BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Fellows:

At one time, it was unthinkable to have a transit bus without rear windows.

Rear windows, whether they were split windows, oval windows, paired, or square, were once taken for granted as "standard" on a transit bus.

In my area, the last new buses to have rear windows were the NJDOT Flex New Looks; back in the 70's, AM GENERALS and NEW FLYERS also had rear windows.

Back in the heyday of American bus builders, the only buses to lack rear windows were Flxible's CLIPPERS and VISICOACHES, and the YELLOW/GM PD/PG intercity coaches (ditto the BECKS)

IMHO, rear windows (whatever configuration) not only allowed more natural light to illuminate the interior, but also, gave passengers at least a bit more visibility.

To me, a modern bus just does not look "complete" without rear windows.

Just my 2 1/2 cents worth, here..........

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Recalling the era of rear-windowed buses.......

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3063

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3078

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3014

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3020

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?2305

(courtesy: bus.nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Windowless rears........

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3076

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3081

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3051

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3003

(courtesy: bus.nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

A bit of a "nod" to the days of rear windows on buses, perhaps.....?

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3055

(courtesy: bus.nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

FLXIBLE's CLIPPERS and VISICOACHES, with their sleek, rounded, windowless rears, are still timeless and modernistic today......

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3070

(courtesy: bus.nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Regarding rear windows on transit buses, recall the large rear windows that were used by "first generation" Flex New Looks; by the 1970's, the rear windows were much reduced in size.

It was still easy to trace the outline of the original rear window, however; perhaps this was done to add structural support for the a/c units that were now situated at the rear of the buses, above the rear windows.....

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Back in 1981, rear windows on buses were indeed the rule, rather than the exception...........

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?1513

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3429

(courtesy: bus.nycsubway.org)

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B:

Appreciate this additional info; like so many other aspects of the bus industry, we, more or less, tended to take rear windows for granted, never dreaming that, one day, rear-windowless buses would become the rule, rather than the exception.

An interesting bit on the distinctive twin rear windows standard on GM Old Looks (which started with the new YELLOWS in 1940)........

The only Old Looks that did not use these twin rear windows were the TDH-5108 suburban models (1958); these buses utilized a large rectangular rear window, split by a narrow divider.

These buses featured a large a/c unit above the rear windows; PSNJ, ORANGE & BLACK, and RED & TAN once rostered these models.

I remember these handsome vehicles well, many years back......

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Another interesting aspect on buses with rear windows is that, through the 1950's, most buses featured twin rear windows (either two rounded windows or an oval split with a narrow divider.

WHITE buses had rear windows that were quite angular for the time.

The very last new (non-New Look) transit buses in the USA, using rear windows (with the exception of the small, "new generation" Baby Old Looks of the 1960's) built were MACK's 1960-era "New Looks".

Yonkers and Buffalo were two cities that operated New Look MACKS; some of the ex-YONKERS MACK New Looks later saw service with (now long defunct) "BLUE & WHITE" (North Bergen, NJ), well into the 1970's......

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Comparison of GMC and Flex New Look rear windows......

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?2305

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3016

(courtesy: bus.nycsubway.org)

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

A little bit of historical trivia.....

"Wildfire" ( aka"Turbo-Cruiser 1", also known as "Whirlfire") was unique in that it was the only GM Old Look not to have rear windows.

This was TDH-4512/002; this bus had been turned over to General Motors' Research Company, which had (circa-1954) set up a Gas Turbine department.

The windowless rear of this "Turbo-Cruiser 1" was somewhat similar to that used on the YELLOW/GMC PD/PG parlor coaches of the 1940's.....

"NYO"

(Source: "WELCOME ABOARD THE GM NEW LOOK BUS" (McKane/Squier, 2006)

[roymanning2000]

I believe the Turbo-Cruiser I was eventually rebuilt as a standard TDH4512. t was then sold to Martin Lines, a Detroit suburban operator in the early 60's. Pretty certain the rebuild included rear windows.

Roy