BusTalk

MaBSTOA 15 · Age: 72 Joined: 27 Feb 2013 Posts: 1234

Finally, we can compare Ralph Kramden in New York City and Miami Beach...

First, Ralph in front of his New York bus and secondly, in front of his Miami Beach bus...

This is a Metropolitan Dade County Transit Authority GM model TDH-5304 of 1967 in the 401-420 series with air conditioning, bat-wings, and back-lit interior ad signs.

BTW, the cap he is wearing in the second photo is a Miami bus driver hat and badge!

(Until the arrival of the RTS' Miami only had 96 inch wide buses)

This is just for you New York Omnibus 2629

Glad to have yo back

Bustalk was not the same without you!

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2021 11:56 pm Post subject:

MaBSTOA 15:

For some strange reason, only the New York photo of "Ralph" loads; the Miami photo does not appear...... Sad

Hope this gets rectified.......I am DYING to see this photo! Wink

"The Honeymooners" episodes were CLASSICS, both in "Noo Yawk" b/w and Miami color....can NEVER get enough of the Kramdens and the Nortons! Very Happy

"NYO"

BTW:

For now, it is "hit and miss" making an internet connection, so, I am not on the board often, but, when I am, it is WONDERFUL to be back in th company of the GREATEST guys in ANY bus forum! Very Happy

"NYO"

MaBSTOA 15 · Age: 72 Joined: 27 Feb 2013 Posts: 1234

Hey Ralphie Boy...

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2021 12:11 am Post subject:

Oh, man, that picture of Ralph alongside a Fishbowl is TOO WILD!!!!!!!!!!!! Shocked

I only wish that was a MaBSTOA bus!!!!!! Wink

MANY THANKS for posting this photo.......NEVER saw anything like this before! Very Happy

"NYO"

W.B. Fishbowl · Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2021 6:11 am Post subject:

Too bad he didn't go inside and have his then-cast of Art Carney, Sheila MacRae and Jane Kean pose with him . . .

But apparently, Gleason was about 5' 9½", thus the other guy slightly towered over him. Audrey Meadows wrote in her Love, Alice book about how she had to wear flats when doing "Honeymooners" sketches because of this. "The Great One" only stood slightly taller than Bing Crosby who was apparently 5' 7".

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2021 11:05 pm Post subject:

W.B.:

Yup, Your's Truly also wished there would have been a "cast on board" photo with the Miami Fishbowl, as you had mentioned.

My folks and I, back in the day, never missed a "color Honeymooners" episode on Saturday night; my two older brothers, Dad, and I, were all fiercely loyal to the original "b/w" Noo Yawk" episodes.

I STILL like the idea of Ralph driving a MaBSTOA Fishbowl (batwing-equipped, of course!)....... Wink

W.B. Fishbowl · Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2021 7:03 am Post subject:

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2021 10:53 pm Post subject:

W.B.:

.......cannot help but wonder what Ralph would have said about the GRUMMANS.....(IMHO, I think he would have liked the RTS) Wink

"NYO"

traildriver · Joined: 26 Mar 2011 Posts: 2751 Location: South Florida

Did Gleason actually drive a bus in any of those vintage shows? Or was it all done on a stage?

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:51 pm Post subject:

MaBSTOA 15 · Age: 72 Joined: 27 Feb 2013 Posts: 1234

The Miami batwing bus in the photo with Gleason is a T6H-5304A numbered in the 401-420 series. They arrived in 1967 and were retired between late 1984 and early 1985. They also had illuminated interior ads.

I love these buses.

All of the Miami buses were 96 inches wide until the arrival of the RTS.

Miami did buy some used buses that were 102 inches wide.

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2026 8:02 pm Post subject:

MaBSTOA 15:

Can you imagine actually seeing the legendary "Ralph Kramden"himself DRIVING an Old Look AND a batwing Fishbowl?? Shocked

Man, it could NOT get ANY Better than that!!!!!! Very Happy

"BYO"

['OA"]

W.B. Fishbowl · Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2026 9:03 pm Post subject:

#2969 as Ralph stood in front in the first picture was built by GM in November-December 1950 and was part of an order numbered 2947-3021. It was situated at the 100th Street depot (from which the #2 - Fourth and Madison Avenues via Madison Avenue line was assigned at the time) and usually ran on the #18 - 86th Street Crosstown (today's M86+SBS). This and other pics of him and his cast in and around this bus were taken on Aug. 22, 1955 on the corner of Seventh Avenue and 56th Street next to his then-residence and HQ of his production company, the then-Park Sheraton Hotel (originally, and today, Park Central). That was one day before the filming of "A Matter of Life and Death," the episode where Ralph thought he was dying from arterial monochromia (and where Norton, posing as a doctor, admonished those around him to "Don't touch me - I'm sterile!").

Had this been taken a year later, the company name on the sides would have no doubt read 'FIFTH AVENUE COACH LINES INC.' rather than 'NEW YORK CITY OMNIBUS CORPORATION'. Regardless, it highlights that the fictitious 'Gotham Bus Company' was a thinly-disguised NYCO - and that boss Mr. Marshall was probably modeled after longtime FACCo and NYCO prexy John E. McCarthy.

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 · Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2026 10:43 pm Post subject:

At the risk of repeating myself...........

I STILL cannot fathom HOW the original "Jackie Gleason Bus" went to the scrappers INSTEAD of being PRESERVED, as such an iconic bus deserved.

NO "Honeymooners" fans then working for the "Tee-Yay" could have "sounded the alarm", and had this important bus spared?? Evil or Very Mad

What a n oversight.....what a waste........ Sad

"NYO"

["GOTHAM BUS COMPANU"]

MaBSTOA 15 · Age: 72 Joined: 27 Feb 2013 Posts: 1234

I forgot to mention that the hat and badge Gleason is wearing in the Miami photo was a Miami Dade cap and badge.

And also, those TDH-5304s their rear directional signals did not have a red
lens but rather an amber lens!