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Canada Coach Lines GM TDM4515s

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

PostPosted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 7:02 am    Post subject: Canada Coach Lines GM TDM4515s Reply with quote

When Ontario's Crystal Beach amusement park was open and still booming, I found that an excellent way to get there was on Canada Coach Lines' TDM4515 suburbans in the 1700 series. Some of these "Old Looks" had standard forward facing transit type seating ,while others had high back seats and all were equipped with red flashing lights so that they could be used as school buses, which they were on occasion. What made these buses so much fun to ride was that 6-71 Detroit Diesel in the rear. All had overhead parcel racks, which, when used as schoolbuses made these racks suitable for kids to put their books out of the way. Besides the Canada Coach Lines TDM4515s, the only other 4515 I had the pleasure of riding was one of the several ex Public Service buses that Blue Bird Coach Lines of Olean,NY bought from tNJ and put into service soon after. CCL had 21 of these buses while Blue Bird had five. Crystal Beach amusement park is gone now and so are the TDM4515s that I loved to ride to get there and back.
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

D. J.,

Here's another TDM 4515 Canadian operator;

Pictured below is fleet number 1655 – a 1956 GMDD Coach Model TDM 4515 (ser# 0239) and one of 15 (1650 to 1664) delivered to Gray Coach Lines of Toronto, Ontario Canada in May of that year.

The TDM 4515 series was basically built on a 45 passenger city transit platform with mechanical shift, and featured all forward facing high back seats on platforms, parcel racks and drop sash windows.

Unlike their ‘PD’ series intercity cousins, the TDM’s did not have under floor storage bins. However, some operators, including Public Service of New Jersey utilized the dead space for the installation of after market Thermo-King air conditioning units.

These Air Suspension equipped suburban buses did not incorporate Thermo-Matic heating and ventilation systems, and instead featured a small intake opening beneath the windshield in place of the GM logo that admitted fresh air to a fan unit and was used as both a heater and defroster. Under seat heaters amidships augmented the forward system.

412 TDM 4515’s were built between 1953 and 1959 and a number have been preserved including three ex Greyhounds in the possession of Eastshore Lines of San Francisco as of 1989.

Gray Coach Lines was formed as a subsidiary of the Toronto Transportation Commission in 1927 to takeover and operate both local transit and suburban routes in the Toronto metropolitan area.

The company also operated intercity service with U.S. destinations including Buffalo and Niagara Falls New York and Greyhound affiliated connections to New York City.

TTC expanded transit and suburban operations in 1954 leaving Gray with only its intercity business until it was sold to Stagecoach Holdings of Scotland in 1990 which subsequently became part of Greyhound of Canada in 1992.

TDM 4515 photo courtesy of Melvin Bernero of GMOldLookBus.

Notice the oddity of the window configuration on the 4515 which may be some form of added storm sash.

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: Fri Aug 15, 2008 7:36 am    Post subject: TDM4515s Reply with quote

While we are on the subject of the TDM4515, Blue Bird Coach Lines bought several from TNJ (Transport of New Jersey) and I rode one from Olean to Buffalo in the mid 1970s. Also, D&F Transit operated a similar, but longer TDM5108 on its Buffalo-Jamestown route with some regularity. This was a very versitile bus and could be used on short haul intercity as well as suburban runs as was the case with the fishbowl which succeeded it. Grand Island Transit had the earlier, but similar 4509 bus of this type and used it between Buffalo,Grand Island and Niagara Falls along with TDH models and Flxible Clippers.
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