Friday, November 4, 2022

The Retail Regents School Bus Show



*Originally published on November 4, 2022. Revised on June 4, 2025.*

Today's post takes us on an off-topic field trip for something a certain enthusiast might take an interest in. Take a ride with Retail Regents as we go back to school...

Date Photographed: April 20, 2017

Date Photographed: April 24, 2017

Date Photographed: May 11, 2017

Date Photographed: September 6, 2017

Date Photographed: September 21, 2017

This former Canajoharie Central School District bus was spotted in the Price Chopper parking lot in Johnstown. This bus was sold to Consolidated Bus Transit out of Brooklyn and is now Consolidated Bus Transit 241050.

Date Photographed: October 11, 2017

Date Photographed: November 8, 2017 (all)

All three of these 2007 IC CE300 buses were spotted in the parking lot of Perth Plaza in Amsterdam. The middle one was from Holland Central Schools, bus 158.

Date Photographed: November 30, 2017

This Thomas Saf-T-Liner FS-65 was spotted in the parking lot of Perth Plaza in Amsterdam. The operator is unknown, while the bus number was 20.

Date Photographed: February 6, 2018

Date Photographed: March 23, 2018

Date Photographed: April 25, 2018

Date Photographed: April 25, 2018

Date Photographed: May 4, 2018

Date Photographed: May 4, 2018

Date Photographed: May 17, 2018

Date Photographed: May 17, 2018

Date Photographed: May 21, 2018

Date Photographed: June 4, 2018

Date Photographed: June 4, 2018

Date Photographed: June 8, 2018

Date Photographed: June 20, 2018

Date Photographed: August 23, 2018

Date Photographed: September 17, 2018

Date Photographed: September 21, 2018

Date Photographed: October 10, 2018

Date Photographed: October 11, 2018

Date Photographed: October 11, 2018

Date Photographed: October 22, 2018

Date Photographed: November 13, 2018

Date Photographed: November 30, 2018

Date Photographed: December 6, 2018

Date Photographed: June 18, 2019

Date Photographed: September 6, 2019

Date Photographed: May 18, 2021

Date Photographed: June 7, 2021

Date Photographed: August 31, 2021

Date Photographed: January 4, 2023

Date Photographed: March 6, 2024

This bus is registered to Hamilton Fulton Montgomery BOCES instead of either the Johnstown School District or Gloversville City School District.

Date Photographed: October 31, 2024

Former HFM Regional Transportation unit. The bus pulling out in the background is 452, which has a labelscar of the HFM Regional Transportation Service livery.

Date Photographed: October 31, 2024

2022 IC CE, former HFM Regional Transportation unit. The cross arms are retrofits.

Date Photographed: October 31, 2024

Date Photographed: October 31, 2024

Former HFM Regional Transportation unit. Also note 464 next to it.

Date Photographed: November 9, 2024

Ballston Spa Central School District #410, a 3rd-gen 2025 IC CE. This one is diesel-powered and has a Cummins B6.7 engine. I also added this photo to the IC Bus Wikipedia page in the IC Bus Product Line (School Buses) table.

Date Photographed: November 9, 2024

Date Photographed: February 26, 2025


Date Photographed: June 20, 2025


Date Photographed: July 23, 2025

First Student SB483067, a 2025 3rd-gen IC CE.

Thursday, October 27, 2022

Running Into a Former Wal-Mart

Today's tour takes us to one of the many fully repurposed big-box spaces occupied by Runnings in the northeast. Welcome to Gloversville! Abandon all hope ye who enter here...

The only reason I took this picture and did a re-tour of this place is the rare Pontiac Torpedo 4-door sedan shown in the parking lot. Also note the newly renovated Hannaford attached to this building.

For some history, the site was home to a large Nichols Discount City which was demolished in 1990. The two spaces shown here were built in 1992 for Wal-Mart and Shop 'n Save (the latter of which was rebadged as Hannaford). Wal-Mart would stick around with little updating (including the original red/grey/blue paint job) for the next 21 years until moving to 329 South Kingsboro Avenue Extension in August 2013. Runnings filled the space in September 2014.

Vestibule. Despite otherwise being quite outdated, Wal-Mart gave the entry area the ceramic tile used in the mid 2000s (the new store also used the same tile until last year). There used to be a pair of ceiling fans on each end of the vestibule where the white cover plates are.

Cart bay, which was originally the location of the service desk for both Wal-Mart and Runnings. The cart bay and service desk were swapped within the past couple years. The front restrooms are behind that wall (SPOILER: neither the front or back restrooms have ever been renovated, neither by Wal-Mart or Runnings).

This section was originally home to the Wal-Mart Radio Grill, which was later a section for additional merchandise.

Apparel on the right-hand side of the store. Amusingly you can almost map out the original Wal-Mart layout based on where the tile scars on the concrete start and end. Those areas without tile scars denote the original Wal-Mart apparel areas.