BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

OUTSTANDING PHOTO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REPEAT:

OUTSTANDING PHOTO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man, WHAT an AWESOME lineup of truly CLASSIC buses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dang, do I miss those ol' Fishbowls!

"NYO"

["NYCTA"]

*BTW:

"FREEDOMLAND" was already gone six years when this photo was taken; it opened in 1960, and only lasted until 1964.

Co-Op City now occupies the site of "Freedomland"......

"NYO"

[W.B. Fishbowl]

That sign on #3358 for the Bx-50 route - which, like Freedomland itself, lasted from 1960 to 1964 - clearly shows that it was still around when the first " 'stoa" buses (of the 3301-3555 range) entered the picture in Manhattan and "da Bronx" in '63. Those were the first " 'stoa" buses to have one singular front sign, as opposed to split as FACL and "Soiface" had for years. It was also, apparently, hand-painted on a cloth roll sign, as opposed to the mylar Transign roll signs that were seen on the buses alongside it.

Finally, that bus on the far left - by the license plate number, would the bus number on that be #3393, perchance?

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Given that "FREEMDOMLAND" closed in 1964 (and the Fishbowls depicted were "Bullets") it would seem that these buses were ordered BEFORE it was generally known that the park would not re-open after the 1964 season, otherwise, why would a "FREEDOMLAND" reading be included on the roller curtains............

"NYO"

["New York City Transit Authority"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

See also:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedomland_U.S.A.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Speaking of bus garages/yards in years past, here's an interesting (Brooklyn) photo from 1968.........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?151333

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["I.R.T. LINES"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Ex- B&QT convertible #4550.......

This car was to be part of "FREEDOMLAND"; upon purchasing the car, the new owner, who had NO IDEA of how to transport a rare and historic streetcar, cut off not only the trucks, but also, ALL of the underbody equipment, before simply DROPPING the body onto a flatbed!

After the park closed in 1964, this unfortunate car was again sold, and did quite a bit of traveling (in poor condition); it then went to Pittsburgh, where the "restoration" was nothing more than a "horror show".

Thankfully, this unfortunate car is STILL with us today; from what I've read, however, the restoration (at last word) of the running gear was not as well done as the car body itself...........still..........

"NYO"

(info from: "CONFESSIONS OF A TROLLEY DODGER FROM BROOKLYN", by Stan Fischler)

["DE KALB"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Pittsburgh, 1979 (and we thought that the "Dangerfields" got NO respect!)

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?33328

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["FLATBUSH"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

1951.....when all was still well..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?7805

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["WILSON AV."]

[Cyberider]

Interesting post-service history of B&QT 4560. A wonder it still exists after all that. Yep, I have a book on the B&QT too.

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

That was much the same scenario with PSNJ and "ORANGE & BLACK"; after 1971, the "PALISADES AMUSEMENT PARK" readings on their roller curtains were no longer used, in fact, redundant, after the park closed at the end of the 1971 season...........

"NYO"

["OA"]

[FifthAvenueCoachLines]

OA 3470 and 6401 in the 132nd Street Yard.

[W.B. Fishbowl]

That 10, incidentally, was the ex-FACCo pull-in, pull-out Broadway line ('10 BROADWAY') whose northern terminus was 168 St-Bway, and not the ex-NYCO Eighth Avenue/Central Park West route. Oddly - and incredibly - it kept its M10 branding even after the 1974 renumberings. It was finally discontinued in 1976.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The OUTSTANDING photo just posted got me to thinking...........

Many older photos show garage/depot exteriors equipped with metal-shaded incandescent fixtures.

About when did the "Tee-Yay"/"Em-Tee-Yay" begin to replace these old fixtures with more modern mercury vapor lights?

I've also seen photos where a number of the incandescent fixtures had "bulb clusters" (several bulbs in a group), which, of course, were also used extensively throughout the subway system for decades, as well as on elevated/surface platforms........

"NYO"

["OA"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]