Eagle Bus
Encyclopedia
Eagle Bus, in full Silver Eagle Bus Manufacturing, Inc., is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 bus manufacturing company with a long and interesting history. During its production of over four decades, some 8,000 Eagle coaches were built in four different countries on two continents, and they had been the trademark of Continental Trailways
Trailways Transportation System
The Trailways Transportation System is an American group of 80 independent bus companies that have entered into a franchising agreement. The company is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia.- History :...

 for over three decades.

History

The first Eagles were the Golden Eagles made by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 company Kässbohrer
Kässbohrer
Kässbohrer Fahrzeugwerke was a German vehicle manufacturer in Ulm. Its products were buses, coaches, vehicle transporters, trailers and special vehicles like snow groomer vehicles....

. The first 54 Eagle coaches built of the 200 contracted by Continental Trailways were these Golden Eagles. Four of those 54 coaches were articulated buses that were longer and bent in the middle. All of these coaches were of the "Setra Design" which meant that they had a chassisless frame called selbst tragend (self-carrying). The bus was called Setra
Setra
Setra is a Neu-Ulm, Germany-based manufacturer of commercial buses and touring coaches, and recently a subsidiary of Daimler AG.The name "Setra" comes from "Selbsttragend"...

from the first letters of both words. A slightly less equipped model called "Silver Eagle" with the traditional silver siding was designed and became standardized as the fleet bus for Continental Trailways.

In the late 1950s, Kässbohrer announced its decision to concentrate on European coaches, and Continental Trailways formed their own company Bus & Car Co. with a Belgian partner. Kässbohrer built the first Model 01s, then Bus & Car picked up the production. The Trailways Eagles provided a noticeably more comfortable ride than the competing Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...

 MCI
Motor Coach Industries
Motor Coach Industries International Inc. is an American bus manufacturer based in Schaumburg, Illinois, and is a leading participant in the North American coach bus industry. It has various operating subsidiaries:...

 coaches. During rides between Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

 and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 in the middle 1960s, Trailways and Greyhound ran competitive services with hourly departure schedules, which allowed good baseline comparisons for frequent travelers. The Eagles were warmer in the winters, had a softer ride, better upholstery and cushioning on the seats and offered a much quieter cabin.

A small amount of other models were built in Belgium for different markets through 1968. In 1968 the Model 05 was introduced and was produced in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

.

In the early 1970s, drivers referred to Old Eagles and New Eagles. The Old Eagles had the tag axle located behind the drive axle, like a MCI. The New Eagles had the tag axle located in front of the drive axle which made them very interesting to drive. The front suspension was very soft with a lot of travel and since the tag axle torsion bar was pushing the front end up also, some drivers said it was like driving a diving board. The front end went up and down at the slightest provocation and occasionally the driver had to hang on tight to the steering wheel to stay in his seat. A few New Eagles had air ride seats and some drivers would take the hydraulic jack from the tool kit and set it under the seat to keep it from moving up and down. They said the front end of the bus moved up and down enough on its own!

In 1974 Eagle International, Inc. started building coaches in Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...

, United States, and for two years, the Model 05 was built both in Belgium and Texas. Since 1976, all US-bound coaches have been built in Texas. The Model 10 was introduced with many design changes in 1980. In 1985 the Model 15 was introduced making the standard bus 102 inches wide, then four years later coaches could be ordered 45 feet long. In 1987 Greyhound purchased Trailways and Eagle International, Inc. The name was then changed to Eagle Bus Mfg. Inc. In the 1990s, Greyhound declared bankruptcy, which also included all of its subsidiaries including Eagle Bus Mfg. Inc. Some Eagles were being made, mostly "Entertainer Coaches" for celebrities.

In the late 1990s the company was split and moved to two distinct places in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

. Mexico has a high demand for seated buses and Eagles were built for that market - all with the famous Eagle Ride "Torsilastic Suspension".

Eagle Buses today

As of January 2007, Silver Eagle Bus Mfg offers the following models: Model 15 in 38 ft, 40 ft, and 45 ft versions, Model 20 in 38 ft, 40 ft, and 45 ft versions, and the new design Model 25 in 40 ft and 45 foot. The only significant difference between the Model 15 and Model 20 is the width of the body - the Model 15 is 102 inches wide and the Model 20 is the classic 96 inch width body. One of the design changes incorporated into the Model 25 is the height of the body. A similar design analogy could be made by comparing the MCI 'D' series with the MCI 'E' series buses. The Model 25 is 102 inches wide, and (at the time of this writing) has not yet been certified and completely tested for the U.S. Government standards required for intercity buses, so it can only be ordered as a shell for conversion into an 'Entertainer Coach' or built as a 'House Car'.

At the time of this writing, all three models are available with a choice of Cummins
Cummins
Cummins Inc. is a Fortune 500 corporation that designs, manufactures, distributes and services engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission control and electrical power generation systems...

, Detroit Diesel
Detroit Diesel
As a corporation, Daimler Trucks North America has decided to rename the company "DETROIT".Detroit Diesel Corporation is an American-based diesel engine producer headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, USA...

 Series 60, or Caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...

 engines. Two transmissions are available, the fully automatic Allison
Allison
Allison is a family name of English and Scottish origin.When used as a given name it is traditionally masculine, as opposed to the feminine name Alison....

 500 series or the standard Eaton
Eaton
-Buildings:*Eaton Centre, the name of various shopping malls across Canada*Toronto Eaton Centre, a large retail and office complex in Toronto, Ontario*Eaton's / John Maryon Tower, a cancelled skyscraper in Toronto*Eaton Center , an office tower in Ohio...

 Autoshift.

Once again "Eagle Coaches" were planned on being made in Brownsville, Texas. However, as of June 19, 2009 Silver Eagle had reviewed sites in middle and western Tennessee as well as Ohio, Michigan, Alabama, and Mississippi and negotiated with several communities over the past few years before choosing to break ground on a new location in Gallatin, Tennessee
Gallatin, Tennessee
Gallatin is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, along a navigable tributary of the Cumberland River. The population was 23,230 at the 2000 census. Named for U.S...

. Officials from Silver Eagle joined Governor Phil Bredesen, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber, and local officials in announcing the project.Silver Eagle Bus Mfg has brought together all of the jigs, manufacturing assemblys and blueprints from all the original Eagles to make the classic "Eagle" once again plus they have introduced a newer design all with the original "Eagle Ride".

As of April 2010 Silver Eagle Manufacturing has produced one single Model 25 Tour Shell Coach which has received less than stellar reviews in the cosmetic department. Prior to moving from Brownsville Tx they had an in process build of a 35 foot Model 20. It is not clear if this coach was ever completed.

Current Model range

  • Silver Eagle Model 15
  • Silver Eagle Model 20
  • Silver Eagle Model 25

Past Model range

  • Golden Eagle
  • Super Golden Eagle
  • Silver Eagle Model 01
  • Silver Eagle Model 02
  • Silver Eagle Model 04
  • Silver Eagle Model 05
  • Silver Eagle Model 07
  • Silver Eagle Model 09
  • Silver Eagle Model 10
  • Silver Eagle Model 12
  • Silver Eagle Model 14
  • Silver Eagle Model 16
  • Silver Eagle AE-20
  • Eagle City
  • Eagle Touring
  • Eagle Transcontinental

External links

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