BusTalk

frankie · Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:30 am Post subject:

I believe that the Commodore Line was a sightseeing company in and around New York. Here's the same bus from a brochure that's currently on eBay and being that it's in New York City to me gives credence of this bus being a Penn Yan product. I still think that this bus was build by Mercury Aircraft using the Penn Yan name.

Frankie

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SIGHTSEEING-TOURS-NEW-YORK-COMMODORE-LINE-BUS-OLD-RARE-/360300169750

schoolbusdriver · Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 10:48 am Post subject:

schoolbusdriver · Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 2:53 pm Post subject:

An example of a "Penn Yan" bus by Coach and Equipment Mfg.

http://www.coachandequipment.com/safety.htm

schoolbusdriver · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 9:20 am Post subject:

Just off the phone with Traff Daugherty of the Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, NY. It has been a while since I have visited there,
but I seemed to remember seeing a model school bus in their museum.
My memory was right on, and guess what -- that model, measuring nearly
5 ft long, is a detailed depiction of a MERCURY BUS, specifically a school bus.

From 1946 -48, Mercury Aircraft produced between 250-300 school buses
utilizing aircraft construction --aluminium and riveted bodies. These were built on Mack and Brockway chassis under the name "MERCURY BUSES". These buses were made in the Penn Yan Buses Division of Mercury Aicraft. They only built school buses.

I also have sent two email inquiries and made one call to Mercury Aircraft.
All remain unanswered. I plan on making the 1 hour trip to Hammondsport to get some pictures of that bus model --- LOOK FOR PICTURES HERE!!!

In the meantime --- found this on FLIKR ----

schoolbusdriver

Been a busy morning! Called Mercury Aircraft again and spoke with a VERY helpful young lady named Laura Chandler. She sent me the following photos, minus the one that started this thread ----

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14024074@N05/sets/72157627870556234/with/6234324323/

Thanks Frankie --- hope this satisfies the quest.

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 11:37 am Post subject:

schoolbusdriver.....

Forgive me for not posting any comments.....I am far too busy mopping up the copious amounts of DROOL......(!!) Rolling Eyes

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shocked

EXCELLENT stuff, my friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very Happy

schoolbusdriver

schoolbusdriver · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 7:44 pm Post subject:

I have a feeling that this picture posted by Mr. Linsky in a Brockway Bus thread may be another picture of a Mercury Bus?????

JimmiB · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 12:04 am Post subject:

Way to go schoolbusdriver !!! Thanks to you we went from looking for a picture of a Mercury bus to having a whole collection. Nice searching.

schoolbusdriver · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 10:18 am Post subject:

schoolbusdriver · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 10:37 am Post subject:

There still seems to be a problem with the history of Mercury Buses as is written above. 1st is Penn Yan Buses of Penn Yan, NY never existed. So, if what the writer meant is Penn Yan Bodies of Penn Yan, NY, they were what was to become Coach and Equipment Mfg.

I was again on the phone to Coach and Equipment Mfg. and they assuured me that they (Penn Yan Bodies) were never acquired by Mercury.

The second thing that I find confusing is the supposed sale of the Penn Yan Buses division of Mercury back to Carl Kreutziger. Carl at the time of said sale was the sales representitive for Mercury buses? If this is true, what became of the Penn Yan Buses Division after said sale?

The two things I know for sure according to sources I have spoken to -- Penn Yan Buses did not exist prior to 1945 -48. It was the division name used by Mercury Buses. And, Coach and Equipment Mfg, known as Penn Yann Bodies from 1928 -48 was not a purchased or a part of Mercury -- that from source at Coach and Equipment.

schoolbusdriver · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 4:50 pm Post subject:

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.

frankie · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 6:24 pm Post subject:

Schoolbusdriver: Thanks for the great effort you put into for getting the information and documentation for this bus. Your time to research this along with correspondences are greatly appreciated and has indeed shed light on what would be considered a very obscured bus body company.

The "Highway Buses" on the builder's plate may have been in their original plans but looked like it never left the drawing board.

Frankie

schoolbusdriver · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2011 4:05 pm Post subject:

Some more pictures of the MERCURY BUS model at the Glenn Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 12:53 am Post subject:

Here's my question;

Some of the Mercury School Bus bodies shown above including the Margeson/Wood replica seem to have single window panes sealed in rubber.

Was it that these buses were air conditioned or was there some unique way of opening these windows that is not obvious to us?

BTW; the sealed window jobs really make the bodies look neat!

Regards,

Mr. 'L'