BusTalk

irtredbirdr33@yahoo.com · Age: 74 Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 5

This past Thursday (5/22/0 Cool

I took the LIRR out to Long Beach in part to ride the one of the last non-MTA bus systems in the area. Adjacent to the LIRR Station is a facility managed by the LIRR but identified as "Long Beach Parking Facility." It is a two level structure with the upper level serving as a parking lot and the lower level serving as the Long Beach Bus Terminal. The lower level is open on all sides and buses enter and leave through nice archways with curved tops. It gives the structure an appearance that one assciates with the American Southwest. The bus terminal is served by both the City of Long Beach Bus System and the Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority (read Long Island Bus.) The lanes are assigned as follows:|
No. 1 COLB West End

No. 2 COLB East Loop

No. 3 COLB Rt N-69 Point Lookout

No. 4 COLB Shopper's Special

No. 5 Unassigned

No. 6 MSBA N-33 Long Beach-Far Rockway

Nos. 7-8 MSBA N-15 Long Beach-Hempstead.

The West End and East Loop buses operate frequently and seem to take about 30 minutes to make a round trip. The other two routes operate less often. The Point Lookout bus must operate under a Nassau County Franchise as it has a Nassau County Route Number (N-69) and the fare is $2.00 whereras on the other three routes the fare is $ 1.50.

I rode the West End Loop and at the end of the route there is a PRW loop located at Nevada Avenue and West Beech Street. A nice touch.

The buses that I saw were all built by Gillig. They may have been called "Phantoms" and there are either 30 or 35 feet long. (If anyone has more complete info about the buses or a roster I would appreciate hearing from you).

After my somewhat short vist to Long Beach I rode the N-33 to Far Rockaway. At that location a very off-street bus plaza has been built only a short distance form the subway station.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 5:43 pm Post subject:

Here's a set of Long Beach (NY) buses that I'll bet you haven't seen before!

Pictured below awaiting delivery at the Mack Plant in Allentown, Pennsylvania are four 1934 Model CQ's numbered 49, 50, 51 and 52.

Long Beach was an ardent Mack customer going back through the early 20's (see the 1923 Model 'AB' shown below).

For you local historians, the lower photo was taken in Atlantic Beach on Park Street in front of what was then one of the first structures to be built on the tiny extension of Long Beach.

Top photo courtesy of the Mack Truck Museum.
Bottom photo courtesy of Bob Foster.

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

LLE Rebel · Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 54

Thanks Linksy.
As always we appreciate everytime you dig into that magical photo collection you have.

Hart Bus · Age: 74 Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Posts: 1150

When did the City of Long Beach take over the Long Beach Bus Company and run it as a municipal service?

There is an Andy Grahl Photo taken on 4/10/85 in Joe Saitta's Mega Calandar for March 24 - 30 1999, showing a CITY OF LONG BEACH New Look Flx 30 ft. # 151 pulling out of the old bus terminal waitng for a MSBA 40 ft Flx waiting to turn in. This was prior to the building of the new terminal and reconfiguration of the sidewalks.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 11:54 pm Post subject:

H. B.,

I would have to say that the City of Long Beach bought the Long Beach Bus Company (which was owned by the same family that owned Rockville Centre Bus and Nassau Bus) sometime just before WWII.

I remember as far back as maybe 1943 or 1944 and, while I had no interest in buses at the time, I do remember the white stucco Municipal Bus Garage on Long Beach Boulevard.

Pictured below in front of the restored Long Island Rail Road Station and the new municipal parking garage and bus terminal are two 30 foot Gilligs operating for the City of Long Beach.

Photo courtesy of www.ILoveLBNY.com

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

Hart Bus · Age: 74 Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Posts: 1150

Mr. L:

You will be amazed to learn that the garage is still there on the west side of Long Beach Road at the base of the bridge that goes from Long Beach to Island Park. It probably looks the same as you remember it except for a new coat of paint every few years.

H.B.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 4:19 pm Post subject:

Hart Bus,

Found a very interesting YouTube video of the history of Long Beach in pictures (NY) at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efs6uNRCI9o

It's about ten minutes long but well worth watching; aside from a couple of shots of really old buses (from the twenties), there are two short GM 'New Looks' in a scene at the station.

But, better than that and about half way through, is an overhead photo of south bound traffic along Long Beach Boulevard (circa early forties) showing what asppear to be two White Model 788's (probably belonging to Bee Lines (L.I.) and a beautiful shot of the city garage that we have mentioned above in its original finish.

Unfortunately, I can't copy and paste the photos or they would be below.

Enjoy.

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

asdfasdf · Age: 78 Joined: 21 May 2007 Posts: 47

Just to throw out a few dates:

Long Beach Bus Co. 1927-12/47
Beach Transit 1948-1949
City of Long Beach 1952- present

A couple of notes. It would appear that Long Beach had no "local" service between 1950 and 1952. Nassau Bus had a route from Far Rockaway to LB and Branch Bus; LB to Point Lookout.

Beach Transit received no buses from Long Beach Bus. They only had second hand equipment from NJ and WV.

So far I've found that the three new (1946) Ford transits that Long Beach Bus had went to Semke Bus when the company closed. The rest ...........

Bob K

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 12:35 am Post subject:

rrbob,

It was in those very early fifties that I attended summer school in Long Beach at the Lindell Boulevard facility in the west end.

I was too young to drive (legally, that is!) so I took the bus to and fro each day from our house in Atlantic Beach.

The buses were late forties Fords flagged to Nassau Bus Lines and two tone gray in color (very much like sister company Rockville Centre Bus Corporation's Ford pictured below).

BTW; these Fords were tough little medium duty jobs built on Ford chassis with Ford designed bodies fabricated by Union City Body Company of Union City, Indiana.

If this were an essay written by a kid, the next line would be; and my favorite driver was Harry - a middle aged heavy set jovial fellow missing one or two prominent front teeth! - this is the truth.

Actually, if Nassau Bus Lines was covering everything west of the station and Branch covering everything east of the station, they really didn't need a Long Beach Bus at all!

Photo borrowed for educational purposes only.

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

asdfasdf · Age: 78 Joined: 21 May 2007 Posts: 47

New information (to me) has come to light about Long Beach buses in the last couple days.

When Beach Transit abandoned service on 12/31/49; Nassau Bus was given temporary permits to run the service in early January 1950:

Long Beach Station to West End
Long Beach Station to East Broadway
Long Beach Station to East Park
Long Beach Station to Point Lookout

In March of 1952, the City started running the bus service. At that time, the Long Beach-Point Lookout service was sold to Branch Bus.

Bob K