Blue Bird All American

Blue Bird All American

Blue Bird All American Forward Engine (2009 model)
Overview
Manufacturer Blue Bird Body Company (1948-1992)
Blue Bird Corporation (1992-present)
Production 1948-present
Body and chassis
Doors Single door
Two door (export)
Floor type High floor
Chassis

Forward Engine: Blue Bird (1952-present)

Rear Engine: Various (to 1988)
Blue Bird (1988-present)
Related Blue Bird Wanderlodge
Powertrain
Engine
  • Gasoline
  • Diesel
  • Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
Capacity 54-90 (school bus)

The Blue Bird All American is an American school bus produced by the Blue Bird Corporation (originally Blue Bird Body Company). Introduced in 1948, the All American is the longest-produced transit-style (Type D) school bus by an American manufacturer. While not the first to use the transit-style design, the All American popularized it through most of the United States during the mid-20th century. It is produced in both a front engine-version and a rear-engine version.[1]

In October 2012, the latest All American was revealed as a 2014 model.[2] Previous updates to the model were done in 2010, 1999, 1989, 1977, and in 1962.

Background

In the decades leading up to World War II, the phasing out of One-room school led to an increased need for school buses in rural communities to transport students across greater distances. By the 1930s, school bus design had largely evolved to the present-day configuration of several rows of forward-facing seats behind the driver with a central aisle. However, the use of a standard cowled truck chassis, placing the driver behind the engine, would reduce overall seating capacity; in addition, the configuration reduced driver sightlines and maneuverability.

During the 1930s, several bus manufacturers developed "forward control" buses; these were buses that placed the engine either next to the driver or at the rear of the bus. In 1932, Crown Coach would introduce one of these as they debuted the Supercoach; alongside a similar design by Wayne Works, the 1932 Supercoach placed the engine next to the driver and the front axle behind the entrance door, shortening the wheelbase. With a longer passenger compartment, more seats could be added; a 79-passenger version was added in 1937.

After World War II, Blue Bird company founder A.L. Luce sought to develop his own forward control bus. Inspired by a forward-control bus that he viewed at the 1948 Paris Auto Salon, Luce purchased a bus to ship to the Blue Bird factory in Fort Valley, Georgia. Unable to secure a source for GMC chassis, the bus shipped to Blue Bird was produced on a chassis from Belgium. By the end of 1948, the first forward-control Blue Bird prototypes were constructed.

First generation (1948-1956)

From 1948 to 1951, the All American saw relatively little marketplace success. A key factor in slowing its production was the source of its chassis. Although shared with Blue Bird conventional models, the frame of the All American had to be stripped and converted to a forward control layout before the body was fitted.

To streamline production, in 1952, Blue Bird began the production of a dedicated chassis for the All American; although still offered with a choice of powertrains, the chassis itself was produced by Blue Bird in its own factory. By doing this, it became the first school bus manufacturer to produce its own bus chassis in-house, a practice common for all transit-style (and some cowled-chassis) school buses.

In 1952, Blue Bird became the first school bus manufacturer to produce its own chassis rather than rely on outside suppliers for the All American. Not only was the chassis produced in-house, but rather than modifying a truck chassis, it was designed from the ground up as a bus chassis.

Second generation (1957-1989)

Second Generation

Early 1980s All American Rear Engine
Overview
Manufacturer Blue Bird Body Company
Production 1957-1988
Assembly Fort Valley, Georgia
Body and chassis
Layout front-engine 4x2
rear-engine 4x2
Related Blue Bird Wanderlodge
Powertrain
Engine
  • Gasoline
  • Diesel
Transmission
  • Manual
  • Automatic
Chronology
Predecessor Blue Bird All American (1952-1956)
Successor Blue Bird All American (1989-1998)
1980s All American Forward Engine in use as a police bus


In 1957, Blue Bird gave the body of the All American a complete redesign;[3] the body was distinguished by a taller roof and flatter sides. To improve visibility, the windshield was enlarged; flat glass was replaced by much larger panes of curved class nearly wrapping around to the entry door and driver window. In addition, extra glass was added to the entry door. In 1958, after federal legislation permitted their use on road vehicles, quad headlights were added to the All American.

