BusTalk

[Stalwart23]

The following roster from Pioneer Bus Corp. was taken from the March/April 1981 issue of Motor Coach Age.

The roster is intended for educational purposes for any bus fanatic or historian.

Bus No., Builder, Model, Serial No., Passenger No., Year Built, Year transferred to Pioneer, Former Operator

9, I-H/Beaver, ?, School Bus, ?, 1945, (1954), Parkway Coach Service 9
3, White/Supr., WB14, School Bus, 37, 1948, (1954), Parkway Coach Service 3
4, I-H/Beaver, ?, School Bus, 37, 1944, (1954), Parkway Coach Service 4
5, Dodge/Supr., ?, School Bus, 29, 1947, (1954), Parkway Coach Service 5
6, I-H/Thomas, ?, School Bus, 37, 1944, (1954), Parkway Coach Service 6
7-8, I-H Thomas, ?, School Bus, 37, 1945, (1954), Syken Coach Service 7-8
12, Yellow, PD 3701, 026, 37, 1940, (1954), Columbia Bus Service 12
13, Reo/Oneida, ?, School Bus, 37, 1948, (1954), Syken Coach Service 3
14, Reo/Carp., ?, School Bus, 39, 1947, (1954), Syken Coach Service 14
14, Reo/Carp., ?, School Bus, 40, 1946, (?), ? (from a Pa. Company)
15, Reo/Oneida, ?, School Bus, 37, 1947, (1954), Columbia Bus Service 15
16, Reo/Superior, ?, School Bus, 33, 1946, (1954), Westchester Coach Co.
17, Reo/Superior, ?, School Bus, 40, 1946, (1954), ? (from a Pa. Company)
19, I-H/Bluebird, ?, School Bus, 37, 1944, (1954), U.S. Navy
40, Yellow, 1210, ?, 37, 1940, (1954), Syken Coach Service 40
43, GM, PDA 3702, ?, 37, 1943, (1954), Syken Coach Service 43
45, GM, PDA 3701, ?, 37, 1945, (1954), Syken Coach Service 45
46, Beck, 220, Mainliner, 37, 1946, (1954), Syken Coach Service 46
54, White, 798-1, 237936, 45, 1942, (1954), Parkway Coach Service 54
55, White, 798-10, ?, 45, 1941, (1954), Raritan Valley Bus Service
56, White, 798-1, ?, 45, 1940, (1954), Club Transportation
(73, 77), Yellow, 743, (1228, 1232), 37, 1939, (1954), Columbia Bus Service 73, 77
20, Ford/Superior, ?, School Bus, 37, 1955
21-22, Ford/Bluebird, ?, School Buses, 40, 1955
23-27, Ford/Superior, ?, School Buses, 40, 1955-56
30-31, I-H/Superior, ?, School Buses, 40, 1957
183-188, Yellow, TG 3602, 217-222, 36, 1941, (1959), CR&L Lines 183-188
191, Yellow, TG 3602, 150, 36, 1941, (1959), CR&L Lines 191
193-194, Yellow 711, (028, 027), ?, 1933, (1959), United Traction 193, 194
202, Ford, ?, School Bus, ?, ?, (1959), ?
205, GM, TDH 4509, 968 (Maybe S#608), 45, 1949, (?), ? (maybe ex. #253)
206-207, GM, TDH 4509, 1529-1530, 45, 1951, (1959), DeCamp Bus Lines 206-207
208-209, GM, TDH 5108, (003, 001), 45, 1953, (1959), DeCamp Bus Lines 238, 236
221-222, White, 798-10, 341353-341354, 45, 1947, (1959), DeCamp Bus Lines 221-222
235, GM, TDM 4509, 165, 45, 1950, (1959), Hill Bus Co. 235
237-238, GM, TDM 4509, (?, 374), 45, 1951, (1959), Hill Bus Co. ?, 238
253, GM, TDH 4509, 608, 45, 1949, (1959), DeCamp Bus Lines 253
300, Yellow, PDG 4101, 145, , 41, 1941, (1959), Eastern Greyhound E-4122
301-302, Yellow, PDG 3701, ?, 37, 1941, (1959), Eastern Greyhound
303, Yellow, PDG 4101, ?, 41, 1941, (1959), Eastern Greyhound
500, GM/Wayne, S-370, School Bus, 40, 1959
501, GM/Wayne, SV-4019, School Bus, 40, 1960
18, Dodge/?, ?, School Bus, 36, 1951 (1956), ? (listed here out of seq.)
1000, GM/Wayne, SPA-5019, ?, 37, 1961
2000/3000, GM/Wayne, SPA-5019, ?, 37, 1961
502-505, GM/Wayne, SV-4019, ?, 40, 1960, (1961), new
600-602, GM/Wayne, SPA-5019, ?, 40, 1961
603-606, GM/Wayne, SV-4019, ?, 37, 1961
1500-1501, Mack, C-45-DT, ?, 45, 1951, (1961), Bee Line Inc.
1502, Mack, C-49-DM, ?, 49, 1957, (1962), Star Bus Line (N.Y.)
1503, Mack, C-45-DT, ?, 45, 1951, (1961), Bee Line Inc.
1505-1506, Mack, C-45-DT, ?, 45, 1951, (1961), Bee Line Inc.
1509-1512, Mack, C-41-GT, 1514-1517, 41, 1947, (1961), Philadelphia T. Co. 1509-1512
2001, GM/Wayne, SV-4019, ?, 40, 1961
