From Trolleys to Transit: Why a Trolley Company Built a Modern Bus
If you know Hometown, you probably picture a trolley: the polished wood, brass rails, and arched windows that make people smile when one rolls down Main Street. So when people see a sleek, low-floor transit bus coming out of our shop in Crandon, the first question is usually some version of: "Wait, you build buses now?"
We do. Here's why.
Building Things Has Always Been in the Family
Our story didn't start with trolleys. It started with a family that couldn't stop building. Back in 1903, Lewis Kiser began inventing in Decatur, IL, and he went on to patent an air-compressed engine and a chassis. Generations later, brothers Bruce and Neil Pence were building custom truck campers and extended cabs, then went on to build custom horse-camper trailers. In 1978, Bruce Pence designed and built his first trolley bus.
As our own history puts it, it began with trailers, transformed into Trolleys and food trucks, then expanded into buses. Trolleys have been a big part of who we are, but they were never the whole story. Innovating is.
The Trolley Taught Us How to Build a Great Bus
A Hometown trolley may look like it came from the 1800s, but underneath it is a modern, heavy-duty transit vehicle. Over the years we built the engineering to prove it:
- Federal transit testing since the 1990s. Our trolleys have been going through Altoona testing at Penn State, the federal bus testing program, since 1996.
- Our own chassis. In 2012, Hometown Trolley developed 2 new trolley models, the Streetcar and Carriage as well as our own patent-pending low floor chassis.
- Cleaner drivetrains. Our Streetcar completed Altoona testing with a CNG drivetrain in 2019, and we electrified the Villager in 2020.
Once we'd engineered a low-floor, heavy-duty trolley that passed the same tests as any transit bus, the next step was easy to see. The main difference between our Streetcar and a modern transit bus was the look. And there just so happened to be a gap in the market - customers needed buses, but most factories had backlogs too long worth waiting around for.
Same Craftsmanship, Modern Look
In 2018, Hometown Trolley expanded and rebranded as Hometown Manufacturing to encompass existing and future vehicle lines, and we launched our Hometown Coach modern bus line. The first model passed Altoona testing that same year. The Commuter followed in 2020, and in 2021 we developed our heavy-duty, low-floor Urban.
The Urban shows how closely the two lines are connected. It features exceptional modern fit and finish on our proven Streetcar chassis structure. The trolley didn't just inspire the bus. It's the foundation it's built on.
Why It Matters to Our Customers
Many of the communities and agencies that run our trolleys also run everyday transit routes. Now they can get both from the same family-owned team in Wisconsin, with the same service and the same relationship.
The Urban was built with the people who drive and maintain it in mind. It's 100% American Made, Mechanically Friendly and Operator Favorable, the Urban is a low-floor, heavy duty bus fit for transit. Available in diesel, CNG and Full Electric. It seats 24 to 40 passengers, comes in lengths from 29 to 40 feet, and its low floor makes boarding easy for riders using wheelchairs, walkers, or strollers.
For agencies moving toward cleaner fleets, full electric drivetrains now offer up to a 200-mile range and a short 2 hour quick charge time.
"Why not? We are a fully capable factory and the sky is the limit" Owner/CEO Kristina Pence-Dunow said when asked why hometown decided to expand its fleet range.
Still Hometown, Through and Through
Adding buses didn't change who we are. We're still a third-generation, woman-owned family business in Crandon, Wisconsin. Every vehicle is still hand-built by our team. And we still build trolleys, including the Villager, the Mainstreet, the Streetcar, and the Carriage, with the same care we always have.
We just have more ways to help your community get where it's going.
Let's Find the Right Vehicle for Your Route
Whether you need a trolley that makes Main Street a destination or a modern bus built for everyday transit, we'd love to help. Explore our Buses and Trolleys, check current Inventory, or talk to our Consulting team about your plans. You can also call us at 1 (715) 301-0149.
From our family to your hometown, thanks for riding along.
