BusTalk

[buron444]

I think that the specifity of both the Z-403 and the Scenicruiser was being self-supporting, that is chasisless, units. This, in addition to the appealing two.level layout gave them something special.


>>> The PEGASO Z-403 a great example. A bit of a surprise the units had a build of but fifty (50) units. One can try to second guess the minds of the buyers decades back. The bus surely warranted better sales...
The reason behind is that Spain in the early fifties was a non-developped country, still struggling to go out of a very long post-war period (Spain had been excluded from the Marshall Plan).
So, the Z-403 was too much too early (too expensive, too sophisticated) for the then current Spanish circumstances.
The other contemporary Pegaso bus models, much more conventional, the Z-401 and the Z-404, were sold in more than one thousand units along the Z-403 production period.

Pegaso Z-401 intercity coach, body by Seida ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seida ):

Pegaso Z-404 city bus, body again by Seida:



One decade later this Pegaso 5022 wore a body that should ring a bell with you:


Do you guess its origin?




José.

[Mr. Linsky]

Jose,

The Pegaso 5022 seems to reflect some American influence in its design and appears to be part school bus and part transit body.

However, I see nothing beyond that that would ring a bell for me.

Clue me in.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

[buron444]

Well, it is American indeed. Actually it is a Wayne design made in Spain by Carrocerías Bosuga.
I think that you are rather accurate in saying that it appears to be part school bus and part transit body, but am afraid Wayne should perhaps not like this description ...

This is a 1964 ad:


The second coach is pictured as a Pegaso 5020 CL, the first one as a Barreiros-AEC, time before Barreiros was taken over by Chrysler.

The Bosuga-Wayne venture did not last long, despite having wangled some large customers, like Alsina or Auto-Res.

[Steve Carras]

[Mr. Linsky]

Steve,

The first GM buses to add the 'H' to the model came in late 1946 and notably the TDH 4507's.

However, most transit models of the Old Look design starting in 1940 did have hydraulic transmissions and the 'F N R' levers were originally set up on a stanchion to the left of the driver - by 1946 they had been moved to the right side of the dashboard itself (as can just about be seen in the below photo of a Detroit Street Railway 5105).

You'll note in the photo that there's no clutch pedal or stick shift.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

[Mr. Linsky]

[HwyHaulier]

Mr 'L' -

Great photo from the long ago... What G M C would do to make a point about a new product!

Haven't flipped back to look for earlier remarks, but the flirtations with the Garrett Engineering (?), jet turbine technology motors
quickly became a passing fad. A number of the huge fleets provided trials. From what I gather, between pronounced "fuel burn"
rate, and down line, routine upkeep, the charms wore off really fast...

.....................Vern.......................[list=][/list]

[Mr. Linsky]

Back in the late forties, GM's 'juggernaut' forced Mack to spend large money on advertising in trying to keep at least second place in the transit bus market.

Attached is a typical Mack ad that appeared in Bus Transportation Magazine among other places and featured fleet number 1737 - a 1949 Model C-45-DT and one of over 200 numbered from 1600 to 1810 delivered to Surface Transportation Corporation of New York between 1948 and 1949 (note that, for whatever reason, number 1785 of the group was gasoline powered).

The picture is a rarity because it may be the only chance you'll ever have to see a Surface Mack in one piece!

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York

[Mr. Linsky]

Here's another interesting ad from 1950 touting GM's Diesel line and its very apparent selling success.

Of note to you New Yorkers, of course, is the lineup of New York City Omnibus Corporation TDH 4509's led by fleet number 2756.

I can't say that GM Photographic performed any magic in this particular image but it was their habit to photograph one or two buses and then super impose those same buses once or twice behind the original two to make it look more like a fleet.

Also note that Miami Beach Railway elected only fresh air roof intakes in lieu of ThermoMatic systems.

Original photo by GM Photographic.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York

[HwyHaulier]

Mr 'L' -

That's an early 1950s photo, no doubt...

GREYHOUND... GM continued with a view of a "3751" type. Never mind the "4103" may have been on the drawing boards...

PSNJ? What a classy fleet, with the money to back it up! What can I say?

MIAMI? I have reports wherein reliable heating isn't much of a consideration in its fleet purchases? True story? <G>

.................Vern...................

[Mr. Linsky]

H.H.,

I was wondering how the 'Silversides' made the photo but I guess it was just about the end of the line for it.

According to 'Bus World' (Encyclopedia of Buses), the last production year of both the PD 3751 and PD 4151 for Greyhound was 1948.

Public Service Coordinated Transport of New Jersey always had beautiful equipment and, if you'll notice, they used their own custom made cast aluminum logo and wings under the windshields.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

[yc720_06]

This is a tad late I know Mr "L" but I thought you might like to know that the New York Railways Company transit bus was a front wheel drive Uppercu, built by the Healey-Aeromarine Bus Company of Keyport, New Jersey. A front wheel drive double decker prototype was also built at Nutley NJ in 1924 and was featured in a brochure for an unsuccessful New York City franchise proposal by the Service Bus Corporation.

[Mr. Linsky]

yc,

It's never too late to add information that will make the story more complete.

Thanks for the info.

Have placed another copy of the picture for reference.

That must have been some tough ride with those wheels!

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

[Mr. Linsky]

I thought I saw everything until I saw the attached ad from 1936 on eBay.

I'm wondering if this was the same Gar Wood that made the rubbish collection bodies?

If it was, I can understand why they changed there business model because they sure didn't sell a whole lot of these buses!

Enjoy,

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York

[HwyHaulier]

Mr 'L' -

GAR WOOD discussed here: http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/g/gar_wood/gar_wood.htm

At best, something of an incidental builder. When Randy had the his "Strayhound" site running, it had some
photos at a few Michigan points, where the Greyhound operator had some Gar Wood coaches in service.

.................Vern................