GM "old-look" transit bus

The GM "old-look" transit bus was a transit bus that was introduced in 1940 by Yellow Coach beginning with the production of the model TG-3201 bus. Yellow Coach was an early bus builder that was partially owned by General Motors (GM) before being purchased outright in 1943 and folded into the GM Truck Division to form the GM Truck & Coach Division. The Yellow Coach badge gave way to the GM nameplate in 1944. Production of most "old-look" models was stopped upon the release of the GM New-Look bus in 1959, however some smaller "old-look" models continued to be built until 1969. Approximately 38,000 "old-look" buses were built during the 29-year production run. The "old-look" name is an unofficial retronym applied to this series of GM buses after the release of the GM New-Look series.

GM "Old Look" Bus
A GM "old look" TDH-5105 bus in New York
Overview
Manufacturer	Yellow Coach (1940–1943) GMC Truck and Bus (1944–1969)
Production	1940–1969
Assembly	Pontiac West Assembly, Pontiac, Michigan
Body and chassis
Class	Transit bus
Powertrain
Engine	Detroit Diesel 4-71 or 6-71
Transmission	Hydraulic or Manual
Dimensions
Length	25 ft (7.6 m), 28 ft (8.5 m), 30 ft (9.1 m), 33 ft (10 m), 35 ft (11 m), 37.75 ft (11.51 m), 40 ft (12 m), or 41.5 ft (12.6 m)
Width	96 in (2.44 m) or 102 in (2.59 m)
Height	113 in (2.87 m) (roofline)
Chronology
Successor	GM New Look

Design

The GM "old-look" bus was somewhat streamlined in appearance (resembling the PCC streetcar in styling), similar in shape to a loaf of sandwich bread, and had windows that were smaller than those found on more modern bus designs produced after the 1950s. Unlike most earlier buses, the GM "old-look" bus was built using a monocoque design, rather than a body-on-frame design, and it helped shepherd the change from gasoline to diesel-powered buses. Most "old-look" buses were powered with the Detroit Diesel 6-71 inline six-cylinder diesel engine, the exceptions being the shorter models that were powered by the Detroit Diesel 4-71, a four-cylinder version of the same diesel engine, and buses that were equipped with gasoline engines.

Manual and automatic transmissions were available. Before 1948, the Spicer angle-drive two-speed transmission was equipped as the automatic transmission. After 1948, the 2-speed Allison V-drive transmission was used. In 1940 and 1942, a small number of buses were built with electric propulsion systems instead of a transmission.

The "old-look" was available in several lengths ranging from 25 feet (7.6 m) to 41 feet 6 inches (12.65 m), though the most common models were 35 feet (11 m) and 40 feet (12 m) feet long. Most "old-look" buses were 96 inches (2.4 m) wide, but 102-inch-wide (2.6 m) models were available beginning in 1948.

In 1946 GM began offering its Thermo-matic heating and ventilation system, and in 1952 started making suburban models, which can be identified by larger passenger windows, high-backed forward-facing seats, and optional luggage racks. Beginning in 1953, air-ride suspension became standard on all but the smallest model buses, and in 1958, air conditioning was added as an available option.

In 1959, GM introduced its New-Look bus with the "fishbowl" style front window, and production stopped on all "old-look" buses other than the "second-generation" models: the 28-foot (8.5 m) TGH-3102 which was built until 1963 and the 30-foot (9.1 m) 35xx models which were built until 1969.

Turbo-Cruiser I

General Motors Research developed the GT-300, a non-regenerative gas turbine engine, and fitted it to a TDH-4512 "old-look" bus in 1953, which was rebranded to "Turbo-Cruiser"; it had an output of 370 hp (280 kW), almost double the power of the original piston engine, and weighed 775 lb (352 kg), 1,500 lb (680 kg) less than the original engine. However, the brake-specific fuel consumption of the GT-300 was 1.63 lb/hp·h, approximately double the consumption of a comparable diesel engine; the subsequent GT-304 included a regenerator and fuel consumption decreased by half to 0.77 lb/hp·h. At the time, W.A. Turunen, the head of gas turbine research at GM, cited consumption, acceleration lag, and lack of engine braking as the main faults. The GM gas turbine engine later was fitted more famously to the Firebird I/XP-21 concept car in 1954.

