# Happy Birthday Greyhound: 100 Years on the Road



## Swadian Hardcore (May 21, 2014)

*PASS THAT TRUCK! PASS THAT TRUCK! PASS THAT TRUCK! PASS THAT TRUCK! PASS THAT TRUCK!*

*[SIZE=150pt]GO[/SIZE]*​*[SIZE=150pt]GREYHOUND[/SIZE]*​*[SIZE=70pt]**********[/SIZE]*​*[SIZE=70pt]CELEBRATING[/SIZE]*​*[SIZE=70pt]100 YEARS[/SIZE]*​*[SIZE=70pt]**********[/SIZE]*​*[SIZE=70pt]1914-2014[/SIZE]*​


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## Swadian Hardcore (May 21, 2014)

It's been a long time, Greyhound! 100 years on the road! Passing trucks every day. That's just one of the characteristic "Greyhound things" developed over the years. Hupmobile to Big D. Dirt trails to controlled-access highways. Gasoline engines to turbocharged diesels. Body-on-frame to platform integral. Spring suspension to air suspension.

Contributions that Greyhound made in large scale to the bus industry and the travelling public:

Integral Buses

Restroom-Equipped Buses

Air Suspension

Diesel engine

Turbocharger

Aftercooler

Oversized fender skirts

High-mounted radiator

Underfloor cargo hold

Unintrusive wheel wells

Automatic transmission

Unified national bus system

And Many More.....

*AMERICA'S BUS LINE FOR 100 YEARS*​*GO GREYHOUND **AND LEAVE THE DRIVING TO US!*​


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## Swadian Hardcore (May 21, 2014)

DID YOU KNOW?

THAT GREYHOUND WAS ORIGINALLY FOUNDED BEFORE THE FIRST INTERCITY BUS WAS PRODUCED?

THAT ONE OF GREYHOUND'S CO-FOUNDERS TEMPORARILY LEFT THE COMPANY TO FIGHT IN WORLD WAR I?(it was Ralph Bogan)

THAT THE NAME "GREYHOUND" WAS NOT THE COMPANY'S ORIGINAL NAME? (it probably started from the Fageol Safety Coach)

THAT GREYHOUND SUFFERED REDUCED SPEED LIMITS TO SAVE FUEL AND RUBBER IN WORLD WAR II, BUT STILL MADE LOTS OF REVENUE?

THAT GREYHOUND PIONEERED THE WIDEBODY 102-INCH BUS IN 1967 BUT IT WAS DISCOUNTINUED AFTER BEING RESTRICED FROM MOST HIGHWAYS? (that was the MC-6)

THAT THE GREYHOUND CORPORTATION USED TO OWN DIAL SOAP AND ARMOUR MEAT BUT THE CORPORTATION ACTUALLY SOLD ITS BUS LINES AND CHANGED TO BECOME DIAL CORPORTATION?

THAT GREYHOUND LOST RIDERSHIP FROM 1983 UNTIL 2005 AND IS NOW ONE OF THE FASTEST-GROWING TRANSPORT PROVIDERS IN TERMS OF RIDERSHIP?

THAT GREYHOUND HAS SURPRESSED OVERBOOKING?

THAT GREYHOUND IS ONCE AGAIN EXPANDING THEIR LONG-DISTANCE AND RURAL SERVICES?


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## Swadian Hardcore (May 21, 2014)

And of course, how could I forget?

Air Conditioned Buses!

And if you still think Greyhound buses are dirty and smelly, they're greatly improving on that, for sure!


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## rickycourtney (May 21, 2014)

Actually according to Greyhound's twitter account the centennial celebration was back on May 9th.


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## Swadian Hardcore (May 22, 2014)

rickycourtney said:


> Actually according to Greyhound's twitter account the centennial celebration was back on May 9th.


Yes, the celegration was on the 9th, but today is the exact date, as reported by many news agencies.


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## railiner (May 22, 2014)

Some of the Greyhound acquistion's in its early years actually go back much further in time in their origins....back to the stage coach lines in the west in the 19th century, in fact...


