Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The oldest bus in our fleet, 1927 FAGEOL SAFETY COACH livery generic (brown and tan) with a destination sign that reads "1927" was built by Fageol Motors, which was founded in 1916 to manufacture motor trucks, farm tractors and automobiles in Oakland, CA.

In 1921 it became the first company to build a bus from the ground up. This new bus was called the "Safety Bus". The goal was to build a bus that wasn't prone to overturning when cornering. It had a wide track, and was lower to the ground to ensure the passengers' safety and ease of entry and exit. Following shortly on the heels of the success of the Safety Bus was the larger 22-seat "Safety Coach". The factory was located in Oakland, California. Unfortunately, the company did not make it through the depression of the early 1930s. It went into receivership and the bank assumed control and re-organized under the name Fageol Truck and Coach. The Fageol brothers left the company in 1927 to form a bus manufacturing company called the Twin Coach Company, which was located in Kent. Ohio.

Our beautiful Fageol has very unusual seats in it--see the picture to the right.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Valentine Diners began their nearly forty-year career in Wichita, Kansas--an idea born of the Great Depression. They were constructed as eight-to-ten-seat diners that one or two people could operate. If you were good at it--if you served good food at a fair price and kept your customers happy--you could make a successful business of a Valentine. In an industry where nearly all major diner manufacturers were on the East Coast, the Kansas creation managed to ship its little pre-fabs all across the country. Valentines could be found along major highways to attract travelers, in industrial areas to attract workers, and in small towns where they might be one of the only (if not the only) restaurants available.

The Valentine Diner at the Museum has been restored and is located across from the Bus Exhibit. It's name is the Flo-Inn Cafe, originally a "Kings-X" restaurant at the intersection of Emporia and Harry streets in Wichita. It was purchased from Jimmie King in either 1948 or 1950 by Florence Fortnoy, who operated it into the late 1980s.

In its last years as an active diner, it was only open for breakfast. Flo kept the restaurant open for the benefit of the regular morning customers who had become like family. A full basement was underneath the diner. Flo Fortnoy once remarked that when the Valentine company got into financial trouble, the salesmen were always trying to get her to buy a new model. The diner was restored by the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Museum and is now on display there fulltime along with photographs and memorabilia from the original diner in use.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Today I'd like to talk about the Baran's Bus -- a 1945 Aerocoach Model P45/37.

Mastercraft models of this particular series were built in 1944 and 1945 at a time when most bus production was halted. 338 of this model were built in these two years and many of them saw line service with both Trailways and Greyhound. This one was sold to Robert Merrell, a small operator in New Jersey, as his No. 3. He used it in charter work and often leased it out to Royal Blue Coaches and Edwards Lakes to Sea System, both of which had similar coaches in their fleets (destination signs for both carriers are still on the sign rolls).

John Baran, owner of Baran's Transit Lines, Beaver Meadows, PA, bought this coach in the early 1970's and ran it in charter and some limited local line work until 1999, as the last "seated" Aerocoach in active service. He donated it to the Museum in 2003. ABC Bus, Camden, NJ, under the direction of its Board Chairman, Clancy Cornell, refurbished it for the Museum in March 2006.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

We had heavy rain here in the Susquehanna Valley overnight and it brought to mind "what did people do when riding in a Fifth Avenue Coach Company open-top double decker bus"--so I went searching through our photographs and located this one--of a 1919 bus with the driver putting up what appears to be a portable canvas top! Not sure how well that would keep people out of the rain! I know that this was one problem the Fifth Avenue Coach Company had with its open-top double-deckers--fares went way down during inclement weather and they were not able to use them during the winter.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Well, we are back from New York and my Mother's funeral. Still having NY on my mind (and thank goodness for HOV lanes--otherwise we'd still be sitting in traffic on the Staten Island Expressway!), I thought I'd discuss NY City Transit's Vintage Bus Fleet.

While chronological gaps in their collection certainly exist, when displayed together publicly, it is a most impressive array of bus equipment. The bulk of the vintage fleet is made up of a wide variety of "new look" or fishbowl buses, so named for their sleeker design from the 1960s. These models featured much larger windows than their predecessors. Rounding out the collection are two models from the next generation of advanced design buses. First making their appearance in the early 1980s, many are still on the road today. This includes the "RTS", the most common workhorse of the NY City Transit buses in use over the past two decades.

