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'DOWN TO THE DEPOT'

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

PostPosted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:13 am    Post subject: 'DOWN TO THE DEPOT' Reply with quote

Happened to be in 'downtown' Santa Monica today and stopped by the 'Big Blue Bus' depot to snap a couple of photos (the armed guard was reluctant to allow me passed the main gate so my zoom lens came in handy!).

While I was in the neighborhood I also caught a few street scenes.

As you can see, I have an affinity for Classics.

They're not professionally posed but I hope you'll enjoy them anyway.

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








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Cyberider




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

PostPosted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 9:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice photos, Mr. Linsky! You handle the camera well. I also favor the Classics as current-day in-service buses go. What runs do they use the big OTR buses in photo #4 for?

Dave
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nycbusfan




Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 258
Location: Brooklyn, NY

PostPosted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 11:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great shots Mr. L, I never knew that they had MCI's.
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
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Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 2:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you - thank you!

I was aware that Santa Monica had some 4500's but have never seen them in operation.

Taking a educated guess, I would say that they are probably used as expresses from Santa Monica to downtown L.A. via I 10.

Santa Monica also has a long history in charter services which is also what they might be used for.

I'll see if I can find out a little more about them.

They are as regal looking as their 'New York City Bus' counterparts!

I hope they never stop making them.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY
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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



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

PostPosted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 4:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's some further information on Santa Monica's OTR 4500's;

Motor Coach Industries (MCI) Bus
These luxury over-the-road motor coaches were purchased to accommodate the Big Blue Bus' Charter service. Some of the amenities in the 45' motor coaches include plush, high-back seating, arm and footrests, overhead storage, video monitors and restrooms. The Big Blue Bus has four of these buses. These buses were brought into service in February 2001.

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

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Cyberider




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

PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 12:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the info, Mr. Linsky. So SMMBL goes all the way to downtown LA these days? The closest they used to go was Pico and Rimpau. That would be convenient to have a one-seat ride to downtown LA on one of those streets served by SMMBL rather than SCRTD/LAMTA.
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HwyHaulier




Joined: 16 Dec 2007
Posts: 932
Location: Harford County, MD

PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 3:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cyberider wrote:
...So SMMBL goes all the way to downtown LA these days? The closest they used to go was Pico and Rimpau. That would be convenient to have a one-seat ride to downtown LA on one of those streets served by SMMBL rather than SCRTD/LAMTA...

Cyberider -

Are the destination signs telling us that? I've spotted the "7 LOS ANGELES/ PICO & RIMPAU" coaches. Which ones appear as signed for Downtown L.A.?
I'm rusty on my L.A. lay of the land, and 2,600 miles removed, anyway...

Nothing more fun than battling transit agencies! They are more cut throat at it than private operators ever were. We just had some flagrant examples
here in Maryland, where budget demands caused the PTB to institute some silly and ceremonial cuts in transit services. It is a long and tedious story,
and I'm not up to wasting the bandwidth here about it...

In addition, the dullards with the pencils can't seem to ever grasp the subleties of the Union bargaining agreements, the importance of past practice
operations, and so on. Gasp! Tell me they can't all be goofs!

....................Vern................
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
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Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 5:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cyberider wrote:
Thanks for the info, Mr. Linsky. So SMMBL goes all the way to downtown LA these days? The closest they used to go was Pico and Rimpau. That would be convenient to have a one-seat ride to downtown LA on one of those streets served by SMMBL rather than SCRTD/LAMTA.


Dave,

The answer is yes!

Line # 10 (Freeway Express) if that's what you want to call it, goes from downtown Santa Monica to Union Station in downtown L.A. via the I 10 (Santa Monica Freeway).

Mr. 'L'
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Hart Bus



Age: 73
Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 1150

PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 4:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

To my dear friend WCA:

I am enjoying your photos of the LA area buses as it brings back good memories about my aunt. I do have several questions and comments.:

1 - Unless the sun was playing tricks on your camera it seems the shade of blue on the MCI's is lighter than the other buses. If so, it takes away from the magnificence of the bus itself.

