511:, the original umbrella Greyhound firm, which had become widely diversified far beyond transportation, sold its entire highway-coach operating business (its core bus business) to a new company named as the Greyhound Lines, Inc., GLI, based in Dallas, Texas. The buyer was a separate, independent, unrelated firm, which was the property of a group of private investors under the promotion of Fred Currey, a former executive of the Continental Trailways (later renamed as the Trailways, Inc., TWI, also based in Dallas), which was the largest member company in the National Trailways trade association.
322:
158:
460:. Those included were the Safeway Trails (the Safeway Trailways), the Virginia Stage Lines (the Virginia Trailways), the Queen City Coach Company (the Queen City Trailways), and the Smoky Mountain Stages (the Smoky Mountain Trailways), but not the Carolina Coach Company (the Carolina Trailways) or the Tamiami Trail Tours (the Tamiami Trailways).
437:, and Washington. It did so until 1956, when the TCC joined the National Trailways trade association, and when the TCC returned its leased right to that segment to the Atlantic GL (as the successor in interest of the OD Stages) – as a part of the deal related to the dissociation of the TCC from Greyhound.
520:
The GLI has continued to experience difficulties and lackluster performance under a succession of new owners and new executives, while continuing to reduce its level of service. The reductions consist of hauling fewer passengers aboard fewer coaches on fewer trips along fewer routes with fewer stops
463:
Thus the
Transcontinental Bus System (the Continental Trailways) acquired the other two-thirds of the ownership of the Tennessee Trailways (which had bought the Tennessee Coach Company in 1960) – through its purchase of the Virginia Trailways and the Smoky Mountain Trailways – in addition
448:
In 1960 the
Tennessee Coach Company became sold to a new firm (created specifically to buy the TCC), named as the Tennessee Trailways, Inc., owned in three equal shares by three other Trailways member companies. The investors were the Virginia Stage Lines (the Virginia Trailways), the Smoky Mountain
476:
Eventually in 1976 the
Continental Trailways merged the Tennessee Trailways (which had continued to use the brand name of the Tennessee Coach Company) into the Continental Tennessee Lines – at the same time when it merged also the Continental Crescent Lines, another neighboring firm, into the
424:
The TCC continued to run the leased Old
Dominion segment (between Knoxville and Bristol) along US-11W as well as its own original parallel route along -11E. It took part in through-schedules (interlined pool operations) – that is, the use of through-coaches on through-routes running through
281:
The
Tennessee Coach Company and the other carrier – first the UTC, later the CCC, even later the Southeastern GL – shared their joint certificate (for the route between Nashville and Knoxville) in an unusual way: One carrier ran in one direction on any given scheduled trip, then the
449:
Lines (the Smoky
Mountain Trailways), and the Continental Tennessee Lines (a Trailways concern which ran in part between Nashville and Knoxville along US-70N via Lebanon, Carthage, Cookeville, and Crossville. The TCC retained its old brand name until 1976 despite the sale.
107:, which in November 1925 became a major part of the newly founded Carolina Coach Company. In May 1940 the latter firm became a member of the Trailways association and became known also as the Carolina Trailways; in 1997 it became a wholly owned subsidiary of
521:
in fewer communities in fewer states, doing so on fewer days (that is, increasingly operating some trips fewer than seven days per week), and using fewer through-coaches, thus requiring passengers to make more transfers (from one coach to another).
173:
the
Tennessee Coach Company, bought the Southern Motor Coach Company (running between Knoxville and Chattanooga), then merged that firm and Baskett's own Safety Coach Company (running between Knoxville and Johnson City) into the new TCC.
242:, both from Knoxville and from Chattanooga (although along rural backwoodsy routes through lightly populated areas, because Greyhound already ran between Chattanooga and Atlanta through more populous areas in north Georgia via
289:(ICC), the TCC took over four of the nine daily trips in each direction, and the Southeastern GL took over the other five trips each way. The TCC also started one daily trip each way between Nashville and Knoxville along
312:
long-nose streamliners) appeared (with the consent of
Greyhound) in the Greyhound livery, complete with lettering for the Tennessee Greyhound Lines (which never existed at all as a separate distinct entity).
333:
In 1929 – the same year in which the TCC and the UTC obtained their joint certificate for service between
Nashville and Knoxville – another significant neighboring carrier came into existence.
145:
Safety
Coaches and added seven more by the end of 1926. In naming his firm he took a cue from the brand name of the Fageol Safety Coaches, as did a number of the founders of other early coach concerns.
705:
514:
Later in that same year, 1987, the Greyhound Lines, Inc., the GLI, the new firm based in Dallas, further bought the Trailways, Inc., the TWI, its largest competitor, and merged it into the GLI.
493:
In 1968 the Holiday Inns of America, based in Memphis, Tennessee, bought the Transcontinental Bus System (the Continental Trailways), then later renamed it as the Trailways, Inc., TWI.
