Vintage bus on display
Date: Saturday, January 27, 2024 10 am – 2 pm
Location: Duboce Avenue at Noe St.
Tour of the SFMTA Photo Archive exhibit
Date: Saturday, January 27, 2024 at 11 am
Location: Harvey Milk Photo Center exhibit room
Join us this Saturday, Jan. 27 for a guided tour of the SFMTA Photo Archive exhibit and a rare chance to see one of Muni’s vintage buses up close! Meet at the big green and cream bus on Duboce Ave and Noe St. at 10am for the tour. (poster giveaway – 1st 50 people)
1956 Mack Bus 2230
This bus first arrived at Muni in 1956 as part of a new fleet of 450 buses leased from Mack Trucks, Inc. It was in service on routes across the system for over a decade from the short “Shopper’s Shuttles” in downtown to heavily used routes like the 38 Geary. The fleet was retired in 1969-70 and most of the coaches were scrapped by Mack. Muni kept two buses that were shortened and used on the 39 Coit route
In 2015, maintenance staff at Muni’s Woods Motor Coach Facility began a painstaking restoration that lasted three years. Every mechanical system was repaired, and no cosmetic detail was spared, even down to the period-correct metal “Pepsi” advertisement on the front. Staff from across the SFMTA helped with the restoration from body workers and painters to mechanics, machinists, carpenters, and glaziers. During restoration, staff found a 46-year-old piece of graffiti inside the coach and decided to work around it during repaint to retain this small relic from Muni riders past.
The restored bus debuted in 2018 during Muni Heritage Weekend, when Muni brings out rarely seen historic buses and streetcars to run free excursion trips. The bus was a hit and continues to be very popular among visitors to this annual summertime event.
