Carpenter Body Company
Encyclopedia
Carpenter Body Company, also known over the years as the Ralph H. Carpenter Body Company, Carpenter Body Works, Inc., Carpenter Manufacturing Company, Carpenter Industries, Inc., and Crown By Carpenter, was a bus
body manufacturer based in Mitchell, Indiana
, United States
. The majority of Carpenter bodies were used for school bus
es.
Founded in 1919, Carpenter produced its first bus in 1923. Carpenter's post-World War II success would lead it to become one of the "Big Six" major manufacturers of school buses in North America. After years of declining market share, Carpenter was closed in 2001 by its parent company, Spartan Motors
.
in 1919 by Ralph H. Carpenter, a blacksmith
by trade. He began his career building hauling wagons for two cement factories located near his southern Indiana hometown of Bloomington
. As his business grew, he began to expand into building horse-drawn "kid hack
s" with wooden benches to transport children to school. As horse-drawn wagons became obsolete, he adapted wagon bodies for automobile chassis. Carpenter's first true school bus was built in 1923. The first stop arms used on these buses were in the shape of a clenched fist with the index finger painted red. A combination of steel and wood replaced all-wood construction, and in 1935, a change to all-steel construction was made.
Throughout the next twenty years, the business prospered and Carpenter became one of the "big six" major school bus body builders in the United States, competing directly against Blue Bird, Superior
, Thomas, Ward, and Wayne
.
In the early 1980s, there was a decline in U.S. public school enrollments as the baby boom
generation finished their education and became older than school age; correspondingly, demand for school buses in the United States declined, a situation compounded by overcapacity in the bus body industry and the unstable economy. The company unsuccessfully attempted to diversify into the small transit bus
market. By mid-decade, Carpenter had entered into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Salvation came to the company in the form of an Indianapolis
-based industrialist, Dr. Beurt SerVaas, who led a refinancing and revitalization program to attempt to restore the role of Carpenter in the national school bus market. Major concessions came from the labor force and production of school buses continued.
During the 1980s, Carpenter would also make major updates to its product lineup. Carpenter's conventional-style school bus (the Classic) underwent body revisions in 1984 and 1986. While the Cadet Type B was one of the first small school buses (introduced in 1969), it was not until mid-decade that the company developed a Type A school bus (the Classmate), last among major manufacturers. The Corsair transit-style school bus, in production since the 1960s, was retired and replaced with the Cavalier. In 1991, the Cavalier was replaced by the Counselor FE and the Coach RE; the latter marked the beginning of the relationship of Carpenter with Spartan Motors
.
, a California-based manufacturer that had closed its doors two months prior. The original intent of the company was to restart production of the Crown Supercoach Series II under the Carpenter name, but the complexity of its design proved too expensive for mass production. However, a few of the Supercoach Series II's styling elements would influence the final design of the replacement for the rear-engine Corsair: the Carpenter Coach RE.
In 1996, Carpenter leased the former Wayne plant at Richmond, Indiana, relocating from its aged facilities in Mitchell. During this transition, Carpenter revised the body design of all of its buses; the changes included:
At the new location, Carpenter had the advantage of an experienced team. Both the leadership and workforce based at Richmond included a number of veterans of the former Wayne operations. As such, they brought considerable experience and knowledge of the plant and industry to the effort. In adapting to the equipment at the Richmond plant, a change to the techniques of welding the roof joints from the procedures used before at Mitchell would later prove vital in excluding Crown by Carpenter products from containing a crucial structural flaw. But that situation was not envisioned by anyone then and would only become an issue many years in the future.
One innovation that Carpenter introduced during this period was a change to the design of its "Crown RE", mounted on a Spartan Motors chassis. The Crown RE was the first rear-engine school bus to feature an option of a conventional rear emergency door instead of an emergency exit window typical on rear-engine school buses. To make this possible, the floor was slanted up in the last few rows in order to gain height over the engine compartment. Crown by Carpenter also produced a delivery truck loosely derived from its "Cadet" Type B school bus line.
In 1998, Carpenter was sold to Spartan Motors
, a Michigan-based manufacturer of chassis for fire apparatus and high-end recreational vehicles. Starting in the early 1990s with the Coach RE, Spartan had gained entry into the school bus industry through Carpenter; a prototype built for Wayne Wheeled Vehicles
never saw production. Nevertheless, major outside forces still to be faced were a supply of suitable chassis and the overcapacity of the body industry.
chassis. Its chassis featured full air-ride suspension and double frame rails for a ride similar to a motorcoach; a flat floor inside the bus was created from the double frame as well as from the fitment of smaller-diameter wheels (19" vs. the standard 22.5"). Unlike its Crown RE predecessor, the Chancellor RE did not feature an option for a rear emergency door, opting instead for a window emergency exit traditionally seen on rear-engine school buses.