Here's a quick rundown of the fleet:

Bus #303 - 1917 Fifth Avenue Coach open top double decker bus (used 1917-1930)
Bus #2124 - 1938 Fifth Avenue Coach Queen Mary double decker bus (used 1938-1953)
Bus #2969 - 1949 NYCTA GM 5101 - photographed in the classic TV series "The Honeymooners" (used 1949-1966)
Bus #3100 - 1956 GM 5106 Fifth Avenue Coach (used 1958-mid 1970s)
Bus #6259 - 1956 Mack C49DT (used 1956-1969)
Bus #7144 - 1957 GM 5106 (used 1957-1971)
Bus #9098 - 1958 GM 5106 (used 1958-1972)
Bus #100 - 1959 GM 5301 Fishbowl (used 1959-1973)
Bus #1059 - 1961 GM 5301 Fishbowl (used 1961-1981)
Bus #2151 - 1962 GM 5301 Fishbowl (used 1962-1982)
Bus #3758 - 1963 GM 5303 2nd Generation Fishbowl (used 1963-1982)
Bus #5117 - 1964 Flxible F2D6V-401-1 (used 1964-1983)
Bus #8466 - GM 5303 (used 1966-1990)
Bus #8928 - GM 5305A (used 1968-1984)
Bus #4727 - Flxible 111CC-D51 (used 1969-1988
Bus #5227 - GM "Blitz" 5305A (used 1971-1995
Bus #7340 - Flxible 53102-6-1 (used 1973-1990)
Bus #236 - Grumman 870 (used 1980-1984)
Bus #1201 - GM RTSII-04 (used 1981 - Present)

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Still have New York on my mind--and while I do, there is no greater vision of New York City buses then their beautiful Queen Marys which were nicknamed after the Queen Mary Oceanliner that was popular at the time. These were the double-deck buses that ran mostly up/down Fifth Avenue and into the borough of Queens. They were owned and operated by the Fifth Avenue Coach Company until it was taken over by NY City Transit. The Transit Authority still owns a "Queen Mary" in their historic fleet.

Board Member, Oliver Ogden, has written a book on the Fifth Avenue Coach which will be available October 1, 2009. They are now available for pre-order through Amazon.

Monday, March 23, 2009

As we are headed to NY for my Mother's funeral on Wednesday and Thursday, I thought I would write about one of our newer acquisitions from the former Jamaica Bus Company. Sunday, January 29, 2006 marked a major turning point in private bus transportation when Jamaica Buses' operation to the communities the serviced terminated and the route were taken over by the Metropolitan Transit Authority. Jamaica Bus Lines operated 103 buses on four local and express lines that served 10 million riders per year across New York City. Jamaica was the sixth bus line that was transitioned to the MTA operation in 2005-2006. We were offered Jamacia Bus Lines 1972 GM T6H 5308-A and accepted it. Here's a brief history of the company:

In 1894, the Long Island Electric Railway was incorporated for the purpose of building and operating street railways in Queens County (at that time Queens County included all of present-day Nassau County), and the first route began operating in 1896 from the Kings County Elevated Railroad station at the Brooklyn city line to downtown Jamaica. In the following year service had been extended along present-day Guy R. Brewer Boulevard to Far Rockaway, and along Jamaica Avenue to 212th Street.

In 1899 the Long Island Electric was purchased by the New York & North Shore Railway Company, a subsidiary of the New York & Queens County Railway Company - then the largest street railway operator in Queens. However, the company eventually faltered. In 1902, the original route of the New York & North Shore (Flushing-to-Jamaica along present-day 164th Street) was sold at foreclosure to the New York & Queens County, and the New York & North Shore changed its name back to the Long Island Electric the following year.
The last section of track to be built by the company was a short one-mile extension from 212th Street to the city line on Hempstead Avenue at Belmont Park, this track was placed into service during 1904.

In 1906, August Belmont, president of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company and a director of the Long Island Rail Road, announced that he had acquired a controlling interest in the Long Island Electric; half of his interest in the company was transferred to the Interborough Rapid Transit, and the other half to the Long Island Consolidated Electric Companies, a subsidiary of the Long Island Rail Road.

Fire struck the company's car barn in 1924, and completely destroyed all the company's facilities. This loss, when combined with continuing annual operating losses and nonpayment to bondholders led to a foreclosure on the company that year. The company was sold at a bankruptcy sale in 1926 to American Communities Corporation, a corporation controlled by the Bank of Manhattan. Later that year the company's name was changed to Jamaica Central Railways.