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## Swadian Hardcore (May 22, 2014)

railiner said:


> Some of the Greyhound acquistion's in its early years actually go back much further in time in their origins....back to the stage coach lines in the west in the 19th century, in fact...


I guess we're just counting it from Wickman's Alice-Hibbing Taxi. But I know they went on an acquisition spree in the 1920's.


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## railiner (Jun 4, 2014)

We had a great treat at The Port today....parked on gate 61 for all to tour was No. 6159, rebuilt as a "Mobile Museum"....It has wraps all around with images of Greyhounds history, buses, uniforms, etc...

Inside was a museum quality display of mannekins in four different former driver's uniforms, a display of depot signs, clocks, model and toy buses, timetables, advertising, pamphlets, historic photo's, driver's cap badges, ticket punches, and safety award patches and 'jewelry'. There were video's, and the old "Go Greyhound, and Leave The Driving To Us" jingle playing over the speakers....There was a lot more crammed into the limited space. The coach was equipped with independent rooftop A/C units. All in all very nice!

I took some photo's on my phone, but sorry, don't know how to post them.....

The historic fleet is now in Atlantic City, and is scheduled to be at Met Life Stadium, in East Rutherford, NJ on Saturday, for public display, along with the Mobile Museum...


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## The Davy Crockett (Jun 5, 2014)

I can't believe I'm posting something about 'The Hound,' but this article at theoldmotor.com, with pictures of some old Hounds, fits nicely with railiner's post.


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## railiner (Jun 6, 2014)

The Davy Crockett said:


> I can't believe I'm posting something about 'The Hound,' but this article at theoldmotor.com, with pictures of some old Hounds, fits nicely with railiner's post.


Well I am glad you did....thanks for the link!

If you are interested in antique cars, you should come to the Antique Auto Museum in Hershey, Pa. and see their splendid collection. And while you're there, see the Museum of Bus Transportation, located in their lower level...this Saturday is the annual "Spring Fling"...see http://www.busmuseum.org/Bus_Museum/Welcome.html

As for the lav and buffet on that ACF-Brill.....Southeastern was always an innovative Greyhound Division, experimenting with these early premium type services thru the years.

In the late fifties, they innaugurated "Golden Greyhound" service, using specially furnished GMC PD-4104 "Highway Traveler's", with similar service on Limited shedules on their premier Cincinnati to Miami run....


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## The Journalist (Jun 6, 2014)

Intercity buses, soap, and canned meat has to be one of the oddest combination of things a company could do.


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## railiner (Jun 6, 2014)

The Journalist said:


> Intercity buses, soap, and canned meat has to be one of the oddest combination of things a company could do.


The old Greyhound Corporation's holding's in their early years, were mainly related to their primary business....the busline, travel service's, Post House restaurant's, etc.

Later they experimented with such things as Greyvan Lines, household movers, and Greyhound rent-a-car in some markets. They also owned Motor Coach Industries, which became their sole provider of buses, after Greyhound and General Motor's were "divorced" by the government. They had a few other related subsidiaries. like Traveler's Express money order's, Prophet Co, which catered employee cafeteria's at auto plants, and other institutions.

The first big move into diversification came in 1962, when they purchased Boothe Leasing Corporation, an industrial finance company that specialized in large capital items like jet airliner's, off-shore oil drilling rigs, etc.

Their biggest move came in around 1970, when they boldly acquired Armour-Dial Corporation which was larger than themselves. At the close of the merger, the Greyhound Corporation, then NYSE symbol 'G', was around number 27 on the Forbes 500 list of the largest corporations....right up there with the likes of Eastman Kodak and Xerox, who also faded....

The current Greyhound is a very small fraction of what it had once been before the eventual breakup.....


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## railiner (Jun 8, 2014)

Went to check out Greyhound's display at Met Life stadium yesterday....it was in the parking lot adjacent to a large flea-market (no puns, please  )...

The Mobile Museum was there, along with a new X-3. Greyhound ran their shuttle van there from the Port for employees to check it out.

