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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 29783 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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HwyHaulier wrote: | NYO -
Sorry, and not to offend, but... "A S V" (or trolley coach) technology, in "the hole" in Newark, right
up there challenging any list of "Top Ten Of Silly Engineering Ideas".
That - and the PCC Cars - forever dead with the early 1950s, astonishly advanced technology of
G M - T & C product of the Era. (I call the big "TDH-51xx" types the "PCC Killers"! Trolley coaches
also a gone goose category!). The 1940 Era transit textbooks didn't work with the changes!...
Change happens. We never get to vote on it. None of us can go back...
.......................Vern........................ |
Vern....
Hey, what does it cost to dream?<G>
Well, as the ASV's replaced a good chunk of the PS streetcar network, than the postwar diesel coaches were indeed the ULTIMATE victor, as they not only replaced the ASV's, but also, the remaining surface car routes.
Again, PS was wise to see both the economics and the flexiblity of operating an all-diesel fleet.
Though I WILL admit I DO love to dream, even I can see the wisdom of PS wanting to go all-diesel.......besides the economics, I think that the FLEXIBILTY in operations MORE than spoke for itself......
NYO |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 29783 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:11 pm Post subject: |
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IMHO, one could hardly argue over the flexibilty and economics of diesel coaches over street railway, especially when the "conquering machines" looked as splendid as this!<G>
http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?1502 |
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HwyHaulier
Joined: 16 Dec 2007 Posts: 932 Location: Harford County, MD
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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NYO -
The retrospective? PUBLIC SERVICE knew it had a problem with the (damnable) legislation ca.1935 (the "Get Sam Insull" Act).
The power company mandated to divest of transit lines. Which begat: P S E & G and P S N J. You posted an item from a year
back, recalling the Transit history. Writer did not catch this vital change.
Newark "City Subway"? Face it, later posturing was all about saving someone's butt at the City of Newark! Indeed, de facto
risky and dangerous to even think of putting "free wheeling" vehicles in the hole. Any (silly) thoughts did not consider "human
factors" in it. Days surely would come with operators too sick, hung over, subject to sudden critical events, and so on, with the
coaches banging the support poles! One can take that disaster to the bank!
Finally. Salad Days of P S N J, M755, in Manhattan. This a most competent group of coaches. Though not restroom equipped,
good for "long" charters, ex., NJ - Washington, DC. Excellent performers...
.....................Vern..................... |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 29783 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 3:14 pm Post subject: |
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HwyHaulier wrote: | NYO -
The retrospective? PUBLIC SERVICE knew it had a problem with the (damnable) legislation ca.1935 (the "Get Sam Insull" Act).
The power company mandated to divest of transit lines. Which begat: P S E & G and P S N J. You posted an item from a year
back, recalling the Transit history. Writer did not catch this vital change.
Newark "City Subway"? Face it, later posturing was all about saving someone's butt at the City of Newark! Indeed, de facto
risky and dangerous to even think of putting "free wheeling" vehicles in the hole. Any (silly) thoughts did not consider "human
factors" in it. Days surely would come with operators too sick, hung over, subject to sudden critical events, and so on, with the
coaches banging the support poles! One can take that disaster to the bank!
Finally. Salad Days of P S N J, M755, in Manhattan. This a most competent group of coaches. Though not restroom equipped,
good for "long" charters, ex., NJ - Washington, DC. Excellent performers...
.....................Vern..................... |
Vern.......
"free wheeling vehicles in the hole"....
While this does indeed bring to light serious safety issues that are quite valid, recall PS ASV's AND diesel coaches utilizing the long-defunct Cedar St. subway, between the lower level of the PSNJ terminal and the tunnel portals.
Not only was this a "conduit" for rubber-tired vehicles, there were also a few platform stops, leading into the basements of several downtown department stores.
Streetcars and ASV's originally used this "subway"; the last streetcar (No.43 to Jersey City) was replaced by ASV in 1938.
The ASV's were replaced by diesel coach in 1947, and diesel coaches used the subway until 1966.
All in all, a safe operation, from what I've read, though your concerns over underground safety are, of course, more than valid.
I still have vivid childhood memories of what I referred to as "subway buses"......
NYO
Last edited by NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 on Sun Sep 25, 2011 3:24 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 29783 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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Vern.....
In case you missed this one first time around, here is a detailed page on the Cedar St. Subway, including much detail on streetcar, ASV, and diesel coach operations.
A number of historical maps and photos are also here.....
NYO
http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/abandoned/cedarst.html |
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HwyHaulier
Joined: 16 Dec 2007 Posts: 932 Location: Harford County, MD
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 3:34 pm Post subject: |
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NYO -
Yours, 3:21 pm. CEDAR STREET? It remains a mighty dicey way of doing things! Great to hear P S N J had a long run of just pure luck!
......................Vern...................... |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 29783 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 3:42 pm Post subject: |
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HwyHaulier wrote: | NYO -
Yours, 3:21 pm. CEDAR STREET? It remains a mighty dicey way of doing things! Great to hear P S N J had a long run of just pure luck!
......................Vern...................... |
Vern......
Recall classic Sinatra tune, "LUCK BE A LADY"?
