2001 Blue Bird TC2000FE, hill and cul de sac, bus 9

7th seat back of a 2001 Blue Bird TC2000FE with a Cummins ISB engine. The infamous Allison AT-545 shrieking can be heard as we go up the hill.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• 2001
• Blue Bird
• TC2000FE
• Cummins
• ISB
• school bus
• Allison
• AT-545
• transmission
• shrieking

[giannial1985]

If this is a 2001, it doesn't have the AT-545. Allison stopped making them, like in 1996/97. I grew up with International DT buses and the AT-545's. You could really hear it upon accelerating and coming to a stop.

[09ThomasEF]

@giannial1985 They made the 545 until 2002 or so. I believe 2003 model year buses switched to the PTS series. In buses' cases, the 2000 PTS was the new one (5 gears instead of 4, plus a lockup torque converter). Now, for full-size, the 2500 PTS is standard, with 6 gears (though 6th is locked out from the factory but can be re-enabled).

[dragonpullman23]

Are these the same kind of Transmissions the Waikiki Trolleys use?

[09ThomasEF]

@dragonpullman23 If the trolley has an AT-545, then yes. ;-) I know next to nothing about trolleys, although I imagine that they'd only have two, maybe three gears, being designed to accelerate rather than have high top speed. The 545 has four gears, which still isn't great for highways.

[09ThomasEF]

@09ThomasEF They switched to the 2000 model in the early 2000s. The PTS had a locking torque converter and 5 gears IIRC. The current 2500 PTS has 6 gears (though on school buses, it's locked out of shifting into 6th, but that can be changed), and also a lockup torque converter that locks in 2nd gear.

[zillatank]

@RJxx0843 I agree

[6V92TA]

This bus doesnt have that famous clunk whine into 2nd gear....but it still sounds nice!

[RJxx0843]

Love the AT545's!

[8v71buses]

Man I love the way this bus sounds

[bluebirdvision]

I like the bus! The first brand new bus i had on my route (and the first bus i ever rode) was a 2001 Blue Bird International. Had it from 2000 until 2005 when i got a brand new 2006 Vision which was a better bus 10x over. The Int was a standard, the vision is an automatic, Vision had a bigger engine...... Still miss the old international