BusTalk

[MaBSTOA 15]

This is a Cuban version of the GM TDH-4512 but with square windows.

This one sample was built in Cuba by a local bus builder, Merens (at one time they were the Cuban distributor for AeroCoach buses).

Constructed some time in 1959-60 when the order for the Leyland-Olympics series II was signed to show that buses could be made in Cuba instead of importing them (the painted signs on the windows say "Made in Cuba" and the sign on the body says "Why import foreign buses?")

It appears that parts were either salvaged or purchased from GM parts suppliers.

[Mr. Linsky]

So, you thought that the unusual multi piece angled windshields of both the GM and Flxible 'New Look' buses were something unique at the time,

Well, not so by a long shot, as seen attached in the form of a circa mid twenties Mack Model 'AB' carrying a 'club car' body by either Thompson or Lang and operating for Oregon Motor Stages, Inc. of Portland.

While the focus windshield is four piece instead of the six we are used to seeing, it certainly foresaw the future early on!

Oregon Motor Stages, one of the earliest west coast suburban operators, served both sides of the Willamette River adjacent to Portland and did so until September of 1954 when it ceased operations following a driver's strike and financial setbacks.

Photo courtesy of the Motor Bus Society.

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

[buslist]

[Mr. Linsky]

Seen in 1957 along Diversey Avenue in suburban Chicago and converted for operation as an electrical project field office for the City of Chicago Bureau of Electricity is the remnant of a forty passenger Fageol Twin Coach Model '40' and which was one of ten likenesses numbered from 1101 to 1110 purchased in increments between 1927 and 1930 by Chicago Surface Lines, Inc.

The imitated but never duplicated Twin Model '40', a revolution in design and the basis for all street transit types since, received rave notices from operators and racked up nearly 1,200 sales between 1927 and 1934.

These 40's were funny looking buses because the fronts and rears were identical right down to sun visors and, from a distance, it was difficult to tell which way they were going but I can assure you that even with its headlights removed the specimen in the image still shows its front end.

Chicago Surface Lines, once the Windy City's reigning traction company, came under the control of the newly formed Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in 1947 and it is most likely that our focus was snapped up by the Electricity Bureau at that time and might even still be in service today.

Photo courtesy of 'tccbeat' and is available at eBay as item # 191076453840.

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

[Mr. Linsky]

Awaiting its charges at the depot of the top rated Lookout Mountain Incline Railway tourist attraction in Chattanooga, Tennessee is fleet # 887 - a customized 1942 41 passenger Twin Coach modeled as a 41-G dubbed 'The TennesSEEr' and operating for the Southern Coach Lines of Nashville.

Note that # 887's entire roof and passenger windows have been replaced by an open air seating for optimal viewing of scenery while still being protected from inclement conditions by an overhead canopy (although the lack of windshield wipers leads one to believe that # 887 only operated in nice weather).

Southern Coach Lines, now part of Nashville MTA, had its beginnings in 1926 when motor buses were first introduced in Nashville to supplement the existing street railway service.

The Tennessee Electric Power Company took over controlling interest of the public transportation system in 1930, and in 1940-41 phased out Nashville's streetcar lines at which time the name of the company was changed to Southern Coach Lines, Inc., and under still another reorganization, the name was changed to the Nashville Transit Company in 1953.

1973 saw all area public transportation come under the umbrella of the Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority.

Photo courtesy of 'autolit.com' and is available at eBay as item # 371037208054.

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

[roymanning2000]

This link takes you to a bus at the OMOT website.

http://www.omot.org/roster/1942.html

It has been preserved by that organization. It might be the same bus in the photo posed by Mr. L. The owner prior to OMOT was Summit Coaches, a charter operator in the Fort Wayne, IN area.

By the way, Tennessee Electric Power operated the streetcar and bus systems in both Nashville and Chattanooga. Both of them became known as Southern Coach Lines and both were subsequently acquired by the American Transportation Enterprises chain. I believe this bus was part of the Chattanooga fleet, instead of Nashville.

Another ATE property, Harrisburg Railways, had a bus cut down similar to this. That one was a White, I think.

Roy

[frankie]

I think this is the same bus.

This is a great example of a strange bus that becomes even stranger with time. No one really knows when major renovations took place, but one would venture a guess it had to be after 1968 by the looks of the third/fourth generation rear lights. Apparently the rear half of the bus was refitted with new look components. And note the front new look turn signals and the side turn signal at the 11 PM position of the front wheelwell!

It's nice to see that this bus was preserved - at least in 2004 according to the date of the OMOT article.

