BusTalk

[Mr. Linsky]

Pictured below is a factory photo of fleet # 145 - a 1941 Mack Model LC3G operating for the Roanoke Railway and Electric Company of Roanoke Virginia.

# 145 and three sister LC3G Macks were among the first transit buses for Roanoke and began the elimination of that city's street railway system.

This was the only order from Mack as the next buses delivered in July of 1945 were four GM TG3206's numbered 158 to 161.

The solidly built heavy duty LC's, with a capacity for 31 passengers, were just slightly smaller then the popoular 'CW' models already discussed in this forum and 503 were produced between 1940 and 1943.

An interesting note; In the original 'LC' design the engine radiator was placed on the curb side but was found to accumulate an inordinate amount of debris in the coils.

Mack solved the problem by moving the unit to the street side in later production as can be seen in the photo.

Photo courtesy of the Mack Truck Museum, Allentown, Pa.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Jamaica, NY

1491

[Cyberider]

What a cutey. Nice paint job too. Only downside is putting the streetcars out of business.

[Mr. Linsky]

Pictured below is fleet # 3201 - a 1957 Mack Model C47DT originally operated as a demonstrator for the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway Company and photographed by Richard Driscoll in Lynn Massachusetts in 1965.

The 44 passenger C47 series was Mack's attempt to compete with GM's lighter weight 4500's but still tipped the scales at well over a ton more.

Mack produced 519 of these buses which were actually 1,000 lbs lighter than their well received C45 series.

Operators complained that the Mack Bus in general was too heavy and costly on fuel and therefore uneconomical to operate.

Eastern Massachusetts, one of Mack's largest postwar customers, purchased a total of 158 units comprised of 117 C45's and 41 C47's.

Photo courtesy of the Walker Transportation Collection.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Jamaica, NY

1536

[Mr. Linsky]

Pictured below is a very interesting bus with an even more interesting history;

Purchased by International Railway Company (IRC) of Buffalo, NY as part of an order for ten buses (ser# 1254 to 1263) delivered in August of 1941, this Mack Model LC3G single door was fitted for interurban operation with high speed gearing, hign back mohair seats and 'trumpet' air horns for use on routes between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York.

Following IRC's merger with Niagara Frontier Transit System in 1954 two of these original LC's were converted to fairbox vaults to service the new Niagara Frontier Grant Fare Box System.

#12, the bus pictured, remained in repair service until December of 1971.

Notice that the four center windows have been removed and replaced with what appears to be a roll up door to expedite fair box service.

Photo courtesy of the Buffalo Transit Photo Gallery.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Jamaica, NY

1651

[Mr. Linsky]

This has to be a first!

Pictured below (top) is a 1947 Mack Model C45GT (Gas Transit) operating for Citizen's Rapid Transit Company of Hampton, Virginia in a photo taken in June of 1974.

Of note, of course, is the after market air conditioning system that CRTC installed on this bus and one other C45GT (lower photo) for use in interurban service.

The first Mack (top) was an ex St. Louis Public Service and one of 100 delivered numbered in the 4000's in May of 1947.

The second bus below of the same vintage, which affords a better view of the rear A/C equipment, is said to have come from Little Rock, Arkansas but I find no further information on it.

These are certainly a pair of rare Macks to say the least!

Photos courtesy of Citizen's Rapid Transit archives.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Jamaica, NY

1786

[Mr. Linsky]

Pictured below is supposedly a 1956 GM TDM 5106 operated by the New York City Fire Department to transport fire and rescue personnel to major emergencies.

It is obviously an ex something because the only new '56' TDM 5106's were 25 delivered to Public Service Coordinated of New Jersey (fleet #'s K700 to K724).

I say that the bus is supposedly a TDM 5106 because I can't see a mechanical transmission (usually used in suburban service) in combination with a rear door and a double stream front door (usually identified with local transit operations).

The only logical answer that I can come up with is that it is not a TDM but a TDH and may have been one of a fleet of 5106's purchased by the New York City Transit System in 1957 (although I am uncertain as to whether they had double stream front doors).

I think I'll have to let the real 'old look' experts define this one (unless I can come up with more answers myself!).

Photo and original information courtesy of 'The School Bus Yard'.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Jamaica, NY

1831

[Cyberider]

Thanks for continuing to post these very interesting buses, Mr. Linsky. I've never seen an air-conditioned Mack before. Imagine, an almost 30-year old gas bus still in service and looking good with AC. As for the "TDM, " I agree that it would be unusual for what appears to be a city bus with a manual transmission, but maybe the experts over at GMOldLookBus can answer that definitively.

