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Rear Windows on GM Suburban "Fishbowls"

 
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Dieseljim
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Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Posts: 548
Location: Perry, NY

PostPosted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 7:07 am    Post subject: Rear Windows on GM Suburban "Fishbowls" Reply with quote

While most of these SDM series buses, both air conditioned and non airconditoned came with the large 3 piece rear window, a number of them were delivered with the four piece rear windows, examples of which included Grand Island Transit 114, Empire Trailways SDM4502s 193 and 194, Cleveland-Lorain Highway Coach suburbans, to name a few while others were retrofitted. I am not sure if any of the Canadian built suburbans got retrofitted with the split center section of the back window. Certainly none of Gray Coaches or Canada Coach Lines units ever did. Perhaps the corner to corner cracking of the large window section wasn't as bad on these buses as it was on the transit models. Can anyone verify this?
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kevlaf983



Age: 41
Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 99
Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada

PostPosted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

They're not suburbans but it shows the rears of London built 5301's and 5307's





I don't recall seeing four piece windows on any canadian units.
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

D. J.,

I think you hit the nail right on the head when you postulate that the Suburban New Looks were less subject to the stresses that caused the cracking of the center rear glasses.

The breakages were the result of 'roof shimmy' which would have been very much more prevalent in city transit operation what with pot holes and continuous veering with heavy loads.

I do know of the retrofit program supported by GM, but I am unsure as to whether it eventually became standard or was left as an option.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY
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Dieseljim
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Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Posts: 548
Location: Perry, NY

PostPosted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 2:55 pm    Post subject: Rear Windows on New Look Transits and Suburbans Reply with quote

NFT's last several orders for New Looks came with the 4 piece rear windows from No.7500 delivered in 1963 to 7794 delivered in 1969, which was the last new bus NFT received. I bet replacing that large piece of glass was not only expensive, but downright aggravating.
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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 Aug 02, 2008 3:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kevlaf983 wrote:
They're not suburbans but it shows the rears of London built 5301's and 5307's


I don't recall seeing four piece windows on any canadian units.


kevlaf983,

There is one thing that puzzles me about # 8113 above;

It appears as though the rear doors are 'double stream' which would account for the shorter passenger windows, but why is the last window, which seems to be standard width. not of the openable type?

Looking through the rear pane you can clearly see that the last passenger sash on the driver's side is.

Very unusual - I've never seen that before.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY
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kevlaf983



Age: 41
Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 99
Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada

PostPosted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 6:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr. Linsky wrote:


kevlaf983,

There is one thing that puzzles me about # 8113 above;

It appears as though the rear doors are 'double stream' which would account for the shorter passenger windows, but why is the last window, which seems to be standard width. not of the openable type?

Looking through the rear pane you can clearly see that the last passenger sash on the driver's side is.

Very unusual - I've never seen that before.

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


That's something I could never figure out with OC fishies. Some have sealed windows on the end of both sides, some driver side only, some passenger side only and a few with openable windows on both sides.

This photo here shows that at one time they were possibly alternating between sealed and openable on either side.

One of the biggest problems in later years was the openable ones would stick shut and become sealed windows anyway. Rolling Eyes
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Dieseljim
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Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Posts: 548
Location: Perry, NY

PostPosted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:20 am    Post subject: Rear Windows on Fishies Reply with quote

Welland, Ontario's fishbowls all had the split rear window and most were air conditioned. I had seen them on my last visits to Welland. Evidently those were Pontiac built units, or look like they were.
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TheDriver




Joined: 18 Dec 2015
Posts: 233
Location: America

PostPosted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 9:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have always wondered about that
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