Tucson Rapid Transit #12

Background

Service History

Thanks to the Tucson Rapid Transit ledgers and record books we have preserved in our archives, we know many specific details about #12. For example, we know it was purchased by Tucson Rapid Transit from Miller Bros. Motors Inc. in Phoenix on March 16, 1935 for $1,617.37. We also know it was taken out of regular service in 1941 after the arrival of four new Yellow Coaches. It made intermittent runs throughout World War II, presumably because TRT needed all the help it could get to deal with wartime passenger loads. We further know from examining the layers of remaining paint on the chassis that it was painted to promote war bonds sometime during World War II.

Post-Service History

Records also indicate it was removed from service altogether in January 1945 and sold to a Mr. Fred S. Taylor on May 9, 1945 for $50, minus the tires and the motor.

#12 passed through many hands before ending up with OPT in September 2004. Along the way, the body and the frame were separated. The body is original, although in poor condition. The frame is from a contemporary school bus and is similar to what would have been used.