BusTalk

Mr. Linsky · Last edited by Mr. Linsky on Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:54 pm; edited 5 times in total

While it is difficult to come upon virtually any information about Jamaica's pre World War II fleet except to say that it was mostly a variety of Twin Coaches, I have been able to put together some semblance of a post war list through 1989 below;

Mack C45-GT Fleet# 400 to 414 Delivered June 1947 (gas)
Mack C45-DT Fleet# 500 to 509 Delivered 1949 (Diesel)
Mack C45-DT Fleet# 550 to 559 Delivered 1950 (Diesel)

Note; # 550 to 559 were built for and rejected by a south Florida operator.

GM TDH 5106 (Old Look) Fleet# 601, 602 Delivered October 1953
GM TDH 5106 (Old Look) Fleet# 603 to 612 Delivered February 1955
GM TDH 5106 (Old Look) Fleet# 651 to 655 Delivered March 1958
GM TDM 5108 (Old Look) Fleet# 101 ro 105 Delivered March 1958

Note; Most of the 5106’s eventually went to Green Bus Lines and were renumbered to their 900 series.

GM TDH 5302 (New Look) Fleet# 701 to 710 Delivered May 1960
GM PD 4106 (Parlor) Fleet# 310 & 311 (ser# 0025 & 0026) Del. March 62
GM TDH 5304 (New Look) Fleet# 751 to 760 Delivered April 1963
GM TDH 5303 (New Look) Fleet# 771 to 780 Delivered March 1964
Flxible FD6V-401-7 Fleet# 110 to 114 Delivered 1964 (# 114 went to Dineen Bus Lines/Oyster River Transportation, Kittery, Maine).
GM TDH 5303 (New Look) Fleet# 801 to 810 Delivered July 1966
GM TDH 5303 (New Look) Fleet# 821 to 830 Delivered March 1967
GM T6H 5305A (New Look) Fleet# 871 to 880 Delivered August 1969
GM T6H 5305A (New Look) Fleet# 901 to 915 Delivered April 1970
Flxible 111CC-D5-1 Fleet# 201 to 220 Delivered 1971
GM SH8 5303A (New Look) Fleet# 151 to 155 Delivered September 1971 (Charter Service)
GM T6H 5307 (New Look) Fleet# 951 to 960 Delivered October 1974
GM T8H 5307A (New Look) Fleet# 971 to 980 Delivered December 1976
GM TH 8203 (RTS) Fleet# 301 to 310 Delivered November 1979
Flxible 40102-8-1 (870) Fleet# 401 to 425 Delivered 1980
GM THJ 204 (RTS) Fleet# 501 to 511 Delivered July 1985
GM THJ 204 (RTS) Fleet# 512 to 529 Delivered January 1986
GM T8J 606 (RTS) Fleet# 551 to 567 Delivered December 1986
GMDD TC40 102A (Classic) Fleet# 601 to 607 Delivered February 1989

Note; Green Bus Lines supplied a large number of prewar Mack model CT's
after 1949 and reference to those transfers may be found under 'The Buses of Green Bus Lines' elsewhere in this forum.

Any further information on the Jamaica 'prewar' fleet history will be appreciated.

Mr. Linsky
"The Green Hornet"
Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica & Rockaway, NY

Q65A · Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:20 pm Post subject:

Excellent job, Mr. L., as usual!
The one and only roundtrip I'd ever taken on a JBI bus in revenue service was back in the early '70's on the Q112 from Jamaica to visit a buddy of mine who lived in South Ozone Park; as I recall, it was aboard a Flx New Look (somewhat ironic, I suppose, since JBI did not have as large a Flx fleet as some of the other Cooper lines).
I mentioned "revenue service" in the foregoing paragraph because twice I have been aboard JBI 3865 (seated behind the wheel, of course) during the 2006 and 2007 MTAB Roadeos. While of course she was not under power, in my mind's eye I was moving slowly down parsons Blvd. in a freshly washed and Armor-All'ed TMC RTS.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 12:15 am Post subject: 'Jamaica Buses'

Bob,

As always, your compliments and comments are greatly appreciated.

