Motor Bus Society
Encyclopedia
The Motor Bus Society is a United States
-based non-profit organization
formed by a voluntary association
of persons who share an interest in bus
es and bus transportation in North America
and, in particular, the history of the same. Founded in 1948, it publishes the quarterly magazine, Motor Coach Age, and holds a national convention semi-annually for its members. MBS is based in New Jersey
and maintains a small, private library and historical archive
for use by its members and "serious researchers", by appointment only, in central New Jersey.
s, in different cities across the United States
and Canada
. There are normally two conventions each year, in spring and fall, one held in the eastern U.S. (or eastern Canada) and the other in the western U.S. (or Canada). As of 2000, MBS had about 1,200 members. It is incorporated in New Jersey as a type-501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit organization.
, Motor Coach Age (MCA) (ISSN 0739-117X), has been published since 1950. For one or two years prior to that, MBS circulated a simple mimeographed newsletter named Bus Ways, but this was replaced in January 1950 by Motor Coach Age, which included photographs. MCA was changed to a professional format in 1952, with 12- to 16-page issues. During a period of debate among members as to the society's direction, publication of the magazine became sporadic in the late 1950s, but became regular again in 1967, when a new editor, Albert E. Meier, took over that position. Issues thereafter were published monthly and were each 24 pages long. During the 1980s MCA publication was variably monthly or bimonthly, then bimonthly in the early 1990s. Since the beginning of 1995, the magazine has been a quarterly publication. Issue size varies between 24 and 56 pages, depending on the subject.
At least since 1967, the content of Motor Coach Age has always been focused on history, documenting in detail the histories of, for example, bus
transportation in particular cities or particular operating companies, or the history of a specific bus manufacturer
. Included whenever applicable are histories of electric trolley bus
operation and trolley bus manufacturing.
From July 1994 until the end of 2003 MBS also published Motor Coach Today (MCT), a quarterly magazine focusing on present-day operations rather than history.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-based non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
formed by a voluntary association
Voluntary association
A voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...
of persons who share an interest in bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es and bus transportation in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and, in particular, the history of the same. Founded in 1948, it publishes the quarterly magazine, Motor Coach Age, and holds a national convention semi-annually for its members. MBS is based in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and maintains a small, private library and historical archive
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
for use by its members and "serious researchers", by appointment only, in central New Jersey.
History
Originally organized in 1948 as the National Motor Bus Association and later changing its name to the Motor Bus Society, Inc., the group's membership includes people working in the bus industry as well as bus enthusiasts, and some members fit both descriptions. Its newsletter soon developed into a regular magazine (see below). Every year since the early 1950s the association has held national membership conventionConvention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
s, in different cities across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. There are normally two conventions each year, in spring and fall, one held in the eastern U.S. (or eastern Canada) and the other in the western U.S. (or Canada). As of 2000, MBS had about 1,200 members. It is incorporated in New Jersey as a type-501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit organization.
Magazines
The Motor Bus Society's magazineMagazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
, Motor Coach Age (MCA) (ISSN 0739-117X), has been published since 1950. For one or two years prior to that, MBS circulated a simple mimeographed newsletter named Bus Ways, but this was replaced in January 1950 by Motor Coach Age, which included photographs. MCA was changed to a professional format in 1952, with 12- to 16-page issues. During a period of debate among members as to the society's direction, publication of the magazine became sporadic in the late 1950s, but became regular again in 1967, when a new editor, Albert E. Meier, took over that position. Issues thereafter were published monthly and were each 24 pages long. During the 1980s MCA publication was variably monthly or bimonthly, then bimonthly in the early 1990s. Since the beginning of 1995, the magazine has been a quarterly publication. Issue size varies between 24 and 56 pages, depending on the subject.
At least since 1967, the content of Motor Coach Age has always been focused on history, documenting in detail the histories of, for example, bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
transportation in particular cities or particular operating companies, or the history of a specific bus manufacturer
Bus manufacturing
Bus manufacturing is a specific sector of the automotive industry, which carries out the manufacturing of buses and coaches.-History:Bus manufacturing had its earliest origins in carriage building. Other bus manufacturers had their origins in truck manufacturing...
. Included whenever applicable are histories of electric trolley bus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
operation and trolley bus manufacturing.
From July 1994 until the end of 2003 MBS also published Motor Coach Today (MCT), a quarterly magazine focusing on present-day operations rather than history.