From the limited data we have, below are the two most popular bus types used by Pacific Northwest Drum Corps during the 1960s and 70s.
The Scenicruiser
The GM PD-4501 Scenicruiser was manufactured by General Motors (GM) for Greyhound Bus Lines. 1,001 were made between 1954 and 1956. The Scenicruiser is a very distinctive bus with a short main deck seating area holding 10 passengers and a larger raised seating area a few steps higher than the main deck, comprising about two-thirds the length of the bus, seating another 33 passengers.
Popular with local drum corps, the Scenicruiser was used by the Percussion-Naut Patriots (Spokane, WA), the Argonauts (Salem, OR), and the Black Watch (Auburn, WA), and rented by the Seattle Thunderbirds for their trip to California in 1966 where they became the All-American Drum Corps National Champions.
1954 – 1956 Scenicruiser
The Silversides
“Silversides” bus refers to models PD-3701, 4101, 3751, and 4151. Built by the Yellow Coach Manufacturing Company in 1938 and 1939. Yellow Coach Manufacturing Company was purchased by General Motors in 1943 and GM continued making Silversides buses through 1948. Our local drum corps typically ran the 1947 and 1948 vintage buses. “Silversides” refers to the aluminum cladding that adorns their sides.
These buses were owned by the Golden Skyliners (Great Falls, MT), the Royal Lancers (Portland, OR), the Sentinels (Bellevue, WA), and the Shamrocks (Seattle, WA).
1947 Silversides
Both the Scenicruisers and Silversides are popular with collectors these days with many being refurbished into custom RVs.