BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Interesting Old Look variations (rear windows).........

In the later 1950s, a/c-equipped Old Look suburbans (5106/5108s) had a large (divided) rectangular rear window instead of the usual twin curved windows.

Several old New Jersey carriers once rostered these big and distinctive buses (I well recall them in my much, much younger days!)

"NYO"

["RIDE THE RED & TAN LINES"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Too bad I had no extra film on hand.........

Back around 1972/1973, I saw a PSNJ/TNJ Old Look suburban at the curb of the now-gone PS Terminal in Newark; I actually did a double-take when I saw what my eyes beheld.......

The bus had been rebuilt with forward-slanting "Fishbowl"-style windows!!

HOW and WHY this obviously one-of-a-kind bus was so rebuilt is still a mystery to me today; I never saw this unique bus again.

Though I had my camera wqith me, I had used up all my film (I'd been railfanning the City Subway all day) and only had just about enough for bus fare back home.

Man, would I have LOVED a photo of this most unusual Old Look!

"NYO"

["PUBLIC SERVICE COORDINATED TRANSPORT"]

[Cyberider]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Cyberider:

You and me BOTH!

To this day, I have NEVER seen an Old Look suburban rebuilt with forward-slanting windows!

Surely, SOME other bus enthusiast(s) back then snapped off a pic or two!

Hard to believe this was over FIFTY years ago.........

"NYO"

["TRANSPORT OF NEW JERSEY"]

[Cyberider]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[Cyberider]

I always thought the postwar Twins were modern looking buses compared to the GM buses of the day. When I was a kid, I particularly noticed their distinctive looking rear windows. I've seen photos of the CTA Twin with the "New Look" front end. Not bad with the larger Twin/Flxible "signature" windshield!

I don't think I've seen photos of the MP Trailways 3702's with the 4104 sides and the 4103 windshield. Strange combination!

Maybe we should start a thread for "Frankenstein" buses if there isn't one already.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Cyberider:

If you take a close look at the windshields of the FLXIBLE New Looks, you can clearly see that their windshields are really just enlarged versions of those used on the postwar TWIN COACHES (back in the 50s, TOOTSIETOY made small die-cast toys of the postwar TWINS, as did ACME TOYS [these were plastic]; I have several of each in my collection!)

I did not grow up with postwar TWINS; none of the bus companies in my area ever rostered them.

However, several independent companies I grew up were STILL operating prewar "slant back" TWINS, into the mid/later 1960s.

I did not see one "up close" until late 1974, when I saw one in New York, being used by a dry-cleaning business, to transport clothing hanging from the overhead hand-hold stanchions!

Yup, back in the day, there indeed was a LOT of diversity for bus fans....I should know, I was there!

"NYO"

["TWIN COACH"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Interesting............

Recall in the 1960s, GM offered a "new" Old Look, one that was primarily aimed at smaller transit operators.

Interesting that these "Old Look Jrs" reverted back to the old-square window design, which had been replaced by the more modern paired-window design in 1948.

With the exception of the new "quad" headlights, these 1960s buses easily could have been 1946 models!

Oddly enough, none of these unique little buses ever ran in my area.......

"NYO"

["GM"]

[Cyberider]

NYO:

None ran in the Phoenix area either. The first one I saw was in Modesto, CA in the late 80's. I couldn't believe such an "old" bus was still in use! But, what was with the quad headlights?! Funny combination, old style square window body and quad headlights. Almost like someone was making a joke.

Another throwback, if I remember correctly without looking it up, is that it was a body on a separate frame, with springs instead of air bags. They were available with GMC truck engines, either gas or Diesel. I believe they all had Hydromatic transmissions and the whole buses were often referred to as Hydromatics, or something of the sort.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Cyberider:

Just as interesting was that not all of these 1960s "Old Look Jr.s" had "quad" headlights; some had the "standard" two.

I took a few photos of a trip of these buses in a bus yard in nearby Hoboken, nack in 1979; they had metal "SCHOOL BUS" signs affixed to their dashes and rears, and were also equipped with school bus flashers (in New Jersey, back then, transit buses were often "contracted" into school service; these were very familiar sights, through the 1970s).......

"NYO"

["CHARTERED"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Cyberider:

Here are two 1970s photos of (NJ) Old Looks equipped with school bus flashers; typically, a bus assigned to school service would, after taking the kids to school in the morning, would then resume regular service on a given route, until the schools let out again in the mid-afternoon...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154500 * This photo was taken at Hoboken; the 1908-era cast iron entrance kiosks to the PATH "tubes" (the old H&M) are still in use today! The PSNJ bus is a 4509; the now-defunct #s 16 and 17 lines, which ran up the block from our old apartment building In Union City, when I was a kid, also used these buses!)

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154483 (the big TDH/TDMs were popular with a number of New Jersey suburban carriers, well into the 1970s; I WELL recall these classic buses, in my much younger days!)

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[Cyberider]

That's one handsome looking school bus! If those were available when I was in school, I'd ride the bus instead of my bike!

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Cyberider:

Check out these photos of "Old Look Jrs" from the 1960s; three of these buses have "quad" headlights........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154523

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154524

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?153600

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?153597

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["LOOP BUS"]