BusTalk

frankie · Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 7:12 pm Post subject:

Another great photo essay Mr. L! Thanks again.

Regarding the first photo, one observation that can be made is the terminal canopy overhang. If you notice, the other buses are pretty much half way under it in order to line up with the loading platform. However, the canopy begins to taper just to the right of the GX-2 into the building's side allowing the bus to pull in without overhang interference.

My question is that once the Scenicruisers were in service, did Greyhound have to rebuild or raise the heights of the canopies - not just 34th Street, but system wide?

The heights between the Scenicruisers vs. Silversides is 134" vs 118".

And now for a quick 1 minute 22 second treat. Here's to you Mr. L:

Credit in the clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZDs_lBxMSQ

Frankie

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2014 3:47 pm Post subject:

frankie,

Thanks for the thanks - it's always very much appreciated!

In examining the terminal photo I see the tapering of the canopy over where the GX-2 is parked that you speak of but I don't think it would have meant that much merely because fully one third or thirteen feet of the front end of the bus was normal height or about the same height as a 4104 which was 121 inches (only three inches higher than a Silversides 37 or 4100 series).

The only concern that I can see might have been the need for a special stop curb placed so that the GX-2 would not have penetrated too deeply causing contact between the upper level of the bus and the edge of the canopy.

Of course, with today's 'high level' intercity coaches any such terminal canopies would certainly have had to have been raised.

I have another interesting question about the GX-2; it was always GM's habit to destroy experimental designs once they had served their purpose but, in the case of the GX-2 which was owned by Greyhound, I believe that it was altered (especially its treatment over the windshield) for regular service and, as we can see in the 'orchestra' photo, it even went on to a second life.

My question is; was the GX-2 counted as one of the 1001 Scenicruisers built for the company? (the 1001 number being rather odd).

Many regards,

Mr. 'L'

frankie · Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2014 11:10 pm Post subject:

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2014 3:31 pm Post subject:

frankie,

As far as the emergency door goes on the Scenicruiser;

When the final specifications were drawn for the PD-4501 dubbed the EXP 331 (prototype) by the engineering department in 1951, both New York and New Jersey were among states that required such extra egress and the door became an integral part of the finished product in 1953.

However, in lieu of the fact that the panoramic passenger windows were of the kick out type those laws were relaxed (probably by a little pressure from GM, Greyhound and even PSNJ) by the time 1000 bus order went into production in 1954 with the openings deleted.

At the time that EXP 331 was rebuilt by GM to join the Greyhound fleet as serial # 1001, its emergency door had been eliminated.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 6:04 pm Post subject:

It's the mid thirties as we look upon Manhattan's iconic Fifth Avenue to see, even then, the same traffic back-ups that are so familiar to New Yorkers today.

Of course, our interest is in the line of then brand new 72 passenger double decked model 735 Yellow Coaches (dubbed as Queen Mary's) and operating for the equally iconic Fifth Avenue Coach Company.

Each of the buses is traveling a different route and, while I am unsure as to whether they are heading north or south, I can tell you that they are either coming from or heading to their appointed termini at 25th. Street, Pennsylvania Station, Wanamaker Terminal or Washington Square.

I've always had a fascination with luxury cars of the era so I immediately recognized the 1933 Packard Model 1005 Twelve Club Sedan seen lower right of frame.

Also of note is the smooth riding and pothole resistant brick pavement that once adorned the avenue.

Photo courtesy of the American Public Transit Assn. (APTA).

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

NorthShore · Age: 76 Joined: 18 Mar 2012 Posts: 113

I always wondered exactly where the Triboro Coach headquarters & garage was located in Astoria.
I Came across a Triboro Coach Corp. letter dated 1943. The address on the letterhead states "Vernon Blvd. & Main Ave,, Astoria, NY".
I googled the address and notice the site is noe the New York City Housing Authority Astoria Houses. This project was built in the late'40's and early '50's. This explains why Triboro Coach moved to Jackson Heights in the early '50's.