The combination of the Spartan Motors chassis with the Carpenter Chancellor body resembled (in some aspects) the massive workhorses built in California by Crown
and Gillig in years past, many of which stayed in served for 25 years or longer. Only a single prototype was completed with a second bare chassis intended for display purposes. From all reports, the Chancellor was well-received, incorporating many components and features long desired by school bus operating and maintenance personnel.
In the context of the school bus industry, the Spartan Motors chassis was in reality a premium option, incorporating many of the features long sought in a school bus. However, there were several downsides to this approach which proved fatal to the effort. As one might reasonably anticipate, the extra durability came with added cost. Also, Spartan had been serving lower quantity and higher margin markets for similar products used for high-end Class A motor homes as well as fire and rescue apparatus. Although Spartan had entered the school bus market through supplying Carpenter (for nearly a decade), their production facilities were not geared up to produce a large volume under low pricing pressures, even though their products would have proved more durable in the long run. As such, Carpenter was no longer able to compete with AmTran, Blue Bird, or Thomas on price.
This was a familiar dilemma, the same one which earlier had helped seal the fate of the Crown
and Gillig coaches on the West Coast, as well as the entry of competitor Blue Bird into the mass-transit market
during the 1970s. It was also similar to the situation which faced HARSCO BMY
(parent company of Wayne Wheeled Vehicles
) operation some years earlier, where a lesser quantity of higher quality products (at a correspondingly higher price) had also been the plant's historical output.
On March 20, 2003 in Alachua County, Florida
, an 83-passenger Carpenter school bus rolled over onto its roof, causing the roof to collapse down to the seat level. At the time, no passengers were on board and the driver survived the accident. Later inspection of the vehicle revealed numerous broken and defective welds in the roof and pillar structure.
Inspections of Carpenter school buses in various parts of the country revealed cracked and broken welds in the roof structures. The problem was not confined to Florida where it was first found. It was determined that the defective welds could cause the roof to collapse in the event of a rollover. Not all Carpenter buses had the broken or cracked welds. The problem was confined to buses built at the Mitchell plant prior to its closing in late 1995.
Normally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would have conducted a full-scale investigation and if a defect determination were made, would have ordered the manufacturer to conduct a safety recall. However, since Carpenter was no longer in business, there was no one that NHTSA could hold accountable to develop a remedy for this problem.
However, NHTSA was concerned about this problem, and issued several advisories regarding certain Carpenter buses. NHTSA has indicated that virtually all of the production of Carpenter and Crown branded products from the Mitchell plant could potentially have the same flaw. Due to differences in construction techniques, Crown by Carpenter and Carpenter buses built at the Richmond plant from 1996 to 2001 were not included in several advisories issued. The School Bus Information Council offered additional information about Carpenter buses and the NHSTA advisory.
.
With the exception of "Classic", its Type C conventional and "Coach", its Type D rear-engine transit style (influenced by Crown Coach
), most Carpenter school buses derived their model names from themes in education (Classmate, Cadet, Counselor, Chancellor) while many transit-style Carpenters derived their model names from common team names (Corsair, Cavalier).
The Smithsonian Institution
's National Museum of American History
in Washington, DC has a thirty-six passenger school bus built by Carpenter Body Works in 1936 on a chassis made by Dodge
in 1939. The bus carried students to the grade school in Martinsburg, Indiana
from 1940–1946, and was owned and driven by Russell Bishop during that period. It was later used as a traveling grocery store until 1962.
The bus has a streamlined steel body painted double-deep or "Omaha" orange with black trim. It was restored by Carpenter in the early 1980s under the supervision of Ollie Eager, who was Carpenter's plant manager in 1936, and John Foddrill, who worked in the Carpenter plant in 1936. The bus has replacement seats that do not match the originals exactly. The originals were black upholstery.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
body manufacturer based in Mitchell, Indiana
Mitchell, Indiana
Mitchell is a city in Lawrence County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,567 as of the 2000 census.It is the birthplace of astronaut Gus Grissom, who flew on Liberty Bell 7, Gemini 3, and died in a launch pad fire at Kennedy Space Center in 1967....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The majority of Carpenter bodies were used for school bus
School bus
A school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events...
es.
