Visiting an Old Friend in Ohio and his Collection of School Buses

This past weekend, January 16th and 17th, 2021, I visited my good friend Noah in Lebanon, Ohio. He and I have been great friends since about July of 2015 due to our shared interest in school transportation. He also has a YouTube channel where you can check out his buses in more detail if you are interested, linked below.

https://www.youtube.com/c/BusBoy501Productions

This trip started like most others that I take when I come up and visit him. Get up early, take the easy (though somewhat longer) way of WV Route 2 and US 35 until I hit Interstate 71 and get off at Lebanon where he lives. Everything went normal aside from having to sit in traffic for an hour about 10 miles outside of Chillicothe for some unknown reason. I also got behind countless salt trucks and a couple of pretty intense snow flurries on my trip. As someone who is trying to preserve their truck and keep it for historical use after its daily driving days are over, this much salt and snow isn't very ideal. 

I had never visited Noah in the winter time before, so this was mostly a similar experience as usual but with a different twist. Due to the policies of my employer, I had to put my request for time off two weeks in advance. This meant that weather predictions probably wouldn't be the most accurate. It ended up being somewhat snowy with a high of 36 degrees for the duration of the trip. For a person who despises cold weather, this was not ideal at all. But this did not stop us from having fun.

Noah had just purchased a 1995 Wayne International 3800 from his home district, Lebanon City Schools. This was the last of the Waynes that Lebanon had. It was approved for use this school year but officially put out of service on September 24th, 2020 and replaced by a 2021 Thomas C2. Lebanon had a rich history of Waynes throughout the years, so for someone with a lot of love for the school district to purchase one of the last three that remained, this bus means a lot.

Although bus 45 is a 1995, it was built in July of 1994. I'm not sure when the Federal Specification for the side emergency exit door was put into effect for the 1995 school year, but this bus must have missed the cut. Bus 45 is equipped with a T444E and an Allison AT545. It also has a hood replacement from an older International 3700/3800, because it has no place for the side mounted 3800 badges.

Noah in the driver's seat of his newest aquisition

Bus 45 and my 1994 Ford Ranger, which were both built in July of 1994.

Bus 59 in July 2019

Noah also owns three other buses. Bus 59, a 1999 Crown by Carpenter 3800 (DT466E+Allison AT545, pictured above) originally owned by the Warren County Board of MR/DD, is a bus bought with the intention of pulling parts from it. It wasn't anywhere close to being in good shape when he bought it and he is looking to get rid of it soon. There will be a picture of the other three buses together closer to the end.

Bus 3 as seen in June 2020

Next up is bus 3, a 1986 Wayne S-1700 which Noah bought from Lebanon City Schools in March of 2017 along with bus 66 (coming up next). This bus was retired in the 1999-2000 school year and used for parts. Presumably, this was the decision of Laidlaw (whom Lebanon hired to operate their transportation department around that time). Noah intended to restore this one but eventually found out the hard way that these projects are a lot more difficult than they look. He still intends to keep this one as a storage bus, as the cost to store it is still less than a storage unit on the same property and he has more space this way.

Bus 66 as seen in June 2020

Lastly is bus 66, which Noah also bought in March 2017. Bus 66 is a 2000 AmTran RE (T444E+AT545) that was brough to Lebanon by Laidlaw and sold to Lebanon when Lebanon regained control of their fleet once First Student (who bought Laidlaw) was kicked out. This bus sat for about a year and a half before Noah bought it and it has been the bus that he has used to learn in. 

All three buses together

As an added binus, here is a Wisconsin spec early model Blue Bird 3800 that was turned into an RV, which also resides at the same storage lot as Noah's buses.

Not only did Noah and I mess around with his buses, but we were also invited along with a mutual friend of ours to visit the lot of Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local Schools in Bellbrook, Ohio. Their fleet is somewhat small, but I thought it was pretty neat. We got a ride on bus 37, a 2016 IC CE200 with the mostly hated Maxxforce 7.

This one is apparently meeting the scrapper this week.

Bus 37, the 2016 IC CE200 that we got the ride on.

Exploring Southern West Virginia

 This past weekend, a friend and I explored most of Southern West Virginia, including Boone, Logan, Mingo, McDowell, Mercer, Raleigh, and Fayette counties, as well as Tazewell County, VA. 

Southern West Virginia, despite most of it being pretty poor, is a beautiful portion of the state. I didn't get very many scenic shots, as I was the one driving, but my copilot did. I don't have any of those available, but I do have pictures of my truck at some of the various locations as well as some pictures from the famous New River Gorge. 