In 1931, the City of New York announced a plan to widen Jamaica Avenue, and would require the company to spend thousands of dollars to relay its track in that street. Rather than undertaking this expensive project the company instead planned to motorize its Jamaica Avenue route, and substitute buses for the streetcars. A subsidiary, Jamaica Buses, Inc., was formed that year to operate buses on the motorized routes. The City of New York granted a franchise to Jamaica Buses, Inc. in 1933 in exchange for the surrender of all the parent company's trolley franchises. With the new bus franchise in hand, the company motorized all the routes in the latter part of the year.

Jamaica Buses experienced financial difficulties and the Mayor offered the Jamaica Buses franchise to Green Bus Lines if the company could act quickly to rescue the company from financial failure. The stockholders of Green Bus Lines agreed to purchase the company. By the 1970s, deferred maintenance had taken its toll on the City's rapid transit system, and additional demands were being made for express bus services between Queens and Manhattan. In response to these requests, Jamaica Buses initiated service an express route from southern Queens County.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Oops - I goofed and this got published a day early--but none the less--there may be a few days without a posting as we will be heading to NY on short notice as my Mother passed away late Friday night. I'll be back posting as soon as I can

Bus driver delivers free home-cooked meals - that's what the headline of CNN Heroes reads. Boy that does my heart good....you can read the entire story here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/03/19/cnnheroes.jorge.munoz/index.html

Did you know we have our own "hero" right here at the Museum of Bus Transportation? Pastor Dan Lehman, Vice President of the Board of Directors and our Fleet Manager and Chaplain (icarrythelight4god@msn.com) began a food pantry several years ago. Donation containers can be found around the Susquehanna Valley AND at the Museum during the months of November and December each year. I believe Dan and his Carry The Light Ministry fed 50 families last year and 40 the year before. He said that the demand grows all the time. The pantry is open year round for those in need. Donations to the ministry or if you are need of food, help or prayers, please contact the ministry by phone at 717 691 8200 or mailing to 16 Dewalt Drive Mechanicsburg, PA. 17050. Thanks Dan for a job well done!

Do you know someone you would like us to highlight in our blog? Please email us the details at thebusmuseum@yahoo.com.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Do I have to tell you what is 11 weeks from today??? That's right---the 2nd day of our 2009 SPRING FLING! We are getting very excited about it and hope you are too! We have already had a number of vendor registrations arrive. We ALSO have had a number of people ask if they could bring their VINTAGE/ANTIQUE bus for display! So we are very excited about that. Depending on the weather (if we have a lot of rain prior to the Fling, we will not be parking buses on the grass area) and depending on the amount of room we have after our fleet is removed from the storage building, the visitor buses will be displayed either at the Museum (161 Museum Drive, Hershey, PA 17033) or at the Memorial Annex--whichever way it turns out, this is going to be an exciting event! If you are planning on coming, get your reservations in now (if you are staying overnight). Checkout our Activities webpage for further information ( http://www.busmuseum.org/CurrentActivities.html) or feel free to email us for information about the local area (thebusmuseum@yahoo.com) -- there is so much to do and see in and around the Hershey area!

Here's the hotel/motel info from our webpage: Host Inns: Scottish Inns - 1-888-901-8383; Country Hearth Inn - 1-888-545-6944 Both new, next door to each other, free Continental breakfast, 4 miles from Museum, 1/4 mile from Exit 77, 1-81 Mention Bus Museum for $81.10 rate. (10% less than AAA and AARP rate.)

Friday, March 20, 2009

Ah, the FIRST DAY OF SPRING! Now, what thoughts does that invoke in you? I know in me it makes me think about the birds and flowers and then about all the yard work I have to keep up with all the birds and the flowers!

Well, here at the Museum of Bus Transportation--we have yard work to do also. Now is the time of the year to start cleaning up around our Memorial Annex. We are ALWAYS looking for volunteers--do you have a few hours to spare? Although the grass is not ready to be cut yet....it won't be long before it will be needed to be done. Can you help pull a few weeds or "weed wack" a few weeds....or for that mattter...spray down some weed kill to permanently eradicate the weeds? Do you like to be outside at this time of the year? The buses that are outside need to be uncovered and then they will all need to be washed to remove the winter residue. If you can help with any of these items, please contact Dan Lehman (icarrythelight4God@msn.com) to let him know you would like to help--please tell him you saw the request for help in the BLOG!

