BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

(SEE PREVIOUS POSTS/LINKS)

Here's another interesting, detailed page, with some good reading and photos; according to the article, 75 R-211 "Rattlers" are now in "soivice" on the "Isle of Staten"............

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staten_Island_Railway

["RIDE THE RAPID"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

After the early 1990s fire that gutted the Whitehall Street terminal, I remember hearing that there were some plans to rebuild it to mimic the monumental Battery Maritime Building (Governors Island ferry terminal) next door; this would have brought the terminal back to its original 1900s appearance.

Obviously, all this just "talk".

Oddly, from photos I've seen, the slips at St. George still look just as I remember them; even the loading ramps are the ones I knew so well from my long-ago kid days....what memories!

The interior, well, I've seen the photos.....move along, folks, nuthin' to see here

Often winder why the MTA did not build a yard at St. George (where the Arlington line branched off, near the "Ball Park" station), near to where the old "Bee & Oh" freight yards were once located.

Back in the 60s, if Mom and I rode down to Tottenville on a weekend, the yard tracks there would be occupied by several "ME-1" sets, awaiting the Monday morning rush hour, heading back to the ferry connections at St. George,

On a weekday, however, the yard would be virtually deserted, with most trains laying over at St. George, posed for the PM rush.

Mom used to refer to Tottenville as "the end of nowhere"; this held especially true after the ferry to Perth Amboy was shut down, and after the old ferry house had burned (it was QUITE decrepit even when still in use, but, IMHO, therein lay its "rustic" charm!)

Again, from the photos I've seen Clifton is not at all adequate for the line.

And, indeed, it IS going to be QUITE inieresting to see how the new "Staten Island Rattlers" fare with all that impending snow.......

"NYO"

['Staten Island Railway"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Eyewitness News (ABC 7) at 4..........

Reporter NJ Burkett reported on the City's snowstorm preparations.

He had few quick glimpses of MTA "woikers" affixing chains to the tires of the "BINOs" (wonder how MTA's and NJT's "Slinkies" are going to fare?)

Another quick shot of a chain-equipped "BINO" pulling oit of what looked like an older garage.

Of course, the "El-Eye-Double-Are", the former "Aitch *Em", MN/NH will they be able to "keep on chuggin' along?

"NYO"

["MTA"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"The End of Nowhere"..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?57018

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?76001

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?45587

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?21961

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?109517

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["TO FERRY"]

["TO STREET"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Wonder now if "En-Jay-Tee" is going to sideline their "Slinkies" for the duration, and rely on their fleet of "rolling shoe boxes" (NABIS); of course, they have the MCIs for commuter work.

Wonder how "the tubes" will fare, west of Grove Street (Jersey City), where the tracks are on the surface, after exiting the tunnels?

Thinking now of the BMT's West End, Sea Beach, and Brighton Beach lines, with all of their exposed trackage.

When NJT was taking delivery of the VOLVO artics (late 1980s), and for a few years afterwards, when a heavy snow was in the offing, they would sideline the "Wurlitzers" and press into "soivice" the semi-retired "suboiban" Fishbowls, then still on the property.

Alas, those days of having reliable "back up" is long, long gone.

Not surprsised, though, that the veteran "Arnines" won't be coming out to play, this weekend..........

"NYO"

["RIVER ROAD EXPRESS"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"Snow days, long-ago days"............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155646

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155230

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154838

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?156329

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?156396

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"Just runnin' along.....it's business as usual"............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?24726

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["M"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

If this formidable equipment were still with us today, the battle against the fluffy white stuff would indeed be quite an easy task.......

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?45650

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?114180

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"What's a little slushy white stuff to 'RBs' ("REAL buses") like us........"

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?153670

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?156284

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?157239

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["FLXIBLE"]

['RTS"]

["GREYHOUND"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Here in "Joisey", back in my long-ago kid days, ALL the buses had chains, even though they were ALL tanks! (GMC, WHITE, MACK, ACF-BRILL))

Back then, when it snowed, and the NHBL buses stopped running, you KNEW it was a SERIOUS storm, for sure.

In later years, "Metro "B"/GRUMMANs, NJDOT "Dangerfields", and RTS all seemed to pretty much take the white stuff in stride.

And, of course, the older buses, "TWTs" ("Tanks Without Treads") were virtually unstoppable.........

"NYO"

{"SURE-IT'S A MACK!"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Any "woid" as to how the "Staten Island Rattlers" (R-211s) performed last night, encountering their first snowfall?

Wondering, also, if the MTA us taking the "Slinky Specials" off the sidelines......

"NYO

["SIR"]

["MTA"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]