BusTalk

JimmiB · Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 10:34 pm Post subject: What's This?

Here is a photo that was posted on Facebook yesterday by "Reading Historic Districts". It is a shot of Reading, PA taken at 4th Street looking north on Penn Street.
I was trying to figure out what the bus is right behind the trolley. I thought at first that it may have been a Yellow Coach, but Reading Street Railway didn't buy any Yellows until 1944 and this looks like earlier in the 40's. Also, the rear wheels are situated almost in front of the rear bumper. With that and the rear end details I was thinking maybe a late 30's Faegol/Twin Coach.
Any ideas?

roymanning2000 · Age: 75 Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 198

JimmiB,

That is a Twin of late 30's vintage. Don't know my pre-war Twins well enough to know the exact model. Similar buses on other properties were model 31-R but I think the model number varied with the seating capacity of the bus.

Roy

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 2:30 pm Post subject:

Just off the top of my pointed little head and with zilch to go on, I would say that the bus in the photo most closely resembles a 29 passenger 1935 Twin Coach modeled as a 30-R and for which Reading had ten numbered between 253 and 262.

I base my opinion on the 'four/three' window combination and the closeness of the rear axle to the rear bumper making it possibly the ugliest bus the company ever made as well as the most perilous for the rear axle in such close proximity to the rear end.

BTW; if you should happen to see a Rolls Royce in the photo it would undoubtedly belong to my great uncle Max of Luria Brothers Steel Corporation who had a marble mansion just outside of Reading for summer and weekends getaways.

Luria Brothers was the largest scrap dealer in the country specializing in the demolition of ships and trolley cars!

Regards,

Mr. 'L'