BusTalk

[Mr. Linsky]

Pictured somewhere in Omaha, Nebraska sometime in 1953 we see fleet # 518 - a 1941 Yellow Coach Model TG-3605 and one of twenty likenesses numbered from 501 to 520 delivered to the Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Railway, Company of Omaha in September of that year.

At the time of the construction of # 518 and its siblings, the U.S. Government was already on war footing and ordered Yellow as well as all other bus manufacturers to go to thin steel exterior panels in lieu of heavier aluminum that was sorely needed for the military.

A tell-tale evidence of this change on # 518 is the addition of a second 'sideswipe' molding between the front and rear wheel wells and between the front wheel well and the bumper.

It wasn't long after these buses appeared that production methods changed once again eliminating all exterior bright work and replacing all interior stainless steel seat backs and hand rails with either painted steel or wood.

The gasoline powered 3605's of Omaha were also among the last for the duration of the war to have hydraulic transmissions.

Photo courtesy of 'brandytard' and is up for bid on eBay as item # 261148945599.

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

[frankie]

I can't help to snicker that the bus comes with a set of traffic signals to match! Note the very unusual posts.

Frankie

[Mr. Linsky]

Shown in May of 1965 and heading to Cotton Street in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania is fleet # 677 - a 1960 GM Coach Model TDH 3714 and one of five likenesses numbered from 676 to 680 delivered to the Reading Bus Company of that 'Keystone State' city in November of 1960.

Of unusual note on # 677 are the inclement weather sanders that can be seen in the form of twin pipes located just forward of the rear tires which come into play to provide extra traction during snow and ice conditions especially in the hilly terrains that dot eastern Pennsylvania.

I am an uncertain as to whether these systems were a factory option or an after market add on and I do note that they seem to be a standard item on most of Reading's equipment of the era.

# 677 and its siblings represented the end of GM's 'paired window Old Look' production line which officially closed down in January of 1961.

A little Reading Bus Company history;

After forty-three years of faithful service, the City of Reading and the County of Berks purchased what had become a financially distressed Reading Bus Company in 1973.

This led to the creation of the Berks Area Reading Transportation Authority (BARTA) which began operations on October 8, 1973. In January, 2010, BARTA became a County Authority and the name was changed to the Berks Area Regional Transportation

Photo courtesy of '4509bus' and is up for auction on eBay as item # 350699097438.

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

[JimmiB]

It really made my day when I was assigned one of these. They were a pleasure to drive. Air ride suspension and a pretty comfy driver's seat and good heat in the winter.
I'm pretty sure the sanders were made in the shop. The sand bins were a bit more crude than something factory made. You worked them by pushing a switch on the floor that looked like a dimmer switch.
This picture is from before I worked there. I don't think I ever saw one of Reading's buses in that paint scheme without the company name on the stripe.
The name for the authority was supposed to be the Reading Transportation Authority. The county commissioners said that as long as they are contributing to the expenses they want the county name on it too.

[Rob]

Jimmy, I look at these houses and the hill and think of somewhere around South 19th Street. Would the bus route have swung around somewhere around there and head back in to Penn Street. Maybe this photo is on a short layover around there.

Thanks for sharing the link.
Rob

[JimmiB]

Ron, I'm not sure that I remember right but I believe it crossed Perkiomen Ave. and turned around in the park. Very seldom that I did the Cotton St. run, although when I was on the extra board I often got the early tripper that started at 19 & Cotton and ran the Cotton St. route to 6th and Penn, then on to Westen Electric/Bell Labs on the 11th Street hill. Used to get a standing load of women on that run. A lot of people worked there before they closed.
I believe you are right about the location of that photo. I think it is S. 19th St.

[Mr. Linsky]

The image of Inter City Bus Lines, Inc. fleet # 601 below has to be among the oddest 'Old Look' buses to have ever come out of Truck and Coach, so much so that its uniquely special design afforded it an exclusive model number.

# 601 - a 1940 Yellow Coach TG-3603, was originally part of an eighty bus order built for St. Louis Public Service of St. Louis, Missouri and was specifically designed by that company's engineers to replicate their fleet of PCC traction cars.