542-543, GM, TD-3610, ?, 36, 1947, (1963), Rockland Coaches Inc.
401, GM, TD-3610, 1268, 38, 1948 (1961), Rockland Coaches Inc. 401
4000/5000, GM, SDM 5302, 242-243, 49, 1964
6000/7000, GM, SDM 5302, 493-494, 49, 1965
530-534, GM, TDH 4509, 2419-2423, 44, 1953, (1965), Bee Line Inc. 530-534
1216-1220, GM, TD-3610, 1512-1516, 38, 1948, (1965), Connecticut Co. 1216-1220
8000/9000, GM, SDM 5302, 863-864, 53, 1966
1600, GM, TDH 5106, 1327, 51, 1957, (?), Bee Line Inc. 600
1603-1605, GM, TDH 5106, 1330-1332, 51, 1957, (?), Bee Line Inc. 603-605
1801-1803, GM, TDH 5304, 1077-1079, 53, 1966
1804-1806, GM, TDH 5304, 1957-1959, 53, 1967
101, GM, TDH 5104, 003, 51, 1952, (1967), Nassau Bus Lines 101
104-105, GM, TDH 5104, 007-008, 51, 1952, (1967), Nassau Bus Lines 104-105
107-108, GM, TDH 5104, 011-012, 51, 1952, (1967), Nassau Bus Lines 107-108
1223-1226, GM, TDH 5304, 534-537, 53, 1964, (?), Liberty Coaches Inc. 223-226
1700-1701, GM, TDH 5304, 407-408, 53, 1964, (1970), Mid Island Transit 643-644
1702, GM, TDH 5304, 735, 53, 1965, (1970), Mid Island Transit 646
1807-1808, GM, TDH 5304, 1046-1047, 53, 1966 (1970), Mid Island Transit 647-648
1809-1810, GM, TDH 5304, (2028, 2032), 53, 1967, (1970), Mid Island Transit 654, 658
1812-1813, GM, T6H 5306A, (046, 044), 53, 1968, (1970), Mid Island Transit 661, 659
501-502, GM, PD 4104, (?, 785), 41, 1954, (1968), White Bus Co. 501-502
503, GM, PD 4104, 786, 41, 1954, (1968), Reliable Coaches Inc. 503
504, GM, PD 4104, 1220, 41, 1954, (1968), White Bus Co. 504
509, GM, PD 4104
240-243, GM, T8H 5306A, 029-032, 53, 1969, (1972), Liberty Coaches 240-243
6401-6403, Flxible, FD6V401-7, 35029-35031, 49, 1964, (1973), Atwood's Transport 63-64, 69
6404, Flxible, FD6V401-7, 35007, 53, 1964, (1973), Pelham Parkway Bus Service 502
6405-6406, Flxibe, FD6V401-7, 35036-35037, 53, 1964, (1973), Pelham Parkway Bus Service, 503-504
6407-6408, Flxible, FD6V401-7, 35002-35003 53, 1964, (1973), Pelham Parkway Bus Service 505-506
6409-6410, Flxible, FD6V401-7, 35015-35016, 53, 1964, (1973), Pelham Parkwy Bus Service 515, 520
6411-6413, Flxible, FD6V401-7, 35042-35044, 53, 1964, (1973), Pelham Parkway Bus Service 526-528
1511-1512, GM, PD 4104, (4422, 4420), 45, 1960, (1973), New York Bus Service 1511-1512
1515, GM, PD 4104, 4412, 45, 1960, (1973), New York Bus Service 1515
700-702, I-H/?, ?, School Buses, 40, 1964
1516, GM, PD 4104, 4077, 45, 1959, (1973), New York Bus Service 1516
(1518, 1523), GM, PD 4104, (4073, 4081), 45, 1959, (1973), New York Bus Service 1518, 1523
(1524, 1526), GM, PD 4104, (4415, 4982), 45, 1960, (1973), New York Bus Service 1524, 1526
1534-1535, GM, PD 4104, (4070-4071), 45, 1959, (1973), New York Bus Service 1534-1535
412-416, GM, TDH-5301, 1522-1526, 53, 1960, (1973), Green Bus Lines 412-416
430-432, GM, T8H 5306A, 033-035, 53, 1969, (1974), Westchester St. Trp. 430-432
433-436, GM, TDH 5304, 1274-1277, 53, 1966, (1974), Westchester St. Trp. 433-436
7401-7415, GM, T6H 5308A, 058-072, 53, 1974
7416-7420, GM, T6H 5308A, 213-217, 53, 1974
203-207, GM, T6H 5306A, 048-052, 53, 1968, (1976), Riverdale Transit 203-207
1227-1231, GM, T6H 5306A, (049-052, 048), 53, 1968, (Re# 1976 from 204-207, 203)
1441-1443, GM, TDH 5301, (1421, 1434, 1431), 53, 1960, (1976), New Orleans PSCo. 28, 41, 38
1445-1447, GM, TDH 5301, (1428, 1405, 1403), 53, 1960, (1976), New Orleans PSCo. 35, 12, 10
1449, GM, TDH 5301, 1396, 53, 1960, (1976), New Orleans PSCo. 3
7421-7423, GM, T6H 5308A, (003, 007, 005), 51, 1972, (1977), (Baram B115, Rex B142, Baram B147)
7424-7430, GM, T6H 5308A, (004, 006, 008-009, 011, 010, 012), 51, 1972, (1977), (Hudson Bus Transp. Co. 30, 32, 31, 52, 54, 53, 55)
7431-7447, GM, P8M 4905A, 1993-2009, 53, 1978

