BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Recall the classic song from "The Lion King" ("The Circle Of Life"?)

Long after the streetcars vanished, at least the attractive style of numbering that once graced their flanks were still soldiering on, now displayed on the flanks of their rubber-tired successors..........

"NYO"

["Tee-Yay"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Question:

I had been curious as to why (AFAIK) the old 9th Avenue depot in Brooklyn was not re-used as a bus garage, after the streetcars were replaced.

The bus routes which replaced the last streetcars in 1956 ; which depot hosted these routes?

Am now curious as to what former B&QT car houses (if any, besides ENY) later became bus garages for either the BoT or the "Tee-Yay"..........

"NYO"

[B&QT)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Circa-1940, we have here elderly deck-roofer B&QT #2510 in the company of several interesting prewar buses (note the "AB" Standards at upper left)...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?117437

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["BERGEN"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

As always, I appreciate your info; thanks for posting here.

The B&QT 9th Avenue depot (two levels), according to "BROOKLYN TROLLEYS" (Greller/Watson) opened in 1906; this depot served streetcars for 50 years, and had the distinction of being the only B&QT car house equipped with automatic washers (these were reserved for the PCC fleet)

The cavernous 9th Avenue depot was also the only B&QT facility where PCC routes were based; however, heavy repairs to the PCC fleet were carried out at the sprawling DE KALB facility, until it closed in 1949.

Shop trucks at this depot were "recycled" from scrapped open cars and El equipment...........

"NYO"

["FLATBUSH"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Just thought I'd include this 1950's photo of a postwar B&QT trolleybus (#3020) signed for the "'62 GRAHAM", with a "Sherman" bringing up the rear...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?156335

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["62-GRAHAM"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's a B&QT trolleybus wire map; "home base" for these electric coaches was the BERGEN ST. depot...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?/img/maps/trlybusm.jpg

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["65-BERGEN"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's an interesting picture of B&QT/"Tee-Yay" trolleybus #3074 running on a latter-day fantrip; interesting to note the complicated jumper cables and wire guides required for crossing over the LIRR tracks.........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?156120

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["SPECIAL"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

We've discussed this quite awhile back........

In "NEW YORK TRANSIT MEMORIES" (Harold A. Smith), at bottom of page #41, there is a "last day of the trolleybuses" photo, showing a new "Tee-Yay" Fishbowl just behind an about-to-be-retired B&QT trolleybus at Williamsburgh Bridge Plaza (1960)

I always found it a bit odd that these startling new buses were beginning their service lives in workaday Brooklyn, instead of "tony" Manhattan.

IMHO, until I first saw this photo years ago, I had simply assumed that the modern "Shermans" would have replaced the trolleybuses, then over 20 years on the job.....

"NYO"

["47-TOMPKINS"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Trivia from the same book:

The old MASPETH car house (B&QT) and yard are now long, long gone.

The LIE now passes through the site.........

["MASPETH"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Two photos of the long-gone MASPETH car house and yard (note the variety of equipment on hand)......

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?117590

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?141929

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["FLUSHING AV."]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's a view of the portion of the yard outside of the massive DE KALB car house/shops.

Until it closed, the B&QT's PCC fleet was sent here for heavy repairs.....

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?117651

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["DE KALB"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

....in Brooklyn, a number of streetcar lines utilized private ROW in some areas; this gave the streetcars an advantage over buses, which had to, of course, contend with traffic, no matter where they operated.

In "NEW YORK TRANSIT MEMORIES" (Smith) there is a photo of a postwar TWIN (aka "Oddball") signed for the "58-CORONA".

The caption reads: ".......the first buses to replace the FLUSHING-RIDGEWOOD trolleys were Twin Coaches like 1472. The line was renamed 58-CORONA and its route involved zigzagging on narrow streets, running diagonally to the old trolley right-of-way........"

This is remind me of PSNJ's replacing its last streetcars on the HUDSON and ESSEX Divisions in the late 1940's and early 1950's.

The when buses replaced the HUDSON Division trolleys in 1949, and the Hoboken El demolished, the replacement buses now had to utilize a twisting, convoluted routing on the area streets to reach the Hudson Place terminal in Hoboken, which indeed did add to travel time.

In Newark, the City Subway was opened in 1935, to allow suburban streetcars to bypass the downtown streets and make a speedy trip downtown, via the subway.

When all of the remaining connecting subway-surface lines were converted to bus (the last in 1952) the replacement buses now had to contend with motor vehicles and traffic lights, instead of being able to enjoy a private "conduit" into downtown.........

"NYO"

[#23 CENTRAL"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Private streetcar ROW trackage in Brooklyn...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?7857

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?7785

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?140679

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?140789

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?117832

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?140888

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["NORTONS PT"]