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'READING BUS COMPANY'
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Rob




Joined: 02 Dec 2010
Posts: 70

PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 9:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What is that mystery bus coming onto Penn Street from the left in Reading, PA 1950. Fuzzy but doesn't look like the others, which all look like the typical Reading Bus Company units.


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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



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

PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 2:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rob,

Leave it to Mr. 'L' to come to the rescue (I don't know how I do it!).

The strange bus that you see stage left in the image is one of four 1947 38 passenger Twin Coach Model 41-S's numbered between 575 and 578 delivered to the company in that year.

These post war Twins along with sixteen 33 passenger Twin Model 34-S's
numbered 510 to 525 and six 37 passenger Twin Model 38-S's numbered 550 to 555 and purchased at the same time were bought for service on the company's longest routes only to be sold in the early 50's when passenger traffic began to wane.

Note that #525 mentioned above was flagged for Brandywine Transit Company - a subsidiary of Reading Street Railway.

Hope this answers your inquiry.

Many regards for the season,

Mr. 'L'
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Rob




Joined: 02 Dec 2010
Posts: 70

PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 10:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you......

Of course you knew the answer, that is why I posted it, I knew you would know.

I wish the pic was clearer, and in color. (right away I get greedy.)

Thanks again Mr. L.
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JimmiB



Age: 81
Joined: 19 Apr 2011
Posts: 516
Location: Lebanon, PA

PostPosted: Thu Nov 28, 2013 2:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was only about 5 or 6 years old at the time they were put into service but I can remember riding them. There was at least one that was a regular bus on the Ken-Grill line. I was born in Kenhorst and my grandparents lived there too. Anytime we took the bus into Reading I was hoping that it would be one of the "streamline" ones.

I'm curious about the first old look in that photo. It almost looks like the front was painted similar to the street cars. I never saw one painted like that.
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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



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

PostPosted: Thu Nov 28, 2013 2:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

JimmiB wrote:
I was only about 5 or 6 years old at the time they were put into service but I can remember riding them. There was at least one that was a regular bus on the Ken-Grill line. I was born in Kenhorst and my grandparents lived there too. Anytime we took the bus into Reading I was hoping that it would be one of the "streamline" ones.

I'm curious about the first old look in that photo. It almost looks like the front was painted similar to the street cars. I never saw one painted like that.



JimmiB,

They called it their 'Bow Tie' and it appeared briefly before the war and then on all GM's purchased in 1946 and 1947 and was worn for a few years.

I guess you could call it their 'formal' dress!

Regards,

Mr. 'L'
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JimmiB



Age: 81
Joined: 19 Apr 2011
Posts: 516
Location: Lebanon, PA

PostPosted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 12:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is a grainy video from 1952 showing the removal of trolley tracks in Reading. Some scenes are at the terminal and show several early buses. The color is really bad with the red stripes showing up as yellow, but an interesting video non the less.
Note that the workers have no hard hats or safety glasses!

http://vimeo.com/81912949
Courtesy of GoReadingBerks on Facebook.
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Rob




Joined: 02 Dec 2010
Posts: 70

PostPosted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 7:53 pm    Post subject: BARTA Budweiser Bus Reply with quote

Regarding the BARTA "Bud Bus" I got inside of it today at the Reading Railroad Museum in Hamburg. Stenciled above the route signs is the number 680 (have photo) Also, while I could for the life of me not get the camera to focus on it, I did copy the VIN info TDH-3714 775. The bus is getting rough, paint is so faded I didn't bother to take a photo of it... I took the photo that Jimmie B posted back awhile and also a front 3/4 through the fence while the paint was in good shape. So I have that going. I also got photos of RBCo/BARTA 678, 923, the Barta Tow truck which appears to have been given a good polish (parade/show ready) and a Metro Fishbowl bus 7325 with the destination sign as "Dorney Park." That group is stored inside a building.

Rob
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JimmiB



Age: 81
Joined: 19 Apr 2011
Posts: 516
Location: Lebanon, PA

PostPosted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 10:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good going there Rob. Now we know which bus got the Bud paint scheme.
678 and 680 were two of five TDH-3714's delivered 11/60.

Last time I was at Dorney Park was about 25 years ago, driving a 4905 with a group from Lebanon.
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Sun Mar 02, 2014 4:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Taken along Penn Street in downtown Reading sometime not long after the end of the war we see fleet # 601 - a 1945 32 passenger GM Coach modeled as a TD 3206 and one of eleven likenesses numbered between 600 and 610 operating for the Reading Street Railway Company of that Keystone State city (note that successor Reading Bus Company was incorporated in April of 1950 and that all equipment purchased previous to then carried the Street Railway flag).

The 3206's were among the last austerely trimmed coaches produced under wartime constraints before the mid 1946 introduction of the Thermo-Matic Old Look class that included generous use of aluminum, stainless steel and chromium fitting both inside and out.