I want you to know that an awful lot of research went into this one - and I enjoyed doing it!

What irks me is the number of buses that this company bought over the years for only four routes and a little charter work!

Of course, I understand that the express routes into Manhattan in later years pushed up the roster - but as many as they had?

This brings me to an interesting question; both Schenck Transportation and Jamaica Buses were into charter work with Schenck probably focusing more on it than anyone else on the island - what happened to this charter business when LIB took over Schenck and MTA Bus took over Jamaica?

Just a curiosity.

Mr. 'L'

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

Dear Mr. L.

Perhaps I can possibly answer some of you questions about the equipment and charter questions.

I remember stopping by JBL's yard in the fall of 1999. They still had some of the Flx Metros around for fill in service. Of course I can't find the pictures because I can't (or don't want to) find the time to straighten things out.

Based upon an "inventory" I took at the DOT yard in East Carnarsie, buses Flx Metro's 403, 407 and 416 were in residence on June 7, 2000. Sometime between June 7th and August 23, 2000 they were joined by 401-402, 404, 406, 408, 411, 413, 415, 418 and 423. I have no clue as to the history of the missing numbers in the sequence of 401 - 425.

I have a memory of heading back to Long Island in my 1980 Reqal and being on Queens Blvd around 1982 and desperately trying to keep up with 2 Schenck Eagle buses. It was to no avail since I only had a 6-cylinder in that car. The buses had a predominately red livery. Several weeks later the papers had an article how one of Schenck's buses had flipped on a run. Wasn't surprised with those two cowboys at the wheel.

Therefore Schenck was in the charter business as late as 1982 or so.

What ever happened to Clauseen Bus and Biss Tours as Charter companies?

Free-transfer · Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:52 am Post subject: Jamaica Buses Inc........

Another Great job by Mr.Linsky!

Two of my fondest memories of riding with JBL during the 60's, 70's and 80's, was the soft seat buses and am/fm radio equipped coaches.

It seemed that every Mack, GM (old look and new look) and Flxible had soft seats. They were more comfortable than the fiberglass or plastic jobs that GBL had.

If you peruse through the online collection of vintage JBL buses, you'll notice, on the front, driver side corner, near the bottom of the window, either an am/fm radio antenna or the hole where one used to be. On school charter runs, the drivers would usually play the radio for us students...piped in through ceiling mounted speakers, from front to back.

Here is a bonus picture...a JBL Twin Coach at Parsons and 89 ave at the Stand for the (soon to be called Q-112).

Best Regards,
Dennis V.
<p>

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 2:34 pm Post subject: Re: Jamaica Buses Inc........

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 2:49 pm Post subject: 'Jamaica #10'

Dennis,

BTW; Your picture of Jamaica #10 must have been taken sometime around 1954 by virtue of the very corner front section of what appears to be either a Dodge of DeSoto of the era behind the bus.

Also note that the bus must have just recently been repainted (in color it was an interesting combination of red and cream) and you can notice that the 'Twin Coach' oval logo under the windshield is still preesent but has also been painted.

Again, a really great find!

Mr. 'L'

Free-transfer · Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 6:55 pm Post subject: Don't quote me on this...........

Mr. Linsky

Free-transfer

Joe Testagrose posted the first picture (below) on usenet today.
The caption reads as follows:
Peninsula Bus 609 on Spec At 4 Ave & Marine Parkway 7-6-81

What I immediately noticed, was the Green Lines paint job on the top and the spot where Green Bus Lines name had been painted and buffed out.
I'm sure this bus was originally JBL 611, loaned to GBL as 911 in 1979 and 1980, and then sold to Peninsula as 609.

