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The B&M Transportation Company (B&MTCo.) was formed as a subsidiary of the Boston & Maine Railroad (B&M) on November 15, 1924. Before the subsidiary was formed, the B&M had been running a bus between Ashburnham and South Ashburnham. Even when the Transportation Co. was formed, this three mile route was still controlled by the railroad for another two years. The new company provided interstate, local, and city service throughout New England. The first official operation of the B&MTCo. was the motorization of the Boston & Maine's Portsmouth Electric Railway. Buses began running between Boston and Portland on July 1, 1925 and up to the White Mountains of New Hampshire later that same month.
Over the years the B&MTCo. motorized various electric railways and replaced or supplemented railroad service. In 1926, bus service was instituted between Nashua and Wilton, replacing some of the Keene Branch trains. Later in 1926, the Manchester Traction, Light & Power Co. discontinued service on the Manchester & Derry Street Railway, in turn, the B&MTCo. instituted bus service, which was later extended in 1927 to Lawrence, Massachusetts. Bus routes in Massachusetts were being expanded, with the route out of Winchendon being extended to Peterborough, New Hampshire. Another new route added in 1927 traced the route of the Worcester, Nashua & Portland Division main line. The Manchester & Nashua Street Railway finally succumbed to the same fate of its sister route, being replaced by B&MTCo. buses in 1931. The Boston & Maine's Concord Electric Railways was motorized in 1933. During the 1930s, a Nashua to Boston route was established, following the B&M's Lexington Branch in Massachusetts. A new route was also added after the 1934 floods from Keene to Peterborough. This new route allowed passengers to continue to travel between Nashua and Keene by transferring to a train to/from Nashua (via Elmwood) at Peterboro. This arrangement would not last to the end of the decade though with the flood of 1936 causing the railroad to abandon the line between Peterboro and Elmwood. Between Concord and White River Junction also saw an introduction to buses. Ultimately the routes of the B&MTCo. mimicked that of the rail lines of the B&M.
During World War II, the Office of Defense Transportation ordered some changes to the B&MTCo. routing, such as the line from Keene to Peterboro was transferred to Granite Stages. After the war, the B&MTCo. transferred routes to other companies or discontinued routes. In 1952, the B&MTCo. became part of the Trailways Bus System, and a new headquarters was built in Cambridge, Mass.
Similar to the demise of the streetcars in major cities, the Boston & Maine Transportation Co. too was losing its passengers to automobiles as highways were constantly being improved. Unlike the regulated process of discontinuing passenger service on the railroad, it was much easier to discontinue a bus route. Slowly the shorter routes disappeared, then longer ones.
One notable bus company that was created from the void left by the B&MTCo. is Concord Coach Lines. Concord Coach first operated the city lines of Concord as well as other longer distance runs to the south. Today they operate routes in New Hampshire and Maine to Boston. Interestingly enough, Concord Coach Line's headquarters is in the old Concord Electric Railways carbarn.
B&M Transportation Co. #784
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One of the Boston & Maine Transportation Co. buses has survived into the present day, amazingly finding its way to the Seashore Trolley Museum in 1999. No. 784 is a 1949 General Motors PDA-3703. ("P" = Parlor; "D" = Diesel, "A" = odd letter that means nothing for the 3703 model). These coaches were offered with gas or diesel engines. It has a 4-71 (four banger) with four speed transmission and it is non-airconditioned. The condition of the bus is poor, but it is complete and operable. However, the engine was not drained properly before the museum acquired it and the water froze and cracked the block.
The museum acquired the coach since it was the only remaining piece known from the B&M Transportation Co., and it was similar to equipment used by electric interurban operators. The bus has a direct connection to Seashore, having run right past the museum to Portland for a time, and possibly even having transported museum members during those years.