When newer "Turbo-Cruiser" buses were developed in the 1960s using New Look buses, chassis TDH-4512/0002 was redesignated "Turbo-Cruiser I"; this bus was converted back to diesel power and sold to Martin Lines in 1963.

Model designations

The model designations used for GM "old-look" buses consisted of a series of two or three letters followed by a series of four numbers (for example, TDH-4512). The letters and numbers gave a basic description of the type of bus as follows:

Type	Fuel	Transmission1		Nominal seating capacity	Series
T = transit bus2	D = diesel G = gasoline	H = hydraulic (automatic) transmission M = manual transmission E = electric propulsion	-	27 = 25 feet (7.6 m) 31 & 32 = 28 feet (8.5 m) 35, 36 & 37 = 30 feet (9.1 m) 40 = 33 feet (10.1 m) 45 = 35 feet (10.7 m) 48 = 37 feet 9 inches (11.5 m) 51 = 40 feet (12.2 m) 54 & 55 = 41 feet 6 inches (12.6 m)	two digits
NOTES: This was omitted for buses built prior to 1947, except for those with electric propulsion. GM also built parlor coaches (designated by P) and, beginning in the 1960s, suburban buses (S), however neither prefix was used for any "old-look" models.

Production

The following buses are listed by ascending model number. All buses are 96 inches wide unless noted. Note that Yellow Coach realigned all models to series 05 in 1941.

Yellow Coach Model Quantity Built Notes TD-2701 055 1940–1941 TG-2701 245 1940–1941 TD-2705 060 1941–1942 TG-2705 002 1941 TG-2706 422 1941–1942 TD-3201 141 1940–1941 TG-3201 063 1940–1941 TD-3205 194 1941–1942 TG-3205 071 1941–1942 TG-3601 036 1940–1941 TD-3602 067 1940–1941 TG-3602 233 1940–1941 TG-3603 081 1940 TD-3605 082 1941–1942 TG-3605 150 1941–1942 TD-3606 075 1941–1942 TG-3606 250 1941–1942 TD-4001 174 1940–1941 TDE-4001 030 1940 TG-4001 013 1940–1941 TDE-4002 007 1940 TD-4005 155 1941–1942 TDE-4005 016 1942 TG-4005 147 1941–1942 TD-4006 060 1941 TD-4502 354 1940–1941 TG-4502 035 1940–1941 TD-4503 002 1940 suburban TD-4505 733 1941–1942 TG-4505 004 1942 TD-5401 001 1940