Founded in 1919, Carpenter produced its first bus in 1923. Carpenter's post-World War II success would lead it to become one of the "Big Six" major manufacturers of school buses in North America. After years of declining market share, Carpenter was closed in 2001 by its parent company, Spartan Motors
Spartan Motors
Spartan Motors, Inc. is an engineering firm and manufacturer of custom-designed motor vehicle chassis and bodies. The company is based in Charlotte, Michigan with 870 employees and a net profit margin of 2.42% . It was started in 1976 by Charles Robert McManamey and a group of individuals whose...
.
Foundation
Carpenter was founded in Mitchell, IndianaMitchell, Indiana
Mitchell is a city in Lawrence County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,567 as of the 2000 census.It is the birthplace of astronaut Gus Grissom, who flew on Liberty Bell 7, Gemini 3, and died in a launch pad fire at Kennedy Space Center in 1967....
in 1919 by Ralph H. Carpenter, a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
by trade. He began his career building hauling wagons for two cement factories located near his southern Indiana hometown of Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
. As his business grew, he began to expand into building horse-drawn "kid hack
Kid hack
A kid hack was a horse-drawn vehicle used for transporting children to school in the late 19th and early 20th century in the United States. The word hack, meaning a horse-drawn cab, is short for hackney carriage. The vehicle was actually powered by both horses and mules, and usually loaded at the...
s" with wooden benches to transport children to school. As horse-drawn wagons became obsolete, he adapted wagon bodies for automobile chassis. Carpenter's first true school bus was built in 1923. The first stop arms used on these buses were in the shape of a clenched fist with the index finger painted red. A combination of steel and wood replaced all-wood construction, and in 1935, a change to all-steel construction was made.
1950s-1980: Reconstruction and Expansion
On March 12, 1956, a fire broke out inside Carpenter's Mitchell manufacturing plant. The plant was mostly destroyed. With the help of factory workers, the factory was rebuilt and expanded in just 89 days. During the reconstruction, some workers worked without pay until later compensated.Throughout the next twenty years, the business prospered and Carpenter became one of the "big six" major school bus body builders in the United States, competing directly against Blue Bird, Superior
Superior Coach Company
Superior Coach was once a school bus body and professional car manufacturer, but today it focuses on building hearses and is located in Lima in Allen County, Ohio.-History:-Garford Motor Truck Company:...
, Thomas, Ward, and Wayne
Wayne Corporation
Wayne Corporation was a large manufacturer of buses and other vehicles branded with the trade name "Wayne." The corporate headquarters were in Richmond, Indiana, in Wayne County, Indiana, in the United States...
.
1980s-1995: Bankruptcy and Dr. Beurt SerVaas
Baby boom
A baby boom is any period marked by a greatly increased birth rate. This demographic phenomenon is usually ascribed within certain geographical bounds and when the number of annual births exceeds 2 per 100 women...
generation finished their education and became older than school age; correspondingly, demand for school buses in the United States declined, a situation compounded by overcapacity in the bus body industry and the unstable economy. The company unsuccessfully attempted to diversify into the small transit bus
Transit bus
A transit bus , also known as a commuter bus, city bus, or public bus, is a bus used for short-distance public transport purposes...
market. By mid-decade, Carpenter had entered into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Salvation came to the company in the form of an Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
-based industrialist, Dr. Beurt SerVaas, who led a refinancing and revitalization program to attempt to restore the role of Carpenter in the national school bus market. Major concessions came from the labor force and production of school buses continued.
During the 1980s, Carpenter would also make major updates to its product lineup. Carpenter's conventional-style school bus (the Classic) underwent body revisions in 1984 and 1986. While the Cadet Type B was one of the first small school buses (introduced in 1969), it was not until mid-decade that the company developed a Type A school bus (the Classmate), last among major manufacturers. The Corsair transit-style school bus, in production since the 1960s, was retired and replaced with the Cavalier. In 1991, the Cavalier was replaced by the Counselor FE and the Coach RE; the latter marked the beginning of the relationship of Carpenter with Spartan Motors
Spartan Motors
Spartan Motors, Inc. is an engineering firm and manufacturer of custom-designed motor vehicle chassis and bodies. The company is based in Charlotte, Michigan with 870 employees and a net profit margin of 2.42% . It was started in 1976 by Charles Robert McManamey and a group of individuals whose...
