BusTalk

JimmiB · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:38 am Post subject: New member from Pennsylvania.

Hi all. Stumbled onto this site while doing some research and just had to join.
I live in Lebanon, PA and am formerly from Reading. I drove for the former Reading Bus Co. from 1965 through 1971. During this time the company was sold to Reading Bus Co., Inc. for a short time prior to the formation of BARTA. My next bus driving job was with Lebanon Bus /Lebanon Coach cos. That company supplied the drivers for the County of Lebanon Transit Authority. From 1981 to about 1987 I drove city bus full time and charter bus for Lebanon Coach part time. When Lebanon Bus lost the contract with COLT, I drove charter full time until the death of the president of Lebanon Bus and Coach. At that time I was named General Manager, a position I held until the directors sold the rights and equipment and closed down. I then went back to driving for COLT up to 1998.
I am presently semi retired, working part time as a taxi dispatcher for Lebanon Yellow Cab.
I am the moderator on the model railroad forum, N Scale Limited/forum. One of my recent projects was doing the research for an N scale "New Look" model just released by Made2scale models of Canada.
Glad to become a member here. I wasn't planning to give my life history on this post, but sometimes I get carried away. Razz

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 1:47 am Post subject:

JimmiB,

Welcome to BusTalk and we certainly look forward to your input and contributions.

Just to make you feel more at home I have attached a photo of one of ten 1949 GM TDH 4507's that we (Green Bus Lines NY) sold to Reading in 1966 which became their first 45 passenger coaches and were principally used in school assignments.

Our numbers were 301 to 310 and Reading went with 800 to 809.

Enjoy.

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

RailBus63 · Moderator Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 1063

Welcome aboard!

Jim D.

JimmiB · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 9:57 pm Post subject:

That photo has already made it worthwhile joining here. I drove that bus and her sisters. I still find it hard to believe that all the painting was by brush, inside and out. The reason for the circus paint scheme was that one of the board members of the parent company (before Tom Cahalen and friends) was passing through Reading on a foggy morning and almost rear ended a bus. That ended the gray and silver paint jobs.
Thanks for the warm welcome Mr. Linsky
And a thank you to Jim D also.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:17 am Post subject:

J. B.,

Do you have any idea of what you just said? after a half century I have finally met a gentleman who actually drove the same buses that I did albeit a few years later than I did - this is amazing!

Green's 10 4507's were not the only ones we supplied - 15 1948's from our subsidiary Triboro Coach renumbered 810 to 825 went along as well as one Green Line TDH 4509 (our # 341).

I don't think this was a brokered deal because there was some relationship between the two companies from what we always heard.

Below is our # 306 before you got it and our # 310 once you finished with it.

Enjoy.

Mr. 'L'

JimmiB · Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 1:40 am Post subject:

First thing Mr. Linsky, Happy Birthday. Actually you're only 5 years older than me.
I believe that the buses that we numbered 810-825 were 53 passenger. I know the first time I drove one, I looked in the mirror and all I saw was a never ending row of windows.
The connection on that sale was our new maintenance supervisor (in name only) had a relative that owned a scrap yard and used truck and bus sales business near Pittsburgh and they were also related to one of the honchos at Green Lines. They were sold for scrap to Pittsburgh, and in turn sold to Reading as used buses. After rebuilding by Reading, they were re-registered as remanufactured as assigned new VIN numbers. This way they could be depreciated as if they were new. Neat trick!

JimmiB · Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 1:59 am Post subject:

One more thing Mr. L,
The 800 series was used for school runs, but they were also assigned to regular route service. All of our buses at that time were being used in school service. The Reading School District only owned one school bus (an old Brill) that was used for field trips. They contracted with us for all the rest.
You'll notice on your photo of the 800 and the rusting 809 that there are brackets welded on at the four corners of the roll sign window. They held metal "School Bus" signs. Try getting traffic to stop for them when picking up students. We used to pull the bus almost sideways across the traffic lanes to get traffic stopped!

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 2:37 am Post subject:

J.B.,

Thanks for the Birthday greeting - did you have to remind me? (only kidding).