The pictures loaded in reverse order by location (mostly). In order, we went to Chapmanville (Logan County), Madison (Boone Co.), the city of  Logan, Man (Logan Co.), Mingo Central High School (Mingo Co.), Advanced Learning Center (Delbarton, WV; Mingo Co.), Welch (McDowell Co.), Tazewell, VA (Tazewell Co.), Princeton High School (Mercer Co.), spent the night in Princeton and reshot some buses the next morning due to lighting issues with the setting sun, then we went to Beckley (Raleigh Co.), The New River Gorge Bridge (Fayette Co.), saw some rafting buses (ACE Rafting), went towards the bus garage (Fayette Co.), then we set our sights on some other local rafting companies (Cantrell and River Expeditions), went to the Appalachian Bible College (not pictured), then closed our day at Winfield (Putnam Co.) since it was relatively close to home.

I hope you all enjoy the pictures, I enjoy taking them.

Putnam County Schools 1901, a 2020 IC RE.

Putnam County Schools 2306, a now retired 2004 IC CE 300.

From left to right, 2003, 2007, 2008, and 2006 IC FEs.

A couple of examples of Putnam County's IC REs.

An example of Putnam County's lineup, aside from the few first generation CEs still clinging on.

Bus 2201, a 2003 IC CE 300 that is now retired.

River Expeditions 24, a Wayne S-1800 with the hood and front bumper from a 3700/3800.

Ex-Wayne County Schools 2036, a 2001 AmTran FE.

A neat surprise from Cantrell Ultimate Rafting.

Cantrell's lineup that was available at the time of photography.

An old WV Blue Bird International (Ex-Fayette?) at Adventure WV

A neat little Ward/AmTran attatched to a rafting trailer.

An Ex-WV 2001 International CE 300 serving for ACE Rafting. Note the hood from a 2004 CE.

A 1992 Ward 3800 (DT466 with a 6 speed manual) with an Ex-WV Blue Bird 3800, from ACE Rafting.

My 1994 Ford Ranger with the New River Gorge Bridge.

The New River Gorge Bridge just outside of Fayetteville, WV.

A Gasoline powered Blue Bird Vision from Fayette County.

Fayette County's Bus lot behind Fayetteville High School.

Fayette County 1851, Ex-Wood County 159.

This 2013 Blue Bird Vision is suffering horribly from Blue Bird's infamous hood paint issues.

Raleigh County's lot in Beckley, WV.

Raleigh County is one of three counties that I know of with Blue Bird All-American D3s. I have not seen any REs of this body style yet in the state of West Virginia.

Some of Raleigh's buses stuffed outside of the fence.

More of Raleigh's buses stuffed outside of the fence. Their retirees were in the back row. Mostly 2004 IC CEs with some older second generation CEs, a C2, an older Thomas EF, and a Blue Bird 3800.

Tazewell County, VA ordered their new Thomas C2s with black grilles. Looks sharp.

One of Tazewell's Activitiy Buses.

The Majority of Tazewell County's fleet.

Some buses stuffed in a fence at Mercer County in Princeton, WV.

Three of Mercer County's newest buses. They pulled the same thing Cabell County did when they were in the same numbering area and (thankfully) avoided numbering a bus 666 from what I saw.

Mercer Co. in Princeton.

Mercer Co. in Princeton.

Mercer's one and only Blue Bird All-American D3 FE.

Mercer's Retirees, 2002 and 2003 Blue Bird 3800s.

McDowell County in Welch.

The only IC BE that I know of in this state that is in service. We later found three more from the same head start sitting in a field rusting away outside of Kimball.

A neat little 2004 IC CE 200.

McDowell Co. in Welch.

Some of Mingo's retirees at the Advanced Learning Center in Delbarton, WV.

Some of Mingo's current lineup at the Advanced Learning Center.

Buses lined up at Mingo Central High School.

Many of Mingo's older buses, most of which were retired, at Mingo Central.

Many of Mingo's older buses, most of which were retired, at Mingo Central.

Logan County Schools 19-4, a 2019 Thomas HDX as seen at the Man, WV bus lot. This is the first bus in the state of West Virginia that I have seen with an air foil on the rear roofcap to prevent dust/salt accumulation.

Logan County 2021 is the only high headroom first generation IC CE that I have seen in WV.

Logan County 20-3, a 2020 C2 with the new Detroit DD5.

This little dog greeted us at the Logan bus garage.

A view from the small Boone County lot in Madison, WV.

Logan County bus 2045 Damage.

Logan County Schools bus 2045 was in an accident a few years ago when it slammed into a cliffside and was totalled due to the structural damage in the rear.

My truck at the Chapmanville bus garage in Logan County. We were in and out because there was a house on the property and did not feel like dealing with any sort of encounters.