Hope everybody on this forum finds this roster helpful.

Stalwart23 :D

[Mr. Linsky]

Stalwart23,

I don't believe that I have ever seen any bus company that inherited so much equipment from so many colleagues!

In posting this very comprehensive roster, you have inadvertantly answered a question that has irked me for years!

I never knew until now where Nassau Bus Lines (Rockville Centre, NY) got their 5104's back in the late fifties.

By the serial numbers, they could only have come from Triboro Coach who, along with Green Bus Lines, did sell off the 5104's as the 5300's began to proliferate in the early sixties.

So, by 1967, Pioneer's 5104's were working their third lives! - nothing unusual for those buses because they had life expectancies of more than 25 years.

Now, here's my next question; by what I see in the roster it would appear that Pioneer was mostly charter and some transit, but I don't know where they operated (I have an idea that Brooklyn was involved).

Anyway - again, great job on the roster.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[Mr. Linsky]

Through eBay, I have just received (albeit 28 years late) my copy of the March-April 1981 issue of Motor Coach Age co-featuring Pioneer Bus Corporation of Brooklyn, New York.

It is a concise history along with great pictures of the company's equipment from its very beginnings until its assets were purchased by Command Bus in October of 1979.

In an irony, five 5301's sold to Pioneer by Green Bus Lines in 1973 were, in a sense, returned in the Command transaction by virtue of the fact that Command was a Green Line subsidiary.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[Hart Bus]

Stalwart 23 - Great Work !!!!!

I quickly looked at the list and of the newer equipment only the 20 T6H-5308A's and 6 SDM5302's were purchased new.

There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reasoning to the fleet numbering system. Interestingly the 6 SDM's were numbered 4,000,5000, etc up to 9,000. Wonder if this was their way of denoting manual transmissions?

Also remember that their yard was on Strickland Avenue Brooklyn, down the block from Red's Toy Store, JM Coppola Construction (that had an old truck from the 1920's on the roof and on the other side of the yare was El Caribe,m banquet hall that I unsuccessfully attended on Friday nights as a youth to meet girls

[nycbusfan]

There is currently a school bus yard on Strickland Ave. Is that the old Pioneer garage?

[Hart Bus]

[S-60 To Smith Haven Mall]