[Mr. Linsky]

[Cyberider]

[Mr. Linsky]

Pictured below is fleet # 1899 (originally numbered 1818 before overhaul in 1974) – a 1965 GM TDH 3501 (Toro Flow truck Diesel) operating for The Port Authority of Allegheny Pa. (Pittsburgh), and one of 45 (ser# 0265 to 0309) delivered in September of 1965.

Allegheny (known as PAT) was insistent upon air conditioning for these little buses (as is illustrated in the picture) and, while GM had made no plans for such an option, they did agree to install after market Thermo King equipment before delivery.

This was a learning experience for GM considering that they had never air conditioned an ‘integral’ design transit which led to a factory option by Frigidaire on the TDH 3502A by 1966.

Thermo King, basically a truck refrigeration system, made these buses so cold that even in 80 degree temperatures drivers brought winter overcoats to work, and came to nickname their rides as ‘meat wagons’!

It is interesting to note that while these coaches appear to be genuine ‘old looks’, they are structured differently, were built on separate assembly lines and shared only side panels and front and rear clips with their heavy duty cousins.

It is also interesting to note that this PAT shipment was originally scheduled for delivery to the U.S. Navy.

A personal note; the photo is from the collection of the late Don Weiss who was both a close friend to me and a vice president of the Motor Bus Society.

Mr. Linsky – Green Bus Lines, Jamaica, NY

1884

[Mr. Linsky]

Pictured below is fleet # 19 - a 1942 'Improved' Mack Model 'CY3G' (ser# 1241) operating for the Broadway Bus Line (although ordered originally for Broadway Transportation Company - and presumably a New Jersey operator by the license plate).

Mack never gave improvements new model numbers - they just called them 'improved' whatever they were originally, but this bus was actually a slightly larger version of their popular CW model with 27 seats (25 with rear door), a 182 inch wheelbase and a 100 horsepower 354 cubic inch 6 cylinder gas engine.

The 'CY', first offered in 1938, was the first Mack changed to 'unitized' construction.

Notice the rare optional fog lights under the headlamps and the special front bumper as well as a pretty snappy livery.

The production records of Mack show that this was a one bus order.

Photo courtesy of n7af at GMOldLookBus and the Redden Archives Collection.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Jamaica, NY

1973

[Mr. Linsky]

Once in a while, I have to return to my Alma Mater!

Pictured below is fleet # 514 (originally G514) – a 1935 Mack Model 6CX3S (ser# 1014) and one of 35 operated for Green Bus Lines, Inc., of Jamaica, New York shown in a photo taken in Rockaway Queens sometime in the 1940’s.

At 30 seats with a wheelbase of only 169 inches, these little buses were ideal for the narrow streets and tight turns of Richmond Hill and Ozone Park, and were quite a bargain at $8585.00 each! (even in those days).

The CX’s were the last Macks with engine forward design and, with the exception of engine accessibility complaints by mechanics and heat prostration for summer drivers, these buses ran exceedingly well for many years.

You could say that the CX (which was a streamlined version of the Model 'CL') was almost custom made for Green Line because only 50 were built with 15 going to various smaller properties.

Two Green Line CX’s eventually found their way to Avenue ‘B’ and East Broadway Transit and continued in service well into the late fifties (also pictured below is ex G522 in Avenue ‘B’ livery and renumbered A239 - notice the addition of the heavy steel front bumper for 'crash' protection!).

Avenue ‘B’ photo borrowed from BusTalkIII Gallery for educational purposes only.
Green Line photo courtesy of Green Bus Lines archives.

Mr. Linsky – Green Bus Lines, Jamaica, NY

2036

[Mr. Linsky]

An update on the New York City Fire Department bus featured earlier in this forum (and pictured in different pose below);

My friend Vincent, our resident 'Old Look' expert, from the GMOldLook Yahoo Group has verified that tell tail signs in the picture indicate positively that the bus is one of the original 400 GM TDH 5101's manufactured exclusively for NYC BofT and delivered in 1948/1949.

BTW; it sure does look better in the red than the original drab green but it would have looked even nicer with brightly polished chromium bumpers ala FDNY!

Thanks for sharing this information Vince.

Photo courtesy of Vincent A. Syrek, GMOldLookBus

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Jamaica, NY

[Cyberider]

[Cyberider]