Of note are the passenger windows which were of a different size to accommodate crank operated lifting devices just as those on their trolleys, an exaggerated angled windshield which, in a more conservative form, was subsequently adapted as standard by Yellow, a bat wing shaped windshield eave and a simulated trolley headlight above the floor vents.

Seen in Kansas City, Missouri in 1955, #601 rests along that city's West 9th. Street.

Photo courtesy of 'Vintage-Vault75' and is up for auction on eBay as item # 170985267115.

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

[JimmiB]

The brow over the windshield is even an exaggerated version of the PCC cars. On later PCCs that area was straight without the "dip" in the center. Certainly an odd looking bus.

[fishbowl]

I suspect this LANTA old look is a TDH-4512 because of the round turn signals (4509's usually had arrows), but I can't be sure, since the telltale air intake over the side rear window is missing. After all, 4509's had full teardrop air intakes and 4512's had half-teardrops... while this bus has none! What gives?!?

(Interesting aftermarket Michigan marker lights, too.)

Photo thanks to eBay seller "windsor74," which is currently up for auction as item #370751873750.

[Mr. Linsky]

fishbowl,

Great photo of LANTA 4525 - nice find.

While Ohio records do show that Lehigh Transportation Company, a predecessor of Lehigh and North Hampton Transit Authority (LANTA). did purchase the last fifteen TDH 4509's produced in 1953 and numbered 4500 to 4514, there is no mention of # 4525 in the TDH 4512 listings which could mean that 4525 may have been assimilated by LANTA from elsewhere and could well be a 4509.

You have to be very careful on your 'bus spotting' when it comes to 4509's because the last phase of production of that model took on the exact characteristics of a 4512 including the more modern plastic GM badges under the windshields and on the lower right engine panels, half teardrop fresh air cowls over the quarter windows and the later and brighter directional signals.

The only outward difference which can only be spotted when standing right under the windshield of a 4512 are the added three screened spring loaded fresh air dampers in the eave (no 4509 had this feature).

Now, as to the missing fresh air engine cowls on # 4525; most 'paired window' GM Old Looks did have these cowls over the rear quarter windows but some did not including the entire order of TDH 4801's for Los Angeles and an order for Pheonix (image below), and I have never been able to explain it except to say that another unseen method of air injection must have been used.

On the squared window GM Old Looks the intakes were well hidden within the tops of the quarter windows but could be discerned by the slight angle of the sashes.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

[fishbowl]

Thanks, Mr. L, for so much fascinating and helpful information! Sounds like (without the chance to stand directly under the windshield) 4509's and 4512's aren't as easy to distinguish as I thought.

I was also under the impression that the suspension systems were different: leaf springs on the 4509 and air ride on the 4512. (Years ago, when I worked at United Motor Coach in Des Plaines, IL, drivers who managed to snag 4512's would brag about how smooth the ride was when compared to the older 4509's.) True? (Of course, that's not a feature that would be visible in a photo!)

Thanks again!

[frankie]

I was going to point out that the California TDH-4801's did not have the rear air intake, but Mr. L beat me to it! Also, I've seen photos of large paired window suburbans without the intakes, but these were the exception than the rule.

Fishbowl: The air ride old looks were the reason for the change from 4509 to 4912.

Frankie

[frankie]

The very first old looks were built with flat windshields before being replaced with slanted ones which helped the driver from being distracted from interior reflection.

Here's an example of a TDH-3714 with the "retro" look where the owner apparently replaced the whole windshield area with upright flat panes. The reason is unknown, but one can speculate it may have be out of necessity from damage to the original windshield.

This may have been a "southern" old look as evident by the double set of vent covers between the headlights.

Frankie

Image credited to 56gmbusman used for educational purpose

[Mr. Linsky]

[fishbowl]

Here's a new one for me: a GM old look New Jersey Public Service trolleybus, fleet #D900. The photo is currently up for auction twice on eBay by seller njrtsr as #181137901941 and 181137902183.

Details, please... anyone?!?