Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 2918

White Motor Company began building automobiles in 1900 and started the manufacture of buses on truck chassis in 1922. White switched to its so-called “streetcar” underfloor bus engine design in 1932. Between 1938 and 1947, the Boston Elevated Railway and its successor, the Metropolitan Transit Authority, acquired 125 White model 788 gas buses. In 1948, White began production of its last bus models, the 1100 series, updated with a new front-end design and engines. The MTA, in 1951, bought 30 gas-powered model 1144’s (2900-2929), including 15 with left-hand doors and 15 without. Our No. 2918 was one of the Whites with a left-hand door. This purchase was the MTA’s last Whites, last gas-powered, and last left-hand door buses. White Motor Company left the bus building market in 1953. The 1144’s were delivered in January & February, 1951. 8 were assigned to the Somerville garage and 22 to the Albany St. garage. The left-hand door Whites were assigned to the Bay View route in South Boston that operated through Broadway Station which had a center platform used by both by PCC cars and the Whites. No. 2918 appears always to have been assigned to Albany St. until it was sent to storage at the Everett Shops in 1963. In 1964, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority assumed ownership of the MTA. The MBTA then leased 9 of its, by then, unwanted models 1144’s to the Middlesex & Boston Street Railway in Waltham. The M&B was short of working buses to keep its operations going. The T, in 1965, leased an additional 11 model 1144’s, including our No. 2918 to the M&B. In 1966, the MBTA retired all of its remaining gas-powered buses. In the spring of 1967, the MBTA replaced the remaining gas-powered Whites at the M&B, including No. 2918, by leasing them some of the T’s own GM diesels, TDH-4509’s. The M&B ceased operations in 1972. The Vintage Commercial Vehicle Club purchased 4 retired buses: BERY White No. 1508, MTA Mack No. 788, M&B ACF-Brill No. 192, and, MTA White No. 2918. The VCVC stored the buses at Alan Pommer’s summer camp in North Woodstock, New Hampshire. After the VCVC disbanded, Pommer kept the collection intact. In 1987, he donated No. 788 to Seashore. Nos. 1508 & 192 followed in 1989. Finally, No. 2918 arrived at Seashore in 1990.