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'A SPECIAL TDM 4515'

 
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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:53 am    Post subject: 'A SPECIAL TDM 4515' Reply with quote

Here's another strange one (at least for me!).

Seen below is a 1959 GM Model TDM 4515 carrying fleet number 305 and operating in charter service for Manette Autobus out of Delson, Quebec - a suburb about eight miles SSE of Montreal.

What makes this particular 'Old Look' so interesting is the very unusual windshield and the location of the windshield wipers - a throw back to the vertical screens of the 30's!.

While there is no reference to this front end treatment in the books, I would suspect that it was built to order, and I would further suspect that it was done so to prevent the accumulation of ice and snow in high speed over the road travel in Canada.

GM marked the 4515's as transits but they were actually true suburbans with high back seats and underfloor luggage compartments in addition to being the first of their type equipped with Air Suspension.

Several hundred of these coaches were built between 1953 and 1959.

Photo credit; within frame

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

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Cyberider




Joined: 27 Apr 2007
Posts: 501
Location: Tempe, AZ

PostPosted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's a strange one to me too, Mr. Linsky, never seen anything like it! Wonder why they didn't just mount the windshield without the inset escutcheons like the originals of 1940? Interesting, indeed.

Speaking of TDM's, I would love to see a photo of the one's owned by Sun Valley Bus Lines of Phoenix. I kick myself everytime I think about it for not taking photos of them. If you ever locate a photo, I will supply a story or two to go along with it!

Dave
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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 3:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dave,

Probably because the original flat windshield 'Old Look' stampings were no longer available.

What interests me is that they were able to find a space in the destination sign compartment (which was cramped to start with) for the wiper transmissions which were no small objects!

Unlike my piece on the New Look with the Classic rear clip that was well known already especially among my Canadian collaborators, this 4515 is something new to everyone.

I'll look for a Sun Valley 4515 or 5108 in my travels.

Regards.

Mr. 'L'
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roymanning2000



Age: 75
Joined: 01 Aug 2007
Posts: 198

PostPosted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would bet that this bus did not come from the factory that way.

The OMOT listing for the 4515 shows only one delivery of 4515's to a Canadian operator in 1959. That was a order of 36 for Provincial Transport in Quebec. Most likely, the Monette bus is one of those, acquired used.

I would suggest that this may be a rebuild either by Monette or a previous owner, perhaps as a result of a wreck.

Roy
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