Thanks for reading the BLOG--if you have any questions/comments, please feel free to email us at thebusmuseum@yahoo.com.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Tuesday evening the members of the Board of Directors met at a special session to discuss the Business Plan for the next five years of the Museum. A lot of great ideas were talked about. One of the main ones is our financial situation.....many people are under the assumption that since we received the large endowment from the late George Sage, that we are set financially. Unfortunately, that is a big myth. We have an operating budget that needs to be met every year. In the last Musings (sent out within the last few weeks), we enclosed an envelope for contributions and we are happy to see some of those come back to the Museum with checks in them. I encourage you, if you did not return the envelope with a contribution and are able to do that, please do it today. You will be seeing a lot more fund raising at events. For instance, we have already instituted an "entrance" fee for the Spring Fling, something we had never done before. Watch for some special events that the Museum will be involved with for fund raising.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, you don't need to wait for an envelope to come in the mail to send in a contribution. Just send your check to Museum of Bus Transportation, 161 Museum Drive, Hershey, PA 17033. You can also make an automatic monthly contribution for as little as $10 a month by using PayPal (http://www.paypal.com/) and use our email address (thebusmuseum@yahoo.com) for payment. This is sort of a "painless" way to give BIG to YOUR Museum. Please think about this. I know everyone is strapped in this economy--but any way you can help would be appreciated.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

As I promised yesterday, I would continue the story of the Johnstown Traction Co. bus that the Museum owns. Here it is shown during our 2005 Spring Fling at our old Myerstown storage facility: a 1948 GMC TDH3207, Johnstown Traction Company Bus No. 402.

Here's a history of this company: Seeing a need for public transit in the city, local businessmen on April 18, 1882, organized a street railway to provide horse car service. The organizers received a charter on May 8 of that year, under the name of the Johnstown Passenger Railway Co. The Johnstown Traction Co. came into being on Feb. 23, 1910, to operate, by lease, the Johnstown Passenger Railway Co. This lease included all franchises, 31.3 miles of track and 108 cars. Moving along with transportation improvements, the traction company formed a subsidiary, the Traction Bus Co., to operate motor bus lines that would connect with the streetcar routes. This new company received its charter on Nov; 15, 1922. The first bus began its run seven days later from the Dale trolley loop to Windber, via Geistown. In 1929, the company expanded its bus routes with the acquisition of the Southern Cambria and the Beaverdale and South Fork bus lines after the Southern Cambria Railway folded. With more and more bus routes being added, the traction company, in 1936, saw the need for closer control. On Jan. 1, 1937, the bus companies were merged into the parent firm. In 1938, Westmont residents requested improved service. The Inclined Plane, which carried vehicles for many years, was rebuilt to handle heavier loads, and bus service was initiated via the Inclined Plane to Westmont on an hourly basis.

World War II caused a transit boom. During 1941 and 1942, the company was able to purchase 14 used streetcars and 11 new diesel buses. It rebuilt much of the Southmont line, using rail from the old Somerset line, and replaced rail on the Franklin line. The Office of Defense Transportation ordered bus service cut 20 percent and bus and streetcar lines combined to save gasoline and tires. In August 1942, women began training to operate the buses.

During 1959, the last full year of trolley service, the company had 38 cars (16 PCCs, 18 Lightweights, 4 work), 27 trolley coaches and 45 buses. It operated 27.04 miles of streetcar lines and 7.7 miles of trackless trolley route. All rail operations were halted on June 11, 1960, and buses were substituted. Trackless trolley operations were terminated and converted to bus service in November 1967. The Johnstown Traction Company continued operating buses until December 1, 1976, when service was provided under a lease agreement with the newly created Cambria County Transit Authority. The Authority purchased all assets of the company the following year and the Traction Co. was dissolved.

