BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The one lone streetcar seen here appears quite lost in this sea of modern PSNJ All Service Vehicles (dual-powered trolley buses)

Note also that the old traffic tower is still in use.

One of the earliest PS ASV lines was the #49 UNION; the new dual-powered coaches replaced streetcars here in September of 1935......

"NYO"

http://www.trolleystop.com/images/psnj-trackless.jpg

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's an excellent collection of PSNJ ASV photos; interesting to note that, as well as the modern coaches (introduced in 1935), some older front-engined YELLOWS were also converted into ASV's.

All of the new coaches were built by YELLOW, with the exception of the first (#3100, re-numbered #9000)

#3100 was built by MACK........

http://www.trolleybuses.net/psct/psct.htm

(courtesy: trolleybuses.net)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Though we've discussed this unique bus elsewhere here in the past, I felt at least a brief mention should be made of D900, a TDH-4509 (built in 1950) that might have been the first of a fleet of a new generation of PSNJ dual-powered ASV's.

Though ASV operation had been abandoned only a few years earlier, there was talk of paving over the City Subway and using ASV's instead of the streetcars then in use.

Had this come to pass, the old subway-surface connecting lines could have been retained, with the new coaches utilizing overhead within the subway itself, and then operating as a straight diesel once on the street (recall, the original ASV's were gas electrics)

As all ASV overhead had been long since removed by this late date, new wire was erected in the vicinity of the Bell St. (Montclair) car barn, which served streetcars until March of 1952.

Though the tests were a success, no revenue trips were ever made under wire.

For a number of reasons, It was decided that a number of ex-TCRT PCC cars would be purchased to replaced the old deck and Compromise-roof City Subway streetcars, and simply focus bus operations on modern diesel coaches.

D900 had her electric gear removed, and operated as a diesel for the rest of her service life.

This photo shows D900 bieng tested adjacent to the Bell St. car barn in Montclair.....

http://oldnewark.com/images/transportation/bus/psbuselectric.jpg

(courtesy oldnewark.com)