Saw your 6/27 link to old Trimet bus wraps. Beginning in the early 80's, I worked at the Zoo. The very first Trimet art wrap bus I ever saw was this Flxible New Look bus in Zoo/OMSI/Forestry Center graphics. It was painted directly on the bus skin. At that time, Trimet only used this bus on the old #63 run to the Zoo. After a decade, it was replaced by the one pictured on the "Rantings Of People..." blog.
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The rest of the story... One day in my office near the Zoo entrance, we heard a crashing sound out front. The original Zoo Bus' parking brake had failed somehow and it had rolled backward from where you see it in the picture and t-boned the Zoo Commissary building.
Driver was on break, so thankfully no passengers on board. Mercifully, no one was hurt, but I believe this was the last we saw of this original Zoo bus.
Interesting piece of history Nedwell!
That's not a wrap, it's all hand painted. They didn't start wrapping until after the second bus in the early 90's. I was there painting it and they pulled another bus in that got advertising, It was finished that day and I still had many days left on the other.
And that comment about the damage to the original bus is incorrect. It was repaired, by another artist and put back on the street. It went up for auction after it's life was over there, it was old when we painted it, and it ended up being used to haul items to swap meets. Haven't seen it since myself.
Jack Ruckman ( Custom Paint by the Beard ) Owner, His shop in Portland Painted that Bus I know because i worked there at the time, I and another employee had to hand sand the bus, took us two weeks to sand, and then the Painting Started, they had a Big reveal for the City at Jacks Shop,News Paper People
T.V. News was there, I went to the Party it was a Big deal in Portland at the time, My name is Greg Kindel I'm Jacks Nephew, I worked with my Uncle about 2 years, I have also seen the bus a few time at the canby ore. Swap meet,Yes it was fun of autoparts for sale, the bus painted was more Beautiful in person to see than in Pictures, It was a great piece of Art.
I was just going to say Jack painted the original. I remember him well. Custom wood camper he built was incredible..and the t-bird windshield mold. Man of many talents. If he's still alive tell him Jeremy (AL Jones' step son) said hello.
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