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Mr. Linsky BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 5071 Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 12:14 am Post subject: 'GREEN BUS LINES OF MANHATTAN IN PICTURES' |
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'GREEN BUS LINES OF MANHATTAN IN PICTURES'
As many of you probably already know from much of my writings on the early years of Green Bus Lines, the company had its beginnings on the lower east side of Manhattan in the late teens and was little more than a glorified taxi operation working from a storefront on Houston Street.
However, by 1930, and after much water passed under the bridge along with years of clever business acumen, they found themselves to be a formidable force in the transit industry in the borough with six permitted cross town routes, over 100 new buses, and an impressive office on East 60th. Street.
To service their lucrative uptown lines, the company leased storage and service facilities on 92nd. Street between First and York Avenues at the east end of their 86th. Street cross town route.
Captured on film below are some rare photos of the 92nd. Street Garage which had been taken sometime in 1935 and probably have never been displayed publically since that time.
Note; the fifth picture (a G300 Indiana) and the sixth picture (a G 400 Mack) are shown at work on the M1 Chambers Street route downtown.
Enjoy!
Photos courtesy of the New York Public Library.
Mr. Linsky – Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY
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Cyberider
Joined: 27 Apr 2007 Posts: 501 Location: Tempe, AZ
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 9:08 am Post subject: |
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Wonderful old photos, Mr. Linsky. Thanks for sharing! |
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Mr. Linsky BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 5071 Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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Dave,
Thanks so much - it took a little more than just pushing the red Staples 'that was easy' button on my desk to cover this story!
While the records of the company only show buses going back to 1931 vintage, I do know that Green Line did have some equipment that dated earlier, and probably bought used.
Pictured below is a mid to late twenties Mack (possibly a model 'AB') seen on Green Line's Chambers Street cross town route.
However, I will have to do more research because I cannot certify that it is a Green Line bus (yet!).
The round decals that can be seen just behind the fenders contain the Department of Plants and Structures permit number - so this bus is operating legally.
Photo courtesy of the New York Public Library
Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY
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Mr. Linsky BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 5071 Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:55 pm Post subject: |
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In reference to the Mack bus pictured above (and below) working Chambers Street, Manhattan, I have researched the matter further and find that it is Green Line with quite an interesting story accompanying it.
The coach is a model AB 59 (drop frame - the 'low floor' of the twenties) and saw the largest production of any pre-war Mack with 3970 built between 1924 and 1934. In fact, you might say that the AB series was what made Mack a serious contender in transit bus manufacture.
The years in which the AB's were manufactured plays an important role in determining that the pictured bus is operating for Green Line as we shall soon see.
As far back as 1922 John Succa, whose name later became synonymous with Triboro Coach Corporation, was one of a number of city supervised owner/operators on the Madison and Chambers Street and the Spring and Delancey Street routes downtown, and had organized an association known as Mutual Omnibus to deal collectively with landlords and city agencies.
It was in the fall of 1924 that the Board of Estimate and Apportionment authorized the issuance of revocable franchises for eight Manhattan bus routes including those operated by Mutual.
Of course, Mr. Succa was most anxious to obtain franchises not only for his two routes but for as many of the others as he could.
However, in the course of negotiations the city was reminded that it was permitted to sign contracts only with corporations and not individuals - and the association members were considered individual owners.
To this end, Succa and some of his associates formed Green Bus Lines which was incorporated on April 3rd. 1925 and which offered to operate all bus routes that were on the city's list.
To make a very long story much shorter, Green wound up with the two downtown routes (known as the M1 and M2) and the very lucrative cross town M3 (49th. and 50th. St.), the M4 (79th. St.), M5 (86th. St.) and the M6 (96th. St.) all of which were lost to the Omnibus Corporation in 1936 in exchange for new routes in southwestern Queens.
So, if you take everything that I have said into consideration, and add to it the fact that the bus in the photo is certainly not in new condition, deduction will dictate that it is a Green Liner!
Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY
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Cyberider
Joined: 27 Apr 2007 Posts: 501 Location: Tempe, AZ
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Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 1:59 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the research and interesting findings, Mr. Linsky. I wonder how many woman bus drivers drove those Mack AB's? Looks like an "armstrong" job to me. That goes for starting them too! Of course, I don't even remember any woman bus drivers when I was a kid though I think there were during WWII on account of the man shortage. Interesting early Green Bus Lines history! |
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Mr. Linsky BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 5071 Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.
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Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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Dave,
I should seriously doubt that there were any female bus drivers before World War II, and prior to the first war either merely because the only established bus operation in New York in the teens was Fifth Avenue Coach and I've never read of any ladies behind their wheels (let's put it this way; it was a man's game in those days!).
However, WWII was a different story and while Green Line inparticular did not hire females, the city and at least Schenck Trasportation (L.I.) did.
I remember that in the post war years of the late forties and early fifties a number of women still drove for the two companies mentioned on their Queens routes.
Today, here in L.A., I would say that about 25% of LACMTA drivers are girls (and they're great drivers!).
Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY |
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Mr. Linsky BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 5071 Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.
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Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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Dave,
Of course, that's not to say that Fifth Avenue didn't participate in the first war!
Pictured below is a Fifth Avenue Coach open top double decker seen in Staten Island drumming up volunteers for military service.
Notice the 'SPECIAL' on its destination sign and on the FACCO DD behind it.
Photographer unknown.
Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY
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Pipe
Age: 82 Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 78 Location: Tobyhanna PA
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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Mr. Linsky Nice photos from the good old days when a bus was not like the things they call buses today. |
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Mr. Linsky BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 5071 Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:14 pm Post subject: |
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Pipe,
While it's true that the buses of yore were built like Mack trucks (especially the Mack's!), and that they'd all still be running if people hadn't just gotten tired of looking at them, they waren't easy to drive, and were void of the safety and convenience items that we take for granted today.
I mean we're talking 'stone age' as compared to 'space age'!
They are great to look at though, and are great reminders of how it all started.
Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY |
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