BusTalk Forum Index BusTalk
A Community Discussing Buses and Bus Operations Worldwide!
 
 BusTalk MainBusTalk Main FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups BusTalk GalleriesBusTalk Galleries   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

The evolution of #2500

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    BusTalk Forum Index -> New York City Buses
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
MaBSTOA 15



Age: 70
Joined: 27 Feb 2013
Posts: 1055

PostPosted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 1:15 pm    Post subject: The evolution of #2500 Reply with quote

Review the following photos of Yellow Coach/GM TD-5501/TD-5401 bus number 2500 and see how this bus evolved to the last image before its destruction in a garage fire in 1968 in Westchester.

a) In the snow outside the Pontiac, Michigan factory

b) On route 15 at Madison Square heading north on Fifth Avenue towards Jackson Heights. Note the black out lights.

c) Demo tour.


CONTINUE ON THE NEXT REPLY:



2500 a.jpg
 Description:
 Filesize:  134.45 KB
 Viewed:  18145 Time(s)

2500 a.jpg



2500 b.jpg
 Description:
 Filesize:  92.62 KB
 Viewed:  18145 Time(s)

2500 b.jpg



2500 c.jpg
 Description:
 Filesize:  162.1 KB
 Viewed:  18145 Time(s)

2500 c.jpg


Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MaBSTOA 15



Age: 70
Joined: 27 Feb 2013
Posts: 1055

PostPosted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 1:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

d) Now lettered for Chicago Motor Coach for its demo tour in the windy city before heading to Pontiac for rebuilding.

e) Back home! Rebuilt one window shorter and on its home streets of Jackson Heights. Note the new paint scheme and sporting a GM emblem.

f) Serving as a demo for the New York City's Board of Transportation (in FACCo colors). They would order 400 TDH 5101s.


CONTINUE ON THE NEXT REPLY



2500 d.jpg
 Description:
 Filesize:  150.53 KB
 Viewed:  18142 Time(s)

2500 d.jpg



2500 e.jpg
 Description:
 Filesize:  111.73 KB
 Viewed:  18142 Time(s)

2500 e.jpg



2500 f.jpg
 Description:
 Filesize:  121.41 KB
 Viewed:  18142 Time(s)

2500 f.jpg




Last edited by MaBSTOA 15 on Thu Mar 23, 2017 1:19 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MaBSTOA 15



Age: 70
Joined: 27 Feb 2013
Posts: 1055

PostPosted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 1:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

g) In its last home, Westchester Street Transportation. Here is the biggest evolution: new paint job; split window sash; wide chrome bumpers; recessed headlights and directional signals; ad racks

h) WST on route F. Note the driver's vent sealed shut.

Now the question is:...

Where the final changes performed by Fifth Avenue Coach before the bus was transferred to Westchester or where they done at Westchester??



2500 g.jpg
 Description:
 Filesize:  81.6 KB
 Viewed:  18135 Time(s)

2500 g.jpg



2500 h.jpg
 Description:
 Filesize:  117.4 KB
 Viewed:  18135 Time(s)

2500 h.jpg


Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
frankie



Age: 77
Joined: 01 Feb 2011
Posts: 745
Location: St. Peters, Mo.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 2:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

After being rebuild and shorten, 2500 became the only 40 foot GM old look without paired windows!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Q65A



Age: 66
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 1764
Location: Central NJ

PostPosted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 7:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great progressive chronicle of the life of a significant bus!
Heavy duty diesel buses of that era were incredibly robust and tended to live long lives.
Perhaps one could make a case that maneuverability problems with such a long bus ultimately paved the way for artics to take over high density routes.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
frankie



Age: 77
Joined: 01 Feb 2011
Posts: 745
Location: St. Peters, Mo.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 7:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's a shame that this bus wasn't saved. Anyone know about its disposition?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MaBSTOA 15



Age: 70
Joined: 27 Feb 2013
Posts: 1055

PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This bus was unfortunately destroyed in a garage fire in 1968 at the White Plains garage of Westchester Street Transportation.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
W.B. Fishbowl



Age: 57
Joined: 02 Oct 2014
Posts: 2368
Location: New York, New York, USA

PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 1:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote


For anyone wondering what the 22 route shown on the front left roll sign was - it was a very short-lived FACCo route (inaugurated Dec. 1, 1940) that traveled along Eighth and Fifth Avenues via Riverside Drive, the selling point being its traveling to Penn Station. The New York Times, in its Nov. 29, 1940 issue about the startup of this service, described it thus:
"The new service will be a variation of the route now operating from 168th Street and Broadway to Washington Square and will be known as Route No. 22. It will run from 168th Street and Broadway, via Riverside Drive, Seventy-second Street, Broadway and Columbus Circle to Eighth Avenue and along that thoroughfare to Pennsylvania Station. At Thirtieth Street the route will cross to Fifth Avenue and thence to Washington Square."
It was likely gone by the time World War II got started. Besides its being twice the fare as on affiliated entity Eighth Avenue Coach Corporation's 10 - Eighth Avenue and Central Park West line which also stopped there.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MaBSTOA 15



Age: 70
Joined: 27 Feb 2013
Posts: 1055

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2018 1:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is the final scheme applied to #2500 while in service for Westchester Street Transportation. In 1968 it was destroyed in a garage fire.

As I asked in the original thread, was the rebuilding with recessed headlights, wide chrome bumper and school bus like passenger windows (split sash), and a larger GM logo in the wings (but missing from the bus but you can see the four rivets that held it in place) done at WST or did it come like that from Fifth Avenue Coach??

This slide was recently sold on EBay and it is used here for educational purposes.



s-l1600 (59).jpg
 Description:
 Filesize:  186.98 KB
 Viewed:  16424 Time(s)

s-l1600 (59).jpg


Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
W.B. Fishbowl



Age: 57
Joined: 02 Oct 2014
Posts: 2368
Location: New York, New York, USA

PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2018 2:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anyone sure further mods weren't done by GM between the 1962 strike that ended FACL's (and Surface Transit's) operations of Manhattan and Bronx bus routes, and 2500's being spirited away to Westchester for its last six years? But then, I do remember FACCo used to build their own buses before Omnibus got its mitts onto the company.

Are there any 1956-62 pics of 2500 after the flagging on the sides was changed to 'FIFTH AVENUE COACH LINES INC.'? That might also be a clue when those split window sashes first turned up.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    BusTalk Forum Index -> New York City Buses All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You can attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group