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As early as 1906, Morristown & Erie Railroad president Richard McEwan
began to consider replacing his steam-powered passenger trains with
railbuses. It was not until 1917, however, that the White Company of
Cleveland, Ohio succeeded in selling McEwan a "Rail Motor Car"...
essentially a small bus fitted with railroad wheels.
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In June 1918, Railbus No. 10 arrived on the property and was placed in
service between Morristown, Whippany and Essex Fells, NJ in mid-July
1918. The bus was a 45-horsepower unit that could travel at 35 miles
per hour, carry 22 passengers and cost $6,326.06.
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The vehicle featured
such "luxuries" as leather upholstered seats, interior lighting, heat,
drop-sash crystal glass windows and passenger stop signal buttons.
From all accounts, it appears that No. 10 performed admirably and
fulfilled all of McEwan's expectations.
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In order to turn the bus at the end of each run, the M&E had two small,
specially-built turntables installed at Morristown and Whippany.
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At Essex
Fells, the bus was turned on the Erie Railroad's large locomotive
turntable. (As a side note, today, the Museum's ticket office at Whippany
sits on the site of the concrete turntable pad, which is still there under
a covering of dirt and stone.)
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