Hershey, PA (February 25, 2020) The year was 1976, and John Dockendorf was beginning his position as Chief of the Urban Transit Division of PennDot’s Bureau of Public Transportation. Given his job, he thought it would be nice to decorate his office with some model buses, and so began his life-long passion.
What began as an office decorating project turned into a collection of more than 5,000 toy and model buses ranging from 1915 to the present. John has become one of the world’s foremost authorities on model buses. His collection includes cast iron, plastic, and die-cast from a variety of manufacturers, including Arcade, Kenton, Marx, Corgi, Dinky, and others. What’s his favorite bus? A 1930 vintage Pickwick Nite Coach. It was the bus industry’s attempt to provide a Pullman-type sleeper service.
John was a founding member of the Museum of Bus Transportation, which began in 1995 and recently merged with the AACA Museum. John decided to donate his full collection to the AACA Museum where he serves as a member of the AACA Museum Board of Directors.
While the models cannot be displayed at once, a portion of the collection is on display at the Museum. John will work with the Museum to periodically rotate the pieces on view. He has also committed to providing an annual contribution to help store and maintain the collection. We truly appreciate John’s generosity and his commitment to the collection.
