BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"Keepin' Kool"............

Curious as to what the ratio was between a/c and non-a/c "Dangerfields" in the "Em-Tee-Yay"/"stoa" fleets.

Also, were there more a/c buses assigned to certain depots (also routes) than others?

Appreciate info.......thanks in advance.........

"NYO"

["FLXIBLE"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Further..........

The ex-PSNJ Fishbowls I knew (and rode) so well for so many years were the rugged, reliable "Z-300s" (late 1960s-era "Bullets")

To look at them from the OUTSIDE, you would think these weren't a/c buses (no rooftop unit at the rear)

These buses WERE a/c-equipped, and, along one side (running the length of the bus) was a duct placed where the car cards normally would be displayed (man, these babies cranked up the cold to the point you thought you were riding aboard a PFE reefer!!)

My question......

Were any such buses in the "Tee-Yay"/"Em-Tee-Ay" fleets?

"NYO"

['AIR CONDITIONED"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

As usual, your input/knowledge is most appreciated....thanks!

As to that interior duct a/c arrangement I had mentioned; the only buses I ever recalled this system being used in were the "Z-300" series Fishbowls; these buses dominated the "21" for years until the new Metro "B's" began taking over.

Were any other series of "Pee-Es" transit Fishbowls also equipped with the aforementioned a/c system?

Your guess is as good as mine, at this point.........

"NYO"

["Z 335"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Further..............

Now I am wondering if possibly:

Did "Pee-Es-En-Jay" add this "duct"-type a/c system as part of in "in-house" upgrade?

OR, might this have been an "option" from "Gee-Em"?

Frankly, I am only making guesses, here...............

"NYO"

["21 WEST NEW YORK']

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Good point.

"Pee-Es-En-Jay" was indeed a company that had no shortage of "quirks", "experimentations", etc. over the years, dating waaaaay back to the days of streetcars and ASVs.

Case in point:

"Pee-Es" (for whatever reason) referred to ASV drivers as "salesmen"!

Regarding the interior duct a/c unit, my memory is starting to come into focus elsewhere, and I now seem to recall at least a few NHBL Fishbowls also featuring a similar arrangement.

Were these, perhaps, "add on" packages available through "THERMO KING"?

Remember, I'm only taking guess, here............

"NYO"

["HUDSON COUNTY BOULEVARD"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

Your guess is about as good as mine, but you just might be on to something there . . .

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Further...........

Just now wondering if ALL of the "Pee-Ess"/"Tee-En-Jay's" transit Fishbowls might have utilized the aforementioned interior duct a/c units; NONE of their transit Fishbowls were equipped with rooftop units.....this rooftop a/c unit could only be found on the "suboiban" models...........

"NYO

["165 NEW YORK"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Strange.......

Since I brought up the subject of the PSNJ/TNJ "Z-300" series Fishbowls I am now remembering the other series of PS/TNJ Fishbowls.......and the fact that NONE were equipped with the familiar rooftop a/c unit (that is, IF they had a/c)

IMHO, I can't see only the "Z-300s" being furnished with the interior duct a/c system I'd mentioned earlier; surely, other series of (transit) Fishbowls in the fleet also had to be so equipped...........so precious little of the busload of PSNJ "quirks" and variations, out there, to study and sift through...........

"NYO"

["Z-335"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

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

In "WELCOME ABOARD THE GM NEW LOOK BUS" (McKane/Squier) there is an interesting photo showing a close-up of the roof a/c unit of a Santa Cruz Fishbowl; the city's transit agency operated two groups of T8H-5307As.

There were five non a/c buses within this group; the non a/c buses, interestingly enough, were furnished with roodtop a/c units, which, in reality, were only empty shells.

Now, the "plot" thickens........

"......the TDH-3301A featured rooftop units that were similar to those used on larger New Look buses. Like the 35- and 40-foot buses, the a/c system consisted of a Thermo-King evaporator and condenser package mounted in a compartment at the top rear of the coach........"

"......unlike the larger buses, the conditioned air was circulated by two centrifugal blowers that forced cool air into full-length longitudinal ducts above the standee windows......"

"NYO"

["19-26 UNION CITY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

It would be interesting to learn how many Fishbowls in the greater NY/NJ area once utilized the a/c systems that featured the interior ducts above the standee windows.

The few NHBL Fishbowls I recall having a/c (I'm going back many, many years now) utilized the "traditional" roof unit mounted above the rear window............

"NYO"

["B-118"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

A/C or no A/C..................

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?156534

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?156546

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?153655

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?153649

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["B-112"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Strange..............

Think of how, way back in the day, for the most part, the easiest way to tell if a bus (transit OR "suboiban") had a/c was to look for the rear a/c unit on the roof.

Then, there were the buses like the ex-"Pee-Es" Z-300 series Fishbowls, which used interior ducts for a/c, and lacked the familiar roof units.

Odd, in a way, that while there were companies which operated a/c-equipped transit Fishbowls/"Dangerfields" without rooftop units (interior ducts) whereas the "Tee-Yay"/"Em-Tee-Yay" did not.........

"NYO"

["AIR CONDITIONED"]