BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Recall also-that-back in the 1950's-the FDNY used a FLXIBLE "Airporter" bus which was adapted for FDNY use; this unusual bus was furnished not only with stretchers-but also-28 cots (this was so the bus could be used as an aid station); it also had its own generator/sterilizer/oxygen supply/how water tanks/heating pads-------this bus could also be connected to an adjacent power line------"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Just thinking on if the FDNY had once rostered any ex-"Tee-Yay" buses (or other buses-not counting the lone FLXIBLE "Airporter"); I do know that-back in the day-there was a "bullet" Fishbowl and a "Torpedo" (RTS) that were operated by the NYPD------------"NYO"

[Cyberider]

I was late even knowing about the Flxible New Look buses because Phoenix only had GM buses in the late 50's and 60's though they did have some Flxible/Twins before then. I came into contact with the Flx New Looks when I spent some time in Los Angeles in the early 70's and I really liked them. They had a different sound than the similarly equipped GM New Looks. The, at the time, SCRTD's fleet was made up of about half GM and half Flxible buses.

When I moved back to Phoenix, they acquired a small fleet (10 or 20) of Flx New Looks and I thought they were very nice buses. Unfortunately, it seemed like they only ran them a few years before they were retired. Apparently they liked the AMC "junk wagons" better. The last Phoenix Flx New Look I saw was out on the indian reservation east of town some time in the mid 90's abandoned with the windows broken out of it. A sad ending!

At this late date, the only way I can enjoy one of these buses is on a YouTube video which is okay if they go fast enough to get out of low gear!

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Cyberider: Excellent post; thanks also for sharing your recollections of "the other New Look" -------------as I had recalled earlier we here in New Jersey did not see any Flex New Looks (aka "Dangerfields") until 1976/1977 when hundreds were purchased by the NJDOT (these were both transit and suburbans ); the last disappeared here in the later 1990's----I still think of these classic buses today-------yes you are right------the Flex New look indeed sounded different that a Fishbowl; they had their own sound-for sure-------In Chicago (also as I had noted earlier here in this topic)-through the 1960's and into the 1970's-the CTA indeed preferred the Flex New Look to the Fishbowl; like the Old Look and the Fishbowl-the Flex New Look today (those that are still with us) are now historic relics which recall a fabled bygone bus builder---------"NYO"

[Cyberider]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Cyberider: In this area (Northeastern NJ) I saw the NJDOT Flex New Looks replace not only quite a few Old Looks-but-also-the oldest Fishbowls (aka "Jetsons"); I really liked the Flex New Looks but REALLY felt the loss of the older buses I grew up with After the NJDOT purchases in the later 1970's- Flex New Looks ("Dangerfields")-were now as easily spotted as cracks in the sidewalk-----how did they all disappear in the blink of an eye? Where did the years get to? In closing-they were-indeed- GREAT buses and this writer is indeed quite FORTUNATE that he can still clearly recall the era in which they were still with us and working hard------ "NYO" (BTW: Happy Holidays to you as well!)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Courtesy of "FAGEOL & TWIN COACHES BUSES" (Luke)--------Twin Coach began working with Flxible in 1952; Flxible was a builder of intercity highway buses-and-like Twin Coach-was seeing difficult days-regarding bus sales in the early 1950's-----------in 1953 Twin Coach transferred production of the Twin Coach-designed transit bus to Flxible-which was allowed to use the Twin Coach builder's plates for a ten-year period---------Chicago Transit Authority-long a loyal Twin Coach buyer- continued purchasing Flxible Twin Coach transit buses; nearly 1000 of the FT2B types were purchased by the CTA----" "NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Interesting--------look at the clearance lights on a postwar TWIN (aka "Oddball) and see if you do not think that these lights possibly had an influence on the design of the clearance lights* on the first-generation ("Jetson") Fishbowls; also-as we discussed in the past-the windshields of a "Dangerfield" clearly were inspired by those of the "Oddballs"; too-the "Dangerfield" (as we had also discussed in the past)-again-like the "Oddballs"- was indeed a "beefier"-looking bus than the Fishbowl *(the SCENICRUISER also had clearance lights that had "the look"----albeit "condensed")-------------"NYO"

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

WB: Agreed---------The Fishbowl-indeed-was the "sleeker"/"refined" of the two buses; as we already agreed on-the "Dangerfield" was not only a 'heftier" looking bus-it also was clearly a bus that was inspired by both the Fishbowl and the postwar TWIN (aka "Oddballs)----clearly-the "Dangerfield" was a bus that had "inherited" the characteristics of two other bus types-whereas the "Fishbowl" was an all-new bus right off------------"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Through research-it is safe to say that the "See-Tee-Yay's" 1960s orders of "Dangerfields" indeed allowed the Old Looks-WHITES-"Brill-Boas" and postwar "Oddballs" to be put out to pasture-------interesting that-by the early 1970's-the "See-Tee-Yay" suddenly went to to "the other side" and began purchasing Fishbowls in ernest; interesting also-that while the "See-Tee-Yay" did not order Old Looks-BUT-as just noted-purchased Fishbowls with larger and larger orders as the 1970s progressed (the T8H-5307A was QUITE popular with the CTA-beginning in 1972)-----------"NYO"

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

WB: It would be interesting-to say the least-had the "slant back" RTS operated along ex-FACCo and SURFACE routes (and let's not forget "stoa"!) wink:-----recall now the nearly 900 NJDOT "Dangerfields" purchased in the later 1970's (had the NJDOT decided on such a huge bus order only a few years earlier-----would Fishbowls be purchased instead? Interesting to consider)------------"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

---------Recall also that the last Fishbowls built in the US were purchased by the Wausau Area Transit; the CTA rostered the last 5307 built in this country-------interestingly-quite a few US properties did choose to purchase Canadian-built Fishbowls-instead of purchasing buses built here in the United States; QUEENS TRANSIT-in-fact-purchased 13 T8H-5307As in 1979; now-----just think of what used to be the "Tee-Yay" purchasing a large order or two of Canadian-built Fishbowls in the late 1970s-instead of a certain ill-fated boxy bus that indeed needs no introduction here-----------"NYO"

[MaBSTOA 15]

Regarding the FDNY buses, here are a few photos of said vehicles

The all read TDH-5101 was originally BoT/NYCTA #4789 and now renumbered 2969!