BusTalk

Tony A · Age: 79 Joined: 27 Jan 2013 Posts: 20 Location: Sarasota FL

I remember these well. When I was 9 years old my cub scout troop 127 in the East New York section of Brooklyn chartered 2 of them (numbers 4774 and 4798) from the city for our annual picnic outing to Alley Pond Park in Queens. The cubmaster told us to remember which bus we were on. I still remember being on #4774.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 3:41 pm Post subject:

Photographed sometime in the 1960's at Smith and Fulton Streets in Brooklyn and traveling the #67 7th. Avenue Line heading toward Prospect Park West and 39th. Street is fleet # 9087 - a 1958 GM Coach Model TDH 5106 and one of one hundred and twenty one likenesses numbered 9000 to 9120 operating for the New York City Transit Authority.

The 9000's, which were the last group of 'GM Old Looks' to arrive before the 'New Look' era began, carried forward many of the features that were introduced with the city's 5106's in the 7000 series from a year earlier and included push open rear doors, heavy painted steel bumpers and pantographic windshield wipers.

However, the 9000's differed in that they featured rare slide back passenger windows (ala Mack's C-50's) and the last twenty-two buses delivered were equipped with all longitudinal seating to accommodate rush hour crowding on the short B39 Williamsburg Bridge shuttle to and from Manhattan.

While the 9000's began their careers with the city's Brooklyn Bus Division, most slowly gravitated to Staten Island to make way for the proliferation of GM's New Looks arriving in the 60's (a sample of one seen to the left of frame).

Photo courtesy of 'Vintage-Vault75' and is available on eBay as item # 171044342103.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 3:01 pm Post subject:

In this 1964 shot taken at the Garden Avenue, Mount Vernon facility of the Westchester Street Transportation Company we see several coaches that arrived at the Fifth Avenue Coach Lines (FACL) subsidiary in 1962 after the collapse of that company's New York City operation.

From right to left are fleet #415 - a 1937 Yellow Coach Model 740 operated originally for New York City Omnibus Corporation (NYCO), fleet #846 - a 1941 Yellow Coach Model TD 4502 also operated by NYCO and fleet #908 - a 1942 Yellow Coach Model TD 4505 originally operated by NYCO affiliate Eighth Avenue Coach Corporation (EACCO).

The coach to the far left of the frame is of unknown fleet number but, rather interestingly, still carries its trademark Omnibus Corporation livery of an ornate two tone green and cream - a scheme that had not been seen on any new New York affiliate of that corporation since 1950.

These buses never appeared on Westchester's roster as part of nearly 100 that were transferred from FACL and were said to be only used as parts cars.

Photo courtesy of 'Vintage-Vauly75' and is available on eBay as item #
171044346233.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York

3-D Bob · Age: 68 Joined: 31 May 2013 Posts: 7 Location: Bronx, NY

Hello ! This is a link to a film I found on youtube with many great shots of buses, the 3rd ave el, and a great scene climbing aboard a Fifth Ave. Coach Double Decker !!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgqRN40TXrE&feature=player_detailpage

Tony A · Age: 79 Joined: 27 Jan 2013 Posts: 20 Location: Sarasota FL

excellent clip 3-D Bob! very clear shot of NY just before the outbreak of WW 2. I particularly like the footage on the second level of the double decker bus.

JimmiB · Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 12:22 am Post subject:

Really nice clip. Thanks for the link!

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 4:12 pm Post subject:

3-D Bob,

It is really a great clip and probably one of the best I've seen! - thanks for sharing.

I might add that for classic truck lovers such as myself, a clear shot in the beginning of the film shows one of the city's hundreds of 1933 Autocar Model U street flushers in action.

Thanks again.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

NorthShore · Age: 76 Joined: 18 Mar 2012 Posts: 113

Another great video on YouTube is DAWN OF TOMORROW Part 2.
It has many great NYC bus, trolley and subway scenes particularly the 1939 World's Fair.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 2:12 am Post subject:

Here's another YouTube video from the same source as Frankie's but not of the same quality although loaded with mostly Surface GM's and Macks circa late forties.

The real action doesn't start until about 02:51:00 in and gets hotter and hotter.

Pay close attention at the 03:31:06 mark to see a Carey Transportation Flxible Clipper traveling along 42nd. Street between a Surface GM and Mack.

Also, notice the close-ups of the rears of the Surface GM's to spot their special 'BACKING' fixtures just to the right of the left stop light.

At 07:50:05 (almost the end of the reel) take note of a FACCO model 735 DD (right) and a model 720 DD (left) and compare the only difference between the two which would be the height of the roofs with the 720's low enough to pass under the Roosevelt Avenue El on the way from Manhattan to Jackson Heights.

Enjoy,

Mr. 'L'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfxmAmQh6wI

frankie · Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 5:39 pm Post subject:

JimmiB · Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:57 pm Post subject:

Mr. "L",
Buses and Taxis and Trains...Oh My!!! That video is almost a transportation overload ! Great.

Frankie,
That was quite a crash test!

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 1:29 am Post subject:

That was something right out of a Three Stooges movie!

It wasn't that FACCO's 735's couldn't negotiate Roosevelt Avenue at all because they actually could drive the main section either way with more than enough clearance.

It was stations along the route that were slung slightly too low under the structure (see below) which probably would have been O.K. for them if they hugged the parking lane and not at the crown of the road.

Roosevelt Avenue photo by Mitch Waxman.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 1:41 pm Post subject:

In a photo taken by Victor DuBrutz on September 30th. 1963, we see fleet # 1212 - a 1930 66 passenger Yellow Coach Model Z-BH-602 (ser# 127) and one of forty likenesses numbered 1200 to 1239 that had once operated for the Fifth Avenue Coach Company of Manhattan, New York.

# 1212 is seen merging from Broadway to Telegraph Avenue in downtown Oakland, California as part of a vintage vehicle show and could well have been driven by its owner listed under Preserved Coaches as Bob Trapanier of Rosemead, California.

The very popular and trademark open topped 1200 series coaches were among the last to have bodies built by Fifth Avenue's own shops in upper Manhattan and, while a handful were converted to closed tops during the thirties, the balance of the open tops were retired in 1946 due to high labor and seasonal storage costs.

Of note on # 1212 is its original livery (or a reasonable facsimile), head lights (which these buses never came with originally), cord operated semaphore directional signals and after market Michigan Markers.

BTW; I think that the AC Transit New Look trailing #1212 is just trying to get by!

Photo courtesy of 'Echocanyonranch' and is available on eBay as item #350810244813.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York

NorthShore · Age: 76 Joined: 18 Mar 2012 Posts: 113

The destination sign route "10 BROADWAY" is one of Fifth Avenue's more unusual and less known routes.
It was actually a short turn, through-routed tripper of Rts. 3 & 4. It ran from W.135 St. & Broadway (near the W. 132 St Garage), along Broadway to W. 165 St., and then followed the Rt. 3 St. Nicholas route to W. 193 St. in Fort George.
It ran into MABSTOA years because I saw 8000-series winged fishbowls with the "10 Broadway" route sign. I don't know when it was discontinued.
Also, I believe bus 1212 was built by Yellow Coach in 1934.

NorthShore · Age: 76 Joined: 18 Mar 2012 Posts: 113