BusTalk

[W.B. Fishbowl]

It was 71 years ago yesterday, on Aug. 22, 1955, that Jackie Gleason, Audrey Meadows, Art Carney and Joyce Randolph posed in and around New York City Omnibus #2969 - a TDH-4509 built for NYCO by "Gee-Em" in November-December, 1950, based out of 100th Street depot and usually assigned to the #18 - 86th Street Crosstown (today, M86+SBS) but bearing '2' markings to '106th St & Madis'n Av'. It was parked outside the 56th Street side of Seventh Avenue and 56th Street, just outside of Mr. Gleason's then residence and offices of the Park Sheraton Hotel. Some pics that were uncropped clearly showed the MONY building behind. The photos that resulted from this session - long known to many - were taken one day before the episode "A Matter Of Life And Death" (where Ralph intercepts a telegram about Alice's mother's dog, and ends up thinking HE'S the one dying from arterial monochromia) was filmed two blocks away at the Adelphi Theatre.

'Tis a shame there were no pics of this bus in action on their usual route (though a cousin from that same order, 2966, did make a cameo in the 1960 Elizabeth Taylor movie BUtterfield 8), nor was this even preserved (it apparently met the scrapper by 1966); nor were there other pictures either after NYCO was renamed Fifth Avenue Coach Lines, Inc., nor the color scheme worn after " 'stoa" took over everything.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Thanks for the reminder; I have that classic "all aboard" publicity photoi n a frame, along with a few others,

Dang shame that the original AUTHENTIC "Honeymooners" bus went to the scrappers....a tragic loss to for both "Honeymooners" fans and transit buffs.....

"NYO"

["GOTHAM BUS COMPANY"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

That photo, however, does cinch that "Gotham Bus Company" was a thinly-disguised New York City Omnibus Corporation, as both entities, real and fictional, had buses going up and down Madison Avenue. And that Ralph's boss, Mr. Marshall, was an equally thinly-disguised John E. McCarthy, who ran FACCo and NYCO since 1939 at that point (and, after the whole business was reorganized as FACL, became "Soiface" Transit's prexy as well).

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]