BusTalk

[Hart Bus]

I remember seeing an ex-hound back in the day near Todt Hill Road and Victory Blvd. IIRC they were only used on express routes like the ex-hound in the picture.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Vanished New York (1981)

If only those soaring Twin Towers seen here across the East River still stood today; like the bus itself, those iconic Towers are now but a memory......even the once-familiar Bell System insignia has since vanished into history.......

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?267

(courtesy bus.nycsubway.irg)

[GBL Rebel]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[GBL Rebel]

And we must remember while the Grumman name took the hit for this debacle, Rohr Industries actually set up this model. When Rohr sold the line to Grumman the 870 was passed off as tested and production ready.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[Mr. Linsky]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Mr. "L":

The Twin Towers was where I was when the first plane hit that fateful Tuesday morning in 2001 (I was in the Borders book store at ground level, as I was most mornings before I had tgo report to work);thankfully, I am still here today to write these words.

Far too many innocent people perished on that horrific day.

Most days, for nearly 25 years (unless I was commuting via the vintage subway cars then in operation), I passed through the WTC twice a day, to and from the PATH tubes.

Back in the late 60's and early 70's, I watched the Towers slowly rise above the Hudson, like a massive Erector set, from my late brother's picture window in Union City.

Way back when, no one could have possibly seen what the future held for the Towers.......and for all Americans....., some 40-odd years later.

The first FLEXIES (Grummans/Metros) I ever rode on were those purchased by NJT; I well recall being snowbound aboard one between Hoboken and the end of the line (Route #21/#181) on a late Friday, during a nasty April blizzard in April, 1983.

It took me 6 1/2 hours to get home, via a bus trip that usually took 45 minutes, tops, on a normal day!

Though I wasn't a huge fan of them then (I still chose an ex-PSNJ/TNJ Fishbowl on the line when I could) I thought that they had sort of an interesting "Euro" look to them.

I will admit that it was a bit of a novelty to ride one for the first time!

As I wrote elsewhere here, it was much later in thier service lives that I really started to "warm up" to these now-classic buses......and yes, I DO miss them!

Where have all the years gone......

"NYO"

[ripta42]

Many of the Flxibles leased from WMATA had already been leased to SEPTA in 1979-80 to handle their shortage.

[ripta42]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

A new era in urban transit...... (undated view of new [albiet grimy] GRUMMAN at the Triboro garage)

The big "gas guzzlers" seen parked here serve to further date this now-nostalgic scene (the tiny VW Beetle is indeed outnumbered!)

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?2248

(courtesy of bus.nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

TRIBORO #124......

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?1394

(courtesy bus.nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

A wintry scene from 1982, with MABSTOA #PA132 front and center......

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?1260

(courtesy bus.nycsubway.org)

[Tiny Tim]