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'FOUND - ONE JOHNSON MODEL D'

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

PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 1:02 am    Post subject: 'FOUND - ONE JOHNSON MODEL D' Reply with quote

Took time out in my sojourn to the Hudson Valley to do a bit of antiquing Sunday with one of the stops being in Coxsackie (don't say that one too fast!), New York (a small town along route 9W and not far from the Rip Van Winkle Bridge)

This is probably one of the best markets I've ever been to with at least one hundred dealers in what had to be a block long building with everything from Fiesta Ware to 300 year old door hinges!

But, of course, what caught my attention was an electrified Johnson Model 'D' Fare Box in fairly good condition (pictured below) and priced rather dearly at $350 (I paid $100 for mine which is in better shape).

This one is unusual in that it's difficult to date; Green Line's D's as well as my own have a rectangular builders plate whereas the pictured model displays an oval plate which I've never seen before.

I'll have to do a little more research on that aspect.

It's a slow time of year for antique dealers up north so I think you could haggle on the price for this box.

Enjoy.

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


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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 22167
Location: NEW JOISEY

PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr. "L":

I would KILL to have one of these relics in my archives!!! Shocked Shocked

These were the fareboxes that I grew up with back in the 60's, aboard the old HUDSON BOULEVARD coaches, as well as those of other local companies! Very Happy

The VERY last time I saw one of these in action was back in the mid-90's, (to about 1997), bieng used on ex-DC Flex New Look, operating on the old Hudson Boulevard route ( NJT's #88 ).

Oh, to once again hear that cheery jingle of the coins as they dropped into the top of the box, and then, to watch that wheel on the side spin, while your ears were treated to that wonderful, happy-sounding, timeless, ear-pleasing tune :

"CHUKACHUKACHUKAPPPPRRRTCHUKACHUKACHUKA!"

I saw on on eBay not long ago, and, to say it was WAAAYYY out of my reach, was indeed an understatement. Sad

However, quite awhile back, when the New Jersey Transit Gift Shop was still in business, I ordered (online) one of the old NCR ticket registers.

So many fond memories of PSNJ, DE CAMP, and ORANGE & BLACK came flooding back when I opened the packing box...........WEIGHED A TON!!

STILL had the original paper roll inside!

Hasn't worked in decades, but, who cares.......I'm just so very pleased to have such a wonderful old piece of transport history in my collection! Very Happy

Aaaaaaahhhh, maybe one day, I'll get a Model "D" for my collection..... Rolling Eyes

John


Last edited by NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 on Sun Jan 30, 2011 10:51 pm; edited 1 time in total
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Enjoy......... Very Happy

http://www.johnsonfarebox.com

http://www.johnsonfarebox.com/fare11ac.jpg
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 1:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

John,

Apropos to the discussion, here is an essay that I had first presented four years ago at BusTalk entitled ‘Ye Old Fare Boxes and Change Carriers’;

You youngsters may not remember but bus drivers in the days of yore actually made change and ‘hand cranked’ coins through their fare boxes along with coordinating transfers, shifting gears, opening and closing doors and, with all of this, managing to steer the bus in the right direction (usually!).

For decades Green Bus Lines (NY) used a model ‘D’ ‘Johnson’ manual fare box (*pictured below) which was affixed to a post at the dashboard in close proximity to the driver’s seat. These machines (which dated originally from 1909) were considered to be the ‘DC3’s’ of their ilk and were so rugged, well built and precise that they virtually never needed repair.

Passengers would drop coins at the top of the box which the operator could see zigzagging down a shoot to a set of trap doors. Once enough coins accumulated at the doors the driver would then push a lever to send them to a counting mechanism. In the case of manual operation the driver would hand crank the coins through the counter and scoop them out from a hopper at the bottom of the box (NYCTS used the same machine but modified to crank electrically).

For more information on the model ‘D’ accompanied by some very interesting pictures go to; www.johnsonfarebox.com and scroll to The Story of the Johnson Fare Box Company.

At sometime in the late fifties Green Line decided to go modern with the purchase of the all new ‘Grant Electro-farer’. The Electro-farer, which stood on its own special stanchion, resembled a pinball machine with a large viewing window and a maize that the coins had to travel down to be sorted into its ‘built in’ change carrier below (actually, it looked and sounded more like Robbie the Robot from the movie ‘Forbidden Planet’ – at least this writer thought so). Each denomination of coin would make a different tone of chime and the drivers became so accustomed to these sounds that they could focus more of their attention to driving as fares were being collected.

I mentioned the fact that the Electro-farer had its own ‘built in’ change carrier. This convenience signaled the end of the era in which drivers had to carry their own change makers.

The most common change carriers of the day were also manufactured by Johnson (see picture below) and usually had one tube each for quarters, nickels, dimes and pennies (they were considered to be a starter set and were just about the same as the Good Humor drivers used to carry).

But then there were the more sophisticated models manufactured by the McGill Company. The McGill machines (and that’s what they were) came in ‘modular’ form and could be custom constructed to meet any change vending need. You started with the two ends (each with a belt hook) and then added what tubes you required. There were drivers that had as many as eight sections.

The most unique feature of the McGill was the fact that you could adjust the delivery system up to five coins at a time (in other words, when the fare was thirteen cents and a passenger needed change for a nickel you could adjust the machine to flip out five pennies at once. These adjustable devices came in very handy as the fares began to increase from a nickel to seven cents, to a dime, to thirteen cents and so on.

Now I think you can see that years ago driving a bus wasn’t quite as easy as it looked!

*The Johnson Model 'D' Electric pictured below belongs to this writer and was chromium plated by the bus company in Phoenix, Arizona that presented it to a retired driver many years ago.

Mr. Linsky
"The Green Hornet"

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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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Joined: 18 Dec 2007
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr. "L":

Appreciate you reposting this fine bit of writing......clearly material MORE than worthy of publication in the one of the current nostalgia magazines! Very Happy

I totally agree.....the "younger generation" of transit buffs have no concept of what it was really like back in our day......Johnson fare boxes, NCR registers, standard shifts, drivers in full uniform, buzzer cords, emergency doors, roller signs.......OUCH!! Shocked

I'm REALLY showing my age, now!! Shocked

As you are our resident historical transit trivia "wise man", would you be able to tell me when PS switched over to NCR ticket machines, from fare boxes?

As a kid, the only PS vehicles I recall having fare boxes were the PCC streetcars that operated on the Newark City Subway.

Again, a wonderful piece of writing.....thank you for sharing! Very Happy

John
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