.
Crown Coach acquisition
In May of 1991, Carpenter purchased the tooling and product rights of Crown CoachCrown Coach Corporation
Crown Coach Corporation was a manufacturer of school buses and fire trucks located in southern California. Crown closed in March 1991 due to declining demand for school buses at the time.-History:Crown Coach Corporation was founded by Don M...
, a California-based manufacturer that had closed its doors two months prior. The original intent of the company was to restart production of the Crown Supercoach Series II under the Carpenter name, but the complexity of its design proved too expensive for mass production. However, a few of the Supercoach Series II's styling elements would influence the final design of the replacement for the rear-engine Corsair: the Carpenter Coach RE.
1996-1999: Crown By Carpenter
As part of the 1991 purchase of the Crown Coach intellectual property, Carpenter inherited the rights to the Crown brand name. While the Crown-influenced Coach RE was not a success (its production lasting from 1992–1993), Carpenter used the Crown brand name in the late 1990s in an attempt to re-brand itself. Starting in 1996, all Carpenter buses were sold under the brand "Crown by Carpenter".In 1996, Carpenter leased the former Wayne plant at Richmond, Indiana, relocating from its aged facilities in Mitchell. During this transition, Carpenter revised the body design of all of its buses; the changes included:
- Changes to rubrail mounting on exterior
- New roof design, utilizing one-piece roof bows
- Redesigned driver control panel (based on Wayne Lifeguard)
- New windshield (from Wayne Lifeguard)
- New service door (from Wayne Lifeguard)
- Carpenter "Counselor" FE/RE Type D re-branded as Crown FE/RE
At the new location, Carpenter had the advantage of an experienced team. Both the leadership and workforce based at Richmond included a number of veterans of the former Wayne operations. As such, they brought considerable experience and knowledge of the plant and industry to the effort. In adapting to the equipment at the Richmond plant, a change to the techniques of welding the roof joints from the procedures used before at Mitchell would later prove vital in excluding Crown by Carpenter products from containing a crucial structural flaw. But that situation was not envisioned by anyone then and would only become an issue many years in the future.
One innovation that Carpenter introduced during this period was a change to the design of its "Crown RE", mounted on a Spartan Motors chassis. The Crown RE was the first rear-engine school bus to feature an option of a conventional rear emergency door instead of an emergency exit window typical on rear-engine school buses. To make this possible, the floor was slanted up in the last few rows in order to gain height over the engine compartment. Crown by Carpenter also produced a delivery truck loosely derived from its "Cadet" Type B school bus line.
In 1998, Carpenter was sold to Spartan Motors
Spartan Motors
Spartan Motors, Inc. is an engineering firm and manufacturer of custom-designed motor vehicle chassis and bodies. The company is based in Charlotte, Michigan with 870 employees and a net profit margin of 2.42% . It was started in 1976 by Charles Robert McManamey and a group of individuals whose...
, a Michigan-based manufacturer of chassis for fire apparatus and high-end recreational vehicles. Starting in the early 1990s with the Coach RE, Spartan had gained entry into the school bus industry through Carpenter; a prototype built for Wayne Wheeled Vehicles
Wayne Wheeled Vehicles
Wayne Wheeled Vehicles was a tradename of a division of a vehicle manufacturer that specialized primarily in the production of school buses...
never saw production. Nevertheless, major outside forces still to be faced were a supply of suitable chassis and the overcapacity of the body industry.
1999-2001: Return to the Carpenter Name
In late 1999, Carpenter unveiled a new model series to their line called Classic 2000. After 4 years, Carpenter had decided to phase out the Crown name in favor of a return to just Carpenter. The Classmate and the Cadet were retired, as Carpenter concentrated on full-size buses. The Classic 2000 series, a Type C conventional, featured an overall body redesign, including an entirely new driver's area (based even more on the Wayne Lifeguard), as well as new rubrail mounts, a flat rear section, larger rear emergency doors, and new roof caps. The Chancellor FE, a front-engine transit, featured all of the structural changes of the Classic 2000.Carpenter Chancellor RE
Intended as the flagship of the new Carpenter product lineup, the 2001 Chancellor RE rear-engine Type D (transit-style) school bus was built on a Spartan MotorsSpartan Motors
Spartan Motors, Inc. is an engineering firm and manufacturer of custom-designed motor vehicle chassis and bodies. The company is based in Charlotte, Michigan with 870 employees and a net profit margin of 2.42% . It was started in 1976 by Charles Robert McManamey and a group of individuals whose...
chassis. Its chassis featured full air-ride suspension and double frame rails for a ride similar to a motorcoach; a flat floor inside the bus was created from the double frame as well as from the fitment of smaller-diameter wheels (19" vs. the standard 22.5"). Unlike its Crown RE predecessor, the Chancellor RE did not feature an option for a rear emergency door, opting instead for a window emergency exit traditionally seen on rear-engine school buses.