The 810 to 825 that you speak of as being 53 passenger were obviously later models because pictured below carrying fleet # 822 is an ex Triboro Coach TDH 4507.

Interesting how the sales went - that's the bus biz!

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

JimmiB · Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 1:51 pm Post subject:

Mr. L.,
I'm probably just wrong about the seating. The 800 series were the last buses purchased by Reading Bus. I noticed in the photo of 822 that there are no school bus sign brackets, so these were put into service after the school district bought their own. Since a lot of my time there was spent on the extra board, I had probably driven everything the owned, so any photos during this era are buses that I had driven. I got laid off in the period that the company cut back on service prior to BARTA taking over. The old looks were used for a short period of time by BARTA, then replaced by a fleet of fishbowls. The photos you have posted certainly bring back a lot of memories.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 12:42 am Post subject:

J.B.,

The Triboro buses came to Reading already updated with the later plastic under windshield GM logos, more modern directional signals and heavy 'paired window' front bumpers.

I believe the elimination of the driver's side front floor vent under the windshield (as seen on 822) was done by Reading.

Attached is a photo of a just arrived group of Triboro 4507's and one Green 4509 and all being readied for Reading's paint shop.

Enjoy,

Mr. 'L'

JimmiB · Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 1:08 am Post subject:

What a great photo! The 2 buses on the right were the 700 series. One in the red and yellow, and the other in the original gray and silver. These were pre-air ride. Really rough ride! The building in the background was Tenaco Chemicals. That's where I got a job when I got laid off. Lasted 2 whole weeks in a factory job. Left there to drive cab for a short time till I was accepted by the Reading Police force.

barta14 · Age: 33 Joined: 27 Mar 2011 Posts: 10 Location: Reading, PA

Welcome Jimmi!

I live in western Berks Co. in the Womelsdorf area myself. Small world! I'm a spring chicken compared to many on here (in my early 20s) but do take the BARTA bus to college and back. I've always wondered about the historical routes - for example, the Womelsdorf service I rely on seems to be a relatively recent addition, and it's just been expanded, making my life a little less at the mercy of the schedule.

It's always interesting to hear the little stories from everyone on here. For me it's the little details that make this hobby, or whatever you want to call it, so interesting.

All the best!

-J

JimmiB · Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 12:06 am Post subject:

barta14,
You don't live too far from me then. Just about 15 miles. In fact as a dispatcher for Yellow Cab in Lebanon, I send cabs there all the time. It's part of our operating area.
Sinking Spring used to be the end of the line for BARTA buses. There was a time when Capital Trailways "owned" most of Rt. 422 between Reading and Harrisburg. When I drove bus in Lebanon, COLT had restrictions on using 422 outside of the city. The Newmanstown and Palmyra runs had to use back roads to avoid 422.
I believe that it was only in late 80's that BARTA started operating into Womelsdorf.

barta14 · Age: 33 Joined: 27 Mar 2011 Posts: 10 Location: Reading, PA

Rob · Joined: 02 Dec 2010 Posts: 70

So I was off playing my bugle in several shows with the Reading Buccaneer Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps and all these Berks County RBC and BARTA historians jump in on the act.

Jimmie B,
My girlfriend's grandfather (Rhoads) was a shopman of some sort at the Reading "Bus Barn." He loved his movie camera and managed to grab a few shots of some buses around town and some of the mechanics working on the old greys. One bus shows up at Reading Airport with a blue stripe instead of red. I tried to not show too much excitement, I didn't want her to throw me out for being wierd (but later she admited to "liking" the smell of old busses.... Hmmm) Unfortunately he passed on before I hooked up with her, so I cannot interogate him.
I also worked in City Hall as a county police dispatcher in the early 70's before going on "the job" in a township along 422. I think at the time I was shooting photos the bus route that way only made it to the cracker factory west of Wernersville. I bet we have some mutual aquaitences from Reading PD.

Thanks for that narrative on the yellow and red paint schemes. I forgot about them until I saw Mr. L's photos, which he blessed me with when I came on board here too, then it all came rushing back. Gives me incentive to strip another HO bus and paint it red and yellow.......soon.

Rob