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Edwards Lakes to Sea System
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Here, we will take a look at this Williamsport,PA based bus company that grew from a local service bus line into a substantial division of Continental Trailways, whose primary service area consisted of the states of Pennsylvania,Ohio,New York, and New Jersey. Also we will look at how the Edwards company gradually grew its route network into the final form it would assume when the company disappeared into the Continental Trailways System as an integral part of that system and without its seperate identity.

Principal routes of Edwards Motor Transit Company:

1.Cleveland-Pittsburgh-Williamsport-Sunbury-Tamaqua-New York

2.Pottsville-Hazleton

3.Elmira-Williamsport (sold to Capitol Trailways)

4.Buffalo-Salamanca-Bradford-DuBois-Pittsburgh

5.Indiana,Pa.-Youngstown,OH

6.Indiana-Clearfield

TIMELINE OF THE GROWTH OF EDWARDS MOTOR TRANSIT COMPANY

September 7,1918. Curwensville Motor Transit Company begins operating bus service between Curwensville and Clearfield,PA. Original partners in this company were E.R. Edwards, J.W. Edwards, and H.S. Cassler.

May 24,1921, Edwards Motor Transit Company is incorporated by E.R. Edwards, J.W. Edwards, and A.N. Meixwell. In 1924, the company was operating from Clearfield to Brookville,PA, a distance of 45 miles, and this was only the beginning.

1927.Clarion Bus Company is purchased by Edwards,thus doubling their route mileage to 90, putting their route into Titusville via Oil City. By 1929, Edwards Motor Transit Company was serving Grampian,Reynoldsville,Punxutawney, and Mahaffey in addition to their route out of Clearfield.

November7,1929.Edwards extends service from Oil City to Youngstown,Ohio, putting the company well on its way to becoming an interstate carrier of substantial importance.

December 31,1929.Buffalo to Washington route is instituted and Lakes to Sea name appears for the first time on company buses. At that time, Williamsport became the geographical center of the company's operations, just as it is for Susquehanna Trailways today.

August 29,1930, Edwards Motor Transit Company's routes reach New York City to the east.

1933.Pittsburgh is reached by means of acquisition of the McGregor-Thomas Bus Company, with routes altered to run to Indiana from DuBois and Clearfield.

October 8,1933. Through service beween Cleveland and New York(559 miles) is established.

1935.Edwards Motor Transit Company reaches Elmira,NY and Buffalo,with through service between Buffalo and Pittsburgh inaugurated on July27 of that year. The last major move came in 1956 when Edwards buses reached Philadelphia, and in 1958, Edwards Motor Transit Company became an interstate carrier exclusively.
Post 1968 Bus Fleet Roster (All with Trailways Numbers)
GMC PD4104 1957/9 39 seats 33101-33108 8 buses
GMC PD4106 1961/2 39 seats 33201-33207 7 buses
GMc PD4106 1963-5 39 seats 33208-33225 17 buses
GMC PD4107 1966/7 41 seats 33451-33460 10 buses
B&C 01-SE 1968 43 seats 33501-33505 5 buses
B&C 01-SE 1968 43 seats 33701-33705 5 buses
B&C 01-SE 1967-8 43 seats 33706-33711 5 buses
B&C 05-SE 1968 43 seats 33506-33507 2 buses
B&C 05-SE 1970-75 43 seats 33508-33538 30 buses
B&C 05-SE 1977 43 seats 33539-33541 3 buses
TMc MC8 1977 47 seats 33451-2nd 1 bus
Eagle 0-5 1979 43 seats 33542-33543 2 buses
Eagle AE10 1981 43 seats 33101 1 bus
B&C indicates Bus and Car (Belgium),SE-Silver Eagle.
AE-American Eagle. All Silver Eagles delivered to Edwards prior to 1977 were built by Bus and Car in Belgium.

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