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'VINTAGE NEW YORK CITY'
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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 Feb 28, 2015 4:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The attached image reminds me very much of an accident back in the forties on Metropolitan Avenue in Kew Gardens (NY) in which a car attempting to pass a trolley wound up squeezed between that trolley and one coming in the opposite direction - that driver went home with a tall narrow Buick!

Seen (upper photo) on Nassau Boulevard at Fresh Meadows Road in Queens on May 9th. 1934 is just such a similar accident in which a car is caught between a bus and a flat bed truck - fortunately only minor injuries were sustained by the auto driver and her six year old daughter.

The bus, Jamaica bound (as seen by the placard in the windshield), is an early thirties Yellow Coach modeled as a 'U' and, being the only one known as such on Long Island at the time, is almost unquestionably the property of Semke Bus Lines, Inc. of Hempstead, New York.

Of course, I stand corrected on my analyses but if I'm right it is the coach seen in the lower image that originally belonged to Semke and has been restored with preservation now at the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) in Hershey, Pa.

Upper frame taken by Acme News Pictures and is available through 'HistoricImages-store' at eBay.
Lower frame Courtesy of AACA.

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



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frankie



Age: 77
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Location: St. Peters, Mo.

PostPosted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 1:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr. Linsky wrote:
The attached image reminds me very much of an accident back in the forties on Metropolitan Avenue in Kew Gardens (NY) in which a car attempting to pass a trolley wound up squeezed between that trolley and one coming in the opposite direction - that driver went home with a tall narrow Buick!

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



Yep! Don't mess with trolleys! Below is Ford's first compact car!

Frankie

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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 6:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Because the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) had no direct entree into either of Manhattan's two major rail hubs after 1926, a curbside shuttle bus service was begun in the mid twenties (to be known as The Royal Blue Fleet) to ferry their passengers back and forth between Jersey City (NJ) and the Big Apple and, while the company was officially registered in the Garden State, their major presence in the city earned them a place in this thread.

Seen during the winter of 1936 in what might have been a factory photo is fleet #33 - a 1937 29 passenger single door coach and one of thirty likenesses operating for the railroad.

Built upon White 684 chassis with underfloor pancake engines and carrying custom aluminum bodies by Bender, these buses were easy to spot with the company logo very prominently placed under the windshield and the three stainless steel sideswipe guards encasing the entire lower body.

Interestingly, B&O contracted Gray Line Motor Tours (then an affiliate of Fifth Avenue Coach) to operate the shuttles.

Photo courtesy of 'HistoricImages' and is available at eBay as item # 371251543187.

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

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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 4:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In another nostalgic look at Manhattan of the early forties, we see Fifth Avenue Coach Company (FACCO) fleet # 1206 on its namesake avenue approaching 33rd. Street as it trundles north from Washington Square to 168th. Street and Broadway on its #2 line.

#1206 - a 1930 66 passenger open top coach and one of forty of its configuration numbered between 1200 and 1239 featured a Yellow chassis modeled as a Z-BH-602 carrying a custom body built by FACCO at their main shops in upper Manhattan.

Entree to the upper level was gained by a spiral staircase outside the rear of the bus and was supervised at that point by a conductor who collected fares for both levels.

These 1200's were short lived when they were retired in 1946 due to the expense of two man operation and limited storage facilities for their winter hibernation.

Also of note in the photo (left center) is the very interesting Checker Cab of the late thirties modeled as an 'A' with its prominent Art Deco front end and partial slide away top which, by electrical control, allowed the entire rear quarter of the roof to pivot into the trunk providing a true convertible experience for passengers - Checker called it 'Air-N-Lite' ride.

While it was the war years, FACCO never had to worry about the blackening of their headlamps because they never had any! - I still can't figure that one out!

Photo courtesy of 'Viantage-Vault75' and has been sold on eBay.

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

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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: Mon Mar 09, 2015 4:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's sometime in 1949 at the border line between New York City and Nassau County to the east (as evidenced by the 'triple lens' traffic signal hanging in the background - the type of which had yet to be adopted by the city) that we see a 49 passenger model C-50 Mack in demonstration for New York's Board of Transportation and which was the inspiration for a fleet of 400 likenesses numbered from 5200 and 5599 that arrived in 1950 and 1951.

