BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Ahhh, how the future was presented us, sixty years ago; how well a much, much younger Your's Truly recalls the excitement and thrill of seeing AND riding aboard shiny new IRT "Bluebirds" and those sleek, silent, air-conditioned AMF monorail trains.

Where did six decades ago?

Alas, the future we were presented way back in 1964 was world's away from today's 2024..............

"NYO"

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?28622

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?23914

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4156

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?19894

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4267

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?23920

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4403

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["7 WORLD'S FAIR"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

And, of course, happy fairgoers also rode the buses out to the '64/'65 Fair........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154960

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?153260

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["TA"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Corona Yard was a very different place back in 1964, the year the Fair opened........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?19891

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?19894

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?13002

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["WORLD'S FAIR SPECIAL"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Also in 1964.............

Recall that the first of the "Dangerfields" ("Tee-Yay") arrived that year (#s 5001-#5165)

Also in 1964, the TDH-5301 "Jetson" Fishbowls (which replaced the last of the Brooklyn trolleybus lines in 1960) were transferred to Queens.......

"NYO"

(source: "NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT BUSES", Guy E. Martin)

["New York City Transit Authority"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"SEE YOU AT THE FAIR"*...............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155951

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

*Some of these New Look "Pattons" were later sold to "BLUE & WHITE" (North Bergen, NJ), where they ran through mid-1970s)

Your's Truly took several photos of these distinctive buses, back in late 1974.....

["BROADWAY-SUBWAY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here is another timeless photo from 1964, also featuring a formidable "Patton"...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?153632

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["HICKSVILLE"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

And the ol' LIRR indeed made dang sure that their legions of "Dashing Dans" knew that they could arrive swiftly at the '64/'65 Fair, with no traffic or parking hassles to contend with.........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?20034

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["THE ROUTE OF THE DASHING COMMUTER"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

This (undated) photo, snapped at the World's Fair/Willets Point station (mid-1960s?) depicts a tantalizing variety of buses, the likes of which we will never see again.

PSNJ Fishbowls dominate; note the "Sherman" suburban in the background.

Two 4106s are also here, along with a 4104; in the distance, note the rare SUPERIOR.

A sleek "SILVERSIDES" is also to be seen here.

Sad these classic buses today only exist in memory and old photos.........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?138957

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["PSNJ"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Red "R-29s" also served the Fair.............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?127689

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["COME TO FAIR BY SUBWAY"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

As well, whilst the WF R36's and single-unit R33's spelt "the future" in their appearance, in roll signs they were very much a throwback: the last subway cars to bear cloth roll signs, made by Hunter Illuminated Sign Co. (The first cars to feature mylar signs from Transign would be the late, very much lamented Budd R-32 "Brightliners.")

[N4 Jamaica]

Hunting through the gigantic photo collection of nycsubway.org can be tedious. For example, I am interested in the "State" cars that served the 1964 World's Fair. Here is the Rhode Island car on the tail end of a Fair-bound local at Court House Square. It is R36 9440.
[img]https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4156#google_vignette[/img][url][/url]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

As always, appreciate the additional information.

Speaking of cloth/mylar roller curtains, which buses were the first to make the transition from cloth curtains to mylar?

Did mylar come into use with the last of the "Shermans"?

Or, was mylar introduced with the Fishbowls?

"NYO"

["EXPRESS"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's the "STATE OF MISSOURI" car (#9744) at Corona Yard, circa-1964............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?77640

(courtesy" nycsubway.org)

["7 TIMES SQUARE"]