We feel privileged to own the only Johnstown Traction Bus left in existence. There are several trolley cars from the Johnstown Traction Company at local Museums (Rockhill Trolley Museum in Huntingdon County recently refurbished their car and the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, PA, also has a car. Also the trolley Museum in Kingston, NY and the two CT trolley Museums have Johnstown Trolleys; Seashore Trolley Museum in Maine has a Trolley Bus). As I talked about yesterday, one of our fareboxes on the floor of the Museum is dedicated to collecting funds to repaint our Johnstown Traction Bus--it was used for the movie "The Good Shepherd" and remains in the colors/paint job from this movie. If you can't make it to the Museum to drop your donation into this farebox, please feel free to mail us your contribution toward repainting this bus in Johnstown Traction colors by sending it to Museum of Bus Transportation, 161 Museum Drive, Hershey, PA 17033 - earmark it for Johnstown Traction Repaint.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Fareboxes - The first farebox was invented by Tom Loftin Johnson in 1880 and was used on streetcars built by the St. Louis Streetcar Co. Early models would catch coins and then sort them once the fare was accepted or "rung up". The first practical mechanical registering farebox, developed around 1905 by the Johnson Farebox Company of Chicago, was for cable cars, trams and trolleys--with buses coming on the scene much later. These first registering fareboxes counted the money and gave the coins back to the driver or conductor to make change. The locked cashbox concept, introduced by the Cleveland Farebox Company, did not register the money but simply retained it under lock and key. These companies defined fare collection during the early part of the twentieth century and were merged during the mid 1930s with Johnson as the surviving company. Later models after World Ware II had a counting function that would allow the fares to be added together so that a total per shift could be maintained by the transit revenue department.

The Bus Museum has two fare boxes on the floor–the one closer to the older buses on the floor (and the park bench) is used for the general fund. The second fare box on the other end of the exhibit is used for a specific fund: to repaint the Johnstown Traction Company Bus back into its original colors. More on this subject tomorrow.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Monday, the start of a work week--here in the Susquehanna Valley where the Museum is located it is a little foggy this morning but to be near 50. We had three great days at the Museum. Friday was a busy day with two school groups coming through and of course, I hope some of you were able to come out and visit the Museum over the weekend for Community Days.

There is so much to see at the Museum and it is nice that there is always something new to see. Did you know that the Model Railroad Layout is now a year-round display. It is located on the lower level in the old "education" room. It is a great display--improved over last year--and a fun choice of children of ALL ages.

If you haven't been to the Museum in the while, then I hope you stopped by to checkout the Fitzjohn which is on loan to us from the Wolf Bus Company--I blogged about this earlier in the month. Enjoy your day and enjoy your week!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Wow - hard to believe March is halfway over--sure looking forward to the "goes out like a lamb" from the old saying as far as our weather is concerned. If you are looking for a way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon---even if you don't live close to the Museum, you can always visit out webpage (http://www.busmuseum.org) and peruse the collection, look through the pictures of past events and browse through our Gift Shop!

One of the biggest sellers in our Gift Shop are the books that we offer. So take the time to visit our Gift Shop online (http://www.busmuseum.org/GiftShop.html) and look at some of the titles. One of our more popular books is about the Flxible Company by Dr. Robert Ebert. It is pictured here. Another group of very popular books are the ones published by Arcadia Publishing--check out the ones we have listed online by author Ken Springirth (who was signing books at our last Spring Fling). If you don't already have a copy of these informative books, now is the time to get them. Enjoy your day!

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Model buses have long been a popular genre of childrens toys. The main makers in the 20th century were Corgi, Dinky, Matchbox, St. Petersburg, and Tootsie Toy. Some Japanese and other Asian companies also released models similar to those of Corgi and Dinky. Model buses were made of lithographed tin, pressed steel, aluminum, plastics, and even a few in cast iron. Look for condition, but also for real-life bus lines and city names stamped on the buses. Pressed steel, lithographed tin, and cast iron model buses generally fetch the highest prices.


The Museum is pleased to carry many bus models. Of course, our primary source for the “collector” type buses is Corgi. Did you know that the Corgi company was sold and have recently gone through a total overhaul? They are now owned by Hornby America and the Museum has already received an order from the new company. However, let me tell you that they are slow in revving up the models that were shown to be coming out by Corgi just before the buyout. But if you are patient—you will soon see these on our shelves. We are happy to be able to sell a Corgi model of one of our very own buses—the 1947 FLXIBLE 29B-47 7910 Capitol Bus Company 64. You can see the model on our Gift Shop Page (http://www.busmuseum.org/GiftShop.html) and order it through there. Unfortunately, most of the other models we received from Corgi are not purchased in the quantity that allows us to offer them online but if you visit our gift shop you can purchase them there.

