Friday Roundtable: MEHVA Vintage Bus Tours

On a rainy Sunday in October, three Metro buses meandered through the beautiful Cascade foothills on their way to Black Diamond. Leading the pack was Metro bus 5034, a 1990 Breda DuoBus 350. Following the Breda was bus 3152, a 1987 MAN Americana SL40102L. Finally, a 2004 New Flyer DE60LF acted as the caboose for this trip. While the buses navigated the twists, turns, and hills (the MAN bus struggled up most hills), over 100 passengers enjoyed the views, both of the scenery and of the buses.

These three buses were operating the Metro Employees Historic Vehicle Association's (MEHVA) Fall Foliage tour. The tour stopped in Black Diamond, where the tour participants could get a bite to eat at Black Diamond Bakery and learn more about the buses. The extremely knowledgeable operators shared insights about the buses and reminisced about driving in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.

The Breda DuoBus 350 makes its way on Renton Maple Valley Rd SE. The Breda and MAN buses make their way through the Cascade foothills.The Breda and 2004 New Flyer in Black Diamond. Interior of the 1987 MAN Americana.

MEHVA's final tour of 2025 is on December 6. The Holiday Lights Tour will travel through several Seattle neighborhoods to see the best holiday lights in the City. The 2 hour tour starts at 7pm and 7:30pm, one block east of Stadium station. Take a time-traveling transit journey by riding the first Federal Way Link Extension train in the morning and a vintage Metro bus in the evening on December 6.

This is an open thread.