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'VINTAGE QUEENS COUNTY PARLOR CARS'

 
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
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Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2013 3:12 pm    Post subject: 'VINTAGE QUEENS COUNTY PARLOR CARS' Reply with quote

I thought that as long as we had threads for Vintage Nassau and Suffolk County Parlor Car operations, it would be appropriate to touch upon the subject for neighboring Queens County.

Basically, there were only three transit companies in Queens that dabbled in charter with the first being Nevin-Queens Bus Corporation that received one year permits in 1933 for what are now the Q1 and Q6 routes.

However, owner Harris Nevin being the entrepreneur that he was, had dreams of an transcontinental operation ala Greyhound and to that end he did acquire or start several intercity bus routes to Washington and Pittsburgh and, in fact, pioneered bus service through the newly opened Holland Tunnel in 1928 with 40 passenger ACF's.

Unfortunately, with a small Brooklyn operation ended and the loss of his Queens permits to North Shore Bus Company, his greater ambitions were stifled early on.

North Shore Bus Company, an early and very successful Northern Queens operator, serviced charter needs throughout Long Island in the early thirties with a number of luxury Yellow model Z's and White 54A's and, along with Nassau's Bee Line, were among the first to offer Manhattan Commuter Express routes - a novelty then that really only came into its own in the mid sixties.

Jamaica Buses, Inc. of Baisley Park, chiefly a transit operator with lines radiating from Jamaica, entered the charter market in the early fifties and, while they did take on some interstate jobs, their main thrust was in servicing the four major horse racing tracks in the New York metropolitan area.

Pictured below in the form of an advertising post card is fleet # 102 - a 1958 GM Coach Model TDM 5108 and one of five likenesses numbered 101 to 105 operating for Jamaica Bus Tours, Inc.

Jamaica also purchased two 1960 GM Coach Model PD-4104's numbered 301 and 302 as well as two 1962 GM PD 4106's numbered 310 and 311 to round out their parlor coach fleet.

Photo borrowed for educational purposes only.

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

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NorthShore



Age: 76
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PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2013 8:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would like to add that Queens-Nassau/Queens Transit also had charter and special services with parlor coaches. They had GMC 4104, 4106, and 4107's and later MCI 9's (I believe all purchased used). They also purchased new fishbowls (101-105) with A/C and extra plush orange and cream leather upholstered seats in 1963. Later thay purchased used suburban fishbowls and GMC parlor coaches from NY Bus Service. These buses were used for charters, Jones Beach and express services.
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Free-transfer



Age: 64
Joined: 16 May 2007
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Location: South Florida

PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2013 9:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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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 May 25, 2013 3:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

NorthShore wrote:
I would like to add that Queens-Nassau/Queens Transit also had charter and special services with parlor coaches. They had GMC 4104, 4106, and 4107's and later MCI 9's (I believe all purchased used). They also purchased new fishbowls (101-105) with A/C and extra plush orange and cream leather upholstered seats in 1963. Later thay purchased used suburban fishbowls and GMC parlor coaches from NY Bus Service. These buses were used for charters, Jones Beach and express services.


NorthShore,

My apologies - Queens Transit must have slipped under the radar with me and, if I had thought about it, I would have remembered that they did have the Buffalos from New York Bus Service and a number of SDM's and the like but I thought they were used exclusively for express services.

They never had a big reputation as a charter operator as I remember.

Anyway, glad you added the information.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'
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NorthShore



Age: 76
Joined: 18 Mar 2012
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PostPosted: Sat May 25, 2013 6:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No need to apologize-Queens Transit did acquire NY Bus Service Buffalos and other assorted suburban fishbowls in the '80's & '90's exclusively for express bus service.
Originally the company started out informally renting their transit buses with drivers for the day. Reservations were made by simply calling the office.
By the late '50's used parlor coaches were purchased for more upgraded service. By the mid'70's their express bus operations became so dominant that they discontinued the charter and summer Jones Beach services.
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
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Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 3:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There weren't many Queens County (NY) Parlor Car operators in days of yore and those known have already been enumerated above.

However, I have come up with one more in the form of fleet number 118 - a GM Coach Model PD-4104 built sometime between 1953 and 1960 and operating for the little known Laurelton Bus Corporation of Laurelton Long Island.

Originally dubbed the 'Highway Traveler' by GM, the all new PD-4104 introduced a number of innovations including, Air Suspension and first use of slanted panoramic passenger windows that became an industry standard and gained its power from a DDA 6V71 engine coupled to a four speed mechanical transmission.

The compressor and generator for optional Air Conditioning on the 4104 was driven by a small underfloor gasoline engine with the advantage of taking no power away from the main Diesel (note on #118 that the screened panel aft of the rear wheels may have housed the cooling Radiator for the system).

The 4104 was an immediate smash hit among charter operators with a record 5,065 built virtually unchanged over a seven year period with 1,981 of those going to the Greyhound Corporation divisions and their affiliates.

#118 is seen sometime in 1976 parked at rest on New York Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey awaiting its return trip to New York.

Although I have no hard evidence, #118 may have been an ex Campus Coach Lines with the same fleet number.

Photo courtesy of '4509bus' and is available at eBay as item # 370944311247.

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

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Tiny Tim



Age: 62
Joined: 20 Aug 2012
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Location: Cape Coral Fl

PostPosted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 8:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Decks from NYBS came via Caravan Bus.( a school bus company) Around 1985 Queens Transit gave up a couple of lines and Caravan said they would take them over. They got the decks from NYBS and left them in NYBS colors and a group of one door Flxibles which were painted in NYBS colors. This only lasted about a year. Queens Transit got the routes back. The flxibles I don't know what happened to them.
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