NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC SERVICE INC.
WHITE 788 BUSES 1436-1589 & 1600-1784

www.streetcarmike.com

Page created May 20, 2011. Last updated November 8, 2021.
Š2011-2021 Michael Strauch. All rights reserved.

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NOPSI bought 339 White model 788 buses, numbers 1436-1589 and 1600-1784, from 1940 to 1948. (Data from Motor Coach Age, October-December 2001 issue.) The last twelve Whites were retired in 1962. Note that Public Service put the run number in the headsign. Routes were never numbered until Bridge 60, Express 70, and Express 71 were created in the late 1950s.

Some photographs come from The Historic New Orleans Collection and meet their terms and conditions of use for personal and educational purposes. Others are slides or press photos I purchased, credit given if indicated on slide mount or reverse of print.

WHITE 1487:

White 1487 on the Esplanade line in an uncredited press photo showing the coach threading through a narrow area caused by illegally parked cars on the river side of Dauphine (right side of this photo) just upriver from Conti St. on March 8, 1944. This bus, part of fleet nos. 1474-1500 built in 1942, featured steel sides instead of aluminum due to wartime shortage. One photo added 11/24/19.

WHITE 1515:

White 1515 on the Desire line on Royal Street in an unknown year. Part of series nos. 1501-1548, was delivered in 1944 as part of the Office of Defense Transportation's wartime allocation of buses. One photo added 10/15/13.

WHITE 1561:

White 1561 on the City Park bus line at Dauphine and Canal Sts. on October 6, 1946. On the left is the Maison Blanche department store and building, and on the right is D.H. Holmes. Note the streetcar tracks beginning abruptly and entering Canal. These were used from 1920 by the Bayou St. John (until 1925) and Broad (until 1929) car lines. Buses replaced trolleys on City Park in 1941 and were themselves replaced by trolley coach operation in 1949. Photo from Charles L. Franck / Franck-Bertacci Photographers Collection, The Historic New Orleans Collection. One photo added 05/20/11.

WHITE 1610:

White 1610 on the Jefferson bus line on Jefferson Highway on August 7, 1950. It has made a passenger stop at the Illinois Central railroad tracks inbound to Carrollton Avenue. Photo from Charles L. Franck / Franck-Bertacci Photographers Collection, The Historic New Orleans Collection. One photo added 05/20/11.

WHITE 1671:

White 1671 on the Desire bus line in an undated color slide from my collection. Photo added March 3, 2019.

WHITE 1673:

White 1673 passes Carrollton Station, where car 801 is visible. Undated (although the 801 is known to have been scrapped in April 1953, so this was taken before then) and uncredited photo from my collection added 11/08/21.

WHITE 1683:

White 1683 on the Desire bus line at Royal and Canal Sts. in 1952. Photographer unknown. Scan of a negative from my collection added 03/04/20.

WHITE 1688:

White 1688 on the Desire bus line inbound at Royal and St. Louis Sts. in an unknown year. One of the ornate wrought iron balconies the French Quarter is famous for can be seen above. The bus has an aluminum painted roof and silver numerals. My collection. One photo added 06/01/12.

WHITE 1690:

White 1690 on the Desire bus line outbound at Dauphine and Almonaster Sts. on May 5, 1954. Another White bus is visible on the Gentilly bus line. Photo from Charles L. Franck / Franck-Bertacci Photographers Collection, The Historic New Orleans Collection. One photo added 05/20/11.

WHITE 1691:

An uncredited press photo shows White 1691 on the new Tulane bus line (pending substitution of trolley coaches August 10th) on January 8, 1951. One image added 12/16/19.

WHITE 1692:

White 1692 on the Airline bus line at Tulane Ave. and South Pierce St. on October 5, 1955. The Pontchartrain Expressway (later Interstate 10) overpass is visible beyond South Carrollton Ave. in the distance. Photo from Charles L. Franck / Franck-Bertacci Photographers Collection, The Historic New Orleans Collection. One photo added 05/20/11.

WHITE 1696:

White 1696 on the St. Bernard line passes the Jung Hotel at Canal and LaSalle Sts. in an uncredited photo. The hotel marquee announces Gisele MacKensie (sic) performing with the Ran(dall) Wilde Orchestra, which event happened in 1952, according to the screenshot of a Google search. There was formerly a press photo marked with that year for sale. Three photos added 11/24/19.

WHITE 1705:

The interior of White 1705 at Canal Station on October 19, 1949. On the left side is visible the rear of a segregation sign. (The NOPSI system was desegregated May 31, 1958.) Outside 1705 at right is a White with steel side panels and gray livery from World War II. Number 1705 is the first of the last group of 788s bought in 1948. Photo from Charles L. Franck / Franck-Bertacci Photographers Collection, The Historic New Orleans Collection. One photo added 05/20/11.

WHITE 1710:

White 1710 on the Desire line upbound at Royal and St. Peter Sts. in an unknown year. The poles and arms at right, however, suggest this shot was taken not long after the Gentilly streetcar was replaced (Desire was May 30, 1948 and Gentilly July 17, 1948) and the tracks were removed or paved over. There is another White in the background, and it may be a Gentilly bus. No photographer credit, scan from a slide in my collection. One photo added 10/05/15.

WHITE 1723:

White 1723 is featured in this States press photo depicting the conversion of the Desire streetcar line to bus, which took place May 30, 1948. Gentilly was still in operation but gave way to buses on July 17, 1948. The photo dates to those months. Image from my collection added March 3, 2019.

WHITE 1724:

White 1724 on the Desire line, run 4, upbound on Royal at Conti Sts. in an unknown year. That's the Louisiana Supreme Court on the right; it is in the 21st century partially hidden behind fencing and trees. My collection. Two photos added 02/01/12.

WHITE 1759:

White 1759 on the Desire line downbound at Bourbon and Bienville Sts. (The Old Absinthe Bar) in an unknown year. No photographer credit, scan from a slide in my collection. One photo added 10/05/15.

WHITE 1773:

I believe this is White 1773, seen on the Jefferson bus line inbound at Jefferson Hwy. and Labarre Rd. The National Bank of Commerce in Jefferson Parish is the focus of this slide. According to the City of Harahan website, this main branch of NBC opened October 21, 1955. The Jefferson bus line was sold by NOPSI to Louisiana Transit Co. on August 15, 1959. These dates are the range in which the slide was shot. No photographer credit, scan from a slide in my collection. Two photos added 10/05/15.

WHITE 1775 AND 1781:

Whites 1775 (downbound) and 1781 (upbound) on the Metairie line between Codifer and Bonnabel Blvds. in the 1950s. To the left, out of shot, is the old Metairie High School, which became Metairie Junior High in 1955. The current building is home to Haynes Academy for Advanced Studies. To the right is Kopper Kitchen, a famous restaurant chain. This area later housed a National supermarket (now Canseco's). Press photo by F.H. Methe for the New Orleans States newspaper, dated July 16, 1960. One image replaced 03/04/20.

UNKNOWN NUMBER WHITE BUSES:

An unknown number White (only the last digit of 7 is visible) on the Frenchmen bus line at Elysian Fields and St. Claude Aves. on December 3, 1954. We are looking through the Esso gasoline station. Frenchmen was renamed Elysian Fields in 1957. Trolley coach wires for the St. Claude line are visible. Photo from Charles L. Franck / Franck-Bertacci Photographers Collection, The Historic New Orleans Collection. One photo added 05/20/11.