MONORICONGH ' Wat eS a Sas November,1985Quality Railroad Books and Magazines We are commercial printers specializing in railroad hobby printing. Products: @ Newsletters @ Flyers & Tickets Services: @ Single & Multi-Color @ Small & Large Quantities @ Books & Booklets @ Typesetting & Design @ Magazines MOTOR COACH AGE VOL.XXXVII, NO. II ISSN 0739-117X Published by the Motor Bus Society. Dues are $20.00 per year. 24 page issues are $2.50; 32 page issues $3.50; 36 page issues $4.25, and 40 page issues $5.00 when sold as single copies. ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE ‘MOTOR BUS SOCIETY, INC. P.O. BOX 7058 ‘West Trenton, New Jersey 08628 Since its founding in 1948, the Society has had as its main purpose the collection and publication of information about the history and progress of the bus business inthe United States and Canada. Its membership includes representation of many phases of the industry as well as students and members of the general public with an interest in buses. @ Bookbinding (Gerald Sauer ‘ran Slivan Reg VieePresleetAt Large ALR Caselarar Ney Vie Presideat-New Ergand Robert G. Hussey Reg. Vee Presiden Donald, Wee Reg. Vee Pres Tack Rode iho Mekane on Mabattes (Gira rence Fred MeCulan Donald M Cefn Morne 8 Kee Vinge Coach News Conventions & MCA Advertsing Siena M Garay Lega Southen Gondran Prbleation Saar naid Wee Distore HimldGetebeimer ‘Tu Stehen Mt Gldman Moray S. Keamer John PeHorchek Donal NU Cin seiner Paul Semendinger FRONT COVER: Printed by: (215) 825-1223, Customers: © NRHS Chapters © Historical Societies @ Book Publishers @ Hobby Businessmen Allright you mugs, who forgot to renew my subscription to MOTOR COACH AGE Charlotte Transit System 1257, a T6H-4523A, is seen northbound on Tryon Street almost at Trade in the heart of Charlotte's "uptown" business district. Kevin Kelly describes Charlotte's transit history in this issue. Notor Coach Age CHARLOTTE KEVIN KELLY cuariotte!s transit history began in 1887, during the Gecade in shich the economy ef the eity and the vole Pisdnont region vas in traneition from agriculture to fsanufacturing. Even at that date, more than 40 years ffter the coming of the railroads, the seaccast tom of Videington eas still North Carolina's Largest city, the state's principal seaport having been the hub of ite fconony a= wells ‘Te population of Charlotte in the late 1880's vas only ‘bout 10,000, and the original horse ear Lines folloved obvious main’ corridors of travel Tracks were Iaid from the Southern Railway station dou the length of Yost and Rast Trade Street and Elizabeth Avenue to Tlawthorne Lane, a distence of 4 miles, and fron the Seaboard Air Line Htation along North and South Tryon Street. to Morehend Street, about 2! miles. Where Trade and Tryon Street cross is Independence square, thea az nov the focus of the “uptown” business district. Street railway service stisulated grovth of the eity by. raking residential devolopeent of outlying areas a possi~ bility. With plans for electrification in hand, Bivard Dilvorth Latta, vho vas one of the prineipal investors in the streetcar syston, bought 250 acres of faraland tothe South of town in onder to develop a "streetcar suburb” Horses pulled the cars until May 18, 1891, vhen the Charlotte Street Raileay Co. began electric streetear service aver both routes apd on en extension fron South Tryon & Norchond Streots along South Blvd. end Fast Blvd, to Latta Park. The carbarn vas located om South Blvd. al Bland Stroet, just south of Morehead. Additional electric Lines vere oon constructed. In the established inner part of the city were Tour loop Lines out from the Square and back agein, each naned according to the political district that ens served. The First Ward Line ren to the northeast, the Second Vard Line to the southeast, the Third Ward route to the southvest, and the Pourth Vard Line Looped northvect, North Tryon Street service vas extended well beyond the Seabonrd station and eventually reached orth Charlotte. The Morehead Street Line branched fron the Dilxorth route at South Blvd. & Morehead lo run east and then to describe @ loop through the Dilworth neighborhood. A small independent conpany buflt tie Plaza Line from Hew thorne Lane via Central Avenue end The Plaza to Mecklen~ burg Avenue; the Plaza Hailvay had just two atreetcars and ver not merged vith the main system until 1931. Finally the Charlotte Electric Railway, Light & Pover Co., char~ tered in January 1895 to succeed Charlotte Street Reilvay, constructed an extension into Myers Park (Like Dilvorth find North Charlotte outside the city Limits at that tine) from the Hawthorne Lane terninus via Oveans Rod soon after 1900. Myers Park was developed vith stately hones Style of living on the part of fasilies who were pros Pering with the growth of the local economy, end 1% i SUL one of the finest neighborhoods