BusTalk

[buslist]

[Mr. Linsky]

buslist,

Leo's bus was unquestionably a TD 4506.

The full time mechanical ventilation nests on the 4502 and 4505 were half the depth and of slightly differing shape than those of the 4506 and is shown below (two images) in detail on NYCO #809 - a TD 4502.

Hope this clarifies,

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

[Hart Bus]

A.S. Beck and Ohrbach's, two more fallen retailers.

[fishbowl]

Can't say I've ever seen an old look transit of this vintage without Thermo-Matic ventilation. My judgment is that this is a TDH-4512 (based on the half-shell vent over the side-rear window), although the arrow turn signals also seem out-of-place for a 4512.

Best-guess explanation: there was no need for heat in Gardena, California. so the city bus company opted out of Thermo-Matic.

Any other (better) explanation(s) for the anomaly shown in this current eBay auction, #380738028950, from seller 90mac?

[Mr. Linsky]

fishbowl,

Thanks for your submission and inquiry.

Many 'paired window' GM Old Looks destined for southern states and the lower west coast were ordered without ThermoMatic systems as exampled below on Santa Monica Municipal's # 5101.

Your model is unquestionably either a 4512 or a very late 4509 as evidenced by not only the modified engine fresh air cowl over the rear quarter window but also the updated GM badge in plastic below the windshield.

The custom directional signals that you mention were a special option and were not that uncommon - in fact, they appeared on all Old Looks of both Queens/Nassau Transit (as seen below on #817) and Steinway Omnibus in New York as well as New Jersey Public Service.

Credits within frames.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

[Mr. Linsky]

Two very interesting transits are seen on what appears to be a rather important thoroughfare in the nation's capital and both can be considered classics for their particularly important roles in mid twentieth century street transportation.

To the right of the frame, and a true oddity in every sense of the word, is fleet number 5626 - a 1958 51 passenger GM Coach Model TDH 5105 and one of sixty seven likenesses numbered from 5600 to 5666 delivered to D.C. Transit in July of that year.

#5626 and its siblings have the honor of being among the earliest (if not the only) GM Old Look transits to have ever been factory air conditioned as noted by the neatly packaged condenser at the rear of 5626's roof.

Also of notice in the rear is a plagiarization of the more modern post-less curved picture window originally introduced on GM's PD 4102 Parlor Cars.

The trolley car, (#1128) traveling in the opposite direction and dubbed a PCC Model (President's Conference Committee) was the product of both engineers and designers at New York's Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Company (BMT) and the St. Louis Car Company and was at the behest of chief executives of a number of major traction companies in an effort to stave off threats of extinction in the mid thirties.

The streamlined PCC's boasted comfortable cushioned seating, greater speed with a smoother and quieter ride and became an immediate success with thousands seen across the country.

Because the attachment was undated, an educated guess would tell me that it had to be taken post July 1958 when the buses were delivered or prior to late January 1962 when the last of DC's PCC's were retired.

Photo courtesy of 'bear4992' and is available at eBay as item # 400589594383.

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

[Free-transfer]

Interesting anomaly in the picture, with regards to the left, rear, outer rim being bent on the old look.

[Mr. Linsky]

Free-transfer,

I thought the same thing about the rear wheel until I realized that such a bend filled with rubber from the tire itself was pretty much impossible.

Actually, if you take a really good close look at the side of # 5626, you'll notice that someone had somehow ex'd out the picture with the center of the ex in the middle of the emergency door which caused a distortion (note that the legs of the ex rise up to the top of the standee glasses and down to the sideswipe molding).

A similar distortion over the words Air Conditioned appears through the advertisement above the engine hatches at the rear.

Not being an expert at injuries to photographs, I have no idea of how it was done.

BTW; if you look at the side of the PCC car you'll also see similar distortions radiating from just aft of the front door.

Best regards,

Mr. 'L'

[frankie]

Gentlemen:

If you go to that eBay site and read down, you will see this text:

THE DISTORTION IS ONLY TO PROTECT OUR RIGHTS. OBVIOUSLY IT DOES NOT APPEAR ON THE SLIDE.

I've seen many photos on eBay with either distorted photos or overprinting to keep folks from downloading them and using them illegally. This is easily done with Photoshop.

Frankie

[Mr. Linsky]

Pictured sometime in the 60's or 70's at Monterey Regional Airport in Monterey County, California is fleet # 302 - a 1951 37 passenger GM Coach Model PGA-3301 operating as an Airport Limousine.

The PGA-3301 was a very special model of a very special bus with 840 built exclusively for the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict and saw service both domestically and at U.S. military bases around the world.

What made the PGA-3301's a genuine oddity was the fact that, out of economic concerns, they were manufactured from dies leftover from the discontinued PG/PD-29's for body panels and TGH-2708's for front clips and derived power from 503 cubic inch GM truck engines mounted straight in at the rear.

While almost no PGA-3301's have been spotted in post military service, they were very much like Flxible Clippers and certainly would have been ideal as Airporters such as is seen in the image.

Photo courtesy of NorCalBusFans at facebook and is from the private collection of the late Jerry Squier (MHSRIP).

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

[fishbowl]

Thanks for your helpful (as always) answer! (Someday I'll need to figure out why some California operators [like Santa Monica, San Diego, AC Transit] would order coaches without air conditioning!)

[Mr. Linsky]

[Mr. Linsky]

In my above essay spotlighting the U.S. Army's 1951 order for well over 800 specially built GM Parlor Coaches dubbed as the PGA-3301's, I mentioned that almost none had been spotted in post military service other than a pictured Monterey Airporter.

Obviously, many more were sold to private operators after their stints for the government and I have found another (pictured top below) that became part of a school bus fleet in Longview Texas.

Unfortunately, its life came to an abrupt end in 1970 when it and 36 other buses in the group were deliberately destroyed by plastic explosives.

The caption accompanying the image states that the fleet's damage was estimated at $1,000 per vehicle by school officials - but looking at the what's left of the 3301, I would have to say that that figure would have been way off base!

The lower frame gives you an idea of what these buses appeared like when first delivered to the Army.

Upper image by AP Wirephoto and is courtesy of 'agenta-images6' and is available at eBay as item #151008417647.
Lower image used for educational purposes only.

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

[JimmiB]

Here is the story to accompany Mr. L's above photo.
Story is on page 3.
http://journalism.unt.edu/sites/default/files/Longview_News-Journal.pdf

[frankie]

What do you do when you have an over abundant supply of silversiding sheeting? You silverside anything that looks like it need it including the interior! Obviously someone at the garage went a little bit overboard.

Here we see Cleveland Southeastern Bus Company #4140 - not sure of the model designation for this 45 passenger suburban. Not only is there silversiding below the windshield, but also on the interior step risers and the divider ahead of the front seats. To further the odd factor are the Fishbowl headlights and front turn signal bezel on the driver's side.

The bus may have been downgraded for school service according to the front poster before being retired to its current resting place.

This had to be a sight to behold during revenue service.

Frankie

Photo courtesy of David Wilson for educational purpose.