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Mercury Buses
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schoolbusdriver




Joined: 12 May 2011
Posts: 31
Location: Horseheads, New York

PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 9:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

schoolbusdriver wrote:
Just received the following email which I think clarifies my missgivings about the text from the picture I posted about Mercury Buses ---


I have found an old newspaper story with quite a bit of info. I believe it answers your questions.

Whitfield carriage co-bankrupcy in 1933.

Wetmore bought.

Fire destroyed machinery and stock. Leased the old Penn Yan Boat company plant on Liberty St “now specializing in school buses” (unclear to me if Wetmore made buses or Penn Yan Boats). At one time the plant built 80% of buses in NYS. When bus construction was halted during the war, the firm built wooden truck bodies for army. Sept 1945, Mercury Aircraft bought stock and equipment and moved it to Hammondsport, NY

Carl Kreutziger worked for Whitfield from 1928 and had learned his trade as a “trimmer” in Pontiac, Michigan. He became plant superintendent when Wetmore bought place. He worked for Mercury Aircraft when they bought plant. Mercury abandoned this phase of their business in 1947 with unfilled orders of 100 buses. Kreutziger organized Coach and Equip Sales co to fill those orders. Plant was on Champlin Ave. from 1949 until new facitlity at top of Brown St. Ext. was built. They currently operate a beautiful new facility on outskirts of Penn Yan village on RT 14A.



Lisa Harper

Administrative assistant

Yates County Genealogical & Historical Society



So, I was a little off (NOT THE FIRST TIME!!!) The text is accurate.






NO IT'S NOT ---- I was right!!!!! Mercury Aircraft bought PENN YAN BUS BODIES INC. -- NOT PENN YAN BUSES!!! -- THIS ARTICLE JUST FOUND:

http://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2011/Geneva%20NY%20Daily%20Times/Geneva%20NY%20Daily%20Times%201945%20Sep-Jan%201946%20Grayscale/Geneva%20NY%20Daily%20Times%201945%20Sep-Jan%201946%20Grayscale%20-%200046.pdf[/u]


Last edited by schoolbusdriver on Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:31 pm; edited 1 time in total
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schoolbusdriver




Joined: 12 May 2011
Posts: 31
Location: Horseheads, New York

PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 9:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I love it when it all comes together like it's supposed to!! The text in the picture from the Bus Museum is inaccurate ----



WETMORE PRESIDENT OF PENN YAN BUS BODIES



LOCATION OF PENN YAN BUS BODIES IN PENN YAN, NY



PENN YAN BUS BODIES FIRE --- October 24, 1941

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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 22278
Location: NEW JOISEY

PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 12:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

schoolbusdriver:

You are to be HIGHLY COMMENDED for your DILIGENT and OUTSTANDING research work!

Talk about a PROFESSIONAL job!

Well done, my friend!

NYO
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schoolbusdriver




Joined: 12 May 2011
Posts: 31
Location: Horseheads, New York

PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So I guess now I will put the story of Mercury Buses, Penn Yan Bus Division of Hammondsport, New York into proper perspective I hope.

In 1945, Mercury Aircraft purchased Penn Yan Bus Bodies Inc. of Penn Yan, New York.

Penn Yan Bus Bodies was located on Liberty St. in Penn Yan and was formed when Whitfield and Sons Coach Builders of Penn Yan went bankrupt in 1933.

Whitfield and Sons Coach Builders of Penn Yan, New York had been building coach and bus bodies since 1885.

Willet Wetmore bought the bankrupt Whitfield and Sons Coach Builders and leased property from Penn Yan Boat Co. on Liberty St. in Penn Yan, New York to form Penn Yan Bus Bodies Inc. of which he was president.

In 1941, Penn Yan Bus Bodies Inc. was seriously damaged in a fire which may have lead Willet Wetmore to seek a buyer of remaining equipment.

This is where Mercury Aircraft steps in according to the 1945 article from the Geneva Times, and purchases remaining equipment belonging to Penn Yan Bus Bodies Inc. of Penn Yan, New York. They opened a new facility in Hammondsport -- Mercury Buses, Penn Yan Bus Division and built school buses using techniques borrowed from aircraft manufacturing. Their buses used aluminium framing and bodies incorporating Mack, Brockway, Dodge, and Ford chassis. From 1945-48, 250 to 300 school buses were produced.

Karl Kreutziger, sales manager of Mercury Buses, bought the Penn Yan Bus Division in 1948 to fulfill Mercury's contract for 100 unfinished Mercury Buses. From that purchase, what was to become Coach and Equipment Mfg. was formed.


