BusTalk

[Mr. Linsky]

This thread is filled with wonderful stories about and photographs of the numerous private bus lines that served New York City proudly through the years.

However, one important operator that left an idelible mark on most of us who can remember has been little mentioned and that would be Carey Transportation.

While Carey was not a transit service in the truest sense of the word, it played an important role in the rapid movement of travelers from Manhattan to the three major metropolitan airports, and as those airports grew into the 'Jet Age' so did the company with the purchase of nearly 100 GM PD4104's and 4106's between 1956 and 1965.

A brief but interesting history of Carey Transportation;

In 1921, New York businessman J.P. Carey acquired a limousine service with six Packard touring cars to serve wealthy travelers arriving at Grand Central Station. Carey, a barber, had emigrated to New York in the early 1900s and opened a tonsorial parlor at the station which eventually seated 50 customers at a time. Over the years he expanded his operation to include a laundry, shoe store, and haberdashery, before opening the limo service.

During the depression of the 1930s, Carey added regularly scheduled service to the area's only airport, in Newark, New Jersey, first with touring cars and then with buses. When LaGuardia and then Idlewild (JFK) airports opened, Carey served them as well.

Carey sold the airport bus operation to Greyhound in the mid sixties but still maintains a limousine empire with franchises all over the world.

The following photos were taken by GMOldLookBus member Mel Bernero at JFK Airport in the sixties.

Note that number's 508 and 701 still appear in original Carey livery while number 723 seems to have taken on more of a Greyhound flavor!

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

[DHF60]

Thanks very much for the informative history of Carey Transportation. They seem to have been a well run company judging by the condition of their coaches. Unfortunately, their successor, New York Airport Service, runs a shoddy operation with less than stellar equipment. It amazes me how they have the exclusive franchise to provide express bus service to the NYC airports.