BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

(see previous postings)
Interesting......

It's obvious that FACCo's horse-drawn, double-deck omnibuses were indeed inspired by those operating in London since the 1850's.

The original omnibuses in London featured "knife-board" seating on the top deck, with the passengers seated back-to-back, facing either side.

These seats were reached by two ladder-like stairways at the rear.

By the 1870's, the transition to forward-facing seating was well under way.

Many other European cities also utilized open-top omnibuses (and trams) prior to electric traction and motor buses......

See:

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

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

FACCo musings..............

WHITES:

It always seemed a bit odd to me that FACCo ordered the six WHITE 1150-D-7's; in a fleet where "Shermans" overwhelmingly dominated, the C-50-DT "Pattons" were in the minority in the FACCo fleet, for certain,

Fishbowls:

FACL, as we know, only rostered 10 Fishbowls (TDH-5301's)

I've always been curious as to why FACL purchased only 10 (were there plans to purchase more before the '62 strike?)..........

"NYO"

["FACL"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

As usual, appreciate your in-depth info; always learning something new!

I, too, imagined, that, had "Dangerfields" had been purchased, they, most likely, would have gone to the less-prestigious routes up in "da Bronx", and, also, Queens.

While on the subject of buses "sticking out like sore thumbs" in a given fleet, recall the 15 ACF-BRILL C-44's ("BRILL-boas") which were ordered in 1947 by "QUEENS-NASSAU TRANSIT" (talk about "bit players"!)

Interestingly, this company resisted "Gee-Em" buses until the early 1950's.

These 15 "BRILL-boas" were the only ACF-BRILL buses to run on the streets of "Noo Yawk".

These unique buses operated until 1960, when they were replaced by 25 Fishbowls (TDH-5302's); "Shermans" did not arrive on the property until 1951, when 30 TDH-4509's were purchased.*

Recall, also, the "BRILL-boa" demo that the "Bee-oh-Tee" tested out on the First Avenue line in 1948.**

This C-48 model later became part of the CTA fleet; the CTA operated a large number of "BRILL-boas" well into the 1960's, including trolleybuses.

"NYO"

["107"]

*Source: "NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT BUSES"(Martin)

**Source: "NEW YORK CITY BUS & TROLLEY COACH FLEET" (Greller)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Further on the "less-than-a-handful" ACF-BRILL ("BRILL-boas") in "Noo Yawk............

Clearly (for whatever reason) the "Bee-oh-Tee" was not at all impressed with the "BRILL-boa".

Overwhelmingly, "Gee-Em" built buses were indeed the hands-down favorites, with the formidable "Pattons" (MACKS) in second place.

The "Oddballs" (postwar TWINS), were, at least, much greater in number than the "BRILL-boa" on "Noo Yawk" streets.

Here in "Joisey", the "BRILL-boas" I knew (C-44's) were suburban models (DE CAMP/INTER-CITY); oddly enough, despite the great variety of manufacturers represented by the old Hudson County "indy" companies which Your's Truly grew up with,, none rostered any ACF-BRILLS.

Baltimore's BTC, on the other hand, ran a sizeable number of "BRILL-boas" until the later 1960's.

The CTA, as I had mentioned earlier, rostered a large number of "BRILL-boas" well into the 1960's.............

"NYO"

["ACF-BRILL"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Look at PSNJ: here was a die hard YELLOW customer, and they, postwar, pledged total loyalty to "Gee-Em" into the early 1970's (well, ALMOST total loyalty; in 1948, PSNJ did, in fact, take delivery of a small number of "BRILL-boa" C-44's suburbans, which, after only several years in service, were sold to DE CAMP)

Then, too, there was the lone postwar MACK suburban demo.

Aside from these few "strays", PS was a loyal and steadfast "Gee-Em" customer; the very first "Dangerfields" (both transit and suburban) did not arrive on TNJ turf until 1977/1976, when nearly 1,000 were delivered, New Jersey's largest bus order to date.

The far-flung "See-Tee-Yay", it must be remembered, well into the 1960's, also rostered a large (and diverse) fleet of buses inherited from both CSL and CMCCo, which included "Shermans", "Pattons", "BRILL-boas", WHITES, and prewar "slant back" TWINS (this does not include the trolleybus fleet, which lasted into the early 1970's)............

"NYO"

["57 LARAMIE"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Speaking of true "Noo Yawk"-area ""oddballs"/"misfits")

Recall the two REO 96-HDT's rostered by "NORTH SHORE BUS COMPANY",being delivered about 1945; only two of these early postwar buses were operated by the company.

Both of these "orphans" would be retired by 1951.

Your's Truly was familiar with the type, however; in the early 1960's, Jersey City-"indies" "LAFAYETTE & GREENVILLE" and "BERGEN AVENUE" both rostered several.

These were indeed buses that "stood out" in a crowd..........

"NYO"

["BERGEN AVENUE LOCAL"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

WHITES..........

These tough-looking buses were once commonplace in many US cities, into the 1960's, and, in a few places, the early 1970's; a number of the "indy" Hudson County-areacompanies I knew 60-odd years ago operated them, in both transit and suburban versions.

The short-lived "ISLE TRANSPORTATION CORPORATION" of Staten Island rostered 35 of the type; they later operated, for a time, in the "Bee-oh-Tee" fleet.

Needless to say, the "Bee-oh-Tee"had no interested in WHITES.........

"NYO"

["6 ST. GEORGE FERRY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

TRIBORO once rostered at least some WHITES..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?154324

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[W.B. Fishbowl]

And NYCO had exactly one White in its entire bus roster, holding the 17 - 79th Street Crosstown route.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

MUNI diversity (no shortage of variety here, back in the day!)

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?156919

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?56538

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?156910

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?156929

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["30 STOCKTON"]