THE HISTORY OF THE EAGLE BUS BUILT IN BROWNSVILLE AND HARLINGEN FROM 1974-1997~PART TWO

From the editor:  Brownsville resident Daniel Lenz, one of the world's leading bus transportation experts, has been involved in the bus industry for over forty years and is currently Chairman of the Museum of Bus Transportation in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Daniel has kindly agreed to write a synopsis of the manufacturing of the Eagle Bus in Brownsville and Harlingen.  

Below is "Part Two" of Mr. Lenz's composition:

Daniel Lenz

 

Kassbohrer would continue building the Eagle Bus, also in the Silver Eagle form, up until 1961. They had decided to focus on their own bus manufacturing efforts for the European market.

They agreed to sell the tooling to Trailways and worked in the transition until Trailways found another manufacturer.

First Eagle Bus Produced

This led M.E. Moore to Belgium where they found an interim manufacturer known as La Brugeoise, which produced Eagle Buses in 1961-62. Eventually production was taken over by a company known as Bus & Car in Belgium, which produced Eagle Buses up until 1977 and then sold out to a company known as MOL in Belgium.

Golden Eagle Prototype

In 1973-74, it was decided that production of the Eagle Bus would come to Brownsville, Texas. Tom Champion, a Rio Grande Valley native, was very instrumental in this transition. 

This would save on the high labor rates in Belgium and shipping costs. 

Since Trailways owned the Eagle brand, it would be what they thought a good fit to have operations here in Brownsville. Trailways was based in Dallas at the time and their fleet could easily access Brownville through their line haul and provide service to themselves for repairs and/or carrying parts back to the main shop in Dallas. 

The manufacturing company would be known as Eagle International, Inc.

Things were not going well for Trailways financially speaking and around 1978 they sent Frank Hines to Brownville to close the manufacturing facility. 

Frank, who became the President of Eagle International, saw that he could save the company.

Frank set his sights on a 50+ bus order for Houtran, later known as Houston Metro. His efforts were successful and this gave him some working capital to continue design of a new model Eagle Bus, which was introduced in February of 1980. 

Eagle Production Line in Ulm, Germany

Frank would also open a second manufacturing facility in Harlingen around 1982. Focus at the Harlingen factory was on building an Eagle two axle suburban bus and also refurbishing older Eagle Buses in the Trailways fleet. 

This only lasted a few years before they closed that operation, which was known as Trailways Manufacturing, Inc.

Eagle International was producing 300-400 buses a year between 1980-84. In 1985 production slowed as the bus industry had fierce competition from the airline industry when it came to fares.

Part Three, the final installment of this series will be posted soon!