Last edited by schoolbusdriver on Tue Oct 18, 2011 6:21 pm; edited 1 time in total
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 22278
Location: NEW JOISEY

PostPosted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 12:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

schoolbusdriver:

Again, MANY THANKS for your tremendous and dilgent research on this truly fascinating topic!

Both EDUCATIONAL and INTRIGUING!

Thanks again!

NYO
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frankie



Age: 77
Joined: 01 Feb 2011
Posts: 745
Location: St. Peters, Mo.

PostPosted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 9:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ditto !

Frankie
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schoolbusdriver




Joined: 12 May 2011
Posts: 31
Location: Horseheads, New York

PostPosted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

frankie wrote:
Ditto !

Frankie


Frankie, NYO2629, JimmiB, and Mr. Linsky --- Just want you all to know that I appreciate your comments. You also owe highwayhauler (Vern) a thank you for it was he that brought me to frankies post. Being a genealogist, I love this kind of stuff, and I thank Frankie for allowing me to use his picture, and have fun doing this ---

I hope that all who come upon this thread in the future realize the significance here. Had Frankie not posted that plaque, Mercury Buses would still be a "lost" coach-builder.

thank you -george
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 3:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

schoolbusdriver,

Thanks - it was a pleasure to help!

P.S.; I'm still looking for an answer on how the sealed windows worked.

Take care,

Mr. 'L'
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 22278
Location: NEW JOISEY

PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 12:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

schoolbusdriver:

As per your request during our fascinating discussion on school bus history via phone last evening, I am posting several links showing vintage views of transit coaches then operating in New Jersey, equipped with school bus flashers.

PSNJ (TNJ), and many area "indy" companies would attatch large school flashers (and often affix "SCHOOL BUS" signs front and rear) to transit coaches, to be used on school runs.

After morning sessions, the buses returned to their normal assignments, still wearing the flashers, which, of course, would be used for the home-bound runs.

I recall this very interesting operation lasting into the early 1980's.

Would be interesting to know if this was unique to NJ, or, was it done elsewhere?

Have fun!

NYO

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?118

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?1483

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?1500

http://www.davemackey.com/psct/p324.html
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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 1:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

All,

I believe that New York State required at least the one special red signal on both the front and rear of any bus used for school purposes that was not purpose built as can be seen below on a Schenck Transportation TDH 3612 working a school route in Nassau County.

New York City was exempted because its population was greater than specified in the requirement.

Photo from the Schenck family collection via Getty Images.

Regards,

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York

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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 22278
Location: NEW JOISEY

PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 8:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr. "L":

Thanks for sharing that truly charming and nostalgic scene......sure would have made for a nice Christmas card!

I also see that the flashers were more "compact" than those used in my home state of "Joisey"!

So much diversity in our hobby, back in the day!

NYO
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 22278
Location: NEW JOISEY

PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 8:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hoboken, NJ, 1972.....

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?1499
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 22278
Location: NEW JOISEY

PostPosted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

All:

As I had stated earlier, the practice of using transit coaches for part-time school service ended in New Jersey sometime in the early 1980's, about the time NJT took over TNJ, and a number of other idependent carriers.

This practice certainly could not be revived, as today's transit buses are NOT equipped with ANY emergency doors!

Windows that swing out at the bottoms and pop-top roof vents now take the place of the "traditional" emergency exit, which have not been seen on any new transit coaches built in the US since the 1970's.....

NYO
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 et al,

I don't know as the present transit configuration wouldn't be as safe if not more so than the traditional school buses with only a rear escape door.

If a school bus is hit squarely in the rear it could well render that auxiliary door as useless!

With virtually every passenger window on modern transit buses built to be kicked out along with roof hatches, I think it gives many more opportunities for rapid egress in an emergency especially in situations where the bus winds up on its side (as we've seen so many times with purpose built school buses).

BTW; I think the latest LAUSD buses do have roof hatches.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'
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JimmiB



Age: 81
Joined: 19 Apr 2011
Posts: 516
Location: Lebanon, PA

PostPosted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Back in the late 60's the Reading (PA) School District had only one bus of their own, an old Brill that they used for field trips. They contracted with Reading Bus Co. for all their daily school runs. We ran these with school bus signs front and rear, but no warning lights except 4 way flashers. Try getting cars to stop for that! Most of our drivers (myself included) used to turn the bus to block as much of the street as we could.
In this picture (yes, Mr. L, thats fleet #800, ex-Green Line) you can see that above the roll sign there are two hooks. Under the sign there is a twist-to-lock bracket on the driver's side and a spring loaded catch fastened to a chain on the other side.


Cropped from a photo by Mr. L.
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