BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"All steel".........

Unlike New York, where all elevated cars were of wood construction, Boston began operations of all-steel El cars early on; in fact, by the 1920s, all wooden El equipment had been replaced by steel cars.

In New York, the very last wooden El cars were the iconic "Q" cars (rebuilt for the 1939 World's Fair) which ran until 1969, when Brooklyn's famed Myrtle Avenue El was closed.

At the time, they were the last examples of wooden revenue service rolling stock still in operation..........

"NYO"

["BOSTON ELEVATED RAILWAY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Interesting.........

When the LIRR abandoned service to the Rockaways in the late 1940s (due to numerous trestle fires), the ROW lay dormant for some years until the NYCTA purchased it, and revamped it for subway service.

In Boston, the old electric narrow-gauge railway, the BOSTON, REVERE BEACH, & LYNNE was abandoned in 1940; its ROW lay intact (sans tracks and catenary) for years, and, by the early 1950s, was being operated as a new rapid transit line (again, using overhead wires), which is today's "BLUE LINE".

Indeed, interesting parallels between the two cities.......

"NYO"

["REVERE BEACH"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's an interesting article........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IND_Rockaway_Line

["HH"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Regarding the IND Rockaway line.........

Interesting that the old LIRR line utilized MU's powered by third rail, and the subway trains (also MUs) also utilized third rail; the old LIRR line was indeed easy to adapt to rapid transit, in most cases, as the stations were already of high-level platform configuration............

"NYO"

["S"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Boston buses, back in the day...........

Post WW-2, Boston, like Chicago, operated a number of different (ind interesting!) types of buses.

There were Old Looks, WHITE 798s, MACKS, and ACF-BRILLS (C-36)

Fishbowls arrived in the 1960s, followed by Flex New Looks (aka "Dangerfields")

Then, too, were the ACF-BRILL and P-S trolleybuses, which were replaced by NEW FLYERS during the 1970s.

Until the early 1960s, some prewar PULLMAN trolley buses were still in use, as rush-hour trippers.

Indeed, QUITE a bit of "bus diversity" in Boston, back the days......

"NYO"

["COOLIDGE COR.-BEACON"]

[Cyberider]

NYO,

By chance, I happened to see a photo of one of the Pullmans on FB this afternoon.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's an interesting page on ex-Boston streetcar #396, which appeared briefly in the 1963 film, "THE CARDINAL"; the scenes where the streetcar (exterior and interior views) took place in 1917.

#396 was later featured in a late 1970s episode of the PBS miniseries, "THE BEST OF FAMILIES"; here, the car was repainted and relettered for the "PACIFIC TRACTION COMPANY" (Brooklyn); the episode was depicting the infamous 1895 Brooklyn Streetcar Strike.

The historic car was lent out to the MBTA from the Seashore Trolley Museum (losing its vestibule bulkheads) and operated on MBTA trackage, through areas that resembled 1890s Brooklyn.

There are many photos of #396 on this page, taken during the filming of "THE CARDINAL"

https://railroad.net/the-cardinal-filming-locations-t78860.html

"NYO"

["MALDEN"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Further........

In "THE CARDINAL", #396, interestingly enough, ran on a section of abandoned track (Belmont Street), drawing current from the MTA trolleybus overhead, then in use.

This car was built by St. Louis in 1900; some cars in this series were later used in the constructing of the "Two Rooms" articulated cars.

The very last cars in this series ran in revenue service in 1923; some were later converted into work cars...........

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

On the left-hand side of this page, note photo of #396 at the Seashore Trolley Museum.....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cardinal

When it arrived at the Museum many decades ago, #396 had been used as an electrical test car for many years.

For "THE CARDINAL", #396 was restored back to its original passenger-carrying configuration; the car was rebuilt with enclosed vestibules after 1900.

After filming was completed, the car was returned to Seashore, and later on, the enclosed vestibules were removed.

Interestingly, in the novel "THE CARDINAL", "Fr. Fermoyle's" (Tom Tryon's character in the film) father was a motorman; in the film, he was a conductor.

Also, in the novel, "Fr. Fermoyle's" dad's trolley #3 (to which he was fiercely in charge of, and greatly devoted to) was an elderly single truck car, one long overdue for retirement, daily piloted by devoted veteran motorman "Din Fermoyle"......

"NYO"

["ROXBURY CROSSING"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Boston's "MACKS".............

Through the 1960s, Boston's MTA ("T") rostered a sizeable number of MACKS.

However, by 1970, they had been retired, and sat idle at Arborway, awaiting their last runs to the scrapyard.

The MACKS were indeed TANKS, which could plow through all but the roughest winter storms.

Note the now-gone El in the background, also, note the old line poles which were then still in place.........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?152933

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?152934

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["MTA"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

When these photos were taken at the Everett yards in the early 1970s, the remaining Old Looks in the "T" fleet were soon to be consigned to the cutting torch......

Note the shabby, unkempt condition of these once-proud buses; also note how they have been stripped of exterior advertising........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?152939

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?152942

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?152940

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?152938

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["MTA"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Historic Boston bus trivia.............

Through the 1950s and into the early 1960s, Boston's MTA, in addition to Old Looks, MACKS, and the then-new Fishbowls, also rostered WHITE 798s and ACF-BRILLs.

In the 1920s, the BERy experimented with double-decker operations; one three-axle "SAFEWAY" was purchased, running on a new line between Fenway and North Station.

In the end, city and state officials were not partial to double-deckers, and no further buses were ordered,

The lone "SAFEWAY" was cut down to a single-decker, and, in this configuration, operated for the BERy through the 1930s.

Also, it was in 1922 that the BERy purchased its first buses; these two vehicles were built by "REPUBLIC-KNIGHT MOTORS", and ran on North Beacon Street.

The company also, in 1928, purchased a group of three-axle "VERSARE" buses; these unusual-looking buses (which also ran for "SURFACE TRANSPORTATION" in New York), served Allston and Brighton in Dorchester.



"NYO"

['BOWDOIN"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here, up at Seashore, we see restored #3340, one of Boston's distinctive (ex-Dallas) double-ended PCCs..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?146270

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?146264

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["MATTAPAN"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

These bus photos (at Seashore) were taken back in 2000; I indeed hope that these rare and historic buses have at least had some restoration work on them, since these photos were taken, 25 years ago......

Rare relics, indeed..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?23472

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?23474

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["ACF-BRILL"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

In this photo (again, taken up at Seashore), we see a VERY rare ACF-BRILL looking pretty decent; the Old Look to the rear also appears to be (thankfully) decently kept.

This model ACF-BRILL was shorter than the larger "C-44s" I grew up with in New Jersey, back in the 1960s............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?46013

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["OLD ORCHARD BEACH"]