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MaBSTOA 15
Age: 72
Joined: 27 Feb 2013
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 Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2026 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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... destination signs explained...
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W.B. Fishbowl
Age: 59
Joined: 02 Oct 2014
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Location: New York, New York, USA
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| Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2026 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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That is truly informative and definitive. I wonder what the 'Chart E' readings for the 146th and 100th depots would have been - especially viz the 2 Fifth-Madison-Lenox route. Would I be correct in that front signs would have read, say:
2 TO 147 ST VIA LENOX
2 TO 8 ST VIA LENOX
and of course, the 2A route (MaBSTOA, in their infinite wisdom, "combined" the ex-FACCo #2 and ex-NYCO #2 into one singular route with two "branches," the ex-FACCo to 168th Street "via 7 Ave" being branded 2A; of course, the ex-NYCO #2 was eliminated in 1969 and replaced with #101A Third-Lexington-Lenox).
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 33212
Location: NEW JOISEY
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| Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2026 6:46 pm Post subject: |
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MaBSTOA 15:
THANK YOU for taking the time to post all of this detailed info on the roller curtains; MUCH OBLIGED!  l
"NYO"
["OA"]
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
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Location: NEW JOISEY
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W.B. Fishbowl
Age: 59
Joined: 02 Oct 2014
Posts: 4969
Location: New York, New York, USA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2026 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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Here's a sign we're all getting old . . . 26 years ago today, the first R-142's (a.k.a. "rolling iPads 1.0") entered the subways, with 6301-6305 and 6306-6310 running on the #2 train.
At that time, the "SMEE's" were still on the rails, albeit in dwindling numbers, but they'd only have another year left. And the "Silverboids" (R-62's) were still in full flower.
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W.B. Fishbowl
Age: 59
Joined: 02 Oct 2014
Posts: 4969
Location: New York, New York, USA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2026 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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There is also now on eBay, a "Holy Grail" (no doubt 'MaBSTOA 15' would likely take interest) - a batwing side sign for "Tee-Yay's" Manhattan routes, struck in November 1971 - with the usual Transign fonts, only they had 'th', 'nd' and 'st' in lower case set in Standard Medium. It is on:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/287419164294
Starting out at $200. Believe me, if I were made of $$$, I'd've grabbed it.
There are 24 total exposures on this. This was put out a month after a branch of the #3 - 49th-50th Street Crosstown to Port Authority Bus Terminal was added; it apparently replaced the sign that said:
3 49-50 ST CROSSTOWN
as on other photos of batwinged TA Fishbowls at the 42nd Street Pier.
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 33212
Location: NEW JOISEY
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2026 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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W.B:
Like yourself, if I were made of $$$$$$, I'd sure as heck snap up that batwing side sign......"Holy Grail", indeed!
As I've said many times before, most transit collectibles today are astronomical in price, and FAR out of reach of the average collector.....I'm sure glad I bought as much as I did, a few decades back.............
"NYO"
["BUS-O-RAMA"]
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 33212
Location: NEW JOISEY
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2026 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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| W.B. Fishbowl wrote: | Here's a sign we're all getting old . . . 26 years ago today, the first R-142's (a.k.a. "rolling iPads 1.0") entered the subways, with 6301-6305 and 6306-6310 running on the #2 train.
At that time, the "SMEE's" were still on the rails, albeit in dwindling numbers, but they'd only have another year left. And the "Silverboids" (R-62's) were still in full flower. |
W.B.:
Indeed, the "JETERbugs" had arrived on the "Eye-Are-Tee"...................
https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?67599
(courtesy: nycsubway.org)
["TAKE THE INTERBOROUGH TO THE WORLD SERIES"]
Last edited by NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 on Sun Jul 12, 2026 8:40 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
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Posts: 33212
Location: NEW JOISEY
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MaBSTOA 15
Age: 72
Joined: 27 Feb 2013
Posts: 1247
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| Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2026 4:36 pm Post subject: |
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Unlike their MaBSTOA bat wing counterparts who only had the route number and area served the NYCTA Manhattan 126 Street Depot and all TA depots had the word TO between the route number and the destination.
This meant that at every last stop the driver had to change three signs the two side and front readings. The drivers must have loved that.
Also note that the route prefix M was not printed on the roll sign.
The reading 3 49 and 50 Street Crosstown did not appear on the bat wing but only on the smaller side roll sign that was placed ahead of the rear door on the non bat wing buses.
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W.B. Fishbowl
Age: 59
Joined: 02 Oct 2014
Posts: 4969
Location: New York, New York, USA
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| Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2026 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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| MaBSTOA 15 wrote: | Unlike their MaBSTOA bat wing counterparts who only had the route number and area served the NYCTA Manhattan 126 Street Depot and all TA depots had the word TO between the route number and the destination.
This meant that at every last stop the driver had to change three signs the two side and front readings. The drivers must have loved that.
Also note that the route prefix M was not printed on the roll sign.
The reading 3 49 and 50 Street Crosstown did not appear on the bat wing but only on the smaller side roll sign that was placed ahead of the rear door on the non bat wing buses. |
Re. your last sentence: That was clearly the case on the 1971 batwing side signs. There are photos in nycsubway.org taken at the 42nd Street Pier that show 'batwing' buses marked '3' displaying '3 49-50 ST CROSSTOWN' side signs, clearly dating them to 1966-67 when the batwings were built. Not until the 1973 T6H-5309A's did the 'M' prefix get added on to all Manhattan routes on their roll signs. The TA's protocol for side signs definitely differed from MaBSTOA's, that's for sure. (Except in 1974 when MaBSTOA's TB was divvied up into M34, M35 and Bx21, whereby their side signs had the end destination rather than route description.)
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 33212
Location: NEW JOISEY
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| Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2026 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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Quick question
When were the last "batwing" buses retired?
I know that, in theur twilight, they were getting to look a little biton the scruffy side........... 
"NYO"
["GM"]
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 33212
Location: NEW JOISEY
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 33212
Location: NEW JOISEY
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W.B. Fishbowl
Age: 59
Joined: 02 Oct 2014
Posts: 4969
Location: New York, New York, USA
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| Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2026 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 wrote: | Quick question
When were the last "batwing" buses retired?
I know that, in theur twilight, they were getting to look a little biton the scruffy side...........
"NYO"
["GM"] |
I.I.N.M., the last photos with "batwings" would have been taken in 1984. Many were rebuilt in the 5000 series by Blitz, and retired in the 1994-95 period.
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