On display were the original Hupmobile, the Mack, the Silversides, and the Scenicruiser. This event was staffed by an outside marketing company rather than Company employees. The staff had a very limited knowledge of what they were showing. At 2:30 PM, there were very few visitor's...perhaps just some folks from the flea market that just happened to notice the display. They did have a few souvenir giveaways.....

I am wondering how they publicised this event (I forgot to ask them), as I have not seen anything other than what was discussed on the web, or the mention in the GL historic website.....no wonder the low turnout.......


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## Green Maned Lion (Jun 8, 2014)

That's a damned good market, by the way. My best friend sells there.


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## railiner (Jun 8, 2014)

I didn't have time to check the market out, but it did appear very large and well attended, in contrast to the bus display....

When I was 7 years old, I dragged my mother to the old Pennsylvania Greyhound Terminal on 34th Street to see the (then) new Scenicruiser.

We had to join a line that stretched around the block. Those old PR people knew how to publicize things......we came by bus and subway from Queens.

Of course my mother then reciprocated, by dragging me around Macy*s......


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## rickycourtney (Jun 8, 2014)

That sounds like a nice display that Greyhound has put together... but it's a shame that they've staffed it with such unknowledgeable folks.

Doesn't Greyhound operate a whole museum where these buses are normally kept? It would have been nice to send a few of those people along for the ride to answer questions.

There is a page on the front of Greyhound's website that lists the stops for the tour. Amtrak does even less marketing for its exhibit train... but those stops are usually timed to take place during big community events.


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## railiner (Jun 8, 2014)

Of course Amtrak, and trains in general, have a much larger fan following than buses do......


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## railiner (Jun 8, 2014)

Ironically, on display in that Mobile Museum coach, were beautiful examples of some of the outstanding ad and publicity campaigns that Greyhound produced in its heyday, back in the 30's, 40's and 50's.....


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## rickycourtney (Jun 9, 2014)

Here's Greyhound's page on the "Greyhound Centennial Mobile Museum Tour"


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## railiner (Jun 9, 2014)

My point is...how many potential visitor's to that display will learn of it from that?

They need to run some newspaper ads, at least.......Even in the Port Authority Bus Terminal, I haven't seen anything promoting it.......


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## rickycourtney (Jun 9, 2014)

Very good point.

I agree a little advertisement would be good (social media strikes me as another high-impact, low-cost option.)


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## Swadian Hardcore (Jun 10, 2014)

Greyhound didn't just own the meat company, soap company, and leasing company, they also owned a pharmaceutical company, leather goods company, insurance company, financial services company, and IIRC, a construction-equipment company. Not a good idea because Greyhound lost focus on buses.

I do wish the Museum Tour had more knowledgeable staff, but then again, the knowledgeable people would be better off working on revenue buses than on the tour. For example, a master mechanic who could explain every detail of those old buses would be better off in a Maintenance Center fixing buses.

The Greyhound Museum is in Hibbing, but this Museum Fleet is stored in one of Greyhound's own Maintenance Centers, I think Los Angeles, so it would be two different things.

BTW, Greyhound ads abound on AU when I view it now. Good advertising if only they would put up "No More Overbooking."


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## railiner (Jun 11, 2014)

Greyhound Corportation had a lot of surprising holdings in their 'heyday'....besides what has been mentioned, they owned Premier Cruise Lines ("The Big Red Boat"), which pioneered the 4 day cruise/3 day Disney World combo, with Disney character's on board to entertain children. The Disney Company later decided to go into the cruise business themselves, and severed their relationship with Premier. Another major holding was Starboard Cruise Ship Services, which dominated the concession's on most major cruise ships of various different lines for on board shopping. And then there was Aircraft Services International, a major player in ground support personnel at several airports serving mainly those carriers which did not have enough flights to support having their own.. They also owned a company that provided setups and displays for varous types of trade conventions. The list is almost endless.....

Greyhound in its own way suffered the same fate as many railroads did at one time....the finance people in the organization decided that they would take from the busline, and instead of putting it back to make it bigger and better, they would instead bleed it and put the money into what they saw as more lucrative and profitable businesses....they created an umbrella 'holding corporation' to accomplish this deed. The Penn Central is the best (or worst) example......


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