Also, if you are a member and receive our “Musings” you will see we have a “resident” toy expert, Doug Campbell—who not only keeps us informed of new bus models available but does a great job in describing them for us with tips on the hobby of collecting. If you aren’t a member yet, please visit our Membership Page (http://www.busmuseum.org/Membership.html) and sign up today.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Do you know what is 12 weeks from today??? If you don't, I'll tell you. It is going to be the first day of our fantastic 2-day SPRING FLING. We are very excited about holding this for two days but it will be a lot of work....anyone who would like to volunteer to help cleanup or set up for the show should email us (thebusmuseum@yahoo.com) and let us know you are coming--whether it is for a day, a half day or a few hours, we can use the help. We need help getting the grounds prepared as well as cleaning up the inside of the Memorial Annex and setting up the tables.

For those of you that are in the area, this weekend (March 14, 15) is Community Days at the Museum and all admission fees are $5.00 (that is a half-price saving). The Museum displays more than 100 antique cars, motorcycles and, of course, buses in unique themed settings. The permanent collection of the car museum features “From Sea to Shining Sea” a stroll through the United States from New York in the early 1900’s through to San Francisco in the 1970’s. This exhibit highlights an early 1900’s machine shop, a 1930’s Art Deco scene, a 1940’s Gas Station and a 1950’s drive-in. The Museum also is home to an authentic Valentine Diner that was moved to the Museum from its original home in Wichita, KS, where it functioned as a diner through 1983. So why not take the time to visit YOUR museum and get a great deal on the entrance fee! In fact, why not bring the whole family!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Here is the Museum of Bus Transportation's Chevy Wayne School bus. It is a 1954 CHEVROLET/WAYNE from Central Dauphin Joint Schools 53. How did school buses come to be painted yellow??? Have you ever thought about that?

Most school buses were painted yellow beginning in 1939. In April of that year, Dr. Frank W. Cyr, a professor at Teachers College at Columbia University in New York organized a conference that established national school bus construction standards, including the standard color of yellow for the school bus. It became known officially as National School Bus Chrome, later renamed "National School Bus Chrome Yellow". The color, which has come to be frequently called simply "school bus yellow", was selected because black lettering on that hue was easiest to see in the semi-darkness of early morning and late afternoon.

The conference met for seven days and the attendees created a total of 45 standards, including specifications regarding body length, ceiling height, and aisle width. Dr. Cyr's conference, funded by a US $5,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, was also a landmark event inasmuch as it included transportation officials from each of the then 48 states, as well as specialists from school bus manufacturing and paint companies. The conference approach to school bus safety, as well as the yellow color, has endured into the 21st century.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The name Pierce-Arrow was once one of the most recognized and respected names in the automobile industry. For 38 years, the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company in Buffalo, New York, produced some of the finest automobiles made. At the time, Pierce-Arrows could be found anywhere the rich and powerful worked and played. For over 20 years, Pierce-Arrow supplied cars to the White House for the use of the President. They also sold cars to the royal families of Japan, Persia, Saudi Arabia, Greece, and Belgium. Scores of congressmen, ambassadors, governors, businessmen, and entertainers chose Pierce-Arrows for their transportation.

The Pierce-Arrow was a United States based company from 1901 to 1938. Pierce-Arrow is best known for their expensive luxury automobiles; but they also manufactured commercial motor trucks, fire trucks, bicycles, and and buses.

The ancestor of Pierce-Arrow was the George N. Pierce Company, founded by George N. Pierce (1846-1911) of Buffalo, NY, which made various products including bicycles and bird-cages. In 1901 he started the George N. Pierce Motor Company, producing a small single-cylinder engine automobile, the Pierce, with some modest success. In 1903 he decided to concentrate on making a larger more luxurious auto for the upscale market, and the Pierce-Arrow was born. This proved Pierce's most successful product, and these solidly built cars with powerful engines gained much positive publicity by winning various auto races. In 1908 Pierce Motor was renamed The Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company.

In 1909, US President William Howard Taft ordered two Pierce-Arrows to be used for state occasions, the first official automobiles of the White House. Through 1914 Pierce-Arrow also produced a line of motorcycles. In 1928 Studebaker acquired a controlling interest in Pierce-Arrow, although the two companies continued to maintain separate engineering and production facilities. Studebaker sold out their interest in Pierce-Arrow to a group of Buffalo businessmen in 1933. Starting in 1936 Pierce-Arrow produced a line of camper-trailers, the Pierce-Arrow Travelodge. In 1938 Pierce-Arrow was declared insolvent and the company was liquidated.