The C-50, commonly known as the 'Bingham Class Mack' because its design and specifications were the brainchild of then Board of Transportation Chairman Colonel Sidney H. Bingham, was, with the exception of the brakes, an all hydraulic operation including the doors and fared poorly due to oil leaks and occasional engine compartment fires.

Three unique features of the city specified C-50's were the sliding passenger, standee and rear windows, front and rear double stream doors and its ability to convert to an ambulance in time of war.

The focus continued its demo duties both locally and around the country for some time but was eventually purchased by the city to replace #5369 that was damaged by fire.

In the photo there is apparently something amiss as we espy two gentlemen examining the rear steps and wheel well while a third looks on as though it is he who has lost something - and this all happening while the driver sits at the wheel nonchalantly waiting to begin his next trip along Union Turnpike to Kew Gardens on the Q44A line.

Photo courtesy of 'Vintage-Vault75' and is available at eBay as item # 391076806419.

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

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andy47




Joined: 17 Feb 2011
Posts: 96
Location: New York State

PostPosted: Mon Mar 09, 2015 9:44 pm    Post subject: The Bingham Macks Reply with quote

The Bingham Macks, during their service lives, were assigned to Board of Transportation (and after 1953, NYC Transit Authority) routes in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island. Despite the locale of the photo, none ever ran on NYCTA Queens Division routes, although some Brooklyn Division routes did operate into Queens.

As noted, they were poor performers and barely lasted ten years. All were gone by 1960, replaced with the first two groups of new Fishbowl GMs.
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frankie



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PostPosted: Mon Mar 09, 2015 11:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There were a few exterior differences between this demo and the production models.

1) The demo had side windows that had square corners and vertically shorter.
2) The Mack emblem on the front was the earlier script style.
3) The aluminum belt rail was lacking.
4) The side air intake above the destination sign had full length openings whereas the production models had 4 sets of louvered openings.
5) The front bumper was factory issued. Does anyone know if this bumper was replaced to match the others?

As for locale, the bus is parked on the Union Turnpike side of a triangular island bordered on the other two sides by Lakeville Road (with the traffic light) and Langdale St. behind the camera. That very traffic light that Mr. L mentioned is now occupied by a 5-lens one.

Frankie
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frankie



Age: 77
Joined: 01 Feb 2011
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Location: St. Peters, Mo.

PostPosted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 11:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr. Linsky wrote:

The focus continued its demo duties both locally and around the country for some time but was eventually purchased by the city to replace #5369 that was damaged by fire.

Photo courtesy of 'Vintage-Vault75' and is available at eBay as item # 391076806419.

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



San Francisco was one of the demo duties that Mr. L mentioned above. Here we can see fully dressed in it's host city colors.

Photo courtesy of Rogali's Photos for educational purposes.

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N4 Jamaica




Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 858
Location: Long Island

PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 9:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This thread is now up to 147 pages and 2,251 posts. What a wealth of material is in this thread! Many thanks to all who provide photos and commentary.
---
The length of this thread, however, makes for difficult searches. A search for a particular bus, location, or route points to this "Vintage New York City" in general (all 147 pages) rather than one particular page or post. I have reviewed about a third of the posts, and maybe I will have to go back and index all the photos that interest me by post number or page number. The post number shows up on the url, or maybe it is an approximate post number.
Many thanks.
Joe McMahon, currently researching Bronx routes Bx1 to Bx12.
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ripta42
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 1:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There has been thought to making this thread into its own forum with posts broken up into threads. If anyone has the time to dedicate to such an endeavor...
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yc720_06



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Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK

PostPosted: Tue Jul 14, 2015 10:28 am    Post subject: The Cameraman Reply with quote

The bus is a 1923 Los Angeles Motor Bus Company Moreland, Roster No 501.


LAMBC 501 Moreland 1923.jpg
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LAMBC 501 Moreland 1923.jpg


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W.B. Fishbowl



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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 5:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr. Linsky wrote:
Shown below in a crystal clear image is New York City Omnibus Corporation (or should I say Gotham Bus Company) # 2969 with it's driver 'Ralph Kramden' (or should I say Jackie Gleason) in a promotional shot for his classic TV comedy 'The Honeymooners'.

