Three General Motors TDM4512’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. The #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. 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 also used in charter service up until 1984.
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 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. In 1996 Richard donated #246 along with the rest of his historic bus collection to the Pacific Bus Museum. 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.
Manufacturer: General Motors Truck & Coach Division, Pontiac, MI
Model: TDM 4512, Serial # 126, Built: 1955.
Powertrain: GM 6-71 Diesel engine w/ 4 speed mechanical transmission.
Body: Aluminum monocoque construction, single entry door
Seating: 47 passengers – Transit seating
Length 35 ft. – Width 96 in.
#246 is operable and in good mechanical condition with the body and interior in good physical condition.
Support the PBM’s bus preservation efforts. Join the museum’s Adopt-A-Bus program. Adopt this bus or any PBM bus of your choice by contributing to a special fund account reserved for maintenance and or restoration of each bus. All of the PBM’s buses have their own special accounts and all funds donated to a particular account will be used only for that bus.
To donate to the Special Funds account for this bus indicate Peerless #246 on your contribution.
Click here to make a donation to the “Pacific Bus Museum” for this bus.