For the next 31 years, the core design of the All American would see only gradual changes. For 1961, the All American became available in a rear-engine "pusher" configuration; Blue Bird outsourced the chassis to GMC.[4] To better accommodate the 8-lamp warning light systems becoming introduced by certain states, the front roof caps were redesigned from a curved to vertical design; this design would be shared with many other Blue Bird buses and remains in use on the current model of the Vision. For 1968, the front bodywork below the windshield was updated; the horizontally mounted headlights were replaced by vertically stacked units. In addition, the trim was simplified with less chrome trim, redesigned grille openings, and a black-painted strip joining the two headlights together. In 1977, Federal regulations governing school buses underwent a series of updates to improve school bus safety in the United States. To comply the new rules, Blue Bird fitted the All American with higher-back seats and made several changes to improve the strength of the body. On the outside, the curved rear roof cap was redesigned to match the front cap; as more states began to adapt 8-light warning systems, this allowed for more room for the extra lights.

The second-generation All American progressed through the 1980s with relatively little change. While the gasoline engine lineup remained (a 427 cubic-inch Chevrolet V8), concerns over fuel economy after the 1970s fuel crises had led to widespread adoption of diesel-fueled powertrains in high-capacity school buses. In 1982, the fixed-position rear passenger window in the last row of seats was replaced by a drop-sash window, matching the others. In 1988, Blue Bird began production of its own rear-engine chassis for the first time. While the Forward Engine was more popular than the Rear Engine in most locales, producing its own rear-engine chassis allowed Blue Bird to better compete on price with buses where rear-engine buses were in demand. Today, all Blue Bird buses (with the exception of the Micro Bird) utilize a Blue Bird chassis.[5]

Although the second-generation All American has been out of production since 1988, the basic structure of the body is still in use today on the Vision; in modified form, it would be used to develop the TC/2000.

Third generation (1989-1998)

Third generation

1989-1991 All American Forward Engine (retired, photo from Costa Rica)
Overview
Also called Blue Bird TC/3000 (export)
Blue Bird CS
Production 1989-1998
Assembly Fort Valley, Georgia
Layout front-engine 4x2
rear-engine 4x2
Powertrain
Engine Diesel
Compressed Natural Gas
Transmission Automatic
Chronology
Predecessor Blue Bird All American (1957-1988)
Successor Blue Bird All American "A3"
1992-1998 All American Rear Engine

Coinciding with the 1988 introduction of the Blue Bird TC/2000, the All American saw major changes for 1989. While not a complete redesign, the All American saw it most extensive changes in 32 years. The most visible changes were focused on the front bodywork; although not as simply adorned as the TC/2000, the amount of chrome and trim on the new All American was reduced significantly. For the first time since 1964, horizontally mounted headlights were used. To improve serviceability, Blue Bird made a number of the front body panels removable without the use of tools for general maintenance. Inside, the driver's compartment was completely redesigned with a modern instrument cluster and a smaller engine cover for front-engine models. Entry doors gained more visibility through the use of larger glass panels (a feature later adopted throughout the Blue Bird lineup).

For the first time, the All American was no longer available with a gasoline engine (the Chevrolet V8 was now the base engine in the TC/2000). Additionally, the entire diesel engine lineup was redesigned, with the introduction of the Cummins C8.3 and Caterpillar 3126 engines.

Another change that this generation of All American marked was its name used in export markets; to bring it in line with the TC/2000, the All American's export name changed to the Blue Bird TC/3000. Previously, Canadian exports (the largest market outside the United States) were re-branded as Blue Bird All Canadians.

As with the previous generation, the 1989 All American would change little over its production run. 1989-1991 models are distinguished by widely spaced "Blue Bird" lettering below the windshield while 1992-1998 models are identified by narrowly spaced lettering. In 1991, Blue Bird became the first manufacturer to produce a school bus fueled by a compressed natural gas (CNG) powertrain as it introduced the option on rear-engine All Americans.[6]

A3 Series (1999-2014)

Fourth generation (A3 Series)
Overview
Also called Blue Bird TC/3000 (export)
Blue Bird CS
Production 1999-present
Assembly Fort Valley, Georgia
Layout front-engine 4x2
rear-engine 4x2
Powertrain
Engine Diesel
Compressed Natural Gas
Transmission Automatic
Chronology
Predecessor Blue Bird All American (1989-1998)
Blue Bird TC/2000
Successor Blue Bird All American "D3"

In 1999, Blue Bird introduced a new generation of the All American, internally designated "A3". Although the All American Forward Engine was sold alongside the TC/2000 and TC/1000, the 2000 All American Rear Engine served as a successor to the rear-engine TC/2000. The TC/2000 also donated its larger windshield to the All American. This was a change that necessitated a smaller grille (on FE versions); the Blue Bird lettering moved from above to below the grille in between the headlights.

