BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Joe:

On some other rail site, quite some time back, I saw my FIRST and ONLY photo of one of the aforementioned CNJ shuttle trains on that line; this was the photo that showed the train with perhaps three coaches, with a veteran Camelback on each end (the last CNJ Camelbacks operated in 1954)

As far as the HBLR itself, IMHO, I think that the system has much potential still for expansion.

There had even been, at one, time, talk of extending the HBLR over the Bayonne Bridge and thence onto the former SIRT/B&O Arlington/North Shore line.

Some years ago, a (late) friend of mine (who was also a big CNJ enthusiast and hobby shop owner) told me that his dad had told him that there were provisions built into the Bayonne Bridge to accommodate streetcar tracks; I never knew this until my friend related it to me.

The original HBLR trains are now close to 20 years old; it will, indeed, be interesting to see what new equipment might be used at some future date.

At present, the closest that the HBLR gets to Bergen County is the North Bergen terminal on Tonnelle Avenue; when it will ever be extended into Bergen County is still very much up in the air at this point, and will most likely be for quite some time to come.

Even if the HBLR were to be only extended a few miles northward in North Bergen, that would still mean more stations opened and greater ridership potential.

At present, we can only speculate.....and wait.

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Also of interest......

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

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Speaking of Bayonne (and Staten Island), recall the ELCO Electric Boat Company factory/yard in Bayonne, where PT boats were built during WW2.

It would be interesting to learn what buses served the plant; long ago, I can remember hearing that the there were shuttle buses between ELCO and the nearest CNJ station (there might have been other buses serving the factory as well)

In "OLD LOOK BUSES" (Luke/Metler) there is a GM ad showing two Old Looks, that were among 12 new GM's (square window, 1946 models) that were being delivered to "BOULEVARD TRANSIT LINES" of Bayonne.

The lead bus displays "STATEN ISLAND" on the front roller curtain, and "FEDERAL SHIPYARD" on the side sign.

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here is a rare view inside the massive PSNJ carbarn/garage in Union City, taken in the later 1930's.

Note the rear of the bus on the left; a "BAYONNE FERRY" sign (Bergen Point ferry) is displayed in the rear window.

Until 1943, PS operated several ferry lines; "ELECTRIC FERRIES" took over operation of the 125th St. Ferry, while "SUNRISE FERRIES" took over the Bayonne crossing, which remained in service until the early 1960's.........

http://www.newdavesrailpix.com/psct/htm/psct135.htm

(courtesy: davesrailpix)

[N4 Jamaica]

Thanks for jogging my memory of ferry advertisements in rear windows of buses. Of course it is the 1940's that I recall. Because the George Washington Bridge and a Lincoln Tunnel had already opened, advertising was needed to send cars and foot passengers to the 125th Street ferry, which docked below the amusement park. Dad did not spend money on bus fare up the hill. We walked.
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One of the websites has a few photos of buses outside the gate of the amusement park. Those photos might show the ads.
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At the gate, I recall our walking behind one of the newer prewar buses, which had the exhaust come up high. As we passed, the driver gunned the engine and we got a cloud of fumes in our faces. Somebody smart later faced exhausts to the pavement.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Joe:

You are welcome!

With its huge fleet of buses, streetcars (and also, ferryboats) PS was quite diverse in its day; the ferryboats wore the same "triangle in a circle" emblem on their stacks that the buses and streetcars wore on their flanks.

Speaking of Palisades Park (closed 1971), the NHBL operated a special run to the park during the season, the #2.

It followed the same route as the #1, but, instead of terminating at Nungessers, would continue on north to the park.

I remember this service well; the buses were pretty crowded both coming and going (I can remember only Old Looks used on the #2)

Getting back to the HBLR, when service was first extended to Bayonne, in the early 20th century, it marked the first time since 1978 that Bayonne had any sort of passenger rail service; the former CNJ/ConRail shuttle ("the Scoot") to Cranford had been abandoned in 1978.

Too, it is interesting to recall that there had been plans to extend the H&M south through Bayonne and then, via a new set of tubes, to Staten Island.

Just east of Journal Square station there was (is?) a short spur that branched off from the main (eastbound) PATH tracks, usually used for work equipment; supposedly, this was supposed to be where H&M trains were to have cut off the main line to head towards Bayonne and Staten Island.

Long ago, I read that the H&M trains were to go underground again, and then re-surface near the CNJ's Communipaw station, about a mile out from the ferry terminal.

There, the H&M trains would have traveled south through Bayonne, and then into a new set of tubes, to reach Staten Island.

I often wonder how the B&O would have felt about these Jersey "upstart" invading their territory, as the B&O controlled all rail operations (including the SIRT) on the Island.......

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here we see a PSNJ 3500-series car ("HUDSON RIVER" line) at Hackensack, in 1935, heading east to the Edgewater ferry terminal (note the #125th St. Ferry roller sign); also, you can just make out a dash advertisement for Palisades Amusement Park.

