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GM old-look bus -- a work of art

 
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timecruncher



Age: 73
Joined: 23 Dec 2008
Posts: 456
Location: Louisville, Kentucky

PostPosted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 9:25 pm    Post subject: GM old-look bus -- a work of art Reply with quote

When I grew up, Louisville Railway Company had a little bit of everything in the way of pre and post-war GM coaches. There were Yellow TD4005's, GM TDH4007's, 4507's and 5103's - all stock models. The TDH4507's, all new in 1948, soldiered on until the AM-Generals arrived in 1975. The TDH4507's, all new in 1948, soldiered on until the AM-Generals arrived in 1975. I mean, these buses were 2 years older than I was and I got to drive em! 751, first of this group, is shown here on a hot Saturday afternoon on the Eastern Parkway route, backed into the Gardencourt Estate, now part of the University of Louisville School of Music. Ask any old-timer how hard these buses were to get into reverse (or back into forward, for that matter!).



I never got any photos of the prewar or postwar Macks, Fords or big Whites (rode the latter two when I was a toddler), but I dearly loved the "big 500" TDH 5103's that ran out of the Southern Division out on 4th Street. There were only 25 of them, delivered in late 1950 and early 1951, but they were the only 102" wide x 40' buses in the fleet before the new look era. Great sounding engine, workhorses on the heavy 4th Street route some were transferred to the Western Division in the mid-sixties after two or three groups of new look coaches arrived.



Here is 556 as I prepared to head out on a school tripper on the Portland-Shelby route.

Both photos were taken in 1974 or early 1975 after TARC takeover. Actually 556 had been pulled out of mothballs because the new AM-General coaches that had arrived were failing on the road everywhere. A dozen or so of these 1951 products got fareboxes re-installed, got a good cleaning and were put back into service until the shop could get one of the new buses to actually make a round-trip without puking!

The clerks knew that I liked driving these things, so they wouldn't even raise an eyebrow when I would ask for one on a run that usually got a newlook bus...



It is a fact not widely known that the timecruncher used to have a full head of dark hair and could fit into size 32 slacks.

I don't even remember it...

timecruncher
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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 2:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

T. C.,

Great photos - I have to try that [img] image transfer thing myself.

I'll tell you how we got the 4506's and 4507's into reverse at Green Line;

Very simple - we shut the engine off, threw the lever into 'R' and restarted in reverse.

Worked every time!

No - there were no neutral safety switches apparently!

Mr. 'L'
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timecruncher



Age: 73
Joined: 23 Dec 2008
Posts: 456
Location: Louisville, Kentucky

PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The [img][/img] thingy is supposed to point the post to an off-site url where the photo is hosted. It worked like a charm with this post, but sometimes it does not.

I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the size of the individual image?

timecruncher
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ripta42
Site Admin


Age: 44
Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 1035
Location: Pawtucket, RI / Woburn, MA

PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

timecruncher wrote:
I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the size of the individual image?


It shouldn't.

So, can I steal your pictures for inclusion in the gallery? Smile
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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

T. C.,

I've tried the Img method six ways from Sunday and it won't work for me.

I'm probably doing something wrong.

I think that if you could walk me through it step by step it might help because I'd really like less dependence upon Photobucket.

BTW; as you may know, I'm a devout GM Old Look fan but, thanks to GMOldLookBus member Antonio Motta from Brazil, I just received the attachment of a pre-New Look Twin (Fageol) Coach taken as part of an ad campaign.

This model was a favorite of mine what with its front end and passenger window treatment being so well proportioned - its definitely up there with the best!

Regards.

Mr. 'L'

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timecruncher



Age: 73
Joined: 23 Dec 2008
Posts: 456
Location: Louisville, Kentucky

PostPosted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh my. And a Milwaukee Twin at that! Nice find!

The only Twins around Louisville were the two gasoline versions that Bridge Transit owned and operated until around 1962 when they got their third new-look GM coach. Bridge Transit was a small outfit, with maybe 10 buses in 1955, down to maybe 6 in 1960. They operated between downtown Louisville, Jeffersonville and Clarksville, Indiana in Clark County. They ran decent enough service up until the Rivercity Mall was built on what used to be 4th Street. Their two routes were forced over onto 1st and 2nd Street in Louisville (no vehicular traffic was allowed along the mall), and being 2 blocks from the center of commerce and retail in the downtown area doomed both routes.

Louisville Transit ridership took a major hit from the establishment of the mall as well, and downtown Louisville never fully recovered -- and never will.



Dangit! Again, it didn't work:

http://zeke.mine.nu/~timecruncher/BrTransit4th&Guthrie.jpg

timecruncher

Ripta -- go ahead and use any of the photos for the archive if you wish.
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Cyberider




Joined: 27 Apr 2007
Posts: 501
Location: Tempe, AZ

PostPosted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 9:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great Old Look photos and stories as well as the Twin. While Old Looks are my favorites, those post war Twins were nice looking buses. I remember them from my early childhood in Cleveland.
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Hart Bus



Age: 73
Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 1150

PostPosted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 11:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Please let Mr. Manz know that it is great photo of a bus. Also the blonde who is second in line isn't bad looking either Very Happy
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ripta42
Site Admin


Age: 44
Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 1035
Location: Pawtucket, RI / Woburn, MA

PostPosted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

timecruncher wrote:

Dangit! Again, it didn't work


Fixed it by converting to trusty old HTML.
<img src="http://zeke.mine.nu/~timecruncher/BrTransit4th&Guthrie.jpg">

Quote:
Ripta -- go ahead and use any of the photos for the archive if you wish.
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Steve Carras



Age: 63
Joined: 05 Mar 2010
Posts: 63

PostPosted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 12:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr.Linsky said:
"I'll tell you how we got the 4506's and 4507's into reverse at Green Line;

Very simple - we shut the engine off, threw the lever into 'R' and restarted in reverse. "

Lemme guess. You held a switch, went N-1-2 very hard, waited, then bakced up, then did the reverse to get out of reverse.
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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 2:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Steve,

Not exactly;

We actually shut down completely, threw the lever into 'R', and then restarted in reverse - if there ever was a neutral safety switch, it was removed because of this problem.

BTW; our 4506's and 4507's had only three positions; upper forward, center neutral and lower reverse (if my memory of fifty years ago still serves me!).

Regards.

Mr. 'L'
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