The Union Bus Terminal-Second Section
Utica-Rome Bus Company
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This page covers the Utica-Rome Bus Company, which operated regular line run service between its namesake cities and the intermediate communities of Oriskany,Stanwix Heights, Whitesboro, and Yorkville, using highway type coaches all built by MCI. Here we take a brief look at the Utica Rome Bus Company, its operations, its fleet and the key people who made it all work, the Marsh Family.

The Utica-Rome story has its origins in the 1940s, when George E.K. Marsh, while operating a farm implement company and service station, began operating a bus transportation service for Clinton Central School and for defense workers traveling to and from Rome Air Base (later Griffiss Air Force Base). This grew into a charter service as the Marshes began operating a few tours by the 1950s. This was known as the Marsh Charter Service. Further growth came in the 1960s, when George and Kay Marsh purchased the Utica-Rome Bus Company and moved it to Clinton,NY. At that time, they began operating retail tours charters, and the Utica-Rome bus route. By this time, Marsh Charter Service was merged into Utica-Rome Bus Company. By the mid 1970s, the Marshes' son, George T, acquired the company during a time of tremendous growth and popularity for the motor coach industry. By the 1980s, George T. Marsh and his wife had doubled  Utica-Rome's size in terms of equipment and staff, thus establishing a solid reputation for high quality charter and tour business. However, the regular route operation was not neglected by any means. The route served Rome,Stanwix Heights, Oriskany,Whitesboro,Yorkville, and Utica, where Utica Rome made connections with Greyhound, Adirondack and Pine Hill Trailways, and Amtrak, plus Chenango Valley Bus Lines. Eastbound service departed Rome for Utica at 630am,810am,1100am,245pm,and 425pm. Westbound service departed Utica for Rome at 720am,1000am,1200noon,335pm, and 515 pm. Saturday service showed four trips in each direction. There was no service on Sundays or major holidays.
Some of Utica-Rome's more popular tour offerings included Atlantic City one, two, and three day trips, shoppers' specials to Reading,PA, and an Atlantic City Go Lucky Express, which operated much like a regular line run, complete with timetable and schedule. It operated Wedenesdays and Saturdays and went to Trump's Taj Mahal while Saturday Trips went to Bally's. Utica Rome's fleet consisted of all MCI coaches as the following roster shows:
 
1992 Utica-Rome Bus Company Fleet Roster
Make           Model         Year              Bus Number(s)                    Qty
MCI              MC9          1979                   110                                 1
MCI              MC9          1980                   211                                1
MCI              MC9          1981                   212                                 1
MCI              MC9          1982                   213                                 1
MCI              MC9          1983                   214                                 1
MCI              96A3         1985                   301                                 1
MCI            102A3         1987                    302                                1
MCI            102A3         1988                    303                                1
MCI            102A3         1989                    304,305                          2
MCI            102A3         1990                    306                                 1
MCI            102C3         1992                    307                                 1
Total of 12 buses.
In1995, Utica-Rome Bus Company was acquired by S&O Lines, mostly for charter and tour rights, but continued to operate the Utica-Rome line run service. This became the only regular line run service in the entire S&O system which previousl sold its Line run routes to CNY Central along with a number of MC9 buses used to operate the services. The charter and tour operations of S&O and Utica Rome became a part of Coach USA which has recently shut down its Central New York Division. The regular route operations of Utica-Rome Bus Company and CNY Coach Lines were acquired by Birnie Bus Service in 1996 and Birnie issues a single timetable covering these services.

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