The Museum of Bus Transportation now has in its possession the 1929 Pierce Arrow that hauled Lowell Fulson & His Band around in the film Ray, which depicted the life and times of R&B musician Ray Charles. The Pierce Arrow was donated to the Museum by Robert Walsh, Indianapolis, IN. Pierce Arrow made only a few buses, all body-on-chassis units

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Did you know that the Museum of Bus Transportation has the largest collection of buses on display under one roof in the US? Our antique buses are complimented with a colorful display of authentic bus memorabilia including bus station signs, bus stop signs, historical photographs, toy and model buses and other interesting items from these decades.

Of course, we don’t have the room to display all of our buses at one time but a few years ago we were blessed to be able to purchase a building on approximately 2 acres of ground that is actually (as the crow flies) a stone’s throw distance from the present Museum location. We are currently looking into whether or not we can build an extension or additional shelter for the extra buses we have stored outside. This, of course, does not come without a price. In the last Musings, we included an envelope for those of you who are able to help us through these tough times. Your donations are tax deductible because we are a 501c(3) corporation. Please take the time now write us a check if you can and earmark it for BUILDING FUND. Send it in the self-addressed envelope or mail it to Museum of Bus Transportation, 161 Museum Drive, Hershey, PA 17033. You can also make a donation by using our PayPal account and sending the money through to thebusmuseum@yahoo.com. Thank you for any help you can give us in this matter. Further details about our building will be in another blog.

Monday, March 9, 2009

A special feature of our Museum has been the installation of a TIMELINE along our back wall. Bob Smith has done an extraordinary job in researching and then having produced this beautiful addition to our museum. Most of the timelines have been paid for with donations in Memory of loved ones. Bob has recently had the decade of the 1990's completed and installed. There is so much information on these timelines that we have contacted a publisher and it will soon be available in book form....further details will be upcoming in a later BLOG. So keep on watching the blogs for information. A sample of one of the timelines is pictured here.

A nice piece of history about the Rosa Parks bus is included in the timeline and the Museum of Bus Transportation celebrates Black History Month every February with a special handout about this bus. Even though we are already into March--make a note to visit us NEXT February and ask for a copy of this special handout.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

What a nice thing to do on a Sunday afternoon--pack up the kids and your spouse/significant other and head for the Museum! Yes, we are open on Sunday--9 to 5 pm and it is a wonderful venue for people of all ages. Why not invite Grandma and Grandpa along so they can reminisce about the "old days".

Another nice thing to do on a Sunday afternoon when you have some free time is to VOLUNTEER at the Museum. We are always looking for people to be on the floor and we get a large amount of families on Sunday afternoons. In 2008, we had a total of 14 different volunteers (and please note, they are not just Board Members!) who decided to help us out up close and personal with the buses. AND, they are not just local people either--they come from as far away as Baltimore, the Philadelphia suburbs, and New Jersey! These 14 volunteers put in a total of 1,136.5 hours--that is quite an accomplishment! If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact Oliver Ogden (seojogden2@aol.com) and he will be happy to fill you in on the details of signing up as a volunteer with the Museum. We also have several volunteers who help out at the Memorial Annex, either working on buses or working on the grounds--yes, folks, we have approximately 2 acres of grounds to keep up and during the summer months, that means mowing the grass and keeping after the weeds! So there is always something to be done. If you would like to volunteer at the Memorial Annex, please contact Dan Lehman, Fleet Manager (icarrythelight4god@msn.com) and he can give you the schedule for the upcoming season.

Several of our newest volunteers stepped up to the plate after our Annual Meeting in October and we want to say a big thank you to them for doing that! Remember, this is YOUR museum! We are all volunteers and we always need more help. Spring and better weather is on its way (did you remember to turn your clocks ahead?) and these two areas give you an excuse to get out!

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Our newest bus on the floor on the Museum is a 1951 Fitzjohn on loan to us by Wolf's Bus Lines, Inc. of York Springs, PA, a very respected Pennsylvania charter and tour operator who bought the vehicle new in 1951. It was operated in local service from Carlisle to Mechanicsburg and in local service around Carlisle through the late 1960s. They restored the vehicle and are proud to loan it to us.

Fitzjohn buses were manufactured in Muskegon, Michigan, from 1927 until 1958. During the period in which they were built, deliveries were made to various transit and intercity properties all over the US. Some rather large deliveries were made to Mexican and Canadian operators as well.

