08-29-2024, 08:51 PM
Richard, you have just uncovered an anomaly. I previously assumed that the last 1 or 2 digits before the last letter of the serial number in the 1974-1979 coaches was the coach sequence number for the year and the last letter identified the year BUT I see that your coach serial number ends in 5J and there is also a 3500RE1038D36 5J. I am fairly confident that the 3500 indicates a 35' coach as I have also seen a couple of 3000RE which appear to be several feet shorter, i.e. a 30' coach. I have recorded the following serial numbers for 1975 coaches: 1025D 5J, 1030D 6J, and 1042D36 10J. During these years, the final letter likely indicated the model year. Of the 1974's I have serial numbers for (with one possible exception) ended in H, all the 1975's that I have serial numbers end in J, the 1976's I have serial numbers for all ended in K. Note: several completely different numbering schemes were used prior to 1974.
Every time I find one of these anomalies, I question the numbering logic that was used in developing the coach number. I have small sample sizes for the 60's and 70's making it more difficult to determine what the numbers meant. I discussions with Newell during the 2006-2010 period, they indicated that the female employee who had created the serial numbers for the older coaches had retired and no one knew how she determined what the serial number would be or how to decode what the numbers meant.
Every time I find one of these anomalies, I question the numbering logic that was used in developing the coach number. I have small sample sizes for the 60's and 70's making it more difficult to determine what the numbers meant. I discussions with Newell during the 2006-2010 period, they indicated that the female employee who had created the serial numbers for the older coaches had retired and no one knew how she determined what the serial number would be or how to decode what the numbers meant.