Coachbult.com - Kelly-Springfield Truck & Bus Corp.



Kelly-Springfield Truck & Bus Co. 1926-1929- American Truck & Bus Co. - 1926- Springfield, Ohio

(1) Kelly Motor Truck Co., Springfield, Ohio 1910-1912

(2) Kelly-Springfield Motor Truck Co., Springfield, Ohio 1912-1926

(3) American Bus & Truck Co., Springfield Ohio 1926

(4) Kelly-Springfield Truck & Bus Corp., Springfield, Ohio 1926-1929

The Kelly succeeded the Frayer-Miller, and through 1912 continued to use air-cooled engines with which its predecessor had long been connected. Water-cooled engines, 4-cylinder pair-cast units of Kelly's own manufacture, were adopted in 1912, and the trucks featured a Renault-type hood with radiator behind the engine. Transmission was via a 3-speed gearbox and double chain drive. Through 1912 I., 2-, and 3.tonners were made, principally a stripped chassis, though the 2 and 3-tonners could be had with open express bodies. The range of models extended during the next few years, and by 1918 there were eight, from 1 ½ to 6 tons capacity. Worm drive appeared on the 1918 1 ½ -tonner, though chains were still seen on the 6.tonner as late as 1926, and other models of the early 1920s used internal gear drive.

During this period steel disc wheels began to replace artillery spoked wheels, and eventually became standard. The Renault-type hood was continued on the larger models until the end of production, but smaller Kelly-Springfields adopted conventionally-placed radiators after 1924. These also used proprietary engines for the first time, the 1 ½-tonner having a Continental K4, and the 2 ½ - and 3 ½ -tonners Hercules engines. While some lists carried Kelly-Springfield to 1929, it is likely that production actually came to an end two years before.

For more information please read:

Ed Strauss & Karen Strauss - The Bus World Encyclopedia of Buses

G.N. Georgano & G. Marshall Naul - The Complete Encyclopedia of Commercial Vehicles

Albert Mroz - Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Trucks & Commercial Vehicles

Donald F. Wood - American Buses

Denis Miller - The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trucks and Buses

Susan Meikle Mandell - A Historical Survey of Transit Buses in the United States

David Jacobs - American Buses, Greyhound, Trailways and Urban Transportation

William A. Luke & Linda L. Metler - Highway Buses of the 20th Century: A Photo Gallery

William A. Luke & Brian Grams - Buses of Motorcoach Industries 1932-2000 Photo Archive

William A. Luke - Greyhound Buses 1914-2000 Photo Archive

William A. Luke - Prevost Buses 1924-2002 Photo Archive