too. I moved to Elkhart IN to pull RVs, then built an Isuzu Flatbd to pull 2 RVs 1 up, 1 behind. Better money than pulling one, and they're always under 4000 lbs each.
Close by in SouthBend IN their Gillig City bus with hi 400's miles is up for auction. Thinking it's under $3000 now completely driveable.

 

[Carytowncat]

Welcome. Enjoyed reading your story.