GM Buffalo bus
| GM Buffalo bus | |
|---|---|
Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad Company's motorcoach # 2103 is a 1969 GM Buffalo 40' model PD4903A with seating for 47 passengers, seen in Pitman, New Jersey, in 1983.
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | GM Truck and Coach Division (General Motors) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Doors | 1 door or 2 doors |
| Floor type | step entrance |
| Powertrain | |
| Capacity | 60-68 seated |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 12.0 metres and 12.8 metres |
| Width | 2.9 metres |
| Height | 4.1 metres |
GM Buffalo bus is the slang term for several models of intercity motorcoaches built by the GM Truck and Coach Division at Pontiac, Michigan, between 1966 and 1980. "Buffalo" coaches have a stepped roof in front, and the first three rows of seats are at different levels, mounted on stepped floors similar to some theatre seating.
The GM Buffalo bus models were strongly influenced by the PD-4501 Scenicruiser, produced by GM exclusively for Greyhound Lines between 1954 and 1956, in a limited run.
The Scenicruiser was a split-level model, with a lower level at the front containing the driving console and 10 seats behind it, and upper level containing 33 seats. This allowed a baggage compartment underneath the second level, while providing 360-degree view for the upper level. A lavatory was located in the rear of the first level. Scenicruisers were equipped with an air-ride suspension utilizing air bags at each wheel, and were air-conditioned. Later, on model PD-4106 a new design was incorporated, having air-conditioning powered off the engine, a patented V-drive engine-transmission design, and the 6V71 or 8V71 Detroit Diesel motor.
As Scenicruisers became a familiar sight around the United States and in advertising, competing bus companies including members of the National Trailways Bus System sought a vehicle to compete. One of the product designs developed in response to this market demand was the GM Buffalo bus. Unlike the Scenicruiser, these models were available for sale to all operators, and in fact, Greyhound only purchased a few of them; the last GM bus purchased by Greyhound was a 1967 PD4107. Many features, such as the split-level design, and the revisions introduced in the PD-4106 model were included in the Buffalo bus.
The GM New Look Transit Coach series (nicknamed "fishbowl" for the six-piece rounded windshield) was introduced in 1959. In the early 1960s and later, thousands were built in the transit and suburban bus models. When designed and put into production, the Buffalo intercity products shared many body and mechanical parts with these "fishbowl" buses, which were assembled in the same plant in Pontiac, Michigan.
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