BusTalk

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2023 4:20 pm Post subject:

W.B.:

Your's Truly has a long-standing habit of freely interchanging "plastic" and "fiberglass" with one another, regarding transit seating. Rolling Eyes

Here in "Joisey", I well remember only a very, very few "Shermans" equipped with fiberglass seating; quite a few Fishbowls (non-suburban) also had fiberglass seating.

NJT's ex-PSNJ Fishbowl transits (such as the Z-300 series) retained their original upholstered seating until the last disappeared around 1990.

Oddly, the lone ex-WAMATA "Dangerfield" I regularly rode on the old NHBL #1 (obviously, this was one of the buses that trekked north during the "Bomber" fiasco") was that it was STILL equipped with its deep, comfortable bucket seats, and only ONE had repair done to it! Shocked

Recall, in later years, seeing prewar cars (such as the "Standards") sporting both rattan cushions as well as cushions of red "leather"........

"NYO"

["LL 14TH ST. LOCAL"]

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2023 4:34 pm Post subject:

(Upholstery)/seating variations (bus/subway)..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?156848

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?156947

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155936

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155935

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?6452

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?6426

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["NYCTA"]

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2023 9:30 am Post subject:

The only postwar subway cars to be originally furnished with "rattan"-type seating were the R-10/12/14's.

The last "Bee-Em-Tee" cars to have upholstered seats were the R-16's.

Recall that the TDH-5106 "Shermans" were the first to feature (pink) fiberglass seats.

The TDH-5301 Fishbowls featured green fiberglass seating, longitudinal forward of the rear door, and forward-facing in the rear, reducing seating capacity to 48.

Here in "Joisey"well into the 80's, I well recall riding on "semi-suburban"(single door) Fishbowls, originally operated by ORANGE & BLACK; these buses all featured pink plastic fiberglass seating............

"NYO"

["ORANGE & BLACK"]

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2023 11:41 am Post subject:

Regarding early fiberglass bus seating...........

Personally, here in "Joisey", I only recall green and pink fiberglass seating.

Back in the days of upholstered seating, I remember red, dark green, brown, and, sometimes, black.

DE CAMP's suburban buses, back in the day, featured relining seating upholstered in the same attractive colors as its buses.

"Bowling alley" seating was common in "Noo Yawk", but non-existent here at home;I can, however, recall several very busy routes were "bowling alley" seating would have been most welcome.

Ironically, many PSNJ streetcars featured "bowling alley" seating..........

"NYO"

['New York City Transit" Authority"]

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2023 11:48 am Post subject:

Bus seating, as it was.........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155939

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155933

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155947

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154360

["M"]

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2023 4:00 pm Post subject:

Recall, also, when the KAWASAKI-built R-62's first arrived, they were receiving a lot of flack regarding the seating, with, as was pointed out numerous times, were contoured more to Japanese posteriors than the larger American variety............... Rolling Eyes

See:

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?6133

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?79621

"NYO"

*(In these pictures, also note the changeover from roller signs to that of the electronic variety)

["R-62"]

GBL Rebel · Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2023 4:56 pm Post subject:

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2023 5:35 pm Post subject:

Note the 1969 picture (second one) here depicting the interior of a "Thunderbird", and then compare it to that showing the interior of a "Standard".

Was this R-10 "experimentation" a "nod", perhaps, to the seating layout of the "Standards"?

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?6383

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?2481

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["A.C.F."]

W.B. Fishbowl · Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2023 6:05 pm Post subject:

Could well be. After all, the 'Tee-Yay' did have a thing for the oddball "one-offs" with rolling stock over the years. (Like with R-4 484's lighting, for example.)

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2023 8:03 pm Post subject:

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2023 8:08 pm Post subject:

Avenue U (fan trip), 2004..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?36578

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["8TH AVENUE SUBWAY"]

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2023 9:01 pm Post subject:

From "UNDER THE SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK" (Cudahy):

"......in August, 1913, the BRT sent plans to the PSC for a distinctive new rapid transit car, strongly influenced by the imaginatively-designed Boston Elevated Railway cars on the new Cambridge Subway........"

"NYO"

["PRESSED STEEL"]

W.B. Fishbowl · Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2023 10:05 pm Post subject:

traildriver · Joined: 26 Mar 2011 Posts: 2459 Location: South Florida

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2023 10:41 pm Post subject:

traildriver:

Recall, also, that the SIRT ME-1's also had fold-down seats at the center doors.

The ME-1's also had the distinction of being the last rapid transit cars in "Noo Yawk" service that not only retained their original (1925) rattan seating, but, thankfully, never had them replaced with the uncomfortable fiberglass "planks" then being installed in the subway fleet.

Recall, also, that the ME-1's were designed to run on the BMT's 4th Avenue line, via a new set of tunnels under the Narrows, thus linking Staten Island with Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Interestingly, the ME-1's, it was found in much later years, could not MU with the "Standards"................

"NYO"

["RIDE THE RAPID"]