Structurally, the All American A3 FE differed from its predecessor (and from all other front-engine school buses); the A3 FE marked the debuted the design of the "dropped" front frame. The front portion of the frame rails were designed lower than the rest of the frame. Consequently, that reduced the size of the engine housing and its intrusion in the driver's compartment. The driver's compartment also received a redesign of the instrument and control panels from the 1989-1999 generation.

2006 All American RE

Throughout its lifespan, the A3 All American changed relatively little. However, it came at a time when Blue Bird significantly trimmed its transit-style bus lineup. In 2001, the TC/1000 was removed from production and the last TC/2000 was produced in 2003. As such, at the end of its production life, the two A3 All Americans were serving the customer base initially served by five buses when it was introduced. After the introduction of the All American D3 in late 2008, the rear-engine version of the A3 was discontinued while the front-engine version remained in production alongside both D3 models. The A3 front-engine All American remained in production into 2012. And due to popular demand for the A3 All American, and that there are still A3's on back order, it is still being produced today, alongside Blue Bird's newest All American, the T3. The D3 was discontinued in 2013.

Along as its traditional role of a school bus, Blue Bird still produces the A3-generation All American for GSA orders as well as for export worldwide.

D3 Series (2010-2013)

Fifth generation (D3 Series)
Overview
Also called Blue Bird TX3 (export)
Production 2009-present
Model years 2010-present
Assembly Fort Valley, Georgia
Layout front-engine 4x2
rear-engine 4x2
Powertrain
Engine Diesel
Compressed Natural Gas
Transmission Automatic
Chronology
Predecessor Blue Bird All American "A3"
Blue Bird TC/2000
Successor Blue Bird All American "T3"

The new-generation 2010 All American, known by the code name "D3", was unveiled at an industry trade show in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on October 28, 2008.[7] The exterior features the most extensive changes to the All American's body design in nearly 50 years.

A notable feature of the D3's redesign was the design of the headlights: the 2010 All American is the first version since the 1950s to have dual headlights instead of quad headlights and it is the first All American to have round headlights since 1988. Inside, the driver's compartment was completely redesigned for better visibility and ergonomics.

Other changes were intended to make the D3 more passenger-friendly; the D3's roof has squared-off corners to increase headroom while standing up and a flat floor is available as an option in front-engine models. Both of these designs were influenced by the TC/1000 of 1997-2001.

Model Name All American FE [8] All American RE [9]
Seating Capacity 54-90 66-84
Overall Length (inches) 354–487 inches (9.0–12.4 m) 405–489 inches (10.3–12.4 m)
Body Width (exterior) 96 inches (2.4 m)
Body Height (depending on configuration) 123–124 inches (3.1–3.1 m) 126 inches (3.2 m)
Wheelbase 141–232 inches (3.6–5.9 m) 189–273 inches (4.8–6.9 m)
Interior Headroom 78 inches (2.0 m)
GVWR Up to 36,200 pounds (16,400 kg)
Fuel Type(s) Diesel
  • Diesel
  • Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
Engine Cummins ISB-10
(200–280 hp or 150–210 kW)
  • Cummins ISC-10
    (260–300 hp or 190–220 kW)
  • Cummins ISL-G CNG
    (250–280 hp or 190–210 kW)
Transmission
  • Allison PTS 2500 (standard)
  • Allison PTS 3000 (optional)
  • Allison PTS 3000 (standard)
  • Allison PTS B300 (optional)
Brakes

Standard

  • Hydraulic Brakes
  • 4-wheel Anti-lock

Optional

  • Air Brakes

Standard

  • Air Brakes
  • 4-wheel Anti-lock

T3 Series (2014-Present)

Sixth generation (T3 Series)
Overview
Production 2013-present
Model years 2014-present
Assembly Fort Valley, Georgia
Powertrain
Engine Diesel
Compressed Natural Gas
Transmission Automatic
Chronology
Predecessor Blue Bird All American "D3"
Blue Bird All American "A3"

In October 2012, Blue Bird debuted a new generation of the All American as a replacement for the D3 generation.[2][10] The new All American shares much of its bodywork with the A3 generation (and the Vision); the rounded roofline is all-new. Aside from the grille, the front bodywork is carryover from the D3 generation, including its larger windshield.

