MTFCA Forum

This is a picture of my Grandfather taken near Arcadia, LA. My Mother and probably some of her brothers and sisters are in the picture.

Is this a Model T School Bus and, if so, what year is it? I know that most of the School Bus is obscured by the children but there may be some clues showing.
Thanks for the help.

Not a bus but most likely used as such - it's a TT C-Cab Covered Express & quite rare at that - I have a similar TT my Gramps' purchased new in Seattle in early 1924.

The windshield would be late '23, 1924-1925.

Small communities back in the days often used screen side deliveries or express wagons as school buses. A couple simple seat benches, one down each side, and at the speeds they were driven, the kids were relatively safe inside the back. Sometimes a local merchant and town booster would buy the truck and schedule his deliveries around the school bussing times. The town might cover the cost of the driver and gasoline for bussing schedules.
Being a "town booster" in most communities went a long way with local townsfolk becoming loyal customers.

I hadn't really thought about it. But except for me using it on rare occasions, I rarely ever see the word "booster" used anymore?
Many towns over a hundred years ago had "Booster Clubs" for merchants and well-to-do citizens.

Merriam-Webster.com still lists it as definition "a".

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/booster

If you had a photo of the running boards or the rear wheels, it would be easier to date. First Ford steel C-Cab was '24 with short running boards - "boot scraper" running boards would be around '26 along with the 20" rear wheels - maybe late '25 on the wheel change.

Thanks for the responses. I have looked for additional pictures but so far have not found any. Since my family did not have a camera at that time, pictures of them at that time are rare.

I did look in the Model T Encyclopedia and, on page 521 of the digital version Parts book, there is a picture of this "screen" body. Does anyone have one now? I don't remember ever seeing a picture of one besides this one - at least not one that still exists.

Look forward to any additional responses.
Dennis

DontKnowMuch wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 10, 2023 6:51 pm

Thanks for the responses. I have looked for additional pictures but so far have not found any. Since my family did not have a camera at that time, pictures of them at that time are rare.

I did look in the Model T Encyclopedia and, on page 521 of the digital version Parts book, there is a picture of this "screen" body. Does anyone have one now? I don't remember ever seeing a picture of one besides this one - at least not one that still exists.

Look forward to any additional responses.
Dennis

From the Internet https://www.google.com/search?q=screen+ ... EEM8h70hyM -- --
Second one from the left
--

It will take more searching than I am interested in doing, but I know that a Forum Member recreated such a vehicle using very old industrial mesh taken from a building salvage (?) operation and cut/fit to his delivery and did a wonderfully credible job of it.