Fitzjohn's intercity buses were operated by various members of the National Railways Bus System but we have no records of any of them running in Greyhound fleets. They were, perhaps, more famous for their city buses such as the model FTG that we have on display. City buses, produced by Fitzjohn, were low-cost, low-maintenance, and affordable buses. A lot of their repeat business was with Western Pennsylvania operators, especially in the greater Pittsburgh area.

Prior to the creation of the current Port Authority in Pittsburgh in the early 1960s, there were 28 private bus companies offering transit services to various areas in Pittsburgh and vicinity. Most of them had Fitzjohn buses in their fleets--with varying engine types (Fitzjohn offered gas or diesel powerplants by several engine manufacturers). They were common sights on Pittsburgh streets. Hope you have a chance to visit the Museum while this restored bus is on the Floor? If not, then take the time to visit us. We are open 7 days a week, 9-5 pm.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Friday, the beginning of a long weekend for some people--have you planned out your vacation for this year yet? If not, try to include at least a long weekend at the Museum. There is so much to see/do in this area that it would be a treat for the whole family. Of course, you should begin your vacation with a visit to the Museum of Bus Transportation. Did you know that the Museum of Bus Transportation is located in the lower level of the AACA Auto Musuem which not only displays one of the nicest vintage car displays in the country, but is also the home of the Museum of Bus Transportation AND the Antique Motorcycle Club of America. The Motorcycle Club was added in the last half of 2008 and is a wonderful addition to the Museum. They are housed on the same lower level at the Bus Museum and feature 30-40 rare antique motorcycles! The Museum also houses a REAL roadside Diner! All this under one roof. Hershey, of course, is a premier location for a vacation with all the wonderful CHOCOLATE sites available.

Within easy driving distance is also the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg (http://www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org/index_1.php) which gives a unique perspective of this event by showing both the north and the south’s view of the war! So when you’re planning your 2009 get-away, plan on visiting the Museum of Bus Transportation in beautiful Hershey, PA (http://www.hersheypa.com/).

Our location is also only 40 minutes away from Amish Country and Lancaster County (http://www.padutchcountry.com/) which is full of wonderful attractions and shopping. If you are into transportation, a great place is Strasburg and all their Railroad related stops. ENJOY!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Good morning everyone. Nice bright sunshine on the East Coast today but the temperature is only 15 degrees!

Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead on Sunday morning as Daylight Savings Time returns early this year.

Have you noticed the photo I used on this page? It is our Red-White-Blue political bus that was donated by Gant Redmon and his wife several years ago. It is pictured here all decorated for our 2008 Spring Fling. This bus is a 1953 GM TGH 3201 and has a huge political history. We are proud to own it. The bus was involved in practically every Republican campaign held in Virginia from 1967 until 2002, which included local, state and national elections. We have photos of it in the 1968 Richard Nixon Presidential campaign. The bus also has quite a social pedigree: it was on National Television the morning after the opening of the Gala at the Kennedy Center in 1971, having borne an entire party from the home of one of the Committee members to the red carpet under the TV lights. During the Nation’s Bicentennial Celebration on July 4, 1976, the bus had a pole position next to the Washington Monument (in the parking lot next to the Tidal Basin near where Fannie Fox leaped in after a hasty exit from the car of Wilbur Mills), where it served as headquarters for a number of families all day right through the Beach Boys’ Concert in the evening. This is just a little bit of the history of one of our buses. Don’t forget to check it out when you come to the Spring Fling in June. It will be parked outside at our Memorial Annex.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Welcome to the Museum of Bus Transportation's blog! In this blog I will try to keep you updated on happenings at the Museum. We are located at 161 Museum Drive, in Hershey, PA, and our website is http://www.busmuseum.org/. We hope you will become a regular visitor to our website and to our blog. I am new at this, so please bear with me. Please make a note on your calendar for the next biggest event that we are hosting: June 5 and 6, 2009, will be our SPRING FLING. Admission is $2.00 (over age 12) which covers day parking (at the Museum), shuttle to the Spring Fling, entrance to both bus show (at the Memorial Annex) and flea market for both days! (Large vehicle overnight fee for parking at the Museum--no hook-ups.) Food and drink will be available. Main bus, auto, motorcycle, model train, and gift shop will remain open till 5:00 PM. Regular admission fees to the Museum apply. Museum of Bus Transportation members remain free when showing their Museum card. Spring Fling flea market hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, giving you time to visit the main Bus Museum (no fee for card holding members). All three floors of auto, bus and motorcycle displays and exhibits will be open to our guests. Museum closes at 5 p.m.