Carpenter Buses.

[jesi2282]

Does anyone one have info and/or photos of these buses?

[RIPTA42]

Here's a Wikipedia Article on Carpenter buses, with almost no information on the company's brief appearance in the transit bus market in the early 1980s.

If you're referring specifically to CTA's Carpenters, I believe they were used for paratransit; someone please correct me if I'm wrong. There is one at Forest Glen in work service. I have a photo, but it isn't scanned.

Here's a photo of a Carpenter that previously operated in Bradley, IL, now privately owned.

New Orleans also had a sizeable fleet of Carpenters.

[pace2322]

I can get Photos of the cta ones.But i never can get my phtots on here.Makes me mad to i have alot of photos to show.

[busmancow]

I can get Photos of the cta ones.But i never can get my phtots on here.Makes me mad to i have alot of photos to show.

There is a small photo of one of these numbered 154 in the book City Transit Buses of the 20th Century by William A. Luke and Linda Metler on page 132. The text by the photo reads"Carpenter Body Works of Mitchell, Indiana, began building school buses in the late 1920's. A new bus, the Carpenter CBW 300 for city transit service, was introduced in 1981. The bus was available in a 30-foot or 35-foot length and came with a rear-mounted Detroit Diesel 6V-71 diesel engine or a Catarpillar 3208 diesel. The Chicago Transit Authority purchased 20 of these 35-foot, one-door CBW 300 buses for special urban services. The Carpenter CBW-300 buses were built during a three-year period." I notice according to that quote it says they were 35 footers that CTA had, but by looking at the photo I would think it is a 30 footer. These buses I know were in a way competition for the Blue-Bird City-Bird, not only simlar in appearance but in specs. as well. Hope that helps! That book by the way is a neat book and covers most transit buses used in the United States and is available at Borders.-Kyle

Also: Attatched below a photo of a 30-foot Blue-Bird City Bird with a 6V-71 which is now a church bus in REO Indiana, former operator is unknown.

[RIPTA42]

There is one at Forest Glen in work service. I have a photo, but it isn't scanned.

I finally scanned the photo, but it doesn't look like a Carpenter after all. What is it? It was parked by Bryn Mawr & Northwest Highway last week.

According to Bill Vandervoort's Pace roster, all 20 of CTA's Carpenters went to Pace in 1986.

[Busjack]

It sort of looks like a Chance RT-52, but looks too mangled to confirm that.

[Guest]

I finally scanned the photo, but it doesn't look like a Carpenter after all. What is it? It was parked by Bryn Mawr & Northwest Highway last week.

According to Bill Vandervoort's Pace roster, all 20 of CTA's Carpenters went to Pace in 1986.

Theres one of these sitting at a CTA substation at the Bryn Mawr exit WB at the Kennedy Expy.

[RIPTA42]

I mentioned that (though I haven't paid attention since last week to see if it's still there).

It doesn't look like a Chance, either; the RT-52 has more of a slope in the rear and doesn't have an arch roof.

[RIPTA42]

It's a Superior paratransit bus. Twenty were delivered to CTA in 1981 (#100-119).