The Bizarre History of Greyhound Buses

[@TransitTangents]

If you want to see the map Louis made of the Yelloway Pioneer System, Link is in the description! What'd you think of this episode? Let us know! Lots of fun facts in this one 😅 Want to support the show? Check out our newly launched Patreon: www.patreon.com/TransitTangents

[@MilesinTransit]

Thanks so much for the shoutout, guys! I had NO IDEA about Greyhound's desperate attempts to stay afloat in the 70s and 80s - and the fact that one of their purchases was a meat company with terrible labor relations is just so...them. I'm pretty sure they did a bunch of union busting in the 90s, so it tracks. Great stuff!

[@TransitTangents]

Ahh thanks for watching! Big fan of your content 🙌 -Louis

[@CarlFredlund]

Loved this. Mexican-American operators are also going strong: dozens of companies (many TX-based) now serve most states. Lots of service to random meatpacking towns... maybe Greyhound *was* on to something. Tornado Group is biggest ~$70M revenue and service between 20 states.

[@paulgracey4697]

My grandmother worked at Pratt & Whitney in Hartford CT inspecting parts for aircraft engines during and after WWII. She never learned how to drive, and would not be caught dead in an airplane. She crossed the USA by Greyhound several times though. Postwar train travel had been hurt by the emergence of coast to coast airline travel by the businessmen who used to be their prime customers pre-war. The railroads invented the domeliner to entice some of them back as well as getting more tourists. The domeliner cars inspired the greyhound bilevel coaches for those who could not afford to go by train. Grandma loved the seat that had the front wheel well ahead of it because it was the one that she could put her feet up in. My experience with Greyhound was during my time in the U.S. Navy of 1962, though I much preferred the passenger trains which pre-Amtrak were quite empty here in California with PSA (Poor Sailors Airline, we called it) offering cheap flights, but only in side the state. De-regulations of all interstate travel routes is what allowed the variable demand based pricing, that came with filling not just all the seats, but the extra baggage capacity too. In the regulated bus service I experienced one Christmas leave period, I stood in a long line at San Franciso's Greyhound station and watched them pull up one bus after another to accomodate just those scheduled to leave at 9pm. By the time they got to me it was an old 1940s Silversides, but that bus was in good condition, and it broke a lot of speed limits over the "Grapevine" getting me to my Southern California home. Thanks for reminding me.

[@TransitTangents]

Wow! Thanks for sharing your stories riding Greyhound and passenger rail during that time period! Very cool. Appreciate you taking the time to watch as well. -Louis

[@camjkerman]

The way you describe trailways sounds a lot like how National Express works here in the UK. National Express is a single organisation that have a network of routes, but the vehicles are owned and operated by loads of different companies. Flixbus is also doing something similar but on a pan-European scale.

[@AntonHenryy]

Great video! Always a good listen while I’m working

[@TransitTangents]

Thankyou for watching!

[@kennyantoniono4328]

Yall's videos never disappoint - always looking forward to the next one.

[@TransitTangents]

Thankyou 🙌 Genuinely appreciate this. -Louis

[@ericbruun9020]

Closing of intercity stations should be covered in future episodes. $500M to rebuild 30th Street Station from Amtrak funding while the intercity bus station was closed and there are no plans to replace it. Chicago might lose it's station too. This is some kind of scandal.....

[@RileyjamesLovebontempo]

Started riding Greyhound-Link again in September 2024 and service is horrible. No Drivers from St. Louis MO to Pittsburgh and Link is closing stations, restrooms are a mess and GL Food Restaurants are closed and service is pure horrible.

[@RileyjamesLovebontempo]

Greyhound Lines of Pennsylvania with American Airlines were created by Pennsylvania Railroad as Continnnental Trailways was created by in part by Burlington Railroad.

[@atomic32205489]

Not to be picky but the car company was called Hupmobile (no S).

[@TransitTangents]

It's picky, but it's correct lol. Good catch.

[@RileyjamesLovebontempo]

Link is killing Greyhound its better to use AMTRAK if possible.

[@RileyjamesLovebontempo]

Here in Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Regional Transit in past was named Port Authority of Allegheny County has started to become one of the worst transit systems in U.S.A. Pennsylvania Democrats are refusing to improve transit options in PA and they are deeply against improving transit and Motor Coach services.

[@LifeOnCoach]

✌🏾

[@TransitTangents]

Thankyou for watching!

[@bradfordjhart]

they should have invented a smaller bus, that you could pilot yourself, maybe you could store it in a shelter attached to your home, and it would operate on your own schedule, i think that would be really popular