BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

This classic (1937) tiled sign at Penn Station is a long-dated reminder of the long-ago days when the "CITY SUBWAY" was a conduit for streetcars coming in from the suburbs; how many times did I look at this historic sign, over the course of many, many years............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?54051

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["CAR WAITING"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Park Avenue station, 1947........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?116249

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

1947 marked the last year that all four of the original subway lines were still in use (as noted earlier, the "23 CENTRAL" would be gone by that December)

The car on the left is outbound on the "29 BLOOMFIELD", and will switch off the main line at the Bloomfield Avenue station (terminating at the long-gone Caldwell loop)

The car on the right is inbound to Penn Station on the "7 CITY SUBWAY" from Franklin Avenue...........

"NYO"

["29 CALDWELL"]

[Cyberider]

I'll take the old days. Why does everything new have to be so ugly? Is it a mirror of today's society?

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[Cyberider]

Thanks, NYO. Great stuff. You certainly lived in a hotbed of bus and rail transit.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

PSNJ's "Birneys".......

For a number of years, PS rostered Birneys; though most were confined to the more lightly-traveled routes (also shuttles), some were used on the busier "urban" lines, where, of course, they were far from successful.

By the early 1930s, PS had sold off the entire fleet; interestingly, none were retained as work cars.

A few other big city operations that also used Birneys (which indeed seemed most out of place!) were Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Boston.....

"NYO"

["J. G. BRILL"]

[Cyberider]

The Birneys didn't seem to be successful anywhere and were often sold off early. I may be wrong but I think Denver had some that they used all through the '40's and even into the early "50's. Or am I thinking of somewhere else? Anyway, an uncomfortable ride for whoever was riding them.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The last two B&QT Birneys lasted as rail grinders until the fall of 1956, when the remaining streetcars in Brooklyn were replaced by buses........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?118231

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?118232

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["9998"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's a rare (circa-1920) photo of a B&QT Birney "on the job".............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?117579

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["PLEASE HAVE FARE READY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Interesting fact about PSNJ's Birneys.......

These little cars had the distinction of being the only revenue service cars operated by PS sold for further service elsewhere, instead of being scrapped.

One another exception was a "home built" rail grinder (#6051, based at the UNION CITY car barn, right in my old hometown!) which was sold to CAPITAL TRANSIT in 1938, where it remained in use until the streetcars were replaced by buses in 1962....................

"NYO"

["PSCT"]

[Cyberider]

The B&QT Birney looked more impressive as a rail grinder than a passenger-carrying streetcar.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]