BusTalk

Mr. Linsky

Thanks to my friends Dave L. and Harry G. of GMOldLookBus, I have come across another piece of Green Line (NY) history.

Pictured below (upper) is fleet number 2604 - a 1953 White model 1150-D-7 and one of five (2600 to 2604) delivered to the Fifth Avenue Coach Company in that year - but we'll talk more about the Whites later.

Of even more interest to me personally in the photo was what was following the FACCO along Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside that day!

It was fleet number 812 - a 1939 Mack Model CM-3G and one of twenty-five (801 to 825) delivered to Green Bus Lines of Cornell Park, New York in that year.

While number 812 carries the familiar apple green and cream livery in the image (less the side wings - you'll have to take my word for that), its original dress, as seen on # 824 in the lower factory photo, was geared for service to the 1939/1940 World's Fair in Flushing.

Ten more of the 40 passenger CM's (851 to 860) joined the fleet in 1940 and served the company well into the late fifties before transfer to Jamaica Buses.

Getting back to Fifth Avenue's Whites;

The 39 foot long 49 passenger 1150-D-7 Whites powered by Cummins Diesel engines and were purchased new in 1953 primarily to service the #15 Jackson Heights line, and were sold seven years later to Memphis.

Green Line's Q60 and FACCO's #15 shared the same route from Manhattan over the Queensboro Bridge and along Queens Boulevard until Roosevelt Avenue where FACCO turned east and GBL continued straight to Jamaica.

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

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

Mr Linsky -

Many Thanks! And, especially for the sharp photo of White 1150-D-7, #2604!

IMHO, this was very much a "...what might have been..." unit. Capital Transit (Washington) was a good customer, and had a
large group of the White 1150 types. These were evidently very solid coaches, and put in years of service.

Very few operators ever had them. My own conjecture being that as good as the units were, they appeared at a bad time in
the marketplace, bus buying cycles; thus, little consideration or deliveries...

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

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

Although I am not 100 % certain it appears that the buses are at 46th / Bliss Street heading east.

The topography is fairly flat, eliminated 40th / Lowery or 33rd / Rawson as possibilities.

Can anyone confirm or contradict this ?

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:24 pm Post subject:

ECA,

I looked at that aspect of the photo very carefully and, if it weren't for the FACCO destination sign indicating a Northern Boulevard terminus, I would not have know whether it was inward or outward bound.

Obviously, a resident of the area at the time the photo was taken would have recognized the store front seen through the elevator structure and would have known immediately which was which.

While it may only be an optical illusion, it appears as though the buses are heading down a slight incline which would lead me to believe that they may be heading for Manhattan despite the signage.

But, I'll leave the final judgement to you as far as exact location because you're around there far more often then I am now!

Thanks for your input.

WCA

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:30 pm Post subject:

Free-transfer · Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 4:00 pm Post subject:

JP Auto Parts was on the corner of 39th place (between 39th and 40th streets) on the North (Manhattan Bound) side of Queens Boulevard. They were there until the early 90's...

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

Q65A · Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 4:28 pm Post subject:

Nice historical photo, Mr. L.; thanks!
Given just how many buses were purchased by NYC operators in the post WWII era, it's amazing that neither ACF nor White could land any significant orders in The Big Apple.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 12:26 am Post subject:

Bob,

It is amazing easpecially when you consider that both Triboro and Queens/Nassau had a good deal of experience with ACF's, and, from all accounts, they liked them!

In fact, Q/N went as far as to order post war models but, for whatever the reasons, finally caved in to GM in the beginning of the fifties.

There were hints that the post war ACF's were not what they were pre-war which might have been part of the reason for their demise.

I think though that the GM 'Juggernaut' is really what finished off ACF and White and Mack as well - nobody could beat them!

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

Q65A · Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:04 am Post subject:

Mr. L, your comments about the "GM Juggernaut" are right on the money.
Speaking of money, I would speculate that among the many reasons why GM coaches were so popular might also involve availability of attractive financing arrangements (which perhaps other competitors simply could not match).
If true, this factor likely would have been a particularly important advantage for the many private bus operators, like GBL, FACCO and Q/N.