About Fun Fleet Bus #5224
Some Specs
#5224
Vin: TDH-5301-653
Built in February 1960 for LAMTA, Los Angeles
First generation
102 inches wide/40 feet long, Two door
6V71 Detroit/ Alllison VS-1 transmission
49 seats, American Seats, forward facing
Added to The Fun Fleet
This bus was purchased from SCRTD, Los Angeles. I had to have this one because only 25 were made like this. I brought this bus to my yard with no problems. We ran it for years with just a little routine maintenance. I did have to clean the fuel tank out but nothing major.
When and Where Did it Go?
Fun Fleet Bus #5224 was sold to a private party for movie work.
Some History of Fun Fleet Bus #5224
These were among the first series of 5301s. LAMTA requested that this bus be equipped with forward facing seats and GM came up with this arrangement. They were first used on the line between Los Angeles and the LAX airport.
On Broken Bulkheads
The first series 5301s had their problems. they had aluminum bulkheads that had a tendency to crack. they came up with a fix for both bulkheads at the rear behind the engines and the one behind the rear axle. Raer radius rods would wear out and, if not corrected, would cause cracks. God knows how many I had to repair. In 1961 GM partially corrected the problem with thicker bulkheads and added a steel plate from the rear wheel to the rear of the bus, in order to reinforce the back ends. Tubular engine mounts were later updated to "L type". Actually there were three phases to first generation fishbowls.
Seats
Interestingly enough, Los Angeles wanted forward facing seats in a two-door wide body bus. GM came up with this seating arrangement similar to New Jersey buses except with a four-piece rear door with treadles. Later in 1960, Los Angeles wanted forward facing seats on buses to replace the Long Beach red cars. They insisted on all seats facing forward on the same plane as the rear door. GM gave in, only if they would be 60 coaches. See bus 5237 and 5246 and 5510 for more details.