More info:

http://busexplorer.com/PHP/MidPage.php?id=1039

Frankie

[Mr. Linsky]

From our friends down under;

Seen at a rest stop and in transit to its Brisbane termination is fleet # 21 - a mid nineties 45 passenger Domino Tourmaster modeled as a DC-122 operating for the Deluxe Coachlines of Oakleigh South, Victoria (a suburb of Melbourne Australia).

What caught my eye as an oddity is the heavy duty protection of the front end under the windshield which I immediately assumed to be a kangaroo catcher but, in reality, is referred to as a 'Bull Bar' and is commonly seen on Australian over the road buses for the occasional run in with a wild one! (I wouldn't want to be around for that one!).

The Domino Tourmaster is a thoroughly modern coach with all amenities and gains its power by no less than a GM Detroit 8V-71 engine developing 280 hp.

Photo courtesy of 'tysghd59b' and is available at eBay as item # 310850890694.

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

[Mr. Linsky]

Perhaps one of the oddest of the oddities comes to us in the form of a small capacity bus utilizing a standard delivery van chassis and body from the makers of International Trucks of Chicago, Illinois.

The 'Metro Coach', as it was commonly referred to in the catalog, gained its power from a hefty little International Green Diamond 82 hp six cylinder gasoline engine tied to a three speed mechanical transmission.

The model, originally designed by the Metropolitan Body Company of Bridgeport, Conn., was rare with only less than 200 of the 102 inch wheel base hybrids in the style shown ever built.

Seen in the factory photo below as a part of one of the largest Metro Coach fleets in the country is a 1949 modeled as a KB3M operating for the venerable Atlantic City Jitney Service (also see history below).

BTW; these buses were also often lovingly referred to as L.T.O.'s meaning 'Laundry Truck Options'!

Photo thanks to Coachbuilt

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

[Mr. Linsky]

Seen at one of its company's many satellite service stations is fleet # 96 - a 1942 41 passenger Twin Coach modeled as a 40-R in possession of AC Transit District but originally ordered and operated by predecessor Key System Transit Company of Oakland, California.

# 96 has gravitated to becoming a Vault Bus for revenue collections at storage facilities that had no formal cashier's offices.

Such a concept was little known in the New York metropolitan area and at Green Line we had close-out windows at both the Rockaway and Jamaica garages as well as at the Eliot Avenue facility in Rego Park.

The lack of a license plate and the apparent street utility connection to #96 would lead one to believe that it is permanently situated as seen in the image.

Of note are the petitioned off passenger window areas and the bars across the driver's side window and the windshield.

Photo courtesy of '90mac' and is available at eBay as item # 380907579310.

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

[Mr. Linsky]

In a rare and devastating storm equal to if not worse than a typical tornado strike in the middle of Kansas, we see the resulting ravages of just such an event in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts on June 9th. of 1953.

Don't forget that the date was 'BC' (Before Cellphones) when telephone companies sprang into action to provide emergency services to crippled communities using 'TeleBuses' that were custom built right down to bell shaped radiator grilles such as we see in the focus below.

I haven't the foggiest notion as to who the body or chassis builders were in this instance nor can I explain what method was used as a communication path (the heavy cable seen running up the side of the body might have been from an underground feed or the antenna with the flag on the roof could have been a radio link) I'll leave it up to the experts to figure it out.

The rig was operated by the then New England Bell Telephone Company - one of a number of predecessors of NYNEX.

Image from New England Telephone photo archives and is brought to us by eBay's 'bluejettoy' as item # 400715680820.

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

[Mr. Linsky]

Seen in August of 1983 somewhere in Richmond Virginia is a post war but pre Flxible era Fageol Twin Coach modeled as a 41-S and configured as a 'Prison on Wheels' for an unknown authority.

The bus seems to be well fortified even down to bars protecting the destination sign which, in this case is electronic and showing 'Prison on Wheels' and probably a good deal more in the way of a crime prevention campaign along its belt.

Both the vendor of the image and this writer know little more about the focus but if you recognize it (and I don't mean to say that you've ever been forced to ride in it) please feel free to comment.

Photo courtesy of '4509bus' and is available at eBay as item # 371078199850.

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

[frankie]

[Mr. Linsky]

frankie,

Somehow or other I knew you'd come through on this one.

Thanks for the help and sharing.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

[frankie]

Your welcome Mr. L.

While we're on the topic, here's two more, but this time they're "Jail on Wheels" and again used as part of the mobile crime prevention program, based in Connecticut in the 1940's.

Top photo - Linn body on unknown chassis.

Bottom photo - Linn body with an International "R" series front clip.

Frankie

Photo credit on images for educational purposes.