BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

This is a book I would like to recommend to fellow "nostalgia buffs".

This 1954 book was one I took out of our library too many times to count, back in the 60's.

I had mentioned this book to a fellow transit buff, and, through a dealer in old books, he found a copy, which he generously sent me as a gift.

This children's book is a must for anyone interested in pictures all forms of transport in the early 50's, on land, sea, and in the air.

A number of rare photos of New York City transport are featured in this wonderful old book.

One of my favorites shows a stylish New York gal boarding a shiny new FACC #1707 (my mother remembers this same photo in a copy of VOGUE magazine, many, many years ago)

Another New York picture shows the interior of a MACK C-50

There is also another wonderfully nostalgic view taken at the PABT, showing a line of well-dressed commuters boarding an ORANGE & BLACK Mack; on the adjacent platform, passengers are boarding a handsome ACF-BRILL, with "LOCAL-HACKENSACK" displayed on the roller curtain.

This ACF-BRILL also features the "pompadour" over the destination sign that we had discussed here awhile ago.

There is also plenty here for subway and elevated fans; one rare photo shows a DL&W tugboat alongside a car float carrying new IRT R-12 cars, emplazoned with huge banners: "NEW YORKERS, LOOK! YOUR NEW SUBWAY CARS!"

There are also other bus photos here as well; also, The Staten Island Ferry and the great ocean liners of the day are also given space in these pages.

Railroads, also, are represented by a number of now-classic photos, as are vintage piston-engined airliners.

Inside the front cover, is a crowded New York rush hour street scene, dominated by MACKS, Old Looks, and SkyView taxis.

Info on the book:

"BIG CITY TRANSPORTATION" (The "Big City Series")

CATHERINE URELL

ANNE JENNINGS

FLORENCE R. WEINBERG

Published by:

Gollett Publishing Company, 1954

This is really a great book I'd like to call to the attention of my fellow board members here, who enjoy photos of "The Days That Were", regarding New York City transportation......

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Some of the photo credits for the pictures depicting New York transit were credited to:

NEW YORK CITY BOARD OF TRANSPORTATION

NEW YORK HERALD TRIBUNE

NEW YORK TIMES

AMERICAN CAR & FOUNDRY

SHORT LINE SYSTEM, HUDSON TRANSIT LINES

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

One chapter: "How We Go To School" mentions that the children ride to school on "a green and yellow bus".

The accompanying photo shows a group of school children aboard a square-window Old Look; the interior is totally devoid of any sort of advertising.

Too bad we don't get see an exterior shot of this bus (photo was provided by GENERAL MOTORS)........

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Quick suggestion:

If anyone can scare up a copy of these book, I hope they will scan the bus photos, and share them here.

These wonderful old "Noo Yawk" bus shots should be enjoyed by all on this board.

Virtually all the bus photos were taken in New York; one exception shows a CSL/CTA ACF-BRILL TC-44 trolley bus loading passegers.

I would have done so in a flash, unfortunately, I do not have a scanner.

This old book, if you can find a copy, is more than worthy of being included in any bus enthusiast's library, especially if they hail from the Greater New York area.....

"NYO"

[Hart Bus]

Ask and you shall partially succeed. Based upon your first post, the book sounded intriguing so I did an internet search for the book It led me to a seller on E-bay with a buy it know feature. The cost to me with shipping was a little over ten bucks.

I was informed that it was already shipped with a due date of next week.

Not being very computer literate I scan the pictures, but don't know how to post them. If necessary I can send them to another poster who (hopefully) do me the favor as he has done in the past.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[Mr. Linsky]

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All:

One of the most valuable things about this vintage children's book, is that it is not only a wonderful look back at transport as it was, but, also, how society itself appeared at that time.

Cetrainly folks (especially commuters!) dressed a lot more stylishly than they do today; autos and taxis were much larger than they are today, and the West Side waterfront was still bustling with the great transatlantic liners calling at the old piers.

Buses were streamlined, sleek, and solid-looking; this was still decades before most buses came to resemble little more than mostly white, oversized shoe boxes!

If you grew up in the greater New York area in the 50's and early 60's, there is much year you can identify with.

This work is truly "A Book Of Many Memories"......

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Another bus photo in this book worthy of mention (I have no idea where it was taken) shows a crowd of children and their mothers debarking from their chartered buses for a two-week stay in the country( bottom of page 33)

The two buses (both of the same company) appear to be early 40's PG/PD types; you can see small lettering above the windows near the door, but it is very difficult to read.

Perhaps "zooming" the image might give us more of an idea as to what company these buses were then running for.

(One clue: photo was provided by SHORT LINE SYSTEM, HUDSON TRANSIT LINES)

"NYO"

*Another photo where buses are to be seen is at the top of page 22, showing what was clearly an off-hour at the New Jersey side of the Lincoln Tunnel, dating back to the days when the tunnel only had two tubes.

Emerging from the NJ-bound tube are two WHITES; from the height the photo was taken, I cannot make out what company these two buses were from (they are both sporting identical paint); however, I think they MIGHT have been INTER-CITY coaches.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Another sidenote:

If anyone here also has even a passing interest in vintage pistion-engined commercial aircraft, there are photos here that will surely interest you, especially if you can remember those long-lost days when airports still had open-air observation decks, equipped with the classic "coin in the slot" binoculars, the better to watch the propliners load, take off, and land!

Ahhhh, yes...."The Friendly Skies".........when air travel.......like ALL travel.....was still civilized and exciting......

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Earlier, I'd mentioned a photo on page 12 (courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS) showing the interior of an Old Look carrying children to school (Chapter: "HOW WE GO TO SCHOOL")

I had mentioned previously that the bus interior was totally devoid of advertising cards, which, of course, would make sense for a school vehicle.

However, on closer inspection, looking over the driver's head, there is no crank/handle visible for changing a roller sign, nor is their any hint of an outline marking the location of a sign box access hatch.......

"NYO"