111:, Inc. (GLI). One curious result of that last step is that a Greyhound subsidiary, the Carolina Coach Company, the Carolina Trailways, is a member of the Trailways association, now the
384:
The Blue and Gray Transit Company and the Camel City Coach Company in December 1929 together became the National Highway Transport (NHT) Company. NHT soon formed operating ties to
118:
While Baskette was in North Carolina, he met two brothers, Al and M.H. Kraemer, who became connected (although not as principals) with the Carolina Coach Company in its beginning.
357:, which in 1936 became renamed as the Southeastern Greyhound Lines). They owned the new firm in three equal shares. The purpose of the new firm was to run between Knoxville and
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377:(all the last six in Virginia), along a route which divided between the territories of the Blue and Gray and the Camel City companies. Service began on the day before
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to the one-third share which already was the property of the Continental Tennessee Lines, already a subsidiary of the Continental Southern Lines, which in turn was a
282:
other carrier ran in that direction on that same sked the next day, and vice versa. That is, they ran in opposite directions, and they changed directions each day.
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177:
The State of Tennessee in 1929 issued a joint certificate (of public convenience and necessity) to the TCC and the Union Transfer Company (UTC), based in
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765:
517:
The lenders and the other investors of the GLI ousted Fred Currey as the chief executive officer (CEO) after the firm went into bankruptcy in 1990.
305:, and Crossville, joining the Continental Tennessee Lines, based in Nashville, another Trailways member company, on that parallel alternate route.
418:
Thus the TCC began running between Knoxville and Bristol along -11W, the leased parallel route, as well as -11E, its own original route.
421:
Later in 1932 Hill and Gilmer bought the one-third interest of Huguelet in the OD Stages, then they merged OD into their Atlantic GL.
308:
For a short time during the 1930s, while the TCC operated in cooperation with the Southeastern GL, several of the coaches of the TCC (
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112:
321:
286:
99:
during the winter of 1924-25 and started working (albeit for a short time) for the Carolina Motor Coaches (running between
32:. Continental Trailways was by far the largest member company in the Trailways trade association, which was then named the
392:, while at first retaining its previous corporate name. In July 1931 NHT became renamed as the Atlantic Greyhound Lines.
350:
285:
That plan continued until 1956, when the TCC joined the National Trailways association. With the approval of the federal
33:
573:
157:
568:
563:
524:
Now a few pieces of the Tennessee Coach Company still exist, but only as unrecognizable parts of the Greyhound Lines.
149:
The two Kraemer brothers left the Carolina Coach Company in 1927, then they joined Baskette in his firm in Tennessee.
636:, the corporate newspaper for the Southeastern Greyhound Lines, all issues, from January 1938 through February 1956.
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Afterward the TCC continued running between Knoxville and Bristol, but only along its own original route on US-11E.
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141:. In the next year, 1926, he incorporated his operation as the Safety Coach Company. He started with two
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198:
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553:
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134:
29:
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24:, USA. It was in operation until 1976, when it became merged into the Continental Tennessee Lines, a
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the territories of two or more operating companies – in cooperation with the Atlantic GL, the
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Three major players in the early highway-coach industry organized yet another carrier, based in
92:, beyond Elyria but short of Toledo). He then returned to the former firm in a management job.
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In May 1932 the Old Dominion Stages leased its route segment between Knoxville and Bristol (on
611:
595:
457:
338:
202:
257:
The TCC also provided extensive local commuter service from Knoxville to Kingston, Rockwood,
388:
and began negotiations with Greyhound. In early 1931 NHT began using the trade name of the
378:
251:
239:
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In 1966 the Transcontinental Bus System (operating as the Continental Trailways), based in
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73:
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Thus finally ended the separate existence or identity of the Tennessee Coach Company.
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25:
325:
A baggage agent checking bags at the Greyhound station in Knoxville, 1943 by
345:). The founders were Arthur Hill (of the Blue and Gray Transit Company, of
341:, named as the Old Dominion (OD) Stages (using the nickname of the state or
178:
161:
A mechanic rebuilding a bus engine at the TCC garage in Knoxville, 1943 by
125:. In March 1925 he began running between Knoxville and Johnson City along
227:
20:(TCC) was a regional highway-coach carrier, founded in 1928 and based in
661:
222:
The Tennessee Coach Company in 1929 extended its Johnson City line to
121:
Baskette, seeking an opportunity to start a firm of his own, moved to
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88:
Bus Company (which, despite its name, ran only between Cleveland and
642:
on Jon's Trailways History Corner website, maintained by Jon Hobein.
396:
320:
156:
126:
468:
of the Transcontinental Bus System (the Continental Trailways).
456:, bought most of the large Trailways member companies along the
69:
353:), and Guy Huguelet (of the Consolidated Coach Corporation, of
496:
In 1979 the Holiday Inns sold the TWI to a private investor,
44:
The TCC began in the Volunteer State in 1928, combining the
674:), including the early history of The Greyhound Corporation
429:, and the Southeastern GL – including those between
72:
with Onnie Bruce "O.B." Baskette. He drove first for the
56:, which had started running in 1925 between Knoxville and
48:, which had started running in 1924 between Knoxville and
706:
Defunct transportation companies of the United States
349:), John Gilmer (of the Camel City Coach Company, of
181:, for service between Nashville and Knoxville along
28:
of the Transcontinental Bus System, called also the
8:
711:Intercity bus companies of the United States
273:(still sometimes called the Secret City).
