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'A Kenworth Vaultmobile'


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Seen sometime in the 1950's at its company's Atlantic Station with a fleet number originally in the 1700 series is a 1940 31 passenger Kenworth Model 601 chassis supporting a body built by Pacific Car and Foundry (no relation to American or Canadian Car and Foundry) and was one of thirty one likenesses that operated for the Seattle Transit System (STS) of Seattle, Washington.

The Model 601, with a wheelbase of 162 inches and power derived from a Hall-Scott model 135 gasoline engine of pancake design placed underfloor amidships, was among Kenworth's first modern transit buses.

Kenworth, a top name in heavy truck manufacture out of Seattle, dabbled in bus chassis from the early twenties to the late fifties with a customer base mainly in the northwestern U.S. and Canada but was never really considered a competitor in the marketplace with most of its sales being in handfuls.

Looking like a shadow of its former self, our focus sits on supports and has been converted to a vault bus for TSS and apparently is alarmed as evidenced by the foil across the windshield.

The board just over the first passenger window hides the original side destination sign and I would imagine that the 'please close windows' sign refers to those aft of the rear door that are obviously not in the protected area.

Photo courtesy '90mac' and is available on eBay as item # 380687703446.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York

Brentwood, Ca. office

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