BusTalk

[Mr. Linsky]

If the bus in the image below looks a little peculiar to you, that's because it is!

# 8499 is a crossover or hybrid Flxible/Twin Coach built in 1959 by the Flxible Corporation in Loudonville, Ohio under license by Twin Coach and carries Twin Coach's old look model FT2P-40 body with a Flxible New Look front clip and was designated as a Model F2DD-40.

The 'F2' was the beginning of all early Flxible New Look designations introduced in 1960 and, for Flxible, carried the first transversely mounted Detroit Diesel engine with a GM's patented angle drive behind the rear axle.

The coach, operating for the Chicago Transit Authority, may have originally been a demonstrator because it is listed separately on the company's all time roster.

Note that # 8499 still carries the Twin Coach name along with Flxible's on the under windshield badge and would be the last time it would ever appear.

Photo courtesy of '90mac' and has already been sold on eBay.

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

[traildriver]

Nice photo! Thanks, Mr. 'L'....
I really like the appearance of that coach....it projects a kind of rugged, no-nonsense look.
One bit of trivia that I find interesting, is the number selected by the CTA....'8499'.
At least two other transportation companies that I am aware of favored the last two digits ending in '99' for experimental, one-off, piece's of equipment...Greyhound Lines, such as MC-6X prototype 4599 in 1967, and the Pennsylvania RR, such as prototype GG-1 electric locomotive 4899 in 1934.

[JimmiB]

That really is a nice looking bus. I like the clean lines.

[ripta42]

[buslist]

Okay, here's the lowdown on the 8499. The bus was built as an idea bus. It had several unique features which I will point out. However, when it was built it did have the standard old look Flxible front end. Photos of the bus with the older front do exist. The old front still carrying the 8499 number sat around for years.

The bus was the last of a 100 vehicle order consisting of 99 35 foot standard old looks and this final vehicle. It was unique in being diesel with the engine located in the rear rather than the usual underfloor location. This was only the second diesel ordered by the CTA aside from the 100 bus order of 4507s (6531-6630) that was an add-on to a previous CSL order (reduced from 160 vehicles). The previous diesel order was the 8149 which came equipped with an underfloor diesel engine, a Leyland if I remember correctly.

Besides being a diesel powered bus the 8499 was unique in having fluorescent lighting (the first CTA ordered bus to be so equipped, CMC's second order of 5103s had fluorescents) and had unique interior colors on the seats, wall panels and floor. The bus was rather quickly converted to propane and operated in the pool with its other 40 foot brothers. For a brief while it was assigned to route 79A, which happened to operate past my high school. So I did have the treat of seeing it several times each day. Somewhere I have a number of interior photos when it was relatively new illustrating the unique characteristics.

The 8499 was far from the last bus to carry the Twin Coach name. The name continued on several orders of New Looks including those for CTA
http://m.flickr.com/photos/mbernero/6817010683/lightbox/
LA
http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/metrolibraryarchive/3192012053/
Cleveland
http://m.flickr.com/photos/mbernero/6902592598/lightbox/
Denver (no picture available)
And probably the 2 demonstrators that ended up with Memphis and Terminal Island.
The fact that the Twin Coach name was used for 10 years after the acquisition of the Twin design may be significant.

The 8499 still exists, owned by the CTA. I'm unsure what sort of engine it currently has as the infrastructure to support a propane powered bus no longer exists.

On another point the early Flxible New Looks were not equipped with angle transmissions as GM would not make them available at OEM prices, thus making another manufacture's bus more expensive if so equipped. This was an important issue in the days of public ownership and low bid procurement. It wasn't until the mid 60's that these transmissions became available to GM competitors as the result of an antitrust suit.

BTW the 8499 was not the only old look/new look hybrid produced. There was a 35' bus produced that is often cited as the first Flx new look. It was unique in having the "pull up" sash that characterized the the CTA 8500s. However if you look closely the bus has an old look rear end, so not a pure new look. Few photos of this bus exist so I assume that it was the 35'er that went to Argentina.

[Mr. Linsky]

Snapped at one of its company facilities in 1976, we see fleet# BA 182 - a 1948 GM Coach Model TDH 5502 operating as a maintenance unit for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) of Chicago, Illinois.

The TDH 5502's, of which 100 plus one prototype were built exclusively for the then Chicago based Omnibus Corporation's Chicago Motor Coach Company division, held the record as being the longest production buses ever manufactured by GM at 43 feet with a rear overhang of nearly eleven feet.

The model was also first off the line with 'paired windows', GM's revolutionary 'Hydraulic V' transmission and rare double stream front doors.

# BA 182, which was originally numbered somewhere between 500 and 600, sits among 100 lb. bags of Sifto rock salt and probably awaits its next assignment as a snow and ice fighter.

Shown in the lower photo is sibling #516 while still in regular transit service for Chicago Motor Coach and carrying a trademark livery of the Omnibus Corporation.

Upper photo courtesy of 'Vintage-Vault75' and is available on eBay as item 181167946176.
Lower photo thanks to member 'buslist'

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

[buslist]