Following closely behind # 601 is fleet # 844 - a 1940 35 passenger Yellow Coach modeled as a TD 3601 and one of five likenesses numbered 843 to 847 - # 844 holds the distinction of being among the very first of Yellow's 'streamlined' design (known to us as 'Old Looks') to be delivered as is evidenced by its pre angled vertical windshield.

Our focus is signed for the #11 Crosstown route between Lincoln Park to the southwest of the city and Boscov's East to its southeast limits.

Some trivia; records show that Reading received four used mid thirties Yellow Coaches from Staten Island Coach Company of New York in the latter part of the decade.

Staten Island was wholly owned by Associated Gas and Electric Company which had interests in a number of northeast traction facilities including Reading.

Photo courtesy of '4509bus' and is available at eBay as item # 371014325116.

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

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JimmiB



Age: 81
Joined: 19 Apr 2011
Posts: 516
Location: Lebanon, PA

PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 10:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The 844 is signed for "Penna. Station", the PRR station at Front and Penn Sts., under the Penn Street Bridge. The other direction it would be either 12th Street or Albright College. Two of the 3206's were still in service into the Reading Bus Co. Inc. period of the late 60's. I believe they were 601 and 603, both assigned to the Birdsboro line which I ran every Saturday for about a year.
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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



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

PostPosted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 6:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just to add to our Reading album;

Seen sometime after the mid 1950's along Penn Street and signed for the #14 Line between Pennside to the east of the city and West Lawn and Sinking Spring in the other direction is fleet # 736 - a 1946 38 passenger GM Coach Modeled as a TDH 4008 and one of twenty likenesses numbered 718 to 737 delivered to Reading Bus Company predecessor Reading Street Railway Company of that Keystone State city.

Penn Street, a bustling hub in downtown Reading, saw virtually all of the company's 14 lines either cross it north and south or traverse it east and west.

#736 carries then federally mandated upgraded directional signals

Photo courtesy of 'Vintage-Vault75' and is available at eBay as item # 181341322876.

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

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JimmiB



Age: 81
Joined: 19 Apr 2011
Posts: 516
Location: Lebanon, PA

PostPosted: Thu Mar 06, 2014 2:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That was known as the Penn-Perk line. Although there were several destinations at each end most of the time was spent on Penn Street and Penn Avenue and on Perkiomen Avenue. All three are route 422.
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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



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

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 3:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JimmiB,

Need a favor! what might you know about the Reading Transportation Company (RTC) and if it was connected in any way with Reading Bus Company?

Attached is a photo of RTC fleet # 3803 - a 1948 40 passenger GM Coach modeled as a TDM 4008 which, by its mechanical transmission and what I can see of the seating, was set up for suburban operation.

There is no mention whatever of RTC in the January 1969 issue of Motor Coach Age showcasing Reading Bus Company and its affiliations and, according to Ohio records, six of this model numbered 410 to 415 were purchased by RTC giving a Philadelphia location - I've looked at PTC records and see no listing for them either.

Do you recognize the lot that # 3803 is parked at?

Any info would be appreciated.

Photo courtesy of '4509bus' and is available at eBay as item # 351040146168.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



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

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr. Linsky wrote:
JimmiB,

Need a favor! what might you know about the Reading Transportation Company (RTC) and if it was connected in any way with Reading Bus Company?

Attached is a photo of RTC fleet # 3803 - a 1948 40 passenger GM Coach modeled as a TDM 4008 which, by its mechanical transmission and what I can see of the seating, was set up for suburban operation.

There is no mention whatever of RTC in the January 1969 issue of Motor Coach Age showcasing Reading Bus Company and its affiliations and, according to Ohio records, six of this model numbered 410 to 415 were purchased by RTC giving a Philadelphia location - I've looked at PTC records and see no listing for them either.

Do you recognize the lot that # 3803 is parked at?

Any info would be appreciated.

Photo courtesy of '4509bus' and is available at eBay as item # 351040146168.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'




J.B.,

This just in!

Apparently RTC went heavily into GM PD 4104's starting with fleet # 4101 and including # 4107 as seen below.

Maybe this will jar a few more memories.

My only other question here is; who was in charge of tire cleaning for the company?

Photo courtesy of '4509bus' and is available at eBay as item # 371038653603.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



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

PostPosted: Tue Apr 08, 2014 5:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seen sometime in the early fifties somewhere along its #10 route between Reading and Mohnton, Pennsylvania about six miles to the south is fleet # 514 - a 1947 33 passenger Twin Coach modeled as a 34-S and one of fifteen likenesses numbered 510 to 524 operating for the Reading Bus Company of that Keystone State city.

These Twins, along with two groups of greater capacities purchased at the same time, saw service on some of the company's longer lines but were sold off during the early fifties do to declines in ridership.

# 514 wears, as part of its livery, a bow tie design under its windshield first developed before the war and carried through GM purchases in 1947 and 1948.

Photo courtesy of 'autolit.com' and is avaiable at eBay as item # 291117228115.

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

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