BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B;

Interesting notes on the roll signs; I, being from "Joisey", had no idea these signs were incorrect.

The following is from George W. Hilton's "THE STATEN FERRY" (1964):

".........the Ferry's Whitehall Street terminal may also be reached by Broadway and First Avenue buses marked 'South Ferry'..........."

For tourists and day trippers, Mr. Hilton also mentions several SI bus routes:

#1 (Sailor's Snug Harbor); recall, the SIRT's trains also called here on the Arlington line, until 1953.

#107 (Staten Island Zoo)

#108/#113 Richmondtown (this was then then under re-construction; the old wooden SIRT New Dorp station house resides there today)

This historic structure was moved to the site, after the grade crossing was eliminated, and the ROW placed below grade.

Recall, also, that when this neat little book was published, Staten Island was dominated by "Shermans" and "Pattons".

An overhead view of the St. George terminal shows fifteen buses.

The 69th St. boats were also highlighted (this always-busy line would be shut down in late 1964), as well as the SIRT, then a subsidiary of the B&O.

Ahhh, do I remember those days well.........

"NYO"

["SIRT"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Assorted "stoa" Fishbowl views at South Ferry, early 1970's.........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154058

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155644

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154735

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155640

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["6 TO 59 ST"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

IMHO, algebra is CHILD'S PLAY indeed, when compared to your "in-depth" complex descriptions of roll signs, fonts, route changes, etc....man, talk about INTRICATE!!

I cannot help but think, when viewing these nostalgic old photos, of the thousands of roller curtains simply either tossed into dumpsters, or, simply left in place when the buses themselves were scrapped.

So much history destroyed forever...........

"NYO"

["OA"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

MAN demo "slinky" at South Ferry, 1974.

Note, behind the bus, the toll booths for vehicles boarding the SI Ferry (the ferry has not carried vehicles since 2001, and none of the present boats can carry autos/trucks)..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?156495

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["MAN"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Staten Island memories (1970s)..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154448

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154935 (a/c equipped!)

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?153308

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154663

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["8007"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Too, if there were more of a "preservationist's mind", back then, at least ONE of the distinctive "front sign that sticks out" Old Looks would have been set aside for preservation.

Think about, what IS left to remind us that ST and "stoa" even existed??

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Personally, I would have loved to have seen TWO of these highly-distinctive buses* preserved; one restored to "ST" livery, and the other for "stoa"............alas, my good friends, only in a perfect world...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?153792

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?153794

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

*(Imagine, during their twilight years, if at least some of these buses ended up being transferred to Staten Island?)

["2648"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

St. George, 1971.

Note the a/c unit of Fishbowl #8899.

I would guess that this bus was one of the few a/c-equipped Fishbowls on Staten Island, at that time...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154935

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["R-107"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

NICE photo....sure brings back great memories of the days I traveled to "The Island of Staten" every Saturday, almost 40 years back! (the "BARBERI" and the "NEWHOUSE" were then the newest boats in the SI fleet)

Surprising that Staten Island had even a few a/c buses way back then, given that, for many years, it was, for all practicle purposes, the "forgotten borough" (aka the "stepchild borough")

*(Funny, too, with the nycsubway.org bus photos, there are only a very few photos of "Shermans" running on Staten Island, and none at all showing the formidable, hard-working "Pattons" operating on "R" routes......another example of "no respect"?)

"NYO"

["TA"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"Dangerfield" days at South Ferry...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154660

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154661

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["M"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]