in Charlotte, Movenber, 1985 Duke Power Co. Janes Buchanan Duke, son of » Durham Zolaceo salesnan, made a fortune at an carly age by pat~ Ling together the American Tabuece combine in 1890, be~ fore the days of antitrust legislation and the income tax. Ne invested his money in the development of electric. power generation and distribution in the Carolinas, first by Setting up the Southern Pover Co. to build Aydroolectric generating plants and later by acquiring public utilities. In 1919 the Southern Public Utilities Co. vas incorpor: tod to continue these acquisitions, uhish vere accan— plished mostly by exchanges of stock. SPU was aot owned for controlled by J-B. Dake oF by Southers Poser, but the Activities of bath companies vere closely associated. Charlotte Electric Railvay (as ite nane hed becow in 1911) was acquired by Southern Public Utilities in 1913. Southern Power had alrendy bought Charlotte Fever Co. fand Charlotte Gas & Electric Co., which were turned over Southern Pover Co. also omed olectricity, gas, and street railuay companies in Greenville, end these also Sent into the Southern Public UUilities system at aa early date, SPU subsequently bought ott including the street railvays in Vinston-Salen and Ander~ son as voll as the Predecessor companies of the Piedmont Northern Railway Winon the orthern Division of the PRN vas built from Chartotte to Gastonia in. 1912, Charlotte elty streetcars operated over the inner 3} miles from the Mint Street Station to the town of Hosking, and Charlotte Electric Railvay appears to have actually held the franchise for thet part of the PEN. At of 1913, Charlotte Electric Rellvay reported oming 19 closed and 11 open cars which Mere operated aver 2! miles of Toutes with T ailes of ‘second. track: In 1924 the nase of en inactive construction subsidiary: of Southern Power was changed to Duke Pover Cou, vhich fequired control of Southern Public Utilities Urough an ‘exchange of stack in November 1925. North Carolina Pub Lic Service Co.y operating streetcars in Greensboro and High Point as voll as bases in Greensboro through sub- sidiary coupanies and also controlling the Salisbury & Spencer Railvay Co, vas purchased fron Generel Gao & Electric Co. in duly 1927. Certain properties of South Cerelina Gaz & Electric Co. including the Spartanburg trolleys were acquired at foreclosure in Decenber 1928. Thoreafter the only Duke Power acquisition of transit Interest involved the Durham Public Service Cozy par chased in December 1943, Although Duke Pover hed sone aspects of » holding com pany structure in its early years, its operating sub- sidiaries had all been merged into the parent company prior to passage of the Public UtiLity Holding Conpany Act of 1935. Southern Fover vas merged into Duke Power in 1927, ortn Carolina Public Service inte Southern Public Utilities in 1932, and SPU into Duke on May 2, 1935. Tho only remaining subssdsary that vas invelved in the transit business was Mill Pover Supply Cov, Page 3which among its various sotivities vas the purchasing Ieeney for the entire Duke Power operation. Bus Service Begun The first buses to be used anywhere in This netvork ran in Greensboro in 1924) Southern Pub= Lie Utilities seems to have purchased its first bus (a White) for service in Greenville during 1925. In Char= Lotte, the population alsost doubled between 1920 and 1530, tron 45,000 to 8},000, az textile manufacturing continued to grow and the city expanded by taking in surrounding territory. Still the population deponded fon the sane fev niles of streetcar Lines plus a fleet of Sidependently ovned and unroguiated taxicabs that had fall the business in the never neighborhoods. Duke Pover moved to eliminate its streetcar operations uring the depression, a2 did othor operators in the region. Anderson waz all-bus by 1934 and Spartanburg bby 1935; both Greenville and Greensboro ed. trolley coaches on the najor routes beginning in 1934, in both cases at the insistence of the city government, ond hot because the power conpany wanted then. The last Greenville streetcars ran in 1937. Buses vere not introduced to Charlotte until 1934, per haps in tho belief that an expanded transit systen sould ot pay because of the successful 1O-ceat taxicabs, and ‘the first bus Line vas eventually started because of the pressure of public demand, supported by the city council. Tt var a feoder Line connecting the end of the Dilworth car Tine vith Havthorae Lane via Nyers Park. Three Tvin Conch 23-5 buses comprised the original fleet, andthe route began operation on Septesber I, 1934 at’ the T-cent Streetene fares Tn Mareh 1996 Duke Power applied for perntesion to re- Dloce the Third Nard loop and part of the Fourth ara Tine with motor buses, vhich were to run over an extent ed route. Pour Sack (X's vers purchased to make this ‘change, and it vas quickly followed by a plan