BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

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Further interesting "bits" from "NORWOOD"

At Jacksonville (NC):

Bus # is 14507.

Outside of station sports an oval sign reading "CONTINENTAL TRAILWAYS BUS".

A red-uniformed hostess is seen with a clipboard in hand; in front of the station building there is another sign featuring a cut-out of a "CONTINENTAL" hostess.

One young lady outside the bus in full "CONTINENTAL" uniform signals the driver to pull out, as all passengers seem to be aboard (Glen and his trust guitar barely make the bus before it pulls out!)

VERY nice sequence featuring a v/o of Glenn singing "I'll Paint You A Song" as we see a very nice montage of his sleek "SILVER EAGLE" tooling through the American countryside..........

"NYO"

["GO CONTINENTAL TRAILWAYS"]

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Here's a sleek and timeless Model "05" in its original handsome livery.

For obvious reasons, I will always associate this iconic bus with Glen Campbell's 1970 film, "NORWOOD" (the movie itself was filmed during 1969)

Truly a bus that, to this very day, is still an American classic............

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/321796335864941184/

["SILVER EAGLE"]

(It would have been most interesting, for certain, to be on location during the filming for "NORWOOD", watching the TRAILWAYS sequences being filmed!)

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Thought...........

Unlike GREYHOUND in the hit 1934 comedy "IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT", CONTINENTAL TRAILWAYS was not a "co-star" in 1970s 'NORWOOD".

However, there were enough excellent scenes in the film to give today's enthusiasts a tangible and colorful look at what TRAILWAYS was like, well over 50 years ago.

Indeed, when watching the TRAILWAYS scenes, we are at once transported back to a time, over a half-century ago, when our highways glittered with both GOLDEN and SILVER Eagles; a time of small-town bus stations, fully-uniformed TRAILWAYS drivers and hostesses.

Today, in 2024, with CONTINENTAL TRAILWAYS long-since gone, and GREYHOUND but a shell of its former self, the bus scenes in "NORWOOD" indeed serve as a glimpse into a long-gone era in intercity bus travel, a time when both the buses.....and the journey itself......were both stylish and exciting adventures...............

"NYO"

["5 STAR LUXURY SERVICE"]

[traildriver]

The "star" of that movie, 14507, had a brass plaque mounted on the inside of the destination sign box that read:

"This Continental Trailways coach was used extensively in Hal B. Wallis's production of "Norwood", starring Glen Campbell and Kim Darby".

IIRC, 14507 was Continental Western's first "new look" model 05. It was in the transcontinental New York-St. Louis-Amarillo-Albuquerque- Los Angeles pool, and was a regular visitor to the PABT.

Speaking of destination signs, the "Jacksonville" and "Texarkana" were not included on the "national standard" roll of destinations. They could have been on a specialty regional roll for some division, or could have been added just for the movie, although they do appear to have the standard font, so probably the former....

[traildriver]

I don't know where that movie was actually filmed, but in its regular pool service, that coach never went to a "Jacksonville" or Texarkana. There was that "establishment shot" in NY, but where the bulk of the actual filming was, I would guess was closer to Hollywood, especially based on it being a Continental Western Lines coach...

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traildriver:

THANK YOU for providing this great trivia.....MUCH appreciated!

Any chance that #14507 was spared the torch and was saved? (I'm not holding my breath on this one)

I wonder if that brass plaque still survives.

I could not get get much at all (surprisingly) on filming locations, except "California/Texas/Tennessee".

You mentioned the destination sign readings used.

Recall now 1959's Hitchcock thriller "NORTH BY NORTHWEST"; the scene where Cary Grant is seen boarding a SCENICRUISER was supposed to be at some desolate crossroads in Indiana.

In fact, the scene was actually filmed at East Bakersfield (California)

The bus used here was PACIFIC GREYHOUND's #K-2334; it was signed "INDIANAPOLIS".

This sign was a "Hollywood" sign, as, from what I've read, the PACIFIC GREYHOUND buses did not have "INDIANAPOLIS" on their roller curtains...........

"NYO"

["INDIANAPOLIS"]

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Rollsigns............

Back in the day, rollsigns and their plethora of destination readings, indeed, must have reflected virtually all of America; the names of countless big cities, medium-sized towns, and small hamlets were displayed on the roller curtains of GREYHOUND and TRAILWAYS buses, places of commerce and of small-town hominess, all to be seen on these once-commonplace roller curtains.

I have in my collection an operating manual for the PD-4501R; while there is no mention of the roller curtains themselves, there is the following information, under the heading: "GENERAL USE OF LIGHTS".........

"......two-position switch----'OFF' to right, and 'ON' to the left. With switch in "ON" position, front destination sign illuminates........"

Meanwhile, over at TRAILWAYS, recall now the older-model EAGLES also had side signs; in fact, many intercity/highway (and suburban buses) also were once furnished with side signs......

"NYO"

["NEW YORK EXPRESS"]

[traildriver]

Side signs, are especially useful for curbside loading, or terminals that have multi-lane style loading (which I never liked). Passenger's approaching bus from rear could see the destination without having to walk past the entrance door to peer up, around the front to see it...

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traildriver:

The side sign boxes that Your's Truly was most familiar with were those "slots" found on some Old Look and Fishbowl suburbans (this might have been an "extra cost" option)

On the Old Looks, the side "slot" signs were below the windows, just behind the front door; on the Fishbowls, the side sign was above the first window behind the passenger door..............

"NYO"

["33 NEW YORK"]

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traildriver:

Thought of you about 15 minutes ago, while watching an ABC News report on the Francis Skott Key Bridge disaster last week.

They were talking about marine traffic entering and leaving Baltimore harbor, wreckage cleanup, marine traffic diversions, etc.

Also saw interesting footage of the Coast Guard setting out new buoys in the area.

Footage also showed CARNIVAL CRUISE passengers being detoured (to Norfolk, I believe?) and they were shown debarking ACADEMY Van Hools (of course, you came to mind!)

I also saw that the old ACADEMY scheme of blue and white is no more (I'm pretty much out of touch with bus operations these days, since I retired in 2004, and no longer pass through the Lincoln Tunnel twice daily)

Looks like ACADEMY is, as to be expected, always on the job........

"NYO"

["Van Hool"]

[traildriver]