By MICHAEL BUSHNELL
Northeast News
March 19, 2014

“See Kansas City and know what you’re seeing,” states the description on the back of this Curt Teich 1920s vintage postcard showing the Yellow Cab Company’s touring Parlor Coach. “An instructive, enjoyable 2 1⁄2 hour trip, thirty miles of the most interesting sections of Kansas City’s parks, boulevards, business and residential sections.”

According to coach equipment records of the Kansas City Public Service Company, such parlor coaches were built by the American Car Company and the Safeway Six Wheel Company. Gross Vehicle weight was 18,700 pounds, and each coach cost $12,404.52. Interior compliments included horsehair carpeting, mahogany wood trim throughout and seats covered with fabric in the “Chase Alhambra #1012” in #1130 Blue.

Each coach had a capacity of 30 passengers and cost roughly 32.77 cents per coach mile to operate. Double-decker models built by the St. Louis Car Company were also used in Kansas City along primary bus routes operated by the Kansas City Public Service Company.