Swing Low Sweet
CHERRIOTS, Coming to take you home
A classic song, but this time instead of a roman type chariot,
we are talking about Cherriots the Salem-Keizer Transit bus system!
Cherriots is its marketing name as Salem is known as the Cherry
City
Salem runs multiple types of busses.
- RTS busses (35&40ft) from the mid 1980's
- Orion Type IV (40ft) from the early 1990's
- El Dorado CNG Busses (30ft), late 1990's
- Orion Type VII CNG busses (35&40ft), early 2000's
- And now (late 2000's) taking delivery of Gillig biodiesel
busses.
The system is not run by the city, but by the transit district.
There are more than 25 routes serving the Salem Metro area,
including one line to Wilsonville (in cooperation with SMART).
The cache location is across the street from the home of the
Cherriots bus fleet. The cache is a small tupperware type container
(with plenty of trade space for small items). There will be plenty
of muggles here weekdays!
You may ask why a railfan is interested in busses. Well,
Cherriots can trace its history back to the streetcars (trolleys)
that at one time plied the streets of Salem and they both move
people.
There is a $1 coin for FTF. I am also starting a travel bug from
this cache called Cruise America by Bus, I thought it was
appropriate! Good luck!