BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Compare these photos ("stoa" and the "T")........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?152936 *

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?153835

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

*Note the derelict "Patton" in the background, in non-"T" paint; perhaps this bus was a "parts donor" for Boston's "Pattons", during the 60's.......

["SURE-IT'S A MACK!"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Examples of outside-hung (rapid transit) doors in "Noo Yawk".........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?75766

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?39201

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["B.M.T. LINES"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

It is important to note that some of the "Bee-Em-Tee's" ungainly, sway-backed "C" units utilized doors that slid into "pockets", which were mounted outside the car body.........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?112843

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?77459

(courtesy: nycsubway.org0

["FULTON LINE L'C'L'"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Now, here's a couple of "Dangerfields" from up Boston-way.........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?152970

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?152991

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["702 WARNUM AVENUE"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

This timeless 1975 photo of the now-defunct "Main Line El" is quite reminiscent of "da Bronx", Brooklyn, or Queens (note Fishbowl at lower right)...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?18450

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["T"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Again, note the "T" Fishbowl 'neath the El..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?49688

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["THERE'S MORE ROOM ON THE 'L'!"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Those doors would more resemble those used on the "surface" stock in London (think "METROPOLITAN"); these lines would be more atkin to our subways.

The doors on the "deep level" Tube stock, however, curve into the car body at the roofline

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

.......from the recent pictures we've looked at here, it would seem that the "T" in Boston began retiring "Shermans" and "Pattons" at about the same times as the "Tee-Yay"/"stoa" began retiring theirs.

Going by the the early 70's photos from Boston, it appears (by the condition of the "Shermans") that these older buses were already OOS, which would have coincided with the last of the type vanishing from "Noo Yawk".

It looks as though there formidable "Pattons" (again, going by the photos I posted) were retired roughly about the same time that their swaggering, diesel-powered brothers were retired from the streets of "Noo Yawk"...............

"NYO"

["LAST STOP"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"Noo Yawk"/Boston.........

The last PCC's ran in Brooklyn in 1956; the last trolleybuses in 1960.

In Boston, refurbished PCC's still operate on the Mattapan-Ashmont line; trolleybuses in Cambridge ran until only a few years ago (Good move, "T""!)

As noted earlier, in Boston, prewar rapid transit cars with outside hung doors were the norm; here in "Noo Yawk", only the "Eye-Are-Tee's" MUDC cars and the "Bee-Em-Tee's" home-built "C" units were equipped with such doors.

And, of course, "Noo Yawk" was, for many years, the undisputed "batwing king" of the bus world...........

"NYO"

["NYCTA"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

IInterestingly enough, in the 1992 film "MALCOLM X", a BMT "Triplex" was lettered for the BERy, and used to represent a 1940's-era Boston rapid transit train (this unit did not operate under its own power, it should be noted)

IMHO, the "Standards" would have made for a better choice, representing prewar Boston cars.........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?7645

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["RAPID TRANSIT-12 MINUTES TO SUMMER ST/"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Further on the D-type "TRIPLEX" used in the "MALCOM X" film, lettered for the BERy........

Remember, Boston's cars did not (and still don't) have the large end signs so characteristic of "Noo Yawk's" subway cars through the R-38's; here again, the "Standards" would have been a better choice for the film, seeing as they were closer in appearance to Boston's prewar equipment (especially the Cambridge cars)............

"NYO"

["HARVARD"]/["4 SEA BEACH"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Of interest...........

When the BERy's East Boston Tunnel line was converted from streetcars to rapid transit trains in 1924 (this changeover took place over the course of a single weekend, believe it or not!) the new cars for the new service were the 0500's, built by PULLMAN.

The new cars were close relatives to those then operated by the IRT/H&M; they were a little over 47' feet in length, and rode on small, 26-inch wheels (recall, these tight tunnels had originally been built for streetcars)

The 0500's were coupled into two-car sets, each set sharing common electrical equipment.

These trains had to endure stiff grades in the tunnels (5%); recall, now, the IRT's "STEINWAY" Lo-V's, operating through the tight tunnels of today's #7 line, which, also, were originally designed for streetcars.

When today's "Blue Line" opened on a portion of the former ROW of the long-defunct narrow-gauge electric line, the "Boston, Revere Beach, & Lynne", using new St. Louis-built cars, and 40 of the old 1924 East Boston cars, which were re-equipped with pantographs and large headlights.

These veteran relics continued in service through the 70's.

"The Train To The Plane", Boston-style?

The first station on the new line beyond Maverick served Logan Airport; this was the very first US rapid transit line to even come close to serving an airport (like the JFK Express, a short bus ride was required between the "Blue Line" trains and the airport)............

"NYO"

["THE TRAIN TO THE PLANE"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here are two 1970's photos of the old 1924 East Boston "tunnel" cars running on the "Blue Line"; note the large headlights and pantographs, which the cars were re-equipped with for "Blue Line" service in the 1950's.

The interior photo* is pure "Noo Yawk", for certain!

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?78240 *

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?18305

(courtesy:nycsubway.org)

["PULLMAN"]