BusTalk

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 2:55 pm Post subject: 'MINEOLA NEW YORK 1913'

Seen below is a rare image of Main Street in Mineola, Long Island, New York taken nearly 100 years ago.

For you antique vehicle enthusiasts, the car in the foreground (lower left) is a 1909 'EMF' (one of the hundreds of various makes of the era and which officially became 'Studebaker' in 1912).

The feature presentation though has to be what appears to be a bus parked in front of the general store and, if it is, it would be among the first ever motorized public conveyances to navigate the paths of the then fledgling New York suburb.

Of note are the 1913 New York license plates, the Long Island Railroad train passing through in the background and the array of beers available at Mc Guires Hotel.

Photo thanks to Chris Paulsen.

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

HwyHaulier · Joined: 16 Dec 2007 Posts: 932 Location: Harford County, MD

Mr 'L' -

And, whatever to make of the apparent "streetcar" or "interurban" adjacent the Bank?

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

N4 Jamaica · Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 858 Location: Long Island

This is Joe guessing again, because the answer is buried somewhere among my disorganized books. I am fairly certain that the heavyweight streetcar is operating on the circuitous route from Flushing east on Northern Boulevard to Roslyn Clock Tower, south on Willis Avenue to Mineola, zig over to Westbury and Hicksville, staying north of the LIRR Main Line. I think the operator had a name like North Shore Electric.
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LI Bus N20 does part of it, but attains Hicksville more directly by way of Greenvale, NY 25A and NY 107. Most of the segments of the wandering trolley car line are now LI Bus routes.
Joe

HwyHaulier · Joined: 16 Dec 2007 Posts: 932 Location: Harford County, MD

Joe -

MANY THANKS!

Otherwise, I know from "disorganized" and, therefore, can relate! <G>

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

frankie · Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:16 am Post subject:

Actually this is looking east on Front Street which parallels the LIRR main line. Front Street tees into Main St. at the corner by the bank, then continues for a block on the south side of the tracks to Willis Ave. Today the Mineola Blvd overpass and the current RR station would be just behind the photographer. Being from Mineola, I know the territory very well.

The train in the background is just entering the main line from it's journey from Oyster Bay.

If you look very close, you can see the front end of a trolley car peeking out from just behind the "bus" in question that Mr. L mentioned. The trolley is at it's southern terminus on Main Street and is ready to head north to Port Washington.

The photos below shows the trolley looking north on Main St. at the corner of Front St. next to the bank as well as a close up of #12 of the "Mineola, Roslyn and Port Washington Traction Co." cars that were in operation from 1902 to 1923.

Photos courtesy of the Village of Mineola.

Frankie

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 1:56 pm Post subject:

frankie,

You pick up a grand slam on this one - wow! - trolley photos complete the story perfectly!

Thanks so much to all of you who have helped make it happen!

Regards,

Mr. 'L'