BusTalk

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 12:26 am Post subject:

JimmiB,

Hope this note finds you high and dry!

Who was it that said "seek and ye shall find"?

Just happened to thumb through Luke's Old Look Buses and found, at the bottom of page 28, a photo of Beaver Valley Motor Coach # 607 - a 1945 GM TD 4007 which was a sister to # 608 above and which did come from New Jersey Interstate Transport (Public Service) apparently at the same time.

So, the mystery is solved and it seems as though I was right for a change!

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

JimmiB · Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 12:43 am Post subject:

Proud of you Mr. L. Great research job.
Thanks for asking, but in my general area all we got from Irene was some wind and steady rain for a few hours.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 1:28 am Post subject:

Thanks to my good friend and collector of vintage bus memorabilia Bruce K. of eBay, I have discovered another of a group of Green Bus Lines (NY) buses that went to Reading Bus Company of Reading, Pa. in the late sixties.

Pictured is fleet # 806 - a 1949 GM Coach Model TDH 4507 and one of ten numbered 800 to 809 purchased used from Green by the company in 1968.

# 806 (ex Green Line # 307) is seen in downtown Reading all gussied up in its brand new paint job and, with its siblings, readying to fulfill a large school contract negotiated by the company's new management.

Also seen below (lower frame) is # 806 when it was newer and in its original role as Green Line # 307 working the Q35 line between Brooklyn and Rockaway.

Lower image owned by yours truly.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York

JimmiB · Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:44 am Post subject:

You're quite correct. You can see the chain and hook just under the right side of the roll sign window. That was used to secure the "School Bus" sign. That was a good running coach!

JimmiB · Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:56 am Post subject:

I just enlarged that photo to see if I could determine who was driving. I couldn't tell but I know it wasn't me since the driver had sun glasses on, which I never did. That's on the 10th St./Schuylkill Ave. line. This was our busiest line, requiring 3 minute headway during rush hours. Standing loads almost every trip.
By the time of this photo, ridership had started to dwindle and the headway was reduced to 10 minutes during rush hour and 17 minutes the rest of the time.

Another thing I just realized. Those buildings were on the south side of Penn St., which means the bus is westbound and has the wrong sign up. Should read Schuylkill Ave. in that direction.
Proof that I'm not driving it. Rolling Eyes

Which reminds me of a story. Funny how when you reach your late 60's everything reminds you of a story? Anyhow, we had a regular passenger who rode all the buses who was blind. All the drivers used to help him onto the bus and get seated. They'd inform him when his stop was next and help him off the bus and get him aimed in the right direction. On day when I was on the Albright College/2nd and Penn run, I pulled into 2nd and Penn for my layover. My blind gentleman was in the bus stop and came over to the door. He asked me what bus this was. I told him it was the Albright College bus. He very irritatedly informed me that I still had 2nd and Penn on the roll sign! Needless to say, it's the last time I helped him cross a street.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 2:01 am Post subject:

This one is special for JimmiB

No! you're not looking at two copies of the same picture below - what you are looking at are fleet #'s 803 and 818 - both GM Coach Model TDH 4507's and both operating for the Reading Bus Company of Reading, Pennsylvania in photos taken sometime in the late sixties.

Oh, they also both have their origins from the Queens, New York properties of Green Bus Lines (#803 - ex # 304) and commonly owned Triboro Coach Corporation (#818 - ex # 1116) and both of which were 1949 issue.

All together, twenty-five 4507's came from Green/Triboro to Reading in 1968 and were generally assigned to service a newly signed school contract.

Photos courtesy of eBay.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York

JimmiB · Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:43 pm Post subject:

They are headed East at 8t and Penn Sts. and both have the correct sign displayed. A few years earlier I drove a dry cleaningtruck for a company in Stony Creek and rode that line to work every day. The regular driver on that run told me one day that if I wanted to make money driving, Reading Bus was getting ready to hire a few drivers. That's how I got into driving buses.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 1:58 pm Post subject:

Seen at layover somewhere in the more industrialized section of Reading, Pennsylvania no earlier than 1973 is fleet number 700 - a 1944 GM Coach Model TG 4007 and one of three numbered from 700 to 702 originally purchased by the Reading Bus Company but now carrying the flag of 'BARTA' (Berks Area Reading Transportation Authority).