The combination of the Spartan Motors chassis with the Carpenter Chancellor body resembled (in some aspects) the massive workhorses built in California by Crown
Crown Coach Corporation
Crown Coach Corporation was a manufacturer of school buses and fire trucks located in southern California. Crown closed in March 1991 due to declining demand for school buses at the time.-History:Crown Coach Corporation was founded by Don M...
and Gillig in years past, many of which stayed in served for 25 years or longer. Only a single prototype was completed with a second bare chassis intended for display purposes. From all reports, the Chancellor was well-received, incorporating many components and features long desired by school bus operating and maintenance personnel.
In the context of the school bus industry, the Spartan Motors chassis was in reality a premium option, incorporating many of the features long sought in a school bus. However, there were several downsides to this approach which proved fatal to the effort. As one might reasonably anticipate, the extra durability came with added cost. Also, Spartan had been serving lower quantity and higher margin markets for similar products used for high-end Class A motor homes as well as fire and rescue apparatus. Although Spartan had entered the school bus market through supplying Carpenter (for nearly a decade), their production facilities were not geared up to produce a large volume under low pricing pressures, even though their products would have proved more durable in the long run. As such, Carpenter was no longer able to compete with AmTran, Blue Bird, or Thomas on price.
This was a familiar dilemma, the same one which earlier had helped seal the fate of the Crown
Crown Coach Corporation
Crown Coach Corporation was a manufacturer of school buses and fire trucks located in southern California. Crown closed in March 1991 due to declining demand for school buses at the time.-History:Crown Coach Corporation was founded by Don M...
and Gillig coaches on the West Coast, as well as the entry of competitor Blue Bird into the mass-transit market
Transit bus
A transit bus , also known as a commuter bus, city bus, or public bus, is a bus used for short-distance public transport purposes...
during the 1970s. It was also similar to the situation which faced HARSCO BMY
Harsco Corporation
Harsco Corporation is a diversified, worldwide industrial company based in the United States. Harsco operates in 54 countries and employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide. The company provides industrial services and engineered products that serve some of the world’s largest and most...
(parent company of Wayne Wheeled Vehicles
Wayne Wheeled Vehicles
Wayne Wheeled Vehicles was a tradename of a division of a vehicle manufacturer that specialized primarily in the production of school buses...
) operation some years earlier, where a lesser quantity of higher quality products (at a correspondingly higher price) had also been the plant's historical output.
Closure
Carpenter had been struggling for almost 20 years when it ended school bus production in 2001. During the economic times around the millennium, lower initial capital costs seemed to trump longevity as a selling factor. When it was time for purchasing decisions, financially-pressed districts and contractors tended to select lower-cost products with shorter life cycles. Spartan Motors, by then the ⅔ owner of the company, did not see a solution to the market dilemma and felt the projected continued losses would exceed the value to their business plan, voted to end its venture.Epilogue: Structural Issues
Alachua County, Florida
Alachua County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 227,120. Its county seat is Gainesville, Florida. Alachua County is the home of the University of Florida and is also known for its diverse culture, local music, and artisans...
, an 83-passenger Carpenter school bus rolled over onto its roof, causing the roof to collapse down to the seat level. At the time, no passengers were on board and the driver survived the accident. Later inspection of the vehicle revealed numerous broken and defective welds in the roof and pillar structure.
Inspections of Carpenter school buses in various parts of the country revealed cracked and broken welds in the roof structures. The problem was not confined to Florida where it was first found. It was determined that the defective welds could cause the roof to collapse in the event of a rollover. Not all Carpenter buses had the broken or cracked welds. The problem was confined to buses built at the Mitchell plant prior to its closing in late 1995.
Normally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would have conducted a full-scale investigation and if a defect determination were made, would have ordered the manufacturer to conduct a safety recall. However, since Carpenter was no longer in business, there was no one that NHTSA could hold accountable to develop a remedy for this problem.
