BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Cyberider:

As always, my pleasure!

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Interesting bit of trivia (Key System)........

Awhile back, one of the proposals I'd read concerning upgrading/modernizing the "Bridge Railway" just after the War, called for the eventual replacement of the "Bridge Units" (then less than a edecade old) with new articulated units based on PCCs.

Now, these trains indeed would have been quite interesting and attractive, to say the least (recall, though PCC-influenced articulated trams were commonplace in many European cities for decades, no such vehicle ever operated on any American system)

These articulated PCC trains also could have easily operated off of catenary or third rail.

Sad that evil times for not only the "Bridge Railway", but also, "KEY's" remaining rail operations, were waiting in the wings..........

"NYO"

["B"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Further:

I had also read that, at one time in the distant past, the "KEY" aslso planned to purchase PCCs and trolleybuses for service in Oakland; alas, "progress" dictated otherwise...........

"NYO"

["EASTSHORE EMPIRE"]

[Cyberider]

NYO,

A nice thought but the "powers" who were taking over transit systems apparently wanted to get rid of rail at first and then replace it with a whole new system since they had almost unlimited funds to work with. Then it was controlling transit and now it's practically every aspect of our lives.

Since we are on the PCC topic, it's too bad they don't model the current equipment on PCC looks at least. Yeah, they'd still be "recycling" and "rebooting" their Windows-based operating systems and "resetting" breakers to get them running again but at least they'd look good.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Cyberider:

Agreed 100%.

Until fairly recently, PCC trams were running in The Hague; these cars (with the exception of the Euro-style pans) CLEARLY are/were European PCCs!

Indeed, the PCC design was light-years ahead of its time, dating back to a long-ago day when MODERN meant ATTRACTIVE, and when "streetcars" LOOKED like STREETCARS, instead of giant, mutant caterpillars

There are some pretty frightening-looking, mutated-looking light rail units running all over Europe and Asia today; the days of traction buffs traveling overseas to ride and photograph vintage equipment are now long gone.

It's the same with foreign buses and trolleybuses.........Moscow, in particular, had some truly handsome trolleybuses long ago; these electric buses were clearly near-clones of YELLOW Old Looks!

Stolen technology, for sure.

Little or nothing today for transit enthusiasts/historians, UNLESS they visit a tramway/transport museum............

"NYO"

["TATRA"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Cyberider:

See these links (interesting info/photos)..........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Tatra_trams

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatra_T3

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatra_T4

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Classic, timeless PCC-style trams in The Hague............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?9035

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?9014

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["HTM"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"QUICK, HENRY! THE FLIT!"

Talk about a GIANT, MUTATED INSECT!!!!

SCARY and EVIL-LOOKING as all heck, for sure............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?135965
(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["QUARTERMASS AND THE PIT"]

[Cyberider]

Thanks, NYO,

The Tatra's weren't bad but the Dutch PCC's took the cake. Classic PCC with a European look.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Second-hand WHITES............

In later (postwar) years, EASTSHORE LINES (once VERY prominent in the SF Bay area) once operated a number of second-hand WHITES from "KEY", PE, and MUNI, in addition to the other classic-era buses in their then-diverse fleet.

Sadly, none of these historic buses were saved............

"NYO"

['WHITE"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Reflecting on BART..............

BART was unique (and ahead of its time) as it was the first totally-new rapid transit network in the country at the time the first sections opened in the early 1970s, instead of being simply a new line/route built to feed into an existing system.

Of course, there WAS the PATCO system linking Philadelphia with the Camden area, but this new line once connected to the long-existing Broad Street Subway in Philadelphia.

Too, its rolling stock, though quite modern for its day, was not of the "SOAC" variety as were the new BART cars.

Too, BART was the first new electric rail system in California since the demise of KEY's "Bridge Railway" in 1958...............

"NYO"

["PATCO"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

See:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PATCO_Speedline

["PHILADELPHIA"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Unless you were a regular viewer/fan of this show (as I indeed was, way back in the day) few, if anyone, would known that a "BART" station was once seen in a classic 1970s "PLANET OF THE APES" TV series episode!

(wonder how "BART" felt about the "publicity"?_

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/257620041154401069/

["bart"]