MANITOBA TRANSIT HERITAGE ASSOCIATION

1942 Twin Coach model 30GS

Bus #214 was purchased by the Winnipeg Electric Company in 1941.

The unit operated on routes within the City of Winnipeg and remained in service until 1957. The bus was recovered in 1989 at Grand Marais, Manitoba and has been partially restored by MTHA volunteers. Work continues today on completing this unit back to operational status.

Historical Note: The Twin Coach Company was founded in Kent, in 1927, by brothers William B. and Frank R. Fageol. The brothers originally started their business in Oakland, California in 1916 and manufactured trucks for World War I use, as well as pleasure cars for domestic use. They brought the first model of their "Safety Coach" east in 1923, and settled in Kent in 1924 as the Fageol Motor Company. The company was sold to American Car and Foundry Company of Dayton, Ohio, in 1925. During 1927, however, after the Fageols' development of the new form of public transportation called the "Twin Coach," the brothers re-established themselves in their original Kent location as the Twin Coach Company.  In addition, a Canadian bus assembly plant was set up at Fort Erie, Ontario, across the Peace Bridge from Buffalo.

The Twin Coach Company ranked second in urban bus manufacturing for approximately twenty years, and it sold buses to major transit operations across North America.

Winnipeg Electric Company #214

Restoration Status

#214 is structurally sound with its body rebuilt and new interior floor installed, but requires finishing of restoration project. The motor, which has not run in a number of years, was rebuilt.

Technical Specifications

Year Built: 1942

Manufacturer: Twin Coach Co. Kent, Ohio

Model: 30GS

Serial #: 96045

Powetrain: 6-cylinder Hercules flathead gasoline engine with 3-speed transmission.

Length: 29 feet 3 inches (883.9 cm)

Width: 96 inches (243.8 cm)

Capacity: 30 passenger seats, two doors

Ownership Overview

Original Owner:

     Winnipeg Electric Company

Acquired From:

     Grand Marais, Manitoba

Current Livery:

     Winnipeg Electric Company