However, NHTSA was concerned about this problem, and issued several advisories regarding certain Carpenter buses. NHTSA has indicated that virtually all of the production of Carpenter and Crown branded products from the Mitchell plant could potentially have the same flaw. Due to differences in construction techniques, Crown by Carpenter and Carpenter buses built at the Richmond plant from 1996 to 2001 were not included in several advisories issued. The School Bus Information Council offered additional information about Carpenter buses and the NHSTA advisory.
Products
Carpenter produced a product lineup of both large and small school buses. Like other school bus manufacturers, Carpenter produced commercial, shuttle, and transit buses derived from their school bus designs. The Carpenter Cadet, introduced in 1969, was one of the first Type B school buses; during the Crown by Carpenter era, a modified version of the Cadet was marketed as a delivery vanMulti-Stop truck
Multi-stop trucks are a type of light-duty and medium-duty truck created for local deliveries to residences and businesses. They are almost always forward-control vehicles, designed to be driven either sitting down or standing up, and often provide easy access between the driver and goods, hence...
.
With the exception of "Classic", its Type C conventional and "Coach", its Type D rear-engine transit style (influenced by Crown Coach
Crown Coach Corporation
Crown Coach Corporation was a manufacturer of school buses and fire trucks located in southern California. Crown closed in March 1991 due to declining demand for school buses at the time.-History:Crown Coach Corporation was founded by Don M...
), most Carpenter school buses derived their model names from themes in education (Classmate, Cadet, Counselor, Chancellor) while many transit-style Carpenters derived their model names from common team names (Corsair, Cavalier).
| Carpenter/Crown by Carpenter Model Lineup | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model Name | Classmate | Cadet | Classic | Corsair | Cavalier | Coach RE | Carpenter Counselor Crown FE/RE |
Chancellor FE |
| Years Produced | early 1980s-early 1990s | 1969–1999 | to 2001 |
|
1983–1988 | 1992–1993 |
|
2000–2001 |
| Configuration | Type A | Type B | Type C | Type D
|
Type D (front-engine) | Type D (rear-engine) | Type D
|
Type D (front engine) |
| Chassis Provider |
General Motors Corporation
Ford Motor Company Ford Econoline/Ford E-Series Ford E-Series The Ford E-Series, formerly known as the Econoline or Club Wagon, is a line of full-size vans and truck chassis from the Ford Motor Company. The E-Series is related to the Ford F-Series line of pickup trucks. The line was introduced in 1961 as a compact van and its descendants are still produced... |
General Motors Chevrolet P30 Spartan Motors |
Chrysler Corporation Dodge S-Series (to 1977) Ford Motor Company Ford B700 (to 2001) Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation Freightliner FS-65 Freightliner FS-65 The Freightliner FS-65 is a Type C conventional bus chassis manufactured by Freightliner, used for school bus and commercial bus applications. It was introduced for the 1997 model year for Thomas Built Buses... (1997–2001) General Motors Corporation Chevrolet/GMC B-Series GMC B-Series The Chevrolet and GMC B-Series was a Class 7 medium duty cowled chassis produced by General Motors for the school bus industry. The B-Series was introduced for the 1966 model year... (to 1991) International Harvester/Navistar International
|
Corsair FE
Corsair RE Hendrickson |
International Harvester 1853FC |
|
General Motors GMC S7 (FE) Navistar International International 3900 International 3900 The International 3900 was a front-engine Type D bus chassis manufactured by Navistar International, used for school bus applications. It was the replacement for the 1853-FC chassis, based on the S-Series "Schoolmaster" introduced in the late 1970s... (FE) Spartan Motors (FE and RE) |
Spartan Motors |
Carpenter Bus at Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
's National Museum of American History
National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Among the items on display are the original Star-Spangled Banner and Archie Bunker's...
in Washington, DC has a thirty-six passenger school bus built by Carpenter Body Works in 1936 on a chassis made by Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
in 1939. The bus carried students to the grade school in Martinsburg, Indiana
Martinsburg, Indiana
Martinsburg is an unincorporated town in Jackson Township, Washington County, Indiana....
from 1940–1946, and was owned and driven by Russell Bishop during that period. It was later used as a traveling grocery store until 1962.
The bus has a streamlined steel body painted double-deep or "Omaha" orange with black trim. It was restored by Carpenter in the early 1980s under the supervision of Ollie Eager, who was Carpenter's plant manager in 1936, and John Foddrill, who worked in the Carpenter plant in 1936. The bus has replacement seats that do not match the originals exactly. The originals were black upholstery.