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30-461: Over the years, Twin Coach made transit buses , trolley buses , small delivery vehicles, Fageol six-cylinder gasoline/propane bus and marine engines, Fageol four-cylinder marine engines, and aircraft and truck components. The company was sometimes referred to as "Fageol-Twin Coach". The company was acquired by Flxible in 1955 and merged with it, but use of the "Twin Coach" name in marketing continued for

60-448: A baggage compartment. A minibus is designed to transport 16 or more passengers (including the driver) and is typically built on a small truck chassis." Generally, a transit bus will be 35 to 40 feet (11 to 12 m) long, with seats and standing room. Usually there are 30 to 45 seats, depending on length and interior configuration. If more passenger capacity is needed on a route, an articulated bus, 54 to 60 feet (16 to 18 m) long, or

90-412: A bus in public transit service. "Bus means a rubber-tired automotive vehicle used for the provision of public transportation service by or for a recipient of FTA financial assistance." FTA also adds that automotive means that the bus does not rely on external power sources for its motion; its motor and fuel or battery are contained in the bus. It defines public transportation service as "the operation of

120-431: A double articulated bus, can hold more seats; the connecting portion(s) can bend to aid making turns. Features of transit buses include: Modern transit buses are also increasingly being equipped with passenger information systems , multimedia, WiFi , USB charging points, entertainment/advertising, and passenger comforts such as heating and air-conditioning (in the early 20th century, no bus had cooling beyond opening

150-470: A few years, and the name was briefly revived (as a brand name only) in the late 1960s by a related company called Highway Products, Inc. Trolley bus production lasted from 1928 to 1951. Notably, the company's first order and its last were also its only export orders ever for trolley buses: eight vehicles for Manila , Philippines , in 1928 and four for Belo Horizonte , Brazil , in 1951. All other orders went to U.S. cities., none to Canadian cities. In

180-564: A portion of the original Twin Coach factory in Kent to produce products for his new company, producing small and medium vehicles primarily on government contracts, then purchased a portion of the factory in 1962. In 1968 Highway Products introduced a 25-passenger bus and sold it under the Twin Coach name as the TC-25. A 29-passenger TC-29 joined the lineup in 1969; the two models were sized identically, but

210-415: A private car, recognising the chief competitor to the transit bus in many markets. As they are used in a public transport role, transit buses can be operated by publicly run transit authorities or municipal bus companies , as well as private transport companies on a public contract or fully independent basis. Due to the local authority use, transit buses are often built to a third-party specification put to

240-488: A regional as well as operational basis; however, with the advent of global manufacturing, all of these types can be seen in the same location or country. Depending on local policies, transit buses will also usually have two, three or (for articulated) four doors to facilitate rapid boarding and alighting. In cases of low-demand routes, or to navigate small local streets, some models of minibus and small midibuses have also been used as transit type buses. The development of

270-571: A selection of 'dual-purpose' fitted buses, that is standard transit buses fitted with coach-type seating, for longer-distance routes. Sometimes transit buses may also be used as express buses on a limited-stopping or non-stop service at peak times, but over the same distance as the regular route. Fare payment is done via: and is done upon: Depending on payment systems in different municipalities, there are widely different rules with regard to which door, front or rear, one must use when boarding/exiting. For rear doors, most buses have doors opened by

300-417: A vehicle that provides general or special service to the public on a regular and continuing basis consistent with 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53." Another US agency further distinguishes a transit bus from those used in intercity travel, and called motorcoaches. "A bus is a motor vehicle designed, constructed and/or used to transport passengers. A motorcoach is a bus designed with an elevated passenger deck located over

330-473: The Wright StreetCar , often as part of bus rapid transit schemes. Fare collection is also seeing a shift to off-bus payment, with either the driver or an inspector verifying fare payments. A commuter or express bus service is a fixed-route bus characterized by service predominantly in one direction during peak periods, limited stops, use of multi-ride tickets and routes of extended length, usually between

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360-663: The midibus has also given many operators a low-cost way of operating a transit bus service, with some midibuses such as the Plaxton SPD Super Pointer Dart resembling full size transit type vehicles. Due to their public transport role, transit buses were the first type of bus to benefit from low-floor technology, in response to a demand for equal access public service provision. Transit buses are also now subject to various disability discrimination acts in several jurisdictions which dictate various design features also applied to other vehicles in some cases. Due to

390-733: The "Twin Coach" and Cortez Motor Homes until its bankruptcy in 1975. [REDACTED] Media related to Twin Coach vehicles at Wikimedia Commons Transit bus A transit bus (also big bus , commuter bus , city bus , town bus , urban bus , stage bus , public bus , public transit bus , or simply bus ) is a type of bus used in public transport bus services . Several configurations are used, including low-floor buses , high-floor buses , double-decker buses , articulated buses and midibuses . These are distinct from all-seated coaches used for intercity travel and smaller minibuses , for more flexible services. The US Federal Transit Administration offers some definitions of terms for

420-657: The 1930s and 1940s, Twin Coach was one of the largest producers in the very limited field of trolley bus manufacturing in North America. Until the late 1940s, only three other U.S. companies built more trolley buses: the Brill companies ( J.G. Brill and successors ACF-Brill and CCF-Brill), Pullman and St. Louis Car Company . Another builder, Marmon-Herrington , only entered the field in 1946, but eventually surpassed Twin's total. All told, Twin Coach manufactured only 670 "trolley coaches" – as such vehicles were commonly called at

450-639: The 1950s. For many years the Fageol 'Twin Coach' was used to take passengers from Canada to US (and back) via the 'Detroit-Windsor Tunnel' under the Detroit River. In 1955, the bus manufacturing operations were sold to Flxible , which was also based in Ohio. For a time, Flxible used the Twin Coach name – along with its own – in its marketing and some buses carried front name plates that gave both names and combined