Now......remember that PS was known as the "Great Gray LADY".....<G>
As PSNJ had an most enviable safety record throughout the many, many years of both rail and rubber operation, it becomes pretty obvious that PSNJ was quite serious about safety issues!
Recalling now old late 30s/40s photo in library book about PSE&G's history, and seeing a few photos of a "operator's education class" in progress at PS building in Newark......fellows all looked like top-ranking Air Force officials!
And, over huge blackboard was the message:
"SAFETY FIRST-CARELESSNESS NEVER"
Works for me.....<G>
NYO |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 29783 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 9:12 pm Post subject: |
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This 1972 photo shows J308 pulling out of Hoboken (note school flashers).
Though the destination box is blank, I am almost certain that this was a #17 SUMMIT run (HOB-32nd St. Union City), one of the very last routes out of Hoboken to use Old Looks.
I was very familiar with this line growing up, as it ran just up the block from our old apartment building in Union City.
We rode this line often down to Hoboken, to ride and watch the E-L trains at the terminal.
This line was abandoned sometime during the mid-70's, AFAIK.
Note the old H&M/PATH kiosks in the background, still in use today; likewise the old PS shed, which I used as part of my commute for nearly 25 years.
Also, look carefully in the left background; what appears to be a PS coach is actually a retired unit, now operating for the old Washington St. company.
http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?1500 |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 29783 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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Here's an ex-PSNJ coach, still sporting its old paint, now renumbered and operating on Hoboken's long-defunct Washington St. line (1972).
Though no trace of the PS "wings" remain on the dash, you can still see where the circular PS insignia originally was on the sides.
The last of these venerable ex-PS coaches ran about 1985.
I can recall one being operated (on Washington St.) by the MARIA TRANSPORTATION COMPANY......
http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?637
http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?639 |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 29783 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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Now HERE'S a classic "Joisey" scene that yours truly knows like the back of his hand!
This is "Nungesser's", at the border of Hudson County (south), and Bergen County (North).
North Bergen (Hudson) and Fairview (Bergen) meet here.
Yours truly has passed through this workaday area more times than he can count throughout the years, especially when he was still commuting into the city!
The NJT-era will be dawning soon, as ex-PS (TNJ) W731 is signed for the #166, but is obviously deadheading; had the bus been operating a revenue trip, it would have turned left (in front of the Flex New Look) and onto Bull's Ferry Road, heading west.
The ORANGE & BLACK Fishbowl is heading north for Fort Lee, and a Flex New Look is on its way to Hoboken, on the #22.
Note, too, the old line pole on the left (only removed about 12 years ago), which served both streetcars and ASV's.
Today, MCI's, Neoplan artics, NABI's, and RTS's are the types of coaches now seen here, but even these are far outnumbered by the ever-present swarms of broken-down, rattletrap "jitney" vans.
Alas, to go back in time.....
http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?2372 |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 29783 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 10:26 pm Post subject: |
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No buses in this photo, but one that I wanted to post here....
On this bleak day in March of 1952, local folks gather to watch the departure of the final revenue subway-surface streetcar on the #29 line from the Bell St. (Montclair) carhouse; this was the very last of the connecting subway-surface car lines of the Newark City Subway.
This facility was also the very last operating carhouse on the entire PSNJ system; in its last months of streetcar operation, it also stabled shiny new TDH's.
After the streetcars made their last runs, Bell St. was used for many years as a PS bus garage; by the 1970's, it had been turned into a popular bowling alley.
Sadly, this historic structure was torn down some years ago.....
http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?116985 |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 29783 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 10:40 pm Post subject: |
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The interior of the cavernous PS Bell St. barn at Montclair; the color schemes on the streetcars date this photo to sometime during the 1930's.
Bell St. was unique in that it was the only PS carbarn to have curved tracks within its walls.
Note that all cars are signed for the "29 BLOOMFIELD"; after 1950, this barn also serviced cars of the #21 and the #7.
The last #21's (via Orange St.) ran in early 1952, on the same day that the #29 was also converted to bus.
http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?118324
Last edited by NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 on Mon Sep 26, 2011 12:57 am; edited 1 time in total |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 29783 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 10:57 pm Post subject: |
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Looking like a street scene straight out of classic 1930's Warner Brothers flick, is this classic view of Newark, 1937.
The streetcar approaching is on the #43 (Newark-Jersey City, via lower level of PS Terminal/Cedar St. Subway), at this time, the very last streetcar to operate on the surface in downtown Newark.
In 1938, this line would be converted to ASV operation.
Also, note the ASV turning west onto Market St., in the background.
If you look VERY closely in the forground, you will spot the poles of an ASV, which is leading the streetcar....
http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?116978
Last edited by NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 on Mon Sep 26, 2011 1:00 am; edited 1 time in total |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 29783 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:39 pm Post subject: |
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Two partially restored (but no less handsome) examples of PSNJ's once-proud suburban fleet of the 1950's; the coach in the foreground is K701.
Man, they were just so dang gorgeous.....
http://www.ttmg.org/photos/tlogan/NJT_GMC_K701.jpg |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 29783 Location: NEW JOISEY
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