Tim Olsen is the other half of GilligCoaches.NET, and one of its longest-running archivists. As a longtime friend of GilligCoachesNET founder Steve Rosenow, and as a fellow school bus enthusiast, we collaborated on how to preserve Gillig's legacy, by establishing the Gillig Coach Club and Gillig Coach Historical Society.
 

When Steve and I embarked on the journey of building a web site such as “The Gillig Coach Club,” and “gilligcoaches.net,” we really traveled, taking many pictures, and most importantly met the owners of these fellow bus owners and enthusiasts. The stories were priceles. Learning more and more of the Gillig Brand of the “Classic School Bus (Coach),” we both realized how special this brand really is. Co-Founding the Club, we gathered information to build the historical archive and preservation website as you know it today.

 

Early on in my life I got to witness such great buses in service, as Regular Route Buses used daily. Mostly when I started out in the 1980’s I got to see the Gilligs, Crowns, Carpenters, and GMCs from the late 1960’s, the 1970’s and early 1980’s. Personally, I saw these as quality built buses. It was something special I thought… the sound of the engine, the clean lines, and the attention to details everywhere really made for a beautiful bus.

 

The Bremerton School District 100 – C of Bremerton, Washington was primarily Gillig when I started riding a bus. I was amazed on how a bus driver could shift through the gears with having to double clutch, maintain child control or discipline while driving safely on very busy city streets -- and still seem to get us to and from School. I rarely remember a Gillig bus down for any length of time. Even on snow days with the weight of the bus, the Gilligs ran on time.

 

I have personally learned a lot about Gillig along the way and I’m not finished learning.

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Ironically after graduating from Bremerton High School in 2000, I had left to seek a job in the construction trades with knowledge in Auto CAD Drafting & Design. Specializing in Door Hardware and Locksmithing, I found something was missing. The Love for Transportation. I was asked to drive bus for a local church of mine, and from there I was hooked. I found my first Gillig, a 1971 Gillig Deluxe. This had a Detroit 6V-53, with a Fuller 5 Speed. Bought it, and then trained myself how to drive a manual. It was exciting. I have owned several Gilligs in my time followed by a 1973, 1975, and a 1979. Each were unique in their own way.

With choosing to leave the world of Locksmithing due to stress, I turned to my hobby of Transportation. As of 2015 I am now back with the Bremerton School District Transportation Department. First, I was hired as a driver, and a year later in late 2016, I was promoted to Shop Mechanic Coordinator in charge of the 36 Thomas School Bus Fleet. I work directly with our Department Director and or Department Dispatcher to maintain proper support for great bus drivers. With a current Bus Fleet of 100% Thomas School Buses, I really miss the simplicity of the older buses. I really enjoy helping the drivers to have a better day. My other hobbies, are boats, fine wood working, theatrical audio & lighting, working around the house with tools, and spending time with family.

 

I encourage you to view this great source of information we have gathered on the Gillig Brand.

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