BusTalk

[traildriver]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Regarding DE CAMP ending commuter service......

Since learning of this news the other day, I have been reading online news stories regarding DE CAMP ending suburban services into the PABT.

One article I read (online) poised the question of whether DE CAMP might assume operation of the suburban routes that had been operated by DE CAMP until last month.

Needless to say, it will be interesting for certain to see how this all plays out in the coming days and weeks......

"NYO"

["DE CAMP"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

(from the aforementioned 1978 issue of "MOTOR COACH AGE"......

"......charter bus business has not been exploited as well by De Camp as by some other North Jersey carriers with affiliated full-service travel agencies, and has been in a state of decline for some years......."

".........as a result of theses factors, the size of the fleet has dropped from about 150 buses in 1970 to about 120 today........"

".........the Company expressed disatisfaction with the State Department of Transportation, both because the subsidy allowance did not cover depreciation, and because the State effectively reduces the owner's equity in his own business, by substituting State-owned buses for buses privately owned......"

"NYO"

["33 NUTLEY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"DE CAMP" to Staten Island?

".........in 1935, a subsidiary company was organized in New York to bid on a new Staten Island bus route mapped out by the Transit Commission, which was interested in attracting to the sparsely-populated borough a bus operator with more substantial financial resources than the Tompkins Bus Corp. possessed......."

"..........the Board of Estimate awarded a franchise to De Camp, but the Transit Commission wanted all eight bus routes included, and did not find De Camp financially secure enough of undertaking their operation......."

De Camp Coach Corporation had ordered twenty WHITE 684's for this operation; the buses, of course, were never delivered....."

(source: "MOTOR COACH AGE")

"NYO"

["STATEN ISLAND"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"DE CAMP" to New York...........

The first DE CAMP service in to Manhattan began operation in 1928, after the completion of the Holland Tunnel.

This new route operated from Orange (Main & Essex Streets)

By means of a through tariff and coordinated schedules, the Orange-New York line also served DE CAMP passengers from Morristown, Livingston, and Caldwell.

Interestingly, the New York service was operated by a separate company, DE CAMP INTERSTATE TRANSIT COMPANY., which nominally leased buses from the parent company.

In 1929, 37 new WHITES were purchased for further expansion of New York service from Caldwell and Upper Montclair.

DE CAMP's original New York terminal was at Herald Square, adjacent to the 6th Avenue El........

(source: "MOTOR COACH AGE", 1978)

"NYO"

["UPPER MONTCLAIR"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

DE CAMP in Manhattan (source: "MOTOR COACH AGE, 1978)...........

".......during the 1930's, De Camp extended its New York service from its Herald Square station to the Midtown Bus Terminal at 43rd & Broadway, which was later owned by a group of New Jersey carriers, including De Camp....."

"........in 1945, a New York City ordinance prohibiting the curbside layover of suburban buses, on the books for a few years prior, began to be strictly enforced......"

".......as a result, De Camp had to close its original Herald Square storefront station......"

"NYO"

["NEW YORK"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Second-hand buses for DE CAMP........

Earlier, I'd mentioned second-hand buses purchased by DE CAMP during WW2 from several operators, including GREYHOUND.

In 1943, DE CAMP also purchased a 1929 WHITE ("SOKOLOW & GLICK, INC.")

In 1945, the company purchased their last second-hand bus, a 1936 WHITE ("IRVING TRANSIT CO.")

It is also interesting to note that, in 1937, DE CAMP purchased twelve small YELLOW 733's; many of this type were already operating for PSNJ.

However, climbing the mountains that many DE CAMP routes encountered proved too much for these buses; they were soon traded in for more powerful 1204's.

The 733's were later renovated, and sold to "COAST CITIES COACHES" of Asbury Park.......

"NYO"

(source: MOTOR COACH AGE, 1978)

["DE CAMP BUS LINES"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"Restroom-equipped S8M-5304A's"...........

traildriver:

Just consulted the DE CAMP roster in "MCA" again, and I discovered that I made an error; the printing is spaced very close together, and it was the MC-7's and 8's that were restroom-equipped, NOT the aforementioned S8M's.

I am glad I again went through the roster (this time, using a ruler as a guide!); I THOUGHT that S8M's which were equipped with restrooms WERE a bit unusual!

Well, anyway, my error.........

"NYO"

["MCI"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The "Fishbowl Era" begins.........

Like most New Jersey suburban carriers, DE CAMP purchased its first Fishbowls in 1960.

These were ten SDM-5301's.

(in 1960, DE CAMP purchased its last 4104's*)

Interestingly, no new buses were purchased during 1962.

New "parlor coaches" were not again purchased until 1968/1969 (PD-4903's)

The last Fishbowls purchased by DE CAMP were a group of S8M-5304A's in 1975.

*(In 1967, DE CAMP purchased one 4104 from SCHNECK TRANSPORTATION COMPANY)

"NYO"

(source: "MOTOR COACH AGE")

[traildriver]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

traildriver:

I thank you for jogging my memory; I had TOTALLY forgotten about ACADEMY in Hoboken!

If I am not mistaken, GRAY LINE buses were also to be found at that yard (1990's/early 2000's)

Back in the later 70's, I took a number of pics at the yard; Old Looks and Fishbowls a-plenty!

Memories, memories......

"NYO"

["ACADEMY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

.....back in the 1990's, I well recall seeing ACADEMY's then-new PREVOST H3-40's; this was one "modern" bus that I could say I really liked.

Mom saw one once, and said that, to her, it looked like an "English lorry"!

I recall ACADEMY also having other PREVOSTS in the fleet at the time........

"NYO"

["PREVOST"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Buses second-hand from DE CAMP to RED & TAN.......

In 1965, DE CAMP purchased five TDM-5304 Fishbowl transits for use on the Newark lines (#'s 145 and 146)

They held down base service for several years before being sold to RED & TAN, becoming #'s 100-104.

Recall, SOMERSET also served Newark; as Newark declined after the riots of the late 1960's, both DE CAMP and SOMERSET began cutting back their services..........

"NYO"

["RED & TAN"]