At the time of this photo, many commuters were still using the 125th St. ferry, transferring to streetcars and buses at Edgewater.

Note, too, the large "Golden Glow" headlight, used to illuminate long open stretches of private ROW; these were last used on the few remaining deck roof cars still running on the #7 City Subway in the early 1950's.......

http://www.newdavesrailpix.com/psct/htm/psct143.htm

(courtesy: davesrailpix)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

This picture is rare because it shows DE CAMP buses alongside a PS "subway-surface" streetcar (#29 line) at the end of the line at Caldwell.

The DE CAMP buses terminated here from Journal Square (#22) for many years; also, the #144 ("MOUNTAIN COACHES"/"TRACKLESS TRANSIT") which operated from Newark.

PSNJ #29 buses replaced the subway-surface cars in March, 1952.

The Old Look on the extreme right was indeed "the new kid on the block" when this photo was snapped.

As a kid (early/mid-60's), I remember the little station/luncheonette at this terminal (Bloomfield Avenue), and that you could still see the old streetcar rails and a few line poles still intact at this loop.

As mentioned previously, he #29 was also the last subway-surface streetcar line to run via the Newark City Subway (March, 1952)

In my day, DE CAMP was using Old Looks and ACF-BRILL C-44's on the #22; Mom and I often rode these buses out from JSQ to visit relatives in West Orange, many, many moons ago........

http://www.newdavesrailpix.com/psct/htm/psct042.htm

(courtesy: davesrailpix)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

This photo was snapped inside the "Big House" section of the sprawling Union City garage/car house; this lofty, turreted section was quite Gothic in appearance, and was the original portion of the complex, built in the 1890's.

I knew this huge complex well growing up, as it was only a 15 minute walk from our apartment building on 13th St.,

Note that PS's prewar bus paint is still dominant; the older front-engined bus on the left is signed for the "22 HILLSIDE"; this long-established line was later sold to ACADEMY (we knew this line for many, many years), and, more recently, became an NJT route.

PSNJ took delivery of its first YELLOW Old Looks in 1940.

Foolishly, NJT saw fit to cut back the #22 to Nungessers sometime around 2005, eliminating service to Fairview, Cliffside Park, and Fort Lee.........

http://www.newdavesrailpix.com/psct/htm/psct150.htm

(courtesy: davesrailpix)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Photo gallery on today's ultra-bland PATH Transportation Center at Journal Square*:

http://www.subwaynut.com/path/journal_square/index.php

(courtesy: subwaynut)

*As you can see, it is now virtually impossible to recall the old H&M station and the former bus lanes.......

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

An HBLR train near Harborside (just north of Exchange Place) 2008)

As can be seen here, it is impossible to make any sort of connection to the Exchange Place area as it was, back in the days of the PRR and PSNJ......

http://www.subwaynut.com/hblr/harborside_fc/harborside_fc3.jpg

(courtesy: subwaynut)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Until August, 1949, streetcars of the "UNION CITY" line used the winding private ROW* that hugged the side of the Palisades, as the cars descended down from Boulevard East to to the West Shore (NYCRR) terminal.

The streetcars shared a waiting shed with buses and ASV's at the terminal for many years.

In August, 1949, this car line became the #19 bus line (Hoboken-West Shore terminal).........

http://www.newdavesrailpix.com/psct/htm/psct151.htm

http://www.newdavesrailpix.com/psct/htm/psct152.htm

(courtesy: newdavesrailpix)

*the old ROW still exists today, along with some of the old line poles that were embedded in the concrete wall between the vehicular roadway (Pershing Avenue) and the streetcar ROW)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Though, in 1949, the "UNION CITY" line was the only PS streetcar route serving the West Shore Terminal at Weehawken, in earlier years, cars of the "WEEHAWKEN" line also served the terminal.

In 1931, this streetcar line was combined with the "WEST NEW YORK" line; the WEST NEW YORK" line itself saw its last streetcars in 1937........

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

In the postwar years, GM more than dominated the PS fleet; outside of a demo MACK, and a group of ACF-BRILL C-44's that were sold after a few years. GM was THE "bus of choice" for PS.

During WW2, virtually the entire PS bus fleet was YELLOW (in the ASV fleet, there was only one lone "MACK"; all others were built by YELLOW)

The main reason that so many older front-engined buses survived on the PS roster as long as they did was because of WW2; quite a few NJ companies still had at least some front-engined buses in service into the early postwar years.

"Boulevard" had at least one still running as late as 1950 (do not know the builder, however).....

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

In this nostalgic photo taken in 1960, we see PS J-323 in Newark, operating as a substitute for City Subway service.

This photo dates back to 1960 (note taped sign over the signbox); PS was using three buses to replace the Subway streetcars, so that new bridge girders could be (quickly) installed for the City Subway bridge that spanned the electrified M&E DL&W tracks at Orange St........

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3402

(courtesy: bus.nycsubway.org)