General Motors Model Quantity Built Notes TGH-2708 0,302 1949–1951 TD-3206 0,675 1945–1946 TG-3206 0,175 1945–1946 TDH-3207 0,737 1947–1948 TDM-3207 0,038 1947–1948 TGH-3207 0,269 1947–1948 TGM-3207 0,101 1947–1948 TDH-3209 0,053 1949 TDM-3209 0,027 1949 TGH-3101 0,751 1950–1952 TGH-3102 1,605 1953–1963 TG-3607 0,050 1944 TG-3608 0,200 1944 TD-3609 0,325 1945–1946 TG-3609 1,200 1944–1946 TDH-3610 1,771 1946–1948 TGH-3610 0,005 1947–1948 TDM-3610 0,055 1947–1948 TGM-3610 0,100 1947–1948 TDH-3612 1,949 1949–1953 TGH-3612 0,068 1949–1953 TDH-3614 0,825 1953–1960 TDH-3714 0,825 1953–1960 TDH-3501 1,049 1964–1968 TGH-3501 0,116 1964–1968 TDH-3502 0,181 1968–1969 45 were air conditioned TDH-3502As TGH-3502 0,019 1968 TG-4006 0,290 1944 TD-4007 0,800 1944–1945 TG-4007 0,325 1944–1945 TDH-4008 1,491 1946–1948 TDM-4008 0,163 1947–1948 TDH-4010 0,115 1949–1950 TDM-4010 0,004 1949 TD-4506 1,200 1945–1946 TDH-4507 2,899 1946–1949 TDM-4507 0,146 1947–1949 TDH-4509 2,494 1949–1953 TDM-4509 0,555 1949–1955 TDH-4510 0,501 1948–1949 102 inches (2.6 m) wide TDH-4511 0,120 1950–1951 102 inches (2.6 m) wide TDH-4512 3,263 1953–1959 TDM-4512 0,252 1953–1958 TDH-4515 0,040 1953–1959 suburban TDM-4515 0,412 1953–1959 suburban TDH-4801 0,547 1953–1958 102 inches (2.6 m) wide; built only for California operators TDM-4801 0,075 1954 102 inches (2.6 m) wide; built only for California operators TDH-5101 0,400 1948–1949 for the City of New York; used a 4509 chassis TDH-5102 0,001 1949 TDH-5103 0,951 1950–1953 102 inches (2.6 m) wide TDM-5103 0,037 1951 102 inches (2.6 m) wide TDH-5104 0,162 1952–1953 TDM-5104 0,005 1952 TDH-5105 3,630 1953–1959 102 inches (2.6 m) wide TDH-5106 1,727 1953–1959 TDM-5106 0,110 1953–1959 TDH-5107 0,002 1952 suburban TDM-5107 0,013 1952 suburban TDH-5108 0,021 1953–1959 suburban TDM-5108 0,461 1953–1959 suburban TDH-5502 0,101 1948

Soviet versions

ZIS-154

A 16 kopek Soviet stamp issued in 1976 showing a ZIS-154 bus.

Following World War II, cities in the Soviet Union needed a modern transit bus. Agreement was reached to build GM's model TDH-3610 under license (but with diesel-electric propulsion, similar to that used for the TDE-40xx models), and production was assigned to ZIS (Zavod imeni Stalina: literally Plant named after Stalin) where it became their model number 154. The ZIS-154 was first assembled with a locally manufactured Yaroslavl YaAZ-204 diesel, but supply problems caused ZIS to switch to the Detroit Diesel 6-71, also built under license. Continuing issues with the reliability of the drive-train components resulted in the ZIS-154 being discontinued after only slightly more than four years of production and 1,165 units.

In some places these buses were nicknamed "lightning" because of the rapid acceleration provided by the diesel-electric drive.

ZIS-154 Production
Year	1946	1947	1948	1949	1950	Total
Quantity	1	80	404	472	207	1,165

ZIS-155

"Visitors at a stand with a motor vehicle in the Soviet exhibition hall (Soviet Pavilion), [sometime] between 7 September and 17 September 1952". Deutsche Fotothek

In an attempt to overcome the problems of the ZIS-154, the less-technically-advanced ZIS-155 was designed. In 1949 Moscow's Central Auto Repair Workshop (ЦАРМ: Центральные авторемонтные мастерские) constructed a batch of shortened ZIS-154 bodies and mounted them on modified ZIS-150 truck chassis. One source suggests that the "Moscow" prototypes had shrouds over the rear wheels, a more-stylized front wheel cut-out, and a larger radiator. The prototypes were successful, and full-scale production began at ZIS.

The most noticeable difference between the ZIS-154 and the ZIS-155 was the placement of the doors: since the ZIS-155 had a front engine, the doors were moved to behind the axles. The driver's compartment was completely separated from the passenger saloon by a bulkhead, so the buses were two-man operated, with a rear entrance and front exit. The 154 employed unibody construction, while the 155 was body-on-frame.

Besides being the standard city bus in the Soviet Union in the 1950s, a large quantity were exported to other Eastern Bloc countries, and are known to have been used in Warsaw, Berlin, Ulan Bator and Beijing. A twelve-seat long-distance version was also built. In Moscow a number of withdrawn units were rebuilt as trailers, but they were not a success as the ZIS-155 was underpowered and therefore had difficulty pulling a fully loaded trailer, too.

