Trailways Buses 1936-2001 Photo Archive (Paperback)

by William Luke (Author) "Red Ball Bus Company of Enid, Oklahoma, was a sizable bus company in 1936 when this Beck-bodied Chevrolet was acquired..." (more)
Key Phrases: National Trailways Bus System, Continental Trailways, General Motors (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This exciting Photo Archive portrays the powerful history of the Trailways bus organization, one of the largest systems of independent motorcoach operators in the world. Today there are over 2,500 coaches operating in the Trailway system serving 500 destinations in 27 states, as well as Canada and Mexico. Through these historic photographs you can experience the enormous variety of bus makes and models used by the company, as well as many interesting and unusual designs. A book no bus lover should be without!

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Iconografix (October 23, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583880291
• ISBN-13: 978-1583880296
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,044,141 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reliving The Bus Years, March 12, 2002

By	"elliottrie" - See all my reviews

This book was a gift for my husband's birthday. He was a driver for Tamiami Trailways (before Continental bought them out) many years ago. It was his life-long dream from childhood. He was so thrilled to receive this gift. The photos were so very real. They were true to life. The information contained in the book was accurate. He has spent much time reminiscing about his driving years. Imagine how excited he was to see one of the very buses he drove in the book (it was a T2996 on page 102). The book has brought him much joy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nostalgic ride through the history of intercity bus travel, September 27, 2001

By	Roger Edwards (Norman, OK United States) - See all my reviews

This is far more than a picture book of Trailways buses; it is a gold mine for anyone fond of intercity bus travel or yearning to learn more about the history of the bus industry. The photo collection itself is superb -- prized as much for the historical value of background scenery as for the buses themselves. Through the captions, Luke delivers a remarkably detailed sumary of how Trailways evolved from a collection of small regional companies, to a national powerhouse (Trailways, Inc.), then back again. At the end are some reprinted Trailways schedules and promotional brochures from days of yore, further enriching the experience.

I was raised the son of a Trailways baggage handler, and spent many days viewing America from the rear of Silver Eagles emblazoned with "Go Big Red, Go Trailways," rolling out of Dallas to destinations from Denver to Destin, Omaha to San Antonio. But it wasn't until I finished this book that I had any clue of the rich and complex history of the Trailways organization, or that so many bus companies besides Continental (later, Trailways, Inc.) carried the Trailways banner -- and still do. The photos themselves brought back floods of memories of the diesel smell, the pay TVs in the terminals, sunrises along Gulf coast causeways, the red tail lights turning slowly across the gravel in some nameless Mississippi town at 2 a.m. -- all those images and and more for a kid travelling Trailways in its 70s and early 80s heyday. Anyone else who fondly recalls youthful Trailways trips will love this little book.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Right Ticket for Big Red, April 5, 2009

By	James Mancuso "Trainman Jim" (Perry,NY,USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a masterful job of covering how the buses used by the National Trailways Bus System (now the Trailways Transportation System) evolved from what were essentially passenger bodies mounted on truck chassis to the modern highway cruisers of today. It presents the (Greyhound)Scenicruiser look a like bus produced by Beck in Queen City Trailways, of which only 12 such buses were ever built followed by the more common offerings of GMC, American Eagle, and MCI. A well done book,.