BusTalk

Hart Bus · Age: 74 Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Posts: 1150

My question, stupid as it may be, is why was the company called "Green Bus Lines"? Was it because the buses had primarily green in the livery when the company was organized, or was some big shot named Green?

Also Mr L - get a copy of Guy E. Martin's book NYC Transit Buses 1945-1975 Photo Archive for these two reasons

1 - Page 100 - GM TDH -4507 - Fleet # 305 at Queens Plaza, when the walkway to the south side of the plaza was enclosed.

2 - Page 104 - GM TDH 4507 - Fleet # 303 at Jamaica Bus Terminal operating on the Q-8.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:35 pm Post subject:

ECA,

I've often wondered why the company name was Green because in all the history I have read and the stories related to me by many of the original stockholders no mention of a Mr. Green has ever been made! (it is possible that one of the early independent operators used the name and it caught on and was adopted in 1925).

I have Guy Martin's book and the GBL pictures are very interesting - I'm only sorry though that he didn't include specimens of a 4506, an early (900) 4507, a 4512 and a 5106.

However, there is something that is of interest in the background behind # 305 on page 104 and that is a 4506 numbered in the 200's which was purchased for the Manhattan and Queens operation and is still dressed in its original livery (he does point it out but misses on its details).

WCA

Free-transfer · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 7:59 pm Post subject:

Speaking of looking in the background....

I found this after doing a search for something else. The photo is of the track work between Howard Beach and Broad Channel, taken around 1955, when the subway was taking over the LIRR route. If you look under the front of the crane...on 104th street near 163rd avenue is a Q-11 Hamilton Beach GBL Old Look bus.

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Mr. Linsky · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:50 pm Post subject:

FreeTransfer,

As that fellow on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In used to say (with a German accent of course) "very interesting!!"

It's a GBL - no question about that! - now I just have to figure out what series it was.

It's obviously a paired window job and it still carries the original apple green and cream livery except for the missing cream bib under the windshield - but they did that on a lot of the repaints so that doesn't mean too much.

It looks like a 4509 or 4512 but I'll have to magnify it in my Picture Manager to see if I can get a better look.

Any picture of a GBL is a good picture of a GBL!

Thanks so much for sharing.

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

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 3:13 pm Post subject:

Mr RT · Joined: 23 Apr 2007 Posts: 102

Gee, I heard that one of the founders was Mr Green Jeans ... you know the one who worked with Cpt. Kangoroo .... NOT Smile

Back on topic ... loads of Orion NGs arriving at LI Bus