BusTalk

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2022 9:37 am Post subject:

SOMERSET's* ("BLUE STAR ROUTE") Fishbowls (and Old Looks) displayed numbers that were, clearly, more prominent that, say, the Fishbowls of O&B and INTER-CITY........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154522

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154519

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

*(SOMERSET's buses were always particularly handsome, in their distinctive paint!) Wink

["The Blue Star Route"]

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2022 10:53 am Post subject:

Quite awhile back in this discussion, we'd briefly discussed the three-axle double-deckers that were operated by SURFACE; from what I have heard, these buses were not all that long in retaining their original configurations, before being cut down to single-deck buses.

Am curious, too, as to why SURFACE decided to purchase double-deckers in the first place (was it operating costs that caused SURFACE to
"chop" these unique buses?

I was always a bit surprised that FACCo never purchased them from ST, and continue to operate them as double-deckers.....

"NYO"

["Surface Transportation"]

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2022 3:12 pm Post subject:

......the other thing I do find interesting is while SURFACE, for a time, operated three-axle double-deckers, "Big Brother" FACCo never did.

Meanwhile in London, from the late 1920's and into the early 1950's, three-axle double-deckers ("LT"-types) were rostered in large numbers........

"NYO"

["55 CHISWICK STN"]

W.B. Fishbowl · Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2022 2:25 am Post subject:

What company made those three-axle double-deckers? I suppose it wasn't Yellow? I know with few exceptions, FACCo, 99% of the time, went with Yellow and successor GM Truck & Coach.

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2022 9:09 am Post subject:

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2022 9:20 am Post subject:

What we have here was obviously the LARGEST three-axle double-decker to built here in the States*..... Wink

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/554787247837355024/

*Be sure to check out the other interesting photos in this page! Very Happy

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2022 9:27 am Post subject:

Imagine if SURFACE operated FOUR-axle monsters such as this fearsome-looking Montreal example?? Shocked

This monster HAD to have been a BEAST to handle, for sure! Shocked

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtl-ptp/5932090143/

["Montreal Tramways"]

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2022 10:55 am Post subject:

As I had mentioned earlier, for decades, three-axle double-deckers ("LT"-type) were seen on virtually every London street.

Except for the die-hard British bus enthusiasts of that era in and around London back then, you could not readily identify a COMPLETE unit, as such.

Recall, in those days, the chassis for London's buses came from several builders, including:

AEC

LEYLAND

GUY

BRISTOL

DAIMLER

DENNIS

The bus bodies, also, were built by a number of different manufacturers; you might, for instance, see a bus approaching your stop, sporting a METRO-CAMMELL body riding on a LEYLAND chassis.

Or, a WEYMANN body atop a DAIMLER chassis.

After the last of the veteran "LT" types were retired in the early 50's, LT never went back to three-axle buses or coaches.

Recall, also, LT's once-vast three-axle trolleybus fleet.

Many single-deck suburban buses/coaches also used three axles for years, beginning in the later 1930's, such as the "LTC"-types.......

"NYO"

["28-Colman St. to Euston Stn. Only"]

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2022 11:08 am Post subject:

It's not at all difficult to imagine such impressive-looking three-axle buses in FACCo paint..... Wink

https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/collections-online/photographs/item/1999-20455

["121B-CHISWICK VIA KEW GARDENS"]

MaBSTOA 15 · Age: 70 Joined: 27 Feb 2013 Posts: 1059

Regarding the tandem-axle double decker buses purchased by Surface Transportation… they were manufactured by a firm called Six-Wheel Company. They existed between 1924 and 1928 and were built in Philadelphia. They also built tandem axle trucks.

The bus bodies were built by Kulhman, St Louis Car. Fitzgibbon, Lang and others. The Surface bodies were built by Wolfington, Fitzgibbon, Lang, and Kulhman.

See the attached production record as well as the Six-Wheel Specifications (Motor Coach Age, January-February 1990).

Surface’s start-up fleet (1927) of tandem axle buses were: 26 double-deckers, 36 single-deckers from Six-Wheel and and 28 single-decker from Versare. However, by 1933, Surface began to cut down the double-deckers and many found their way to their subsidiary in Westchester County.

(Fifth Avenue Coach at first built their own double-deckers and then purchased them from Yellow/GMC, a lifelong commitment!)

BTW, Surface also purchased other tandem axle buses, single-deckers, from Versare Corp. These were really weird looking!

By 1939, Surface had retired all tandem axle buses!

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2022 2:14 pm Post subject:

Interesting to see how much FACCo double-deckers "grew" over the years.....

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155416

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155386

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155400

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

"Go The Motor Coach Way"]

MaBSTOA 15 · Age: 70 Joined: 27 Feb 2013 Posts: 1059

More views of the Six-Wheel single deckers

MaBSTOA 15 · Age: 70 Joined: 27 Feb 2013 Posts: 1059

Six Wheel production list and Specification Sheet