BusTalk

[HwyHaulier]

NYO -

So that, Jackson and Rushing accounts preferred. Both in careers as college professors, and habits
of meticulous citation of sources. (Alas! Were that all "fan" works done as carefully!)

For a fact, IIRC, WESTERN GL a creature of the consolidation of the old NORTHWEST GREYHOUND,
which held the former NORTH COAST GL Authority, and the old WASHINGTON STATE SYSTEM.
It was after all that, the appearance of the "W" prefix in coach identification. Use was fairly short lived...

....................Vern....................

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Vern.......

Agreed!

Too, both Mr. Jackson and Mr. Schisgall's works were truly outstanding reads, truly meticulously researched, providing the reader with a thorough tour through the GREYHOUND years, through good times and bad.......and, as you hinted at.....imagine a "fan work" being of a similiar high calibre!

I always steadfastly believe, that, "if you want to understand the game, you better get to know all the players"!<G>

As you and I both know, this is especially true regarding GREYHOUND history!

NYO

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Speaking of "WESTERN GREYHOUND".......<G>

http://www.pacbus.org/roster/pbm8005.html

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Some noteworthy GREYHOUND innovations:

First to install diesel engines, creating a 100% diesel fleet.

First to operate buses with engines in rear.

First to operate buses with air suspension (on air cushions, instead of springs).

First with a central heating system.

First major fleet to specify power steering (introduced on experimental coach "GX-1" in 1946).

First to specify lavatories on all new coaches.

First to power its fleet of intercity buses with turbocharged engines.

First to specify automatic transmissions as standard on all new coaches.

Source: "THE GREYHOUND STORY"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

All:

Just came across this interesting little "snippet"......

When the 1953 Corvette was to be introduced, only a handful of these novel sports cars were to be made available, and, it was Chevrolet that determined where these few autos would be sold, and who would be able to buy them (and, could also afford to be a "repeat customer").

Not surprisingly. a certain Mr. Ralph Bogan of Greyhound was one of these lucky individuals......wonder if there were "Running Dogs"on the doors?<G>

NYO

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Mid-1930's photo (yes, I know, we've seen this one already!) of the GREYHOUND depot across from Penn Station.

Note that only front-engined coaches are to be seen; this would suggest a time frame before the 743's started coming on-line, and when this handsome Art-Deco facilty was still new......

http://www.cosmopolis.ch/abbott2.jpg

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Strangely, in John Dockendorf's book on vintage GREYHOUND/Post House postcards, there is not one postcard depicting any of the New York terminals.

Given the nationwide scope of this otherwise fine book (which also includes Canadian facilities), the exclusion of views of New York City stations is indeed a bit puzzling........

NYO

[traildriver]

Yes, you would think as busy as they were, you would be able to find more photos of these facilities online, wouldn't you?

Perhaps the answer may be that in a city like New York, the Greyhound terminal was not considered to big a 'big deal', like it may have been in smaller cities. That it sort of disapeard from view and from mind in the general cityscape, and was not a prominent fixture that it might have been in smaller cities. Just speculating....

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

That could very well be!

Still, as New York "landmarks" and many otherwise nondescript street scenes found their way onto New York postcards way back then, you'd think at least one might have been included in the aforemtioned book.

I still believe that there are any of a number of old photos of this long-gone facility out there, somewhere, still lurking in shoe boxes and trunks, stored away in someone's basement or attic......

NYO

[Mr. Linsky]

Well, here's a couple of Greyhounds that escaped the terminals and preferred to do business in 'back alleys' - in this case being behind Manhattan's Pennsylvania Hotel just across from Pennsylvania Depot.

These were the last of the late forties 'washboards' as we used to call them with the GM Scenicruisers and Highway Travelers (the original tag for the PD 4104's) breathing down their necks.

Notice that on these buses, which were air conditioned, every other window was sealed.

Credit within frame.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York

[traildriver]

We called 'em "silversides", and I really loved those old coaches. They were good looking, with a touch of Raymond Loewy's hand in the detail of their styling. I liked the crank-up drivers window, the column-mounted four-speed shift lever, the deep-reclining seats, the simple and rugged mechanicals including the straight Detroit Diesel 6-71. Until the Scenicruiser came out, those coaches were the icons for Greyhound.
Thanks for posting the photo!

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Mr. "L":

WOW!!!

As usual, you've surprised us here with yet another nostalgic vignette of "how life used to be"!!

LOVE those classic Silversides!!!

I am just now recalling a faded old sign painted on a brick wall (on either W. 42nd or W.41st), back in the 80's/early 90's that read:

"ALL AMERICAN BUS TERMINAL".

Obviously, a facility used before the PABT opened in 1950.

Never got around to taking a photo, though.......

Thanks again!

NYO

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Speaking of "SILVERSIDES" in New York, check out this classic "Noo Yawk" street scene from the 1959 movie, "THE BEST OF EVERYTHING".

Talk about a "lost New York"!

When you click on the other photo on this page, you can just make out an NYCTA Old Look in the background.

Yes, sir.....those sure were the good ol' days!

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_140152-GM-PD-4151-1948.html

[traildriver]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

traildriver:

I see that I am not the ONLY fellow who never followed up on taking a photo of that old sign while it was still in existence!

For me, it was yet another one of those "Gee, I gotta get around to taking a picture of it" senarios, that, more often than not, never came to pass....

NYO.