BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The last "non-BINO" purchased by the "See-Tee-Yay".........

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/531213718526640748/

["Rapid Transit Series"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

Sounds like they were latecomers to the "Are-Tee-Ess" party . . .

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Thought.........

"En-Jay-Tee", like the "See-Tee-Yay" was indeed a "latecomer" to the RTS scene; it was not until the later 1990s that the first "NOVA" models began appearing.

Then, thankfully for Your's Truly, it was possible for the RTS fan to get to savor the ex-MTA "Torpedos" on ACADEMY's #22!

Man, do I miss those days (AND those buses!)

"NYO"

["22 HILLSIDE"]

[MaBSTOA 15]

Regarding the silver side belt on the Old Look GM buses. Here is information that was provided to customers and found in the Classified Catalog Coach Parts and Accessories.

Ive seen TGH-3101 with the silver side belt.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

MaBSTOA 15:

Cannot believe it is now nearly 40 years since I rode on an Old Look (Summer, 1985)

They truly were AMERICAN CLASSICS and I've loved them for nearly 70 years!

LOVED the suburbans with the silver strips on the dash, graduating in size; I always thought it looked like the bus was SMILING! (and I STILL do, nearly 70 years later!!

"NYO"

["1 JOURNAL SQUARE"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Speaking of double-deckers.......

Next year (2026) it will be EIGHTY YEARS since the last open-top "Blunderbuses" were retired from the FACCo fleet........

Only those who were kids or VERY young adults would today remember these iconic buses..........at least Mom had memories of rising them as a young girl, and related those wonderful experiences to me, later in life!

"NYO"

["3"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Interesting..........

Double-deckers were obviously not at all commonplace out on the West Coast; "El-Yay" DID operate old-fashioned "Blunderbuses" into the 1940s.

I have seen photos of "open toppers" (not all that many) used to carry tourists about, lined up near the Ferry Building, in photos depicting the 1915 Exposition............

"NYO"

["1915"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Where does the time get to.........

Cannot believe it is now just shy of 50 YEARS since the last Old Look "suboibans" vanished from my area ("O&B"/"PS"/"TNJ")

Man, I STILL miss 'em today......they were REAL buses, indeed........

"NYO"

["NEW YORK EXPRESS"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B:

I very seldom buy a paper these days (and The Post I'll only buy if there is an article I'm interested in); but, today, I DID buy a copy of the Post, as it had an article on this weekend's "Bus Fest".

The few photos were VERY poor quality, grainy and faded; interestingly, they stated that the closed-top FACCo, later model "Blunderbus" was retired in 1947; we all know here that the non-"QM" types were retired in 1946.

Seems this bus is known as "Betsy"; sure wish they'd christen the 1917 open-topper "Blunderbus"!

The Museum's "Dangerfield" was described thusly:

"......an electric blue 1969 Flxible bus, which served the Bronx and staten Island due to its ability to traverse steep hills......"

This comment I HAD to agree with.....

".....now we have these 'accordian buses', which are not as charming as the double-deckers......."

DUH!!!!!!!

Anyway, just thought I'd share this......

"NYO"

["GO THE THE MOTOR COACH WAY"]

["NYCTA"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Further.......

Again, the three photos in the aforementioned Post article were of exceedingly poor quality; also, there was no mention of the "Jackie Gleason" bus.....was it even there on display?

"NYO"

["2629"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Also......

"Betsy" (the closed-top "Blunderbus') was (according to today's New York Post article), after being sold in 1961, also had brief tenures in Nevada, Alaska, and Toronto, before finally returing to "Noo Yawk"................"

".......most of the Museum's bus collection is stored in a Bronx bus depot......" (former "Soiface"/"stoa" territory).........

"NYO"

["stoa"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

That whole show was just about to come to an end as I returned from my "Isle of Staten" excursion . . . same with the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy (I go there for the sweet sausages).

But the REAL "Jackie Gleason bus" - the one he and his Honeymooners cast posed inside - was scrapped long before that imposter bus (a 1948 40' "Bee O'Tee" bus repainted to resemble #2969 - and very badly at that) was put in as a stand-in. "NYE-Koh," from what I recall, had no silver in their paint scheme, it - like "FAK-oh" - had green and cream, albeit with their layout a bit different.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Too bad you arrived too late to really enjoy the buses.

I wonder why, back in the day, WHY the ORIGINAL "Jackie Gleason bus" was not set aside for preservation?

You MIGHT have thought that there were at least a FEW "Tee-Yay" bus guys back then who were also "Honeymooners" fans, who would have said, "Hey, we GOTTA save THIS bus!"

Recall the 1960s photos our friend "MaBSTOA 15" posted here quite awhile back, of "The Great One" sporting his "Ralph Kramden" bus driver's uniform, and posing with a batwing Fishbow, downl in "My-Ami", with ads promoting "The Jackie Gleason Show"?

Man, I wish we had been there for that "photo shoot"!

"NYO"

["GOTHAM BUS COMPANY"]

[''BUS-O-RAMA"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]