Of course, this bus stands out as unique as to the following:
3 center DOT marker lights on vent. 4 pieces of ornamental chrome, by builders plate. 60/40 Split front curtains in the JBL style.

After looking through the online album, I narrowed it down to 911.
As GBL 911, it had the same big dents in the same spot on the bumper and...Looking through the front door, 911 had green interior paint
near the entrance.

I ruled out 906 and lower, they didn't have vents below the windshield.

Either way, this was a JBL bus in it's previous life!

Below are 3 pictures for comparison............

Mr. Linsky

[quote="Free-transfer"]Joe Testagrose posted the first picture (below) on usenet today.
The caption reads as follows:
Peninsula Bus 609 on Spec At 4 Ave & Marine Parkway 7-6-81

What I immediately noticed, was the Green Lines paint job on the top and the spot where Green Bus Lines name had been painted and buffed out.
I'm sure this bus was originally JBL 611, loaned to GBL as 911 in 1979 and 1980, and then sold to Peninsula as 609.

Of course, this bus stands out as unique as to the following:
3 center DOT marker lights on vent. 4 pieces of ornamental chrome, by builders plate. 60/40 Split front curtains in the JBL style.

After looking through the online album, I narrowed it down to 911.
As GBL 911, it had the same big dents in the same spot on the bumper and...Looking through the front door, 911 had green interior paint
near the entrance.

I ruled out 906 and lower, they didn't have vents below the windshield.

Either way, this was a JBL bus in it's previous life!

FT,

I guess you might say that a good caption for the '609' picture would be; "I Led Three Lives"! (taken from the old TV series).

Peninsula Bus has a history with Green Line and had already bought a couple of their 4509's (333 and 343 to be exact).

They were 'bottom feeders' with a shack for an office somewhere close to the new L.I.R.R. Far Rockaway station in Inwood - I remember them well with their (you should excuse the expression) 'fleet' standing out in the street - how they ever passed PSC with buses taken right out of a junk yard is beyond me! - but that was Peninsula!

#609 is unquestionably an original Jamaica by virtue of the 80/20 split destination sign alone.

All I can say is 'unbelievable!'.

BTW; is usernet an available site to see?

Mr. 'L'

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 1:30 am Post subject: # 609

FT,

I think I know how Peninsula got their '609' to run!

They must have cannibalized every part they could from the rest of the derelict 900's parked on that lot.

As I said; 'that was Peninsula!'

Mr. 'L'

Mr. Linsky

Q65A · Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:57 pm Post subject:

You just gotta love those GM Old Look suburbans!
I think that JBI might have been one of the few NYC area bus operators east of the Hudson to own 5108's, which were much more common transiting the Lincoln Tunnel each day to and from NJ.
Regarding that nice big Twin Old Look: what a great (and rare) bus photo!
JBI was far from the largest PBL, but they certainly had some interesting equipment (and a colorful livery, too).

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 11:34 pm Post subject:

Bob,

You're just about right in that Schenck Transportation of Floral Park was the only other 5108 operator east of the Hudson with 4 buses numbered 525 to 528 and delivered in March of 1959.

The records show that the overwhelming majority of these coaches were sold to New Jersey charter operators.

I rode one once on the #118 run of Public Service Coordinated from the then brand new Port Authority Bus Terminal on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan to Newark and back.

The roar of the 'stick shift' Detroit 6-71 was worth the whole trip! (we sat in the back so we could really feel that power!).

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; when I first saw the Thermo-Matic vents atop the destination signs I realized how bare all previous models looked - in fact, I've stated within a number of my essays that I thought the vent unintentionally added a handsome touch to the front of the bus!

But again, it's a matter of opinion.

The only thing that doesn't send me very far with the Jamaica 5108's is that the under windshield area is too busy looking with that center vent in place of the GM logo and the second set of stainless steels wings with the GM logo thrown on like an after thought!

But, they were great buses!

Mr. 'L'