Unfortunately, this bus was scrapped years ago along with every other Omnibus 4509 and long before it was realized what value it had but the number 2969 does live on and has been placed on the only preserved New York City Transit System 5101.


That, along with the renaming of Brooklyn's Fifth Avenue Depot in Mr. Gleason's memory and a statue in his likeness should guarantee him a permanent place in New York transit history.

Long live Ralph Kramden! (and the 13 cent fare!).

Photo credit within frame.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY


Given that the photo of Mr. Gleason as shown was shot around August-September 1955, that bus (along with its other NYCO brethren) would have had its lettering below the passenger windows changed to read 'FIFTH AVENUE COACH LINES INC.' the year after that pic was taken, following NYCO's rebranding thereas. It lasted into the early years of MaBSTOA, before being retired and scrapped around 1967, remaining in Manhattan to the end.
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W.B. Fishbowl



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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 5:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr. Linsky wrote:
Shown below in a crystal clear image is New York City Omnibus Corporation (or should I say Gotham Bus Company) # 2969 with it's driver 'Ralph Kramden' (or should I say Jackie Gleason) in a promotional shot for his classic TV comedy 'The Honeymooners'.

Unfortunately, this bus was scrapped years ago along with every other Omnibus 4509 and long before it was realized what value it had but the number 2969 does live on and has been placed on the only preserved New York City Transit System 5101.


That, along with the renaming of Brooklyn's Fifth Avenue Depot in Mr. Gleason's memory and a statue in his likeness should guarantee him a permanent place in New York transit history.

Long live Ralph Kramden! (and the 13 cent fare!).

Photo credit within frame.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY


Given that the photo of Mr. Gleason as shown was shot around August-September 1955, that bus (along with its other NYCO brethren) would have had its lettering below the passenger windows changed to read 'FIFTH AVENUE COACH LINES INC.' the year after that pic was taken, following NYCO's rebranding thereas. It lasted into the early years of MaBSTOA, before being retired and scrapped around 1967, remaining in Manhattan to the end.
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W.B. Fishbowl



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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 5:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hart Bus wrote:
When did FACC and/or its affiliated companies get routes on 6th Avenue? I am looking at a repo of booklet entitled " Fifth Avenue Coach Routes and Vistior's Guide" reprinted in 2005 to commerorate the 100 anniversary. It shows the routes of FACC in 1939-1940 with the extension of the #15 to the World's Fair. There is no route shown operating on "Sixth Avenue".

No FACCO route traveled through Sixth until long after its successor Fifth Avenue Coach Lines' routes were taken over by MaBSTOA. But there was an irony to FACCO route 5's northbound route being changed to Sixth Avenue in 1966 upon Fifth Avenue being made one way southbound. That's because prior to Sixth being made one way northbound, NYCO operated a route 5 which, after the change, was consolidated into the route 6 Broadway line and renamed as such.
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W.B. Fishbowl



Age: 57
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Location: New York, New York, USA

PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 7:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr. Linsky wrote:
It's a clear but brisk day along Fifth Avenue in early 1960 as we see fleet number 2966 waiting at the light to continue its run to the west side via Central Park on the 86th. Street Crosstown line.

2966 was one of 300 GM TDH 4509's purchased by the New York City Omnibus Corporation between 1949 and 1951 and its last new buses to see service before its takeover by the city in 1962.

Note that, in an attempt to reduce costs, these buses were ordered sans the ornate two tone green and cream livery that had been the company's trademark for so many years - also gone was the logo 'Go The Motor Coach Way' made famous by its sister company Fifth Avenue Coach.

While the driver waits for the green signal, he opens his door to watch a very pretty Elizabeth Taylor being filmed in a scene from MGM's 'Butterfield 8'.

In the background, we espy another NYCO 4509 heading north on the avenue as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art (upper right).

Photo courtesy of IMCDb.

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


Interesting - from the same order as the "Jackie Gleason bus" (a.k.a. 2969) from 1950.
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