BusTalk

[donstrack]

What are the external differences between a GM Transit 'T' type "Old Look" bus compared to a GM Parlor 'P' type "Old Look" bus of the same era. As near as I can tell from the few photos I have seen, the Transit models have standee windows.

Is there an online source or published book that discusses the two?

As near as I can find out, both types were used here in Utah, which is my main focus.

Don Strack

[Mr. Linsky]

[donstrack]

I asked the question of Andre Kristopans, since I am working with restoring his production lists back the being available as a series of web pages.

His reply: "a transit bus is usually (but not always) two doors, with two or four panel doors. A parlor is almost always (99%) single door, with a single-panel ("sedan") door. Also, parlor buses have a more "streamlined" appearance than transits, though this has not always been the case in the past. Parlor buses do not really have a "new look" vs "old look" differentiations that transits do. Older parlors have smaller windows, while PD4104 and newer have larger windows, same as transits, but the basic body style remained pretty much the same until the PD4107/PD4903 era when the split-level or "buffalo" body style took over."

Admittedly, this is a very generalized comparison, but it got me started, especially his reference to GM's "Buffalo" body.

I just received my copy of the Luke/Metler "Old Look" book a couple days ago. I'll start looking for a copy of the "GM Intercity" book.

Since I'm a complete newbie when it comes to buses (I'm a locomotive geek), all I have are the various GM model numbers shown on Andre's lists. I am slowly doing Google searches for each model number, so that I can add some context.

Here is what we have so far:

http://www.utahrails.net/ajkristopans/ajkristopans-buses.php

There is still lots more to add, including the all-time GM lists. Work will continue.

As a final side note, my own interest is in the buses used in Utah, along with the buses of Union Pacific (Union Pacific Stages, Inc., Union Pacific Stage Co., and Utah Parks Co.).

http://www.utahrails.net/up/union-pacific-buses.php

http://www.utahrails.net/uta/uta-bus.php

Don Strack
http://www.utahrails.net/

[JimmiB]

Don,
If you don't already have this link, here is the link to the bus production lists for information on old look and new look buses from several manufacturers.

http://www.omot.org/roster/index.html

[JimmiB]

Here is another link. Most of these are linked to the Ohio Museum list posted above, but if you scroll to the bottom of the page you will find some lists for Parlor Coaches.

http://web.archive.org/web/20050124190408/http://www.geocities.com/~buslist/GM_Delivery.html