July 9, 1923
The Logan Valley Bus Company (LVBC) began operations in the vicinity of Altoona, Pennsylvania, in the south-central region of the Keystone State. (A portion of this area has long been known as Logan Valley.) The LVBC was formed the previous week as a subsidiary of the Altoona & Logan Valley (A&LV) Electric Railway Company.
By this time, Altoona was well-established as a major railroad center. Altoona was also no stranger to local public transit, with this type of service first launched in the city in 1882. The debut of the LVBC, however, marked the introduction of regular passenger bus runs in that section of Pennsylvania. A&LV created this subsidiary to serve newly developed neighborhoods not directly linked to rail transit operations.
The pivotal force in making LVBS a full-fledged reality was Scott S. Crane, who was general manager of A&LV. Crane was born in Pennsylvania’s capital city of Harrisburg in 1860. He began his transit career in 1876 as a telegraph operator for the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR). Crane subsequently rose through PRR’s ranks and, in 1892, was transferred to Altoona to work as assistant trainmaster there. Three years later, he became superintendent of A&LV. He was promoted general manager of this company in 1900. A couple of years after the inauguration of LVBS, Crane became vice president of A&LV. He served as president of A&LV starting in 1934, relinquishing that role not long before his death in 1941.
LVBS’s first run began at 6:00 a.m. on July 9, 1923, with a bus driven through Altoona’s Pleasant Valley community. LVBC epitomized the ever-increasing use of passenger buses nationwide throughout the 1920s. The Altoona Mirror reported only three days after this company began its operations, “The new Altoona and Logan Valley bus line seems to be very popular, especially with young folks, who want to get a nice ride, judging from the large numbers who get on and off the cars each trip, until late at night.”
Over the next several years, the number of LVBC routes and buses grew dramatically. The first bus driver to be hired by LVBC was Herman Darr. His longtime service and renown as a driver reflected the deep bond that local residents developed with the company. A telling example of this can be seen in a June 1944 article in the Altoona Mirror that not only highlighted Darr’s automotive claim to fame but also provided an update on his medical status at the time. This article stated, “Herman Darr, of 210 Byron avenue, Llyswen [an Altoona neighborhood], well known bus operator for the Logan Valley Bus Company, returned to his home today from Mercy hospital where he recently underwent an operation.”
LVBC ultimately outlasted its parent company, with the A&LV ceasing to exist altogether in 1957. The following year, Altoona and nearby Logan Township jointly formed what became Pennsylvania’s first public transportation authority. This new entity, the Transportation & Motor Buses for Public Use Authority, eventually took over LVBC’s operations. The last official day of service for LVBC was October 31, 1959. The Transportation & Motor Buses for Public Use Authority — generally known as the Altoona & Logan Valley Bus Authority — was renamed Altoona Metro Transit (AMTRAN) in 1977 and remains in operation today.
Photo Credit: Public Domain
For more information on the Logan Valley Bus Company (LVBC), please check out https://www.amcap.org/history/blaircnty/lvbc.shtml
Transportation History 
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