BusTalk

[traildriver]

IIRC, Short Line (Hudson Transit), had some of those glass top Suburban's. I believe Short Line used them on commuter runs, and mid day used them for American Sightseeing tours. That was a weak rival of Gray Line Sightseeing.
Brilliant use of equipment that might otherwise sit idle between commute assignments.
I am not sure if they purchased them new, or were used from the Greyhound World's Fair fleet...

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Appreciate this info-----thank you! GRAY LINE-of course-would indeed find the ex-World's Fair GREYHOUND buses useful additions to their fleet; Your's Truly has a CORGI World's Fair GREYHOUND Fishbowl with the glass panels in the roof; quite a few of the old tin toy Fishbowls in this fellow's collection also depict sightseeing roof panels----- "NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Further: Both RED & TAN and ARROW TRAILWAYS once operated suburban Fishbowls furnished with "sightseeing panels" in the roof-----------"NYO"

[traildriver]

The irony of the story is, just a few years after the World's Fair operation ended, The Greyhound Corporation acquired Gray Line of NY (along with Walter's Transit, and Carey Transportation).
So now, they could have just transferred them over to the Gray Line of NY fleet...

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Good point to bring up here; indeed GREYHOUND had a HUGE presence at the 1964/1965 Fair; too-recall the odd-looking tour buses GREYHOUND used at the 1939/1940 Fair------also-the "trailer buses" ("Intra-Fair" buses) used to transport fairgoers during the World's Fair in Chicago back in 1933---------"NYO"

[traildriver]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Interestingly-the 1964/1965 "Glide-a-Ride" units were also replicated as toys; needless to say-these are QUITE rare and PRICEY today-----that is------IF you are lucky enough to FIND one! "NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Going back further-recall when GREYHOUND once sponsored a popular night show-hosted by a certain bespectacled Steve Allen on NBC? Your's Truly has a cardboard SCENICRUISER that was offered by the show's public relations office; I also own a few old TT's with ads touting the show------- "NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here is an excellent (and VERY "in depth") technical page* on what is-clearly-the RAREST of vintage toy SCENICRUISERS ("SONAR-guided"!) Sure wish I had this beautiful old toy " 'hound" in my collection today.......... "NYO"

https://markjsaterfiel66.blogspot.com/2018/05/a-sonar-guided-greyhound-scenicruiser.html

["SCENICRUISER SERVICE"]

*(note: video link does not work)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Further...........

There were-of course-quite a few Japanese-made battery operated toy GREYHOUND buses (including SCENICRUIERS) (w/ "bump-and-go mystery action.....back in the later 1950s and 1960s; however the "SONAR-GUIDED" toy (seen in my previous post) is light-years beyond rare-and is seldom seen at antique toy and collectible shows. It indeed is a most rare and desirable piece-one that continues to elude many collectors today.........."NYO"

["EXPRESS"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Toy battery-operated buses that respond to sound (whistles) started to appear in the late 1950's; the tin "SONICON" bus (several variations) was actuated by a whistle that came with the bus; then there were more sophisticated toy buses operated by a hand-held remote control unit; the cheapest tin buses that operated by "remote control" had a battery box (with controls) that was attached to the bus by a wire.

AFAIK the last "whistle operated" toy bus was the large-sized "TRICKY BUSY SCHOOL BUS" by REMCO from the late 1960s (I have one in the original box!

I have a number of vintage toy "remote control" toy buses in my collection today-----one* Your's Truly has had since Christmas 1959!

*(although this buses is lettered "SCHOOL BUS" it indeed looks more like a "suburban" bus of that era!)

Another I have (in two sizes but identical)-are both "SCHOOL BUSES" clearly replicate a single-door Old Look (with standee windows!)

The smaller of these two is friction powered, while the larger is battery-operated (I've had the friction-powered bus since at least 1961)------

"NYO"

["TIN LITHOS 4 EVER!"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Another VERY rare tin battery-operated SCENICRUISER dated to the early 1960s; on the box it reads :"THE BUS WITH A BRAIN".

This BIG tin 'hound was quite unusual in that it came with several plastic "strips" that had differently-spaced holes punched into them; by inserting these coded strips into a slot on the bus, the bus would then be programmed to run in a circle, an oval, or a figure-8!

Needless to say-this interesting toy is QUITE difficult to find today-and even more difficult to find in operating condition, with all of its coded "strips" (which are needed to set the bus on one of its several "courses").......

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

In my collection I also have two big (nearly 2' long!) GREYHOUND buses (both battery ops) dating from the early 1960s; this big toy was clearly inspired by the now-iconic 4104.

At intervals the bus would stop-the door would open-and a "hostess" would appear; the bus also featured a horn that honked as it moved.

This impressive toy (made in Japan for CRAGSTAN) was also available as a school bus

Interestingly, another toy company obviously used molds that were used to manufacturer the aforementioned tin buses; measurements and contours are exactly the same; these "blow-mold" (hollow plastic) buses came with both black and yellow wheels, and came in both red/silver and blue/silver; I have two red versions-one with black wheels and one with yellow------these are VERY attractive toy buses-which sold for about $1....... over 60 years ago-----------"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The aforementioned "blow-mold" 4104 was also available in a smaller size (12" long) and was a duplicate of its "big brothers"; I also have one of these-in red/silver with yellow wheels (this toy probably cost no more than 69 cents------60-odd years ago)----------

"NYO"

[traildriver]

NYO...

I would respectfully suggest you post your interesting info on toys and models in this section of the forum...

http://bustalk.info/forum/viewforum.php?f=34