BusTalk

[traildriver]

I have mixed feeling's about the bus preservation issue's...

Sure, having everything pure and original will certainly appeal to a segment of the hobby.

But on the other hand, having a historic bus that may appeal to a much wider segment of the population, get a lot more coverage, and perhaps draw a new audience into bus preservation may have some merit, as well.

In a fairly large collection, perhaps there is room to appeal to everyone, even if not all are 'pure'.

Look at cities that have purchased antique trolley's from around the world, even if they can't locate an historically accurate original from their city...

Better to have at least that, than nothing. As long as the placards describing the vehicle tell the accurate history, and make no secret that it 'represent's' what was, once....

JMHO

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[traildriver]

NYO--
That's what I mean...even if it is not 100% authentic, it still has great appeal to the 'masses'....

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[traildriver]

That's a great idea...like the MTA does along 42nd Street around the holiday's...
It would be nice if they did that all year round.

I suppose it is easier to maintain a PCC car on that basis, than an old bus.

Any idea what is going on with those old PCC cars, in Red Hook, Brooklyn?

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Update:

A sad end for the historic PCC's rusting away in Brooklyn....."Rust In Pieces", old friends......

http://www.forgotten-ny.com/2014/02/red-hook-trolleys-removed/

(couurtesy: forgotteny.com)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

In the previous photos, notice a "picture window" PCC; the MTA (Boston) ordered 50 of these unique cars in 1951.

They were rare birds even when new, and, to see even ONE lost to neglect is indeed sad.

Incidently, these cars, as well as the "all electric" PCC's were the only Boston cars to have standee windows; they (the "picture window" cars) were also the only domestic PCC's so built (PULLMAN)......

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The aborted "Brooklyn Waterfront Trolley" roject also, IMHO, serves as an important message to those interested in preserving transportation history.

This is NOT, by any means, a game, or "playing with trains", but a serious project that requires encountering many hurdles and obstacles, financial and otherwise.

Of course, there are local zoning laws to deal with, not to mention many other issues that need to be addressed.

In some places (such as in SF) such a historic streetcar operation can be a tremendous success; in other places, however, too many factors are simply too many to overcome.

Even the best intentions go for naught, especially whe tremendous sums of money are involved....

"NYO"

[traildriver]

That Brooklyn Waterfront project was particularly an ambitious one for a private entity to do...
It's one thing for a museum out in the 'country', to string up some trolley wire, and operate on private property, but an entirely different matter, to do the same on public streets. That is best left to the city or transit agency to attempt...

I found this interesting list of "Vintage Trolley" operations, published back in March of 1992...I didn't realize there were so many. Don't know how that list compares to the present.
It is interesting that these were a mix of public and private operation's...

http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1992/1361/1361-045.pdf

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[traildriver]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

traildriver:

Yep, that would have been great for you, heading from "Gotham" to dockside in Bayonne!

There had been much talk on this new trolley line for quite awhile, but then, it more or less simply faded into oblivion, sad to say.

The PCC's, of course, were made surplus after the new HBLR-style light rail cars (I call them "Baby Belugas" and/or "Shamus") replaced then in the Newark subway back in 2001.

I had even heard, long ago, that there was some talk for converting the old NYC High Line in Manhattan into some sort of a light rail/trolley line.

Obviously, that idea never went far!

Too, I have heard talk of plans (much more recently) of converting the abandoned underground Delancey St. trolley terminal into some sort of underground shopping area/"greenway"; personally, I'd love to see something that might be able to incorporate some transit history, so that folks today could actually SEE what remains (and there really isn't all that much left, aside from the nearly invisible rails still embedded in the floor) of the trolley era.

The last Brooklyn streetcars that used this underground terminal ran in 1948 (via the Willy B); interestingly, PCC's never served this facility, except for fan trips.......

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

In Ralph Kramden's day, trolley buses with "rifle slot" rear windows and PCC's were still commonplace on the streets of Brooklyn.........

http://www.newdavesrailpix.com/nyc/htm/bqt026.htm

(courtesy: newdavesrailpix)

[traildriver]

Great shot!