756:Transportation companies based in Tennessee
68:The story of the TCC dates back to 1919 in
736:Transport companies disestablished in 1976
751:American companies disestablished in 1976
594:. Lexington: Centerville Book Company.
226:(on the state line between Tennessee and
665:, the history of Greyhound and Trailways
234:(on the state line between Virginia and
721:Transport companies established in 1928
716:Companies based in Knoxville, Tennessee
746:American companies established in 1928
169:In 1928 O.B. Baskette and Al Kraemer
7:
761:Defunct companies based in Tennessee
614:), various issues, especially these:
80:Bus Company, then for the Cleveland-
741:1976 disestablishments in Tennessee
415:) to the Tennessee Coach Company.
14:
472:Merger into Continental Trailways
731:1928 establishments in Tennessee
679:"Greyhound Lines after WW2" (at
670:"Northland Greyhound Lines" (at
185:, later redesignated in part as
766:Trailways Transportation System
113:Trailways Transportation System
653:"Tennessee Coach Company" (at
287:Interstate Commerce Commission
238:; in 1938 it added service to
1:
477:Continental Tennessee Lines.
351:Winston-Salem, North Carolina
317:Between Knoxville and Bristol
34:National Trailways Bus System
574:Southeastern Greyhound Lines
46:Southern Motor Coach Company
569:New England Greyhound Lines
564:Great Lakes Greyhound Lines
782:
433:, and Bristol and between
590:Hixson, Kenneth (2001).
534:The Greyhound Corporation
509:The Greyhound Corporation
347:Charleston, West Virginia
265:, and (especially during
690:Bluehounds and Redhounds
681:Bluehounds and Redhounds
672:Bluehounds and Redhounds
663:Bluehounds and Redhounds
655:Bluehounds and Redhounds
539:Atlantic Greyhound Lines
502:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
390:Atlantic Greyhound Lines
343:Commonwealth of Virginia
640:Tennessee Coach Company
559:Florida Greyhound Lines
549:Central Greyhound Lines
544:Capitol Greyhound Lines
18:Tennessee Coach Company
688:"The Scenicruiser" at
628:October–December 1998.
610:(a publication of the
330:
166:
579:Teche Greyhound Lines
554:Dixie Greyhound Lines
498:Henry Lea Hillman Sr.
324:
277:A sharing arrangement
160:
30:Continental Trailways
54:Safety Coach Company
22:Knoxville, Tennessee
431:Birmingham, Alabama
355:Lexington, Kentucky
592:Pick of the Litter
435:Memphis, Tennessee
381:in November 1929.
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167:
95:Baskette moved to
612:Motor Bus Society
458:Atlantic Seaboard
339:Roanoke, Virginia
230:) and in 1930 to
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625:April–June 1995;
379:Thanksgiving Day
240:Atlanta, Georgia
781:
780:
776:
775:
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772:
771:
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726:Greyhound Lines
696:
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649:
607:Motor Coach Age
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530:
491:
483:
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361:, via Bristol,
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279:
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109:Greyhound Lines
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647:External links
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359:Washington, DC
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131:Jefferson City
127:US highway 11E
123:East Tennessee
97:North Carolina
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454:Dallas, Texas
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129:(US-11E) via
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90:Norwalk, Ohio
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619:August 1977;
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405:Bean Station
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310:Yellow Coach
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267:World War II
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191:Murfreesboro
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171:incorporated
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58:Johnson City
53:
45:
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17:
15:
444:Sale of TCC
409:Rogersville
365:, Roanoke,
199:McMinnville
153:Development
139:Greeneville
50:Chattanooga
700:Categories
585:References
481:Conclusion
375:Winchester
363:Wytheville
303:Cookeville
207:Crossville
135:Morristown
105:Greensboro
64:Background
52:, and the
26:subsidiary
622:May 1980;
413:Kingsport
386:Greyhound
367:Lexington
271:Oak Ridge
232:Bluefield
179:Nashville
74:Cleveland
634:Backfire
528:See also
507:In 1987
489:Addendum
466:division
427:Dixie GL
401:Rutledge
371:Staunton
299:Carthage
259:Harriman
228:Virginia
215:Kingston
211:Rockwood
195:Woodbury
295:Lebanon
252:Calhoun
224:Bristol
101:Raleigh
598:
411:, and
397:US-11W
373:, and
291:US-70N
250:, and
248:Dalton
213:, and
203:Sparta
189:, via
187:US-70S
143:Fageol
137:, and
86:Toledo
82:Elyria
40:Origin
500:, of
269:) to
183:US-70
78:Akron
596:ISBN
399:via
293:via
244:Rome
103:and
70:Ohio
16:The
254:).
115:].
702::
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36:.
683:)
657:)
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329:.
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84:-
76:-
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