History

The Idea

Built in 1967, 1712 has a fascinating history in the bus and rail industry. As streetcar lines that once lined the city streets were becoming abandoned and replaced with bus service, companies noted a growing problem. Traffic in the city streets was increasing at a fast rate. Red Arrow Lines and The Connecticut Company had an interesting idea. What if they could reuse the rails still buried in the streets or on abandoned mainlines to bypass city traffic? These companies sent 5 GM “New Look” Buses to the Fairmont Hyrail company of Fairmont, Minnesota, to have Hyrail gear installed under each of these buses.

The Testing Phase

Once returned to their respective companies, they were put through a series of tests to see if the “Railbus” concept was feasible. 1712 was tested along various places of the New Haven Railroad’s branch lines. 50-pound sandbags were placed in the seats to simulate passengers filling the bus during these tests. Along with this, 1712 was also extensively tested at the Connecticut Trolley Museum, the same property that the bus currently resides in. Members of both the Connecticut Company and the then-newly founded Fire & Motorcoach Museum ran extensive tests along the line.

The Results

The Railbus concept did, in fact, work. The buses could go from road to rail and vice versa with some skill from the driver's ability to line the rail wheels up with the rails. However, the concept was not without its flaws. Due to the rear tires being the propulsion of the bus, any leaves or loss of traction would result in the bus losing traction and slipping. The largest problem, however, was not the weight of the bus or the slipping wheels. It was the labor cost. As soon as the bus touched the rails, the Railroad Unions would have a say in the vehicle. Their determination was to require that each bus be equipped with the same number of crew that a passenger or freight train would have. That crew would be an Engineer, Fireman, Conductor, & Brakeman. The bus, formerly operated by one bus driver, now had to have 5 crew to operate it. It was this labor cost that would end the program.

The Aftermath

Out of the 5 Railbuses that were created, only 1 still exists today. That is our Railbus 1712. After the experiment had failed, 1712 was placed into charter service by the Connecticut Company and operated as such until it was donated to our museum. We are not entirely sure what happened to the other 4 buses as there are no records. They may have been scrapped entirely or had the hyrail gear removed and put back into service. Our 1712 is the shining example of “what could have been” if the experiment was deemed a success.

Specifications

Engine:

Detroit 6V71

Transmission:

2-Speed Allison VH Hydraulic Transmission

Seats:

53 Seats

Length:

40 Feet

A/C:

Yes