BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

It is 43 years today since John Lennon was gunned down in front of The Dakota; the world----and the "Noo Yawk" bus scene-----was a totally different place-back then; the now-classic buses then running----like John Lennon-------are-sadly-no longer with us------another era-a different era for certain-----------

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

One year later..........

Tomorrow (Sunday) it will be 44 years since John Lennon was gunned down at The Dakota (RIP, Mr. Lennon)

Cannot believe over four decades have passed since that dark day.

In 1980........

Fishbowls and "Dangerfields" were the backbone of the "Em-Tee-Yay" fleet; the ill-fated GRUMMANS (aka "Borough Bombers") were just entering the picture.

Batwings were still commonplace sights.

The now-iconic RTS was still waiting in the wings to join the "Em-Tee-Yay" fleet.

On the subways, the "Eye-Are-Tee" was still 100% SMEE (oldest cars were the 1948 "R-12s")

Those formidable, hulking "Eye-En-Dee" Thunderbirds" ("R-10s") were still running, and would be for nine more years.

Subway signalling was still 100% "traditional" block signals ("See-Bee-Tee-See" was still decades away)

Ancient wooden turnstiles and old-fashioned change booths were then still in use, in so many stations throughout the system.

Steam ferries were still running between Whitehall Street and St. George "MERRELL" Class)

The old Queens "indy" companies were still in business.

Indeed, t'was a far, far different world, in so many ways...........

"NYO"

["M"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

ALTHOUGH . . . it was not long after the memorials for Lennon were over that the "Borough Bombers" had their first mothballing by the "Em-Tee-Yay," and what WNEW-TV called "decades-old clunkers," coupled with "on-loans" from DC Metro, filled in while the bugs (and other insects) were ironed out as best they could from the ultimately fallen Grummans.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Right you are.

It was not all that long after all of the memorials to Lennon had ended that the "Borough Bomber" GRUMMANS began dropping like flies, and nearly continually in the news every day.

That clueless WNEW reporter who referred to the mothballed Fishbowls and "Dangerfields" as "decade-and-a-half clunkiers" obviously overlooked the glaring fact that these "clunkers" had NEVER broken down en mass as they entered "soivace" with the "Em-Tee-Yay", NOR were they ever plagued with the many issues that afflicted the GRUMMANS (were the grandchildren of WW2 "gremlins" at work here, perhaps, getting some sort of "revenge"?)

Your's Truly recalls it all like it was yesterday.....and remember that it WAS "old clunkers" from "Dee-See" that bailed out that ill-fated "Bombers".........

"NYO"

['F:XIBLE"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

See:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flxible_Metro (note photo of preserved "Em-Tee-Yay" #236; also, interesting reading on the "Em-Tee-Yay")

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman

["WELCOME ABOARD"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Indeed, there were insidious "gremlins*" ("combat" veterans of WW2!) wreaking havoc upon those unforgettable, ill-fated buses we've since come to know as the clunky "Borough Bombers"............

"NYO"

["WELCOME ABOARD!"]

*Recalling now a classic WW2 "Bugs Bunny" short where he teased, tormented, and tortured by a gremlin aboard a bomber (a victim of "saboh-togee"!); just as the seemingly-doomed plane is about to be decimated into smithereens upon crash landing, the plane suddenly comes to a screeching halt in mid-air!

Bugs:

"Lucky for me this thing had AIR brakes!"

(then, too, another WW2 Warmers classic cartoon, "GREMLINS FROM THE KREMLIN" (I've read that some of the Warner's fellows served as inspiration for the gremlins!)

"NYO"

["B-19"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Recall, that, when Mr. Lennon was gunned down, only Channel 5 (WNEW) then aired the older WB cartoons; however, on Saturday mornings, we had (thankfully!) "THE BUGS BUNNY SHOW" (then on the air for 20 years; originally, it was a ;prime time show)

Of course, Your's Truly NEVER missed a show!

Remember too, the Bugs Bunny short, "HARE LIFT" (where Yosemite Sam was a bank robber), and Bugs was the pilot, singing:

"WE'RE ON FOR THE BIG SHOW TONIGHT! WE'LL FLY 'EM WING TO WING!"

That song was from "CAPTAIN OF THE CLOUDS", with James Cagney (great stunt flying in this film, BTW, which was also produced by WB!)

I recall any of a number of classic-era WB cartoons, where you'd hear the instrumental of this song, when a scene called for an airplane!)

Yep, WB indeed MORE than knew how to entertain the public with both outstanding cartoons and movies, back in the day..............

"NYO"

["ACME MANUFACTURING COMPANY-FAIRFIELD, NJ"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

1980........

Curious as to how many veteran "Jetson" Fishbowls were still in regular service in '80..........

"NYO


["GMC"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.Bl

Thanks.

So, by 1980, the FACCo and "SOIFACE" Fishbowls had already been long retired

This was about the time that TNJ (w/ NJT waiting in the wings), iif memory serves me correctly, that the old PSNJ "Jetsons" were retired, or not long afterwards................

"NYO"

["165 NEW YORK"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B......

Thanks; I now recall this being covered awhile ago, in one our discussions.

So.....these "Jetstons" were sent up to "da Bronx" in their twilight years.......sometimes, unlike "The Jeffersons", "movin' on up" was NOT a "prestigious" move, by any means......

"NYO"

["FACL"]