This amazing bus, still operating after thirty years, and its siblings came originally equipped with gasoline engines but were converted to Diesel shortly after the war.

Standing behind # 700 is a 1946 version of the same model designated a TDH 4008 and carrying a fleet number somewhere between 718 and 737.

About BARTA;

The City of Reading and the County of Berks purchased the failing Reading Bus Company in 1973. This led to the creation of the Berks Area Reading Transportation Authority (BARTA) which began operation on October 8, 1973. In January, 2010, BARTA became a County Authority and the name was changed to the Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority.

Another great photo for our Reading album.

Image courtesy of eBay.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 4:17 pm Post subject:

Attached is an interesting image of the interior of a GM Old Look taken by bus photographer Dave Wilson at the Reading Bus Company's facility in Reading, Pa. sometime in the forties or fifties.

While it's difficult to identify the particular model or fleet number, I can say with certainty that it was not either ex Green Line (NY) or ex Triboro Coach (NY) - our fire extinguishers were in cabinets built into the dashboards with 'break glass' access and we had no glass divider behind the driver's seat although that would have been a good idea!

What turned my head on this one is the turnstile and the odd circular gadget at the dashboard that I believe issued transfers although I stand corrected on that point.

It's probably an optical illusion but it appears as though the driver had no way to get to his seat.

It also appears as though there is no room between the right front bench seat modesty panel and the forward leaf of the front door for passengers to board so it has to be camera trickery.

Thanks to BusRail63 for this great find.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York

Rob · Joined: 02 Dec 2010 Posts: 70

Just wanted to share my appreciation for the continued photos of the Reading Bus Company from Mr. L and general info from Jimmie B. I have become somewhat of a lurker here with not much info to offer, but feel the need to at least say Thanks!
Rob

JimmiB · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 12:32 am Post subject:

Since the bus pictured is painted red and yellow, the photo must have been taken in the late 60's. I'm not sure when they went to fare boxes, but my guess would be about 1968. At that time the old trolley meters and turnstiles were removed. Yes, those are old trolley meters. All they really did was count! Pull the lever toward the driver to count transfers and push the lever to the right to count extra fares. Seven cents to exit on rural runs. The turnstiles have a chain (not fastened on the photo) from the turnstile to the modesty panel. The turnstile was locked so that you could not exit from the front. When you passed the point where extra fares were to be collected, the driver pushed a lever on the turnstile to unlock it and passengers had to exit by the front doors. Handcapped and seniors were allowed to exit by the front door by unhooking the chain. The meters had a very loud bell that rang when you pulled the lever. At each end of the line the driver had to take the readings from the meter and the turnstile.
From the shine on the dashboard, I'd say she just came from the paint shop. Since it lacks the ThermoMatic unit over the driver's seat I'd say its probably one of the 4007's.

JimmiB · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 1:06 am Post subject:

A couple of other notes on the interior. Spring clips on the windshield on the right side for axillary destination signs, the tray on the driver's side of the dash for transfers and assorted junk. Also, mounted on the rail below the lever on the trolley meter is a bracket for your changer and a hook for your transfer punch. With the exception of the Green Line buses, all Reading buses had rear wheel sanders with sand bins located under the seats.
It's not an illusion Mr. L, it was a squeeze getting into the drivers seat.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 1:19 am Post subject:

JimmiB,

I wasn't entirely sure that there was no ThermoMatic because the cabinet might have been a hair above the top of the photo but you are probably right.

The rear wheel sanders are interesting and I know that some northern operators used them - I wonder if that might have been a factory option or were they home made?

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 1:36 am Post subject:

JimmiB · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 1:39 am Post subject:

The sanders appeared to be a retro-fit. The bins had that "home made" look to them. When it snowed, they also put "curb side" chains on the outside dual on the right side. I don't think I ever completed a trip without having a broken chain banging on the wheel well.
You're right. It was the Chocolate Factory bit. Really funny!