to substi~ tute bises for streetcars on the reneinder of the Fourth Word Line anton the Morehead Street Line, The city vas enthusiastic, and approval by the Utilitics Conmission wees prompt More C¥'s cane to town in August 1936 for the new route fand were joined ty larger Yack CO's in 1937 ax traftic Picked up. Suecesaful operation of these bus Lines as Nell as the favorable operating results in the cities That had gone over completely to buses and trolley~ coaches sean led to» proposal for an entirely nov sys Lact Charlotte Strostears Put before the Charlotte City council in the sunmer of 1937, the poxer company's plan called fer conversion of the Tosnining streetcar Toutes to buses, adding extensions and Lengthy neigh~ borhood loops, inaugurating entarely nev routes into recently developed residential sections, retaining the vo Linge started in place of atreetcars in 1936, and doing avay with the original feeder route so thet all Service vould run directly into the uptova area. 40 ‘unusual aspect of the plan was thet Hoskins streetcars vere to be replaced by a long one-vay Loop. The city [eve its approval to the change in October 1937, and the Utilities Conniseion aagented ao voll. Duke Poner ordered 39 new buses costing $275,000 for service in Charlotte ata tine when its combined notor Mack CH's d48-£52 in front of tho Duko Power carbarn, later bus garage, on South Blvd uring Nay 1936, before the start of bus service on the Third Nard line. Nore CH" and larger Co's vere added to the Charlotte fleet By the ond of 1937. “stack Page 4 Notor coach age Ready for delivery fran the Yellow Coach factory in Dacenber 1937 is one of 19 model 728"a; vith11 avaller 739" these buses streetcars during Harch 1938, bus fleet in all eight cities numbered only about 7: Vehicles, and invested another $75,000 ia other aspects Of the nédernization including renovations to the car bara ania payment to the eity in lieu of future street, peintenanee charges ‘The buses vere delivered early in 1938, and operators Mere quickly trained. The last full day of regular Streetear service vas Friday, March 11, with the new ius routes ll being inaugurated at once on Saturday 4A ceremonial “last run" vas nade vith streetcars dows Hast ‘Trade Street aid Elizabeth Avenue on arch 15, and that date is sonetives given as the Inst day ef Char~ Lotte etreeteara ‘The original Charlotte bus routes of 1938 are shown on the first map, to which route numbers bave been applied For convenience. Ra and 1! are the two that had bee Started in 1936, Note thet t was thought necessary to un three replacenont bus routes over the former Dil~ Worth car Line, In that era, not only ai@ all Charlotte (and all Duke Pover) buses have center doors and Jim Crow seating, but alae tvo Charlotte routes were laid out to serve black neighborhoods. (Second Vard-Biddle~ ville and First Ware-State Street). For easy identification of buses stopped In loading zones at the Square, « systen of route numbers vas SHeptod in 1939, at first displayed on rear vindow Gers end later on destination signe, Tho nunbor= were as follows: 1 Thonasboro-Hyers Fark 2 Midwood-Mealey Hoaghts 3. Selwyn avenue-Oakleva 4 Belmont-Dilworts 5 North Charlotte-Ditworth November, 1985 ‘played the najor sole in replacing Charlotta allow Blizabeth-Ditvorth Second Vard-Bidaloville Eastover-Southern Station East Norehead-Sesboard Station 10. First Mard-State Street 11 illoore-Loekwood Route nunbers were not the only change sade in the Charlotte bus aysten while it vas still new. The T= cent fare and comprehensive service pretty vell de- Stroyed the unregulated 10mcent flatefare taxicab com petition, se thet Duke Power had to increase bus ser vice. By Into 1938 the conpeny said there vere 56 buses in Charlotte, Unfortunately Duke Pover never did Snnounce how many buses vere on hand at the tine of the Streetcar conversion, but vith 11 routes in operation it 'must have been about 50. Loop Routes Revised Extensive changes to the system ‘of routes were nade when Vorld War II gasoline and tire Pationing forced still more customers onto the buses. The date of these revisions is not known, but all are shown on a system map dated 1943 (not reproduced here). Sone of the longest neighborhood loops vere modified, ‘the Thomashore Loop getting service sm both directions by extending Rt 8 from the Southern Railway station to f20 around the loop clockwise vhile KET continued to Fun counterclockwise. Rt 11-Wilnocre-Loekwood, prac tically entirely & loop operation, vas divided into Wwe routes, 11 and 12, The First Ward loop on Rt 10 vas Slininated and Rt 10 buses served the Midvood loop in Stead, vith Rt 2 extended beyond the city Limits to Oakhurst. Two of the four routes on East Trade Street (8 end 9) ere noved one black south to 4th Street, Re 5 still ran to Dilvorth, but Rt4 vas extended ovor Avondale Page 5