X-Astorian · Joined: 19 Feb 2009 Posts: 168 Location: Central NJ

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 2:00 pm Post subject:

NorthShore wrote:
I always wondered exactly where the Triboro Coach headquarters & garage was located in Astoria.
I Came across a Triboro Coach Corp. letter dated 1943. The address on the letterhead states "Vernon Blvd. & Main Ave,, Astoria, NY".
I googled the address and notice the site is noe the New York City Housing Authority Astoria Houses. This project was built in the late'40's and early '50's. This explains why Triboro Coach moved to Jackson Heights in the early '50's.

Here's a copy of the Triboro letter which was part of an Auto-Lite Spark Plug campaign that appeared in Bus Transportation Magazine (my Bible) in 1943

The peculiar part of the thing is that most literature on Triboro points to Woodside as there long time home before Jackson Heights - I guess this just confuses the issue further!

Photo courtesy of '4509bus' and is available at eBay as item # 370985010171.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

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

Regarding the photo of four double-deck Yellows on Fifth Avenue:
They are heading north on Fifth waiting to cross 42nd Street. The clue is the three tall arched windows flanked by smaller arched windows on the building on the southeast corner. If one checks Google Street View of that location, the match is obvious. The photographer may have been standing on the library steps.
---
The building on the northeast corner has been replaced, but I wonder why the advertising panel lists three savings banks together: Emigrant, Union Dime, and Bowery. Emigrant is to the right of that billboard, and maybe Union Dime and Bowery are also in the block between Fifth and Madison.
Joe McMahon

NorthShore · Age: 76 Joined: 18 Mar 2012 Posts: 113

NorthShore · Age: 76 Joined: 18 Mar 2012 Posts: 113

I thought Triboro Coach had a facility in Woodside. I'vew seen pictures of buses in the lot with a railroad ROW in the background. Could Triboro have had 3 facilities before Jackson Heights?

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 2:22 am Post subject:

NorthShore,

You are absolutely correct about Triboro's Woodside facility - in fact, a photo of it is shown on the top of page 13 of the July-September 1998 issue of Motor Coach Age featuring the history of the company.

It may well be that there were a number of locations used simultaneously especially in those days of rapid growth.

Back in the thirties and before Green Bus Lines built there first 'all under one roof' garage in Cornell Park in 1939 they were spread over a number of rented facilities and offices both in Long Island City and the Ozone Park areas of Queens (I wonder what their letterhead must have looked like?).

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

Hankg42 · Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 8:58 am Post subject:

X-Astorian · Joined: 19 Feb 2009 Posts: 168 Location: Central NJ

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 2:28 pm Post subject:

You just can't imagine the thrill that I get each time I find another old friend from my alma mater!

Seen sometime in the late fifties posing in front of the company's main facility at Rockaway Boulevard is fleet # 917 - a 1946 44 passenger GM Coach Model TD-4506 and one of thirty five likenesses numbered 901 to 925 and 201 to 210 (for the Manhattan and Queens division) delivered to Green Bus Lines in May of that year.

The 4506's were a milestone for the company in that they were the first ever GM products, the first fully automatic transmissions and the first Diesels and, while they were good solid nimble runners, they were noisy and amplified any sounds like an echo chamber - something that was improved on the 4507 models with ThermoMatic cabinets over the driver's compartment that helped to muffle the din (at least for the driver).

#917 shows its very slight face lift in the form of a set of wings with GM badge under the windshield along with updated directional signals as well as a second generation apple green and cream paint scheme.

The updated paint job surprises me because by the time that this photo was taken most of the 4506's, other than those still assigned to the Rockaway division, were either scrapped or transferred to commonly owned Jamaica Buses.

#917 is signed for the Q6 line between central Jamaica and Rockaway Boulevard via Sutphin Boulevard.

Of note on our focus is the one giant step at the front entrance.

Photo courtesy of 'ttcbeat' and is available at eBay as item # 191020307269.

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