BusTalk

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629

All:

Recall the earliest A/C'd Old Looks, which featured a long duct running the length of the roof, with a boxy a/c unit over the rear windows.

The newer Old Looks with a/c dispensed with the roof duct, and now utilized a more modern a/c unit, of a lower profile, at the rear.

When was the use of the original set-up discontinued?

I can recall several "ORANGE & BLACK" coaches having the older duct setup, many, many years ago.

Appreciate any info.....

NYO

roymanning2000 · Age: 77 Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 198

As I recall, the air-conditioning set-up with the big, boxy thing on the roof and the long duct work utilized Thermo-King equipment. This type of installation was still being advertised in the early 70's, I think.

On the other hand, some operators used equipment from Thermo Equipment Corp. These did not have the roof mountings. I think this the type of installation on the buses of Orange & Black as well as a number ofother New Jersey operators. I think both types were being installed during the same time period.

Now I am not an expert on this (or anything else). So, I stand ready to be corrected.

Roy

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

Roy -

If my old memories are working, I think you have it right! In the older photos, apparently either PONTIAC installed OEM,
or it was after market add on. We have had some earlier discussion here about the quirks and pitfalls of applications to
transit coaches...

A related development in 1965, with IBT (Union) requirement line haul tractors of the freight lines) for air conditioning.
Suddenly, a lot of top of the tractor (truck) roofs, with added A/C box...

....................Vern...................

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Wed May 11, 2011 9:16 am Post subject:

Roy:

Thanks!

Appreciate the info!

I never recall seeing the more boxy setup on PS coaches; the ones I most remember were on the O&B; even there, the more modern, low-profile type of a/c unit prevailed.

In William A. Luke's "OLD LOOK BUSES", there is a beautiful photo of a 4512 (transit/rear doors), of "VIRGINIA TRANSIT" (Norfolk), sporting rooftop a/c equipment.

This bus was part of a 16 bus order.

A coach like this certainly would have really stood out in my area of Northern NJ, as the only Old Looks I remember with any sort of rooftop a/c hardware where the suburban models.

A number of photos in the aforementioned book show a number of a'c'd Old Looks, all quite handsome, indeed......

NYO