
DH "Dave" 1933 Ward built the helmet of a wood-bodied bus to Mr. Carl Brady of the Southside School District, using, as he put it, "with only a hammer, a square, and a saw. "
In 1936 began the manufacture of bus bodies all steel, one of the first in the U.S. of A. The first bus had seats along each side of the interior and windows. Ward sold at least two bodies this year.
school bus demand grew rapidly and the size of the company. Reason for a new building was built in the center at 805 Avenue of Harkrider. From an initial surface 10.000 square feet, it grew to 100,000 square feet.
expansion Ward Industries operations in 1956 led to the establishment of the company CS Sash Company windows maker Coach Ward patented and School Furniture Company, both in Conway.
In February 1947 opened a plant for buses in the city of Mexico, it was closed in 1954. To replace it built a new Ward Body Works in Austin, Texas. 71.600-square-foot plant was opened in March 1951, receiving parts for buses of the plant in Conway.
In 1953, Conway and Austin plants manufactured on 2 000 bus bodies. Steel was sent by the Jones & Laughlin and the Mississippi River. Ward School Furniture was sold to the mid-1950s to the Chamberlin School Furniture.
In 1954, Ward moved its assembly line in the Avenue Harkrider Conway Avenue to a plant of 114,000 square feet with about 170 empledaos just south of the city limits on Highway No. 65 Arkansas.

Sach In 1968 CS Surelite renamed.
Ward Body Works passed into the hands of Charles Ward, the eldest son of Dave. Charles had worked for the plant in Austin since he finished his studies in 1959.
The following picture shows a 1964 model tested in the facilities Ward. The first two tests included a car without a driver traveling at 45 mph (72 kph ) crashing into the side of the bus and then back. In these tests the bus suffered only minor mechanical damage. The third test showed the importance of using safety belts for passengers on a bus. The same day the bus was rolled 51 / 4 turns on steep hill 150 feet high, a total distance of 350 feet.
catalog Copies courtesy of Robert L. Smith
The plant remained open until 1970, when it was replaced by a new plant of 41,000 square feet in Darlington, Pennsylvania. All parts used in assembly came directly from the plant in Conway.

The following picture shows a Model M62F front engine and a curved windshield , spray applied insulation on all exposed surfaces and in the bottom of the body. Box-type driver seat adjustable in four directions. Conditioning system so large front and rear, to keep the passengers warm in winter and cool in summer.
Model M62D had a flat-glass windshields, flat steel 14 gauge, 16 gauge apron, exterior panels were 20 gauge and 22 gauge interior panels. The central emergency door was standard. Seat springs covered with cotton pads and covered with a layer of vinyl of 27 oz. Window Operator 2 leaves. Capacity from 24 to 72 pupils. Chevrolet Platform

Model M62S " Safeguard (Safeguard) was a pusher type curved windshield and rear engine . engine and transmission assemblies are fully Free service work. A backdoor provided full access in a crash. A door provided access to compartment on the right side of the engine. The transmission and engine maintenance were available through access located under the rear seat and rear couch. Capacity 61-73 pupils.

bus line M-3000 was manufactured during the late 1960's in 9 models. It was easy to adapt as much as regular school bus for sightseeing, intercity travel or city use. It had capacity of 33 to 91 seats, depending on the size of the platform, seat pitch, and location of emergency exits.






catalog Copies courtesy of Robert L. Smith
styles had five seats and three types of windows.



José Ramírez Lozano
Monterrey, NL Mexico
0 comments:
Post a Comment