COLUMBIA COACHES

Columbia Coach Works (1933-1936)
Los Angeles, California

Columbia Coaches radiator emblem (1933-1936) mjs
Size: 75mm diameter   MM: None

Charles F. Wren established the Columbia Coach Works in Los Angeles in 1933 in order to refurbish and manufacture buses for the Columbia Pacific Nite Coach Lines, which operated a Los Angeles to Chicago passenger coach service. In particular, Columbia Coaches was to build an all-new rounded Nite Coach for use as a long distance, over-night highway sleeper service. 

It is known that at least eighteen Nite Coaches were built, eight of which were used by Columbia Pacific Nite Coach Lines. Othere Nite Coaches may have been built, because it is reported that Nite Coaches were seen in at least four other coach line liveries.

Columbia Coach Works also introduced a twin-engined prototype coach in 1936 called the "Pickwick Sleeper", which was powered by two Ford v-8 engines. This coach featured the first ever use on a bus in America of a mechanical air-conditioning system. 

It is not known how many buses and coaches were built by Columbia Coaches before production ceased later in 1936.

Emblem

The red and blue Columbia Coach radiator emblem shown above was used on a Columbia Coach bus using an Available Trucks chassis. This Columbia Coaches radiator emblem is very rare.