BusTalk

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 7:14 am Post subject: 36th ST./5th Ave. Depot, 1946

All:

Just came across these rare vintage views and wanted to share them here.

In these photos, we see prewar TWINS being serviced; one of the gizmos being used looks like something straight out of an old "Flash Gordon" serial......sure would make for an awesome museum piece today!

I'm sure one of the experts here can tell us more about what we are seeing in this views.

Enjoy.......

"NYO"

http://www.subchat.com/buschat/read.asp?Id=292113

(courtesy of SubChat)

ripta42 · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 8:36 am Post subject:

It's a dynamometer, then called an Otis Proving Stand after its inventor, Otis Presbrey. More from Mr. L.

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 8:45 am Post subject:

Hart Bus · Age: 74 Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Posts: 1150

As I posted on Bus-Chat I presume that the location is the Jackie Gleason Depot and not Manattan

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 1:35 pm Post subject:

Gentlemen,

I had posted the following article in December of last year;

Seen in 1946 at what is now the location of the City's Jackie Gleason Depot at 36th. Street and 5th. Avenue in Brooklyn is fleet # 1227 - a 1941 40 passenger Twin Coach Model 41-GE (gas/electric) and one of 190 numbered 1100 to 1289 delivered to the then City of New York Board of Transportation's Brooklyn Bus Division (an additional sixty numbered 1300 to 1359 arrived later in the same year but were Diesel/electrics).

These Twins were destined to replace much of the aged equipment of the then defunct Brooklyn Bus Corporation and served well through the war years and until 500 new GM 4510's arrived in 1948 at which time the short lived Twins were junked (shamefully, the city spent the money to replace all 190 gasoline engines with Hercules Diesels immediately after the war).

#1227 is seen being tested on what was then known as an 'Otis Proving Stand' (now referred to as a Dynamometer).

An ad for General Electric also seen below shows the very cheerful and bright livery that these Twins arrived in.

Two depot photos courtesy of The Museum of the City of New York and were taken by Samuel Gottscho of Wurts Brothers Photography.
Lower ad courtesy of '4509bus'.

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