|
|
Historic bus group ends year with holiday lights tour
 There
are people who collect classic cars. There are people who amass
motorcycle masterpieces. But, there are also people who think the best
thing on wheels is an old bus.
Since 1981, members of the Metro
Employees Historic Vehicle Association (MEHVA) have dedicated
themselves to preserving our local transit history. At that time,
several 1940s vintage electric trolleys had been recently retired and
were headed for the scrap yard. MEHVA negotiated with Metro Transit
officials and the old Metro Council to establish a working relationship
for saving vehicles representing different eras.
Today, MEHVA supports a collection of 17 historic buses and trolleys.
The oldest is a 1939 Twin Coach with a gasoline engine, and the newest
is the recently retired Breda tunnel bus with diesel and electric
propulsion. King County Metro
Transit owns the vehicles, while MEHVA restores, maintains and
operates the buses with unpaid volunteer labor and provides parts no
longer in Metro’s stock.
In addition to those buses, the historic fleet includes the only known
surviving streetcar from Seattle’s municipal rail system.
There are about 70 MEHVA members. Half are current or retired Metro
Transit employees, and the others are associate members - people of all
ages who just happen to love buses.
“It’s generally a guy thing,” says MEHVA Treasurer Michael Voris, with a
rueful smile. “There seems to be very few women interested in old
buses.”
But men, women and children all enjoy MEHVA’s excursions on the historic
buses. Several times a year, the members polish up the buses and
trolleys and take them out on the road to see the sights and drum up
some revenue for their restoration efforts.
 The
next trip is the most popular one of the year - the annual holiday
lights tour. On Saturday, Dec. 10 MEHVA hosts a two-hour tour of
Seattle’s best Christmas lights. Buses depart at 7 p.m. from the
boarding zone in Pioneer Square at Main Street and Second Avenue South,
across the street from the fire station.
MEHVA members are currently scouting the best holiday illuminations in
Seattle and North Seattle, and the route this year will include the
luminarias at Green Lake. Fares are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors (65
and over), and $4 for children (2-11). Metro transfers, tickets, or
passes are not accepted. Please, do not bring food or beverages onboard
the historic buses.
MEHVA is a non-profit organization and funding comes from four sources:
the excursion fares; membership dues; donations; and rental fees. Metro
does not provide any funding to the group directly, but offers some
in-kind help with storage and maintenance facilities.
The MEHVA fleet is currently housed at two Metro bases. Voris says
members would like to have covered storage and space for a work area,
but money is limited. They would also like to encourage more mechanics
with bus-repair experience to join their group to help keep the historic
fleet running.
“Transit is a service industry, so the bus ride you took today is
forgotten tomorrow,” says Voris. “But, when you see these old buses
running on the street, you have a visual reminder that public transit
has been around in this area for a long time.”
For more information, visit the MEHVA
website; or call the MEHVA hotline at (206) 684-1816. |
