EXCEPTIONAL: WDW MAIN STREET OMNIBUS
One of the big differences between Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom is the traffic along Main Street. Rarely do I see motor vehicles. Even the horse-drawn trolleys only runs for a brief period in the morning or used as a moving stage for performers. So much to my surprise I spotted the Walt Disney World Omnibus. Like all excited kids I ran toward the back to find my way up to the second level.
The Omnibus was designed by Imagineer and Disney Legend Bob Gurr. For Disneyland, Walt asked Gurr to see if he could design a bus based on a red model bus from Dinkie Toys of England that he owned. Gurr was very excited about the project because his father and uncle both worked for the Los Angeles Transit Lines omnibuses at one point. Gurr went to Travel Town in Griffith Park to begin his research.
The challenge was to get full-size adults into a double decker bus that had to fit the miniature scale of Main Street. Gurr started with a chassis from International Harvester that would typically be used for beer trucks. This allowed for a low inside center aisle. The truck weighed 8,500 pounds and was powered by a six-cylinder “in line” motor with a three-speed transmission. The two-level bus was beautifully detailed, with leather and oak and painted by the Crown Coach Company. He used the same decorative tooling that was applied to the horse trolley cars.
I hope management is starting to run these vehicles more often. They serve the useful purpose of providing transportation and they add life to the street. Good show.
The Omnibus was designed by Imagineer and Disney Legend Bob Gurr. For Disneyland, Walt asked Gurr to see if he could design a bus based on a red model bus from Dinkie Toys of England that he owned. Gurr was very excited about the project because his father and uncle both worked for the Los Angeles Transit Lines omnibuses at one point. Gurr went to Travel Town in Griffith Park to begin his research.
The challenge was to get full-size adults into a double decker bus that had to fit the miniature scale of Main Street. Gurr started with a chassis from International Harvester that would typically be used for beer trucks. This allowed for a low inside center aisle. The truck weighed 8,500 pounds and was powered by a six-cylinder “in line” motor with a three-speed transmission. The two-level bus was beautifully detailed, with leather and oak and painted by the Crown Coach Company. He used the same decorative tooling that was applied to the horse trolley cars.
I hope management is starting to run these vehicles more often. They serve the useful purpose of providing transportation and they add life to the street. Good show.
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