BusTalk

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 11:40 pm Post subject: 'SOLDIERS DAY CHICAGO STYLE'

Thanks to Mel Bernero of the GMOldLookBus group we see below three rare photos taken at the Soldiers Field on Army Day in 1946.

Note that the Double Deckers (Yellow Model 720's) are owned by the Chicago Motor Coach Company division of the Omnibus Corporation which also owned Fifth Avenue Coach in New York.

These DD's, which were built between 1936 and 1938, were six inches shorter that their New York counterparts (model 735's) due to the many low slung over passes in the Chicago area.

Also note in the first image that the only single level bus may be a very late GM TD4506 shown with optional solid rear hatches.

The bottom photo is a close up of a typical Chicago 720 with thanks to the NYPL Digital Gallery.

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

timecruncher · Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 3:33 pm Post subject:

Wow. Those double-deckers could ferret away the riders! I'm suprised that more cities on this side of the pond didn't follow the UK in going this direction as streetcar routes were eliminated in favor of lower-cost buses. Perhaps it was that the NCL interests didn't really want to continue to serve the ridership adequately, and there wasn't enough demand for the big buses.

Well, that and all of the low underpasses in so many American cities...

Thanks for sharing.

timecruncher

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 12:34 am Post subject:

Interestingly, Fifth Avenue Coach had more than a few of the Yellow 720 Models for use on the number 15 Jackson Heights, Queens runs due to the low slung beams of the Roosevelt Avenue elevated line.

The pictures above are rare in that I have never seen so many 720's in one image.

BTW; for those of you who may not know, these 72 passenger double decked buses were dubbed 'Queen Marys' because of their very stately appearance.

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

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