2 - I see that one of the buses has a Rapid decal on it. When did SMMBL join that program. When I was in downtown Santa Monica, as late as Aug. 06, I didn't see any buses in the 3rd Street area with any decals?

3 - Most important question........Where is this depot. Unless the depot at 6th and Colorado has been overhauled this isn't it. If any board members are asking "what the hell is the difference where the depot is?" my response is that the 6th St. is also where the customer service desk is. That's the only place (other than e-baym) where you can get the Big Blue Bus NABI model. I got mine there in 2003 for $7.

Stay warm everyone.

ECA
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Mr. Linsky
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Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ECA,

I've noticed that not all Santa Monica buses are the same shade of blue - I guess that they try different blends of paint to avoid fading as blue will often do in constant sunlight.

You have to understand that in Los Angeles the word 'RAPID' painted or placed by decal on a bus serves only to cover the original livery that it's placed over! (Rapid doesn't get anyone anywhere any faster than Local!).

The Big Blue Bus depot is hidden on 6th. Street between Broadway and the I 10 Freeway (actually 6th. ends at their gate).

You may not recognize the location because, as you can see in the pictures, someone is constructing a huge building just to the east of their property.

I had never been to their facility before and had a hard time finding it because I too was under the impression that it was on Colorado.

The nice lady driver of Classic # 4803 above showed me the way.

You're my good friend too!

WCA
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Cyberider




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

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

HwyHaulier wrote:

Cyberider -

Are the destination signs telling us that? I've spotted the "7 LOS ANGELES/ PICO & RIMPAU" coaches. Which ones appear as signed for Downtown L.A.?
I'm rusty on my L.A. lay of the land, and 2,600 miles removed, anyway...



....................Vern................


Vern:

Except for the express line mentioned by Mr. Linsky, "Los Angeles" on the SMMBL Pico bus means the traditional end of the line of the SMMBL Pico Blvd. line at Rimpau Blvd. in LA, which used to be the end of the LARy P-car line, about five miles west of downtown LA. Those continuing east or west on Pico would have to pay another fare to continue their journey. (Is it still that way or is there some kind of county-wide inter-agency transferring allowed now, Mr. Linsky?) Rimpau Blvd. used to be the furthest east into LA that the SMMBL went.

Dave
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Hart Bus



Age: 73
Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 1150

PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr. Linsky wrote:
ECA,

I've noticed that not all Santa Monica buses are the same shade of blue - I guess that they try different blends of paint to avoid fading as blue will often do in constant sunlight.


The Big Blue Bus depot is hidden on 6th. Street between Broadway and the I 10 Freeway (actually 6th. ends at their gate).

You may not recognize the location because, as you can see in the pictures, someone is constructing a huge building just to the east of their property.

I had never been to their facility before and had a hard time finding it because I too was under the impression that it was on Colorado.


WCA


You certainly had the time and desire to get into their yard. When I visited in Dec 2003, my wife and I were at my aunt's rehab center (Country Villas) aon Pico near Fairfax, where the next day I got my picture of SMMBL #5180.

My aunt had told us that since her MD wasn't coming why don't we go to Santa Monica, have dinner, go on the pier, etc. I was told to go south on Fairfax and then west on the #10 Freeway to exit 1. The directions to SMMBL's customer service office was to take the 10 to exit 2. Go to Colorado Ave and turn right to # 612. The offices are in a non-descript one-story, one-block long building. Parked at a meter and went in. Purchased two NABI low floors. As a no-charge throw-in I got a paper bus and a shopping bag. Returning to the car,, I didn't want to make a U-turn across Colorado, since its too big and too busy so I went around the block and found the yard. As it was already about 4:30 I took a few pictures through the chain-link fence and circled the block to head toward the pier.

One word of caution if you go to the customer service building. The SMMBL shares that building with a welfare office and some of the people hanging around there look a little unsavory
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