480-633: The Highway Products division of Alco Standard declared bankruptcy in 1975, ending production. The Twin Coach company, based in Kent and founded in 1927 by the brothers William B. and Frank R. Fageol , sold its bus manufacturing operation to Flxible in 1953, and Twin Coach would go on to sell its marine engine division in 1958 after Louis J. Fageol (son of Frank) retired. Twin Coach consolidated its remaining aircraft fuselage and wing manufacturing in Cheektowaga, New York , and Joe Myers initially leased

510-638: The TC-29 had an extra row of seats instead of a rear door. The buses were powered by the Chrysler 440 . Joe Myers sold the company to Alco-Standard in 1970. Approximately 900 buses were built under the Twin Coach name before production stopped in October 1975, due to bankruptcy. Alco Standard's subsidiary Kent Industries bought the Cortez Motor Home line of products from Clark Forklift Company in 1970 and manufactured

540-629: The central business district and outlying suburbs. Commuter bus service also may include other service, characterized by a limited route structure, limited stops and a coordinated relationship with another mode of transportation. They may closely follow the routing of a conventional bus route but not stopping at every stop or not making detours such as into residential or commercial areas that conventional routes may take. [REDACTED] Media related to Transit buses at Wikimedia Commons Highway Products, Inc. Highway Products, Inc. , based in Kent, Ohio ,

570-466: The companies' two logos into one. By 1963, use of the Twin Coach name on buses had been discontinued. The marine-engine and aircraft divisions continued as Twin Coach. In 1958, after selling the marine division to Crofton Manufacturing Company of Los Angeles, the company moved its remaining production to Cheektowaga, New York . In 1962, the company's name was changed to Twin Industries. A portion of

600-481: The company called Highway Products produced a number of products, such as small Post Office vehicles, mobile post offices used in rural areas, small boats for military and commercial uses, missile launchers and a variety of other products. Production of a small bus, sold under the "Twin Coach" name, began in 1969. In 1970, the company was sold and became a subsidiary of the Alco Standard company, continuing to produce

630-510: The door steps to not trip and fall. Unlocked or open doors, will trigger a brake locking mechanism on the bus to prevent it from moving while someone could possibly be entering or exiting the bus, when the door is closed, the lock will release, this is mostly implemented on rear doors, not really on front doors, since the driver will be paying attention to the front door. Transit buses can be single-decker , double-decker , rigid or articulated . Selection of type has traditionally been made on

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660-470: The driver controls or patron (with touch-to-open, motion sensor or push bars). Most doors on buses use air-assist technology, the driver controlled doors, use air pressure to force them open, patron-operated doors, can push them open, however, the doors are heavy, so the touch-to-open or push bar mechanism, sends pressurized air to open the doors. Most doors will signify that they are unlocked and open with lights, this gives guide to those who are going up or down

690-569: The first such vehicle in the world was built in Europe slightly earlier, in 1939 (by Isotta Fraschini/Stanga in Italy). The company built only two articulated trolley buses, and each was marketed as a "Super Twin" model. Both were originally built as demonstrators. The 1940 unit was eventually sold to the Cleveland transit system and entered service there. The second was built as a gas -powered bus in 1946, but

720-478: The high number of high-profile urban operations, transit buses are at the forefront of bus electrification, with hybrid electric bus , all-electric bus and fuel cell bus development and testing aimed at reducing fuel usage, shift to green electricity and decreasing environmental impact . Developments of the transit bus towards higher capacity bus transport include tram-like vehicles such as guided buses , longer bi-articulated buses and tram-like buses such as

750-833: The manufacturer by the authority. Early examples of such specification include the Greater Manchester Leyland Atlantean , and DMS-class London Daimler Fleetline . New transit buses may be purchased each time a route/area is contracted, such as in the London Buses tendering system. The operating area of a transit bus may also be defined as a geographic metropolitan area, with the buses used outside of this area being more varied with buses purchased with other factors in mind. Some regional-size operators for capital cost reasons may use transit buses interchangeably on short urban routes as well as longer rural routes, sometimes up to 2 or 3 hours. Often transit bus operators have

780-430: The only articulated trolley buses ever built in North America by any manufacturer. Twin Coach also built motor buses (buses powered by internal combustion engines ). Fuels included at least gasoline and propane . Between 1927 and 1934 alone, the company built more than 1,100 motor buses, including 21 with gas-electric drive. Bus production continued through to the time of the company's acquisition by Flxible , in

810-557: The time – but sold them to 16 different cities (all in the U.S.), which equates to around one-third of all of the trolley bus systems ever to exist in the United States. Overall, the company's best customer for trolley coaches was the Seattle Transit System, which bought a total of 177, all between 1940 and 1943. In 1940, Twin Coach also pioneered the development of the articulated trolley bus in North America, although

840-515: The windows). In the US, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires space for passengers using a wheelchair, and requires easy access of the wheelchair onto the bus. The passenger information systems inside the bus came about both because of digital technology and to meet accessibility requirements. Some industry members and commentators promote the idea of making the interior of a transit bus as inviting as

870-532: Was converted into a trolley bus in 1948, leased to the Chicago Transit Authority and was sold to CTA in 1954. With both vehicles, the articulation joint allowed only vertical, not horizontal, movement. These two prototypes never led to any series production, so each remained unique. The 1948 Chicago vehicle is preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum . Until 1985, these two vehicles remained

900-445: Was formed by Joseph Thomas 'Joe' Myers in 1960 to manufacture truck bodies for specialty markets such as mobile post offices . In addition to mail trucks and mobile post offices the company also manufactured small boats for both military and commercial use, missile launchers and engines. The company diversified into small transit buses and motorhomes in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was sold to Alco Standard Corporation in 1970;

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