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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 23322 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 10:35 am Post subject: |
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W.B.:
My regret is that I never got to (first hand) experience the original "slant back" RTS; to this day, they remain my favorite of the "Torpedo" family (back in the 1980s, "HOT WHEELS" offered two versions of the "slant back", one as a transit bus, and the other as a school bus-----I have both versions!)
Of course, when "slant back" buses were later retrofitted with the new a/c units at the rear, that distinctive look was lost.
Since the retirement of the last "En-Jay-Tee" RTS (NOVA) a number of years back, I also lost all interest in the "Joisey" fleet.
Ahhhh, if only the "powers That Be" at the "Em-Tee-Yay" had purchased "Torpedoes" from the start, instead of putting all of their corprate eggs into one baket, with the ill-fated "Borough Bomber" GRUMMANS...............
"NYO"
["Rapid Transit Series"] |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 23322 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2024 10:29 am Post subject: |
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Right on the mark, for sure:
In the excellent little book, "THE BUS WE LOVED" (London's Love Affair with The Routemaster) by travis Elborough, used this less-than-flattering description for the then-current London buses, that, indeed, indeed hot home here in the States, regarding modern transit buses.....
".......modern buses are depressing and oftimes bizarre. Their designs indicate trouble minds: seats on different levels, lurid playpen fabrics and color schemes, seats back to front, straps at unusable heights, and extruded plastic at every turn,........."
"......the 'Bendys' have all the appeal of the inside of a HOOVER attachment......"
"........many modern buses looked deformed and bulked-out, as though pumped up on steroids......."
Right on target, Mr. Elborough......
"NYO"
["2 HAMMERSMITH-VICTORIA STN"] |
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W.B. Fishbowl
Age: 57 Joined: 02 Oct 2014 Posts: 2592 Location: New York, New York, USA
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Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2024 10:51 am Post subject: |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 wrote: | Right on the mark, for sure:
In the excellent little book, "THE BUS WE LOVED" (London's Love Affair with The Routemaster) by travis Elborough, used this less-than-flattering description for the then-current London buses, that, indeed, indeed hot home here in the States, regarding modern transit buses.....
".......modern buses are depressing and oftimes bizarre. Their designs indicate trouble minds: seats on different levels, lurid playpen fabrics and color schemes, seats back to front, straps at unusable heights, and extruded plastic at every turn,........."
"......the 'Bendys' have all the appeal of the inside of a HOOVER attachment......"
"........many modern buses looked deformed and bulked-out, as though pumped up on steroids......."
Right on target, Mr. Elborough......
"NYO"
["2 HAMMERSMITH-VICTORIA STN"] |
I wonder how much of this inside-and-out uglification of London buses was due to government dictates, the same way U.S. government mandates brought an end to the "Fishbowl" / "Dangerfield" era and ushered in everything from the "Bombers" and the "Torpedoes" and all else that followed in its wake.
"Hoover attachment." I suppose in this country one could use other names like Oreck or Dirt Devil . . . |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 23322 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2024 11:15 am Post subject: |
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W.B;
Good one!
The WORST modern-era London buses (in particular the double-deckers) are those whose front ends (from top deck to bottom) is all glass, and gives the front end of these hideous buses the look of a transparent loo seat (WC)
Beginning in the 1960's, LT saw many boxy double-deckers enter the fleet; they might not have had the "elegance" and "dignity" of the classic "RT" and "RM", but they at least LOOKED like buses, and NOT mutant spawn from another solar system...........
BTW:
In London, the infamous "Bendy" buses, like our "Borough Bombers" were not in service for long; they were all removed from service, as (sounds familiar?) a number were either breaking down while running a route, or catching fire.
Not surprisingly, when a number of "new age" double-deckers were performing miserably back in the later 1980s/early 1990s, London ended up buying back a number of old "RMs" that had been sold off to operators outside of London.
Recall, also, the convoy of Fishbowls and "Dangerfields" heading north from "Dee-Cee", to fill in for the ailing "Borough Bombers", back in the early 1980s...........the old tried-and-true to the rescue (again!).......
"NYO"
["28A CHELSEA-UXBRIDGE STN"] |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 23322 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Tue May 21, 2024 7:47 pm Post subject: |
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Curious...........
It would seem that FACCo began to "experiment" with closed-top double-deckers (aka "Blunderbuses") sometime around 1924; it was not until about 1930 that new double-deckers with enclosed tops began to appear.
Did FACCo decide to roster at least SOME buses with closed tops, in order to accommodate more "upstairs" passengers in inclement weather?
(too, look at how many open-top "Blunderbuses" survived until the end of such old-fashioned buses in 1946)
In London, it was not until the later 1920s that closed top double-deckers began to appear; the London Police, for years, would not allow closed-top buses, thinking them too top-heavy, and potentially dangerous.
Once the "green light" was given, all new double-deckers were equipped with enclosed tops, and many older buses (even those nearing retirement) were rebuilt with enclosed tops.
Interestingly, some of these buses had outside staircases, while others had interior stairwells.............
"NYO"
["152 HAMMERSMITH-CHIGWELL"] |
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