Powertrain history

2008 Blue Bird All American RE (A3)

Engine

Gasoline
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
Diesel

Transmission

Automatic

Export Markets

First Student UK school buses located in Wrexham, Wales.
Right-hand drive Blue Bird TC/3000 REs in Wales
Export Sales

Blue Bird has a history of exporting the All American to foreign markets. Outside of the United States, the name is changed. When it was first marketed to Canada, the All American was re-branded as the Blue Bird All Canadian. After Blue Bird began the production of the TC/2000 in the 1980s, the All Canadian was renamed the Blue Bird TC/3000, which also became its name in markets outside of North America. When the All American was redesigned for the 2010 model year, the name of all export versions was changed to Blue Bird TX3.

Central American Production

When Blue Bird had a manufacturing facility located in Guatemala (Blue Bird Central America), the All American body was produced. The All Americans produced in Central America differed from those in the United States in that they utilized locally available truck chassis (Ford, Mercedes-Benz, and Hino) instead of the in-house Blue Bird chassis. These buses were used for both student transport and mass transit. Blue Bird ended bus production in Guatemala in the early 1980s.

Variants

Blue Bird CS

NJ Transit Blue Bird CSFE3000 #608 in Jersey City, New Jersey at Journal Square.
A Blue Bird CS FE

The Blue Bird CS (Commercial Series) is a commercial transit bus derived from the All American product line. During their production runs, the TC/2000 and TC/1000 also had CS derivatives of their own. Due to its high parts commonality with the school bus line, the CS is the only commercial bus product Blue Bird still manufactures in its focus on school buses. Currently, Blue Bird has not designed a transit bus variant of the D3-generation All American.

Wanderlodge

Main article: Blue Bird Wanderlodge
"Large Marge", a 1980 Blue Bird Wanderlodge FC33
A 1980 Blue Bird Wanderlodge

The All American school bus body and chassis served as the platform for the Blue Bird Wanderlodge, a luxury motorhome. The All American body was used from the beginning of production in 1963 until 1990, when Blue Bird switched from the All American platform to a 102 inches (2.6 m) wide motorcoach platform, 6 inches wider than the school bus body.

Comparable products

Other Variants
UNC Traveling Science Laboratory in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Mobile Science lab
The All American is available as a specialty vehicle for a variety of uses.

Contemporary

IC Bus
Thomas Built Buses

Historic

AmTran/Ward
Carpenter/Crown by Carpenter
Crown Coach Corporaration
Gillig Brothers/Gillig Corporation
New Bus, Inc.
Superior Coach Company
Thomas Built Buses
Wayne Corporation/Wayne Wheeled Vehicles

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Blue Bird All American.

References

  1. ↑ "Product Information". Blue Bird Corporation. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.blue-bird.com/pressrelease.aspx?item=2012
  3. ↑ http://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1957-blue-bird-all-american-bus-the-all-american-dream-comes-in-many-variations-and-colors/
  4. ↑ http://www.schoolbusfleet.com/PhotoGallery/ImageViewer.aspx?id=8&curPage=11
  5. ↑ "Blue Bird Corporation/About Us/History". Retrieved 2010-02-21.
  6. ↑ "Blue Bird Corporation Environmental Stewardship Statement". Blue Bird Corporation. Retrieved 2010-07-04.
  7. ↑ http://www.napt.org/displayconvention.cfm
  8. ↑ "All-American Forward Engine School Bus Specification Sheet" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-01-14.
  9. ↑ "All-American Rear Engine School Bus Specification Sheet" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-01-14.
  10. ↑ http://www.schoolbusfleet.com/Channel/Management-Training/News/2012/10/15/Blue-Bird-to-reveal-redesigned-Type-Ds.aspx