Visit us the 1st & 3rd Saturday of every month 10am-2pm
37974 Shinn St, Fremont, CA 94536
37974 Shinn St, Fremont, CA 94536
Mailing Address P.O. Box 601105 Sacramento, CA 95860-1105
Mailing Address P.O. Box 601105 Sacramento, CA 95860-1105
Three General Motors “Old Look” TDM-4512’s (#244-246) were delivered to Peerless Stages, Inc. of Oakland, CA in April 1955. All three coaches arrived in Peerless’s art deco paint scheme of black roof and red and yellow.
#246, along with her sisters, spent the majority of her revenue-life based at Peerless’s San Jose Division. There the coach worked local routes between downtown San Jose and the surrounding areas.
When demand required during the beach season, #246 was pressed into service on the mainline route to Santa Cruz. On an as-needed basis, #246 also might be pressed into service on the mainline route operated by Peerless Stages between Oakland, San Jose, and Santa Cruz.
The coach was used in charter service up until 1984.
“On the left is Peerless Stages #246, … seen here at the San Francisco Zoo near the Pacific Ocean in San Francisco, CA laying over on a charter move. This picture taken in 1956 is believed to be the earliest known photo of this bus which was then about a year old… (photo, E.R. Mohr)”
Source: The March/April 1998 edition of the PBM Member newsletter, The Paddle
Peerless Thrifty Econo Bus
In March 1985 Pacific Bus Museum Member, Marcel Sales bought #246 from Peerless and spent the next three years, with the help of friends, restoring #246 to her original art deco paint scheme. An engine overhaul was also completed during this time. Marcel Sales was a member of the West Coast Motor Coach Museum, which was the predecessor to the Pacific Bus Museum. #246 was a popular part of the West Coast Motor Coach Museum “roster”, albeit Marcel Sales retained ownership. (Source, WCMCM Newsletter – The Paddle, July 1986)
Scenic Hway Tour #246
Marcel sold the coach in 1990 to Richard Twining, the owner of Scenic Hyway Tours, in San Francisco who added #246 to his extensive private historic bus collection.
Richard Twining was a founding member of the Pacific Bus Museum, in 1989, and its first President, from 1989 until 1993. In early 1996 Richard donated #246 along with the five other buses in his historic bus collection to the Pacific Bus Museum. Richard died later that year, in September.
The coach is the pride of the Pacific Bus Museum’s historic fleet. The venerable old coach is routinely used for excursions, parades, bus rallies, and any special event where buses gather.
 #246 at Santa Clara CalTrain Depo dedication |
 246 passing the one-time Los Gatos Greyhound depot |
As a volunteer orginization, we are always looking for as much help as we can get. If you've got skills and time, and want to get your hands dirty, consider becoming a member.
If you don't want to contribute "hands-on", financial donations for the restoration of bus #246 are also needed at this time to complete this remaining work. All donations for bus #246 will be placed in a Special Fund account exclusively for the restoration and maintenance of bus #246. Please make a donation today to continue the restoration of bus #246!
Make a "Pacific Bus Museum" donation to the Special Funds account for for bus #246.
The Pacific Bus Museum is a non-profit, tax-exempt, volunteer organization registered in the state of California. We were granted tax-exempt status as a non-profit corporation by the IRS under 501 (c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code Tax ID # 1683391. Donations to the Pacific Bus Museum are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
