Orange Belt Stages
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| Operating Name(s) | Orange Belt Stages Orange Belt Trailways |
| Offices | P.O. Box 949 Visalia, CA 93279 |
| Contact Info | (559) 733-4408 (telephone) (559) 733-0538 (fax) |
| Fleet Size | 26 |
| Employees | 53 |
| Website | Official Site |
Orange Belt Stages (OBS) was a highway coach operator based in Visalia, California. OBS was incorporated on November 30, 1935, and operates charters in the U.S. and Canada, as well as scheduled runs in California and to Las Vegas, Nevada. They were a member of the Trailways Transportation System.
History
In 1916, when new oil wells were springing up throughout California's fertile lower San Joaquin Valley, Cyril C. Haworth started a taxi service in Kern County with an old Hudson touring car. Transporting oil field workers to and from their jobs was a growth market, and Haworth quickly expanded his operation from a single Hudson sedan to a fleet of Packard touring cars. Some of the communities served by these early bus routes are gone today, however, the Orange Belt adventure had begun.
In 1930, Pickwick Stages System leased its Bakersfield-Paso Robles route to Kern County Transportation, CO., which in turn assigned the route to Cyril C. Haworth. By 1932, Flxible Airway coaches were used between Bakersfield and Paso Robles. On December 18, 1933, Haworth was authorized to purchase from Pacific Greyhound Lines (successor to Pickwick Stages) the route between Delano and Exeter via Ducor, Porterville and Terra Bella. At the same time the Railroad Commission granted him a new Certificate to operate between Exeter and Hanford via Visalia and the Visalia Airport. From 1933 to 1955, Orange Belt Stages grew from 120 route miles to over 400 route miles.
The name "Orange Belt Stages" came from a route that ran along the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. This area is famous for its lush groves of Navel and Valencia oranges. It is known as the citrus or "Orange Belt." The name Orange Belt Stages was first used in filings in 1934.
Orange Belt Stages was incorporated on November 30, 1935, and the operating rights were transferred to the corporation. Haworth family members constituted the board of directors, and the company was then, as now, based in Visalia.
In 1943, the corporation became a partnership of Thoburn S. Haworth and Bryan W. Haworth (sons of the founder) and their wives, doing business as Orange Belt Stages. By then, World War II had ushered in a new growth market: transporting soldiers - as many as 10,000 a month - to and from the area's military bases. Routes were revised accordingly, and Orange Belt Stages increased its fleet to include the latest state-of-the-art buses by such manufacturers as Flxible, International, Dodge, Federal, Indiana, Gillig, Chevrolet, Ford and Reo.
By 1955, the company was operating scheduled service over more than 400 route miles in Central California. It upgraded its fleet with new GMC coaches (and remained a faithful GM customer for the next two decades before switching to MCI in 1977). But the boom years were over in the oil towns, and military traffic had slowed. Meanwhile, increased use of private automobile was cutting into the area's bus rider ship. Orange Belt abandoned some lines, and took over some of the operations of other stage companies that weren't doing so well. The company remained solvent, but still, a new strategy was needed. Orange Belt began to pursue the logical next step: charter business.
Orange Belt Stages upgraded its fleet to newer MCI buses in 1977.
In 1985 Mike Haworth became president and General Manager of the company.
A bus tour department Orange Belt Adventures, existed at its Bakersfield facility for per person trips.
Schedule and Amtrak service extended from Santa Maria, Ca to Las Vegas, NV via San Luis Obispo, Hanford, Visalia, Bakersfield, Barstow. 525 Route miles daily.
Orange Belt serviced a large number of accounts from universities, schools, junior colleges, churches, youth groups, summer groups, travel agencies, tour and service groups etc.[1]
In 2020, Orange Belt ceased operations, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the significant drop in travel and tourism sectors.
Routes
- 6292: Las Vegas-Bakersfield-Porterville-Visalia-Goshen Jct.-Hanford[2]
- 6296: Visalia-Paso Robles-San Luis Obispo-Santa Maria[3]
Note: Schedule numbers refer to Russell's Guide timetable numbers, not individual trip numbers.
