Shreveport Transit Co. 105

Shreveport Railways Company, the streetcar operator in Shreveport, Louisiana, began using trolley buses in 1931, making it one of the earlier users of trolley buses in regular service. Shreveport started with five model T30 trolley buses from J.G. Brill, Nos. 101-105. These coaches operated on the Louisiana and Line Avenues route. No. 105 later ran on the Union Station shuttle. Shreveport acquired two more T30 coaches in 1932, Nos. 106-107. More T30s, Nos. 110-122 came in 1936. Brill’s model T30 was a small, 30-passenger vehicle. Shreveport also acquired larger, 40-passenger trolley buses from Brill both before and after World War II. Shreveport Railways was pleased with its trolley buses which led to increased ridership and lower costs. By 1939, Shreveport replaced all its streetcars with trolley buses and gasoline buses. As of 1951, Shreveport Railways had a fleet of 84 trolley buses running on nine routes. In 1955, Shreveport retired its last pre-war trolley buses, and in 1965, the company, now named Shreveport Transit, replaced all its trolley buses with motor buses. J.G. Brill was America’s largest manufacturer of streetcars. In 1921-1924, Brill produced a few early trolley buses, named “railless cars.” Between 1930 and 1943, J.G. Brill built 1,147 trolley buses for 32 cities, making it one of the major producers. Brill’s trolley coaches in the 1930s had a similar appearance to streetcars that Brill built at this time, such as Baltimore No. 6144 now at Seashore. From 1945 to 1952, parent company American Car & Foundry built 937 more trolley buses under the ACF-Brill name. After 1952, CCF-Brill continued to build trolley buses in Canada After retirement in 1955, No. 105 was used as a storage shed in Shreveport. The axles were removed. In 1988, the owner, Judy Cooney, sold it to Seashore member, Bob Kelly. Kelly gave it to the museum, but stored it at his house in Boston until Seashore could take it in 1991. In 1993, Seashore acquired sister coach, Shreveport No. 106. No. 106 had been used as a dwelling after retirement, but was in better condition than No. 105. No. 105 is Seashore’s oldest trolley bus.