Trailways Buses 1936-2001 Photo Archive

This is far more than a picture book of Trailways buses; it is a gold mine for anyone fond of intercity bus travel or yearning to learn more about the history of the bus industry. The photo collection itself is superb -- prized as much for the historical value of background scenery as for the buses themselves. Through the captions, Luke delivers a remarkably detailed sumary of how Trailways evolved from a collection of small regional companies, to a national powerhouse (Trailways, Inc.), then back again. At the end are some reprinted Trailways schedules and promotional brochures from days of yore, further enriching the experience.

I was raised the son of a Trailways baggage handler, and spent many days viewing America from the rear of Silver Eagles emblazoned with "Go Big Red, Go Trailways," rolling out of Dallas to destinations from Denver to Destin, Omaha to San Antonio. But it wasn't until I finished this book that I had any clue of the rich and complex history of the Trailways organization, or that so many bus companies besides Continental (later, Trailways, Inc.) carried the Trailways banner -- and still do. The photos themselves brought back floods of memories of the diesel smell, the pay TVs in the terminals, sunrises along Gulf coast causeways, the red tail lights turning slowly across the gravel in some nameless Mississippi town at 2 a.m. -- all those images and and more for a kid travelling Trailways in its 70s and early 80s heyday. Anyone else who fondly recalls youthful Trailways trips will love this little book.