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The AACA Museum’s https://www.aacamuseum.org/mobt/ Bus Collection Committee was faced with a difficult situation. The museum's historic fleet reached 60 buses and there is only inside storage available for less than half of that number.
As a result, museum leadership decided on a plan of “Deaccession” to gradually and rationally reduce the number of buses in our collection to a level that we could afford to preserve properly. “Deaccession” is a formal, legal process that museums adhere to when curating their collections, with specific protocols.
Many of the buses have personal stories or unique historical significance, and those criteria are being used to prioritize which were chosen for the program. Substantial effort was made to find a good home for every coach that doesn’t fit current needs.
“Unfortunately, we’re the victims of success… during the past five years, our historic collection rose from roughly 30 coaches to 60, and we’re out of storage space. In an ideal world, we’d rescue and restore every antique coach. Sadly, we can’t save every bus. Resources are limited, so the Bus Committee decided to reduce the number of buses to a level where they can afford to take care of them.”
The Deaccession auction was an effort to find good homes for the excess coaches, with the resulting revenue used to support preservation efforts on the remaining buses.
The display at Spring Fling demonstrated that a substantial percentage of the fleet runs (including one bus nearing its’ 100th birthday).
Below is the first group that was Deaccessioned.
1924 FAGEOL MODEL (FLEET NUMBER 216)
This extremely rare antique bus was run by Peninsular Bus out of CA. It runs and drives well. This is a standard-shift bus with gas "Hercules" motor. This bus has been restored at one time to its original state. Bus needs a good cleaning, but otherwise, it is in very good overall condition.
1945 FORD MODEL 59-B (FLEET NUMBER 221)
This bus was run by Peninsular Bus out of CA. Runs and drives well. This is a 3-spd. standard-shift bus with a Ford 6-cyl. 239ci gas motor. This bus has been restored at one time to its original state. Bus needs a good cleaning, but otherwise, it is in very good overall condition.
1947 GM PDA-3703 “LITTLE SPIKE” (FLEET NUMBER 157)
The one that started it all! "Little Spike" is one of the most photographed antique buses on the planet! It currently does not run and is in need of significant repairs both mechanical & cosmetic. It has a 4-71 Detroit Diesel with 4-speed standard transmission. Was restored several years ago needs a full restoration at this time including floor work.
1948 FITZJOHN MODEL DVR (FLEET NUMBER PIGEON)
Extremely rare bus! This vehicle is currently in the stages of restoration. No interior. No windows. Has 6 cylinder gasoline engine & 4-speed standard transmission but does not run or drive.
1975 GMC MODEL T6H-4523-A “FISHBOWL” (FLEET NUMBER 711)
Complete unit but needs work. The interior is rough. Exterior and undercarriage has some rust. Not sure if it runs. All original. Engine is a Detroit Diesel 6V-71 with an Allison V-731 automatic transmission.
2009 PROTERRA LOW FLOOR (FLEET NUMBER )
This was THE first all-electric bus (prototype) built by Proterra. Body & interior are in decent shape. There are no batteries in this vehicle. **DOES NOT RUN**
Response to the auction was overwhelmingly positive. Bus history enthusiasts understood the intent was to find good homes for coaches that were spending most of their time stored inside the “Annex”, and only occasionally available to the public.
As part of right sizing there will be several other auctions to “curate” the collection, so if industry buffs are interested in owning a piece of history, there will be more opportunities.
“We’re grateful to the folks who’ve bid, and are investing in preserving these pieces of history” said one Bus Committee member. “These buses will now get the love they deserve… and the Museum will use the proceeds to improve the quality of our historic fleet.”
Dave Millhouser started driving buses cross-country for a non-profit Christian organization called “Young Life” as a summer job in 1965. They carried high school kids from the East Coast to ranches in Colorado in a fleet that consisted of three 1947 Brills, a 1947 Aerocoach, and a 1937 Brill. Their fleet grew to 23 buses and traveled all 48 contiguous states and much of Canada.
When Young Life dropped their bus program, Dave ended up selling parts for Hausman Bus Sales. In 1978 Dave was hired by Eagle International to sell motorcoaches and spent the next 30 years doing that… 13 years with Eagle, as well as stints with MCI, Setra, and Van Hool. His first sale was an Eagle shell for a motorhome, and his career ended selling double-decker Van Hools.
Dave had a side career in underwater photography/writing, and Bus and Motorcoach News asked him to do a regular column in 2006. Millhouser.net is an effort to make those columns available to bus people.
If you find value in them, feel free to use them at no charge. Dave would ask that you consider a donation to the AACA Museum aacamuseum.org in Hershey, Pennsylvania. They recently merged with the Museum of Bus Transportation, and maintain a fleet of 40 historic coaches, lots of bus memorabilia, and hundreds of antique automobiles.
If you are anywhere near Hershey… Dave says, “You will love it.”
In May of 2015, the Editor of Bus & Motorcoach News called Dave a Bad Example for Motorcoach Drivers… his proudest accomplishment to date. Read the columns and you’ll see why.
Click here to reach Dave by email: davemillhouser@icloud.com
Click here to visit his website: https://www.millhouser.net/
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