From 1955 the ZIS-155 was equipped with an alternator instead of a generator, the first Soviet bus to be so equipped. After destalinization began in 1956 under Khrushchev's leadership, the ZIS plant was renamed in 1956 to Zavod Imeni Likhacheva (ZIL), after its former director Ivan Alekseevich Likhachev. As a result, late-production 155s were designated as ZIL-155.

Specifications

	ZIS-154	"Moscow"	ZIS-155	MTB-82
Seats + Standees	34 + ?	23 + 21	28 + 22	38 + 18
Length	9.50 m (31 ft 2 in)	8.07 m (26 ft 5+3⁄4 in)	8.26 m (27 ft 1+1⁄4 in)	10.365 m (34 ft 1⁄8 in)
Width	2.50 m (98+3⁄8 in)	2.50 m (98+3⁄8 in)	2.50 m (98+3⁄8 in)	2.615 m (103.0 in)
Height	2.49 m (98 in)	3.11 m (122 in)	2.49 m (98 in)	3.67 m (144 in)
Wheelbase	5.46 m (215 in)	3.94 m (155+1⁄8 in)?	4.09 m (161 in)	6.00 m (236+1⁄4 in)
Rear Overhang	?	2.85 m (112+1⁄4 in)	2.70 m (106+1⁄4 in)	?
Weight	8,000 kg (18,000 lb)	6,000 kg (13,000 lb)	6,290 kg (13,870 lb)	9,250 kg (20,390 lb)
Engine	DD 6-71 YAZ-204D	ZIS-120	ZIS-124	DK-202B
Horsepower	110 @ 2000 rpm 112	90	95 @ 2800 rpm	80 kW
Tires	10.50×20	9.00×20	10.00×20	?
Produced	1946–1950	1949	1949–1957	1946–1961
Quantity	1,164	?	21,741	5,000+

MTB-82 trolleybus

Preserved ZiU/Trolza MTB-82 trolleybus number 57 photographed at the Nizhny Novgorod Museum of Electric Transport in 2005. Photo by Сергей Филатов [Sergei Filatov].

• MTB-82

See also

United States

• Yellow Coach - original manufacturer of the "old-look" transit bus
• GM New Look bus - next generation bus

Competing bus manufacturers

• ACF-Brill
• Flxible
• Mack Trucks
• Twin Coach
• White Motor Company

Soviet Union

• Trolleybuses in former Soviet Union countries

in Russian

• ЗИС-154 (Russian Wikipedia: ZIS-154); English translation
• ЗИС-155 (Russian Wikipedia: ZIS-155); English translation

Bibliography

• Stauss, Ed (1988). The Bus World Encyclopedia of Buses, Woodland Hills, CA: Stauss Publications. ISBN 0-9619830-0-0.
• Luke, William A. & Metler, Linda L. (2005). City Transit Buses of the 20th Century, Hudson, WI: Iconografix. ISBN 1-58388-146-8.
• McKane, John H. & Squier, Gerald L. (2006). Welcome Aboard the GM New Look Bus, Hudson, WI: Iconografix. ISBN 1-58388-167-0.

External links

U.S.A.

• Ohio Museum of Transportation, omot.org, retrieved on 2006-12-20.
• The Antique Motor Coach Association of Pennsylvania, amcap.org, retrieved on 2006-12-22.
• Coachbuilt.com - General Motors Corporation, coachbuilt.com, retrieved on 2006-12-20.
• The Bus Spot, members.aol.com, retrieved on 2006-12-22.
• Coach Information Network Archived 2018-10-10 at the Wayback Machine, coachinfo.com, retrieved on 2006-12-23.

U.S.S.R.

• Zis 155 (Moscow Museum of Passenger Transport: Autobus); English translation
• ZIS-154 - Soviet Old Look bus (in Russian) English translation
• Official AMO ZiL Site: History
• Oldtimer picture gallery: Trucks: ZiS