BusTalk

[Mr. Linsky]

Here, we see a changing of the guard so to speak in this image of Columbus Circle circa the war years.

Probably one of busiest and most complicated intersections in Manhattan, Columbus Circle, originally built in 1909, intersects 59th. Street (Central Park South), Eighth Avenue (Central Park West) and Broadway.

Circling the statue are a number of Third Avenue Railway System (TARS) cars servicing the Broadway Line while a lone Yellow Coach TD 4505 operating for the Eighth Avenue Coach Company makes its way north to Central Park West.

A third mode of transit in the form of a kiosk (center foreground) acts as entry to the IRT Broadway 7th. Avenue subway line.

You'll note that traction service along Central Park West operated by the Eighth Avenue Railroad had long been removed and was the first attempt on the part of the then mayor John Hylan to replace all traction lines in the city with buses.

Photo courtesy of Time/Life Publications.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[Mr. Linsky]

I knew the guy with the sandwich board in the picture - bought my first Chauffeur's license off him! (only kidding).

This image was taken post 1953 (as noted by the word 'Auth' stamped at the base of the fairly new Bus Stop sign) and may well have been shot on Worth Street in downtown Manhattan (as noted by what appears to be the Board of Health building at 125 - center left).

The bus is a Mack and very possibly a C-45-GT numbered in either the 1600's or 1900's being operated by the then New York City Transit Authority, and first seeing service on Staten Island in the late forties.

BTW; notice the guy walking by (far left) with the Fedora hat and carrying a ledger under his arm? - he was my bookie for years! (got you again!).

Enjoy,

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[Hart Bus]

WCA: Ah yes, the kind of books you DON'T show to the IRS, especially around April 15th.

ECA:

[Mr. Linsky]

It's a cold and wet wintry night along Fifth Avenue in February of 1961 as we see Fifth Avenue Coach number 2423 (a 1950 GM TDH 4509) wending it's way southward as it passes 55th. Street and a commonplace Con Edison 'Dig We Must' street excavation.

Following about a block behind is another FACCO - a later model TDH 5106 as can be noted by the special 'boxed' destination sign above the windshield.

This photo was taken as the company's 77 years of service on its namesake route was coming to a close with a takeover by the Manhattan & Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority only less than a year later.

Photo courtesy of Time/Life Publications.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[Mr. Linsky]

On March 4th. 1963, in what was probably one of the worst accidents involving a bus in New York City history, a Welfare Island coach owned by the Department of Hospitals carrying ten people careened through a guard rail into the East River killing six including the driver - three others were rescued with one never found.

A Medical Examiner's report concluded that the driver had suffered a massive coronary behind the wheel.

Pictured, with the Queensboro Bridge in the background, is what appears to be a 1950's Ford Transit being lifted from the river by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Photo courtesy of the New York Public Library Digital Gallery

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[Mr. Linsky]

The blizzard of December 26th. 1947 brought New York City to its knees with surface transportation coming to a virtual standstill until the first chaotic hours following the end of the storm.

Pictured below in a shot taken near 23rd. St. in the aftermath on the 27th., we see a number of pre-war East Side Omnibus Corporation Mack's struggling to make their way southward along 2nd. Avenue.

Of note is the lone DeSoto Skyview cab (upper center) which seems to be having much less trouble negotiating the drifts.

East Side Omnibus along with its commonly owned Comprehensive Omnibus served many routes in Manhattan from 1932 until bankruptcy forced a New York City takeover in 1948.

Photo courtesy of New York Daily News Archives.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[Mr. Linsky]

As far back as the early twenties, then New York Mayor John F. Hylan (1918 to 1925) was bent upon ridding the streets of what he called the "noisy, dangerous and unsightly trolley lines" that peppered the city and replacing them with buses.

Ironically, it was almost a decade after his honor vacated office that the city finally embarked upon a full scale transition project and by the mid to late forties most traction lines had disappeared.

Pictured is 42nd. Street looking west past 3rd. Avenue circa late forties where we see road crews beginning to dismantle tracks of the Third Avenue Railway System (TARS), and being done so despite pleas from the riding public to save their favorite trolley line.

Note that Surface Transportation System, an offshoot of TARS, has already placed their latest GM equipment along the route.

Photo courtesy of New York Daily News Archive via Getty Images.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[Mr. Linsky]

This one is dedicated to my friend Vince S. over at GMOldLookBus - a Queens compatriot of mine!

Again, we see the aftermath of the 'Blizzard of 1947' in a photo taken on the morning of December 27th. as buses jammed with commuters attempt to reach the IND subway terminal on Hillside Avenue and 169th. Street in Jamaica.

The buses themselves are interesting with the first being a Twin Coach Model 37-R operating for the North Shore Bus Company (in the throws of city takeover at the time) followed by a pre-war Mack Model LC of Schenck Transportation and a GM Model TDH 4507 in New York City livery (what follows is too difficult to discern).

The 179th. Street IND extension has yet to be constructed and wasn't opened until 1950 (I remember that construction which was by 'cut and cover' method and we rode over wooden planks along the avenue for what seemed like years!).

Photo courtesy of the New York Daily News via Getty Images.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[Mr. Linsky]

Pictured is the result of the first morning of a strike by Long Island Railroad engineers in which busloads of stranded commuters are jamming the entrance to the newly opened 179th. Street IND subway terminal along Hillside Avenue in Jamaica.

Some 150,000 LIRR commuters system wide were inconvenienced for the several days of the walkout.

A pre-war Mack Model 'LD' operated by Schenck Transportation can be clearly seen in the foreground with what appears to be a White Model 788 in Bee Line (Long Island) livery behind it.

(Photo by Tom Gallagher/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images).

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[Hart Bus]

Those poor people could even cross Hillside Avenue to get a breakfast special at Burger King since it wasn't built yet. Also the parking lot is long gone.

[Mr. Linsky]

ECA,

How well I remember those days on Hillside Avenue - I'm still convinced that the Bee Line (L.I.), Schenck and city drivers had bets going on who could make it in to 179th. Street the fastest in the A.M. rush.

You had to see the city 5101's hauling swingen loads and pushing the pedals to the metal - they were tearing it up and when they made the slight turn by the statue at 172nd. at full throttle they were doing it on three wheels.

And a lot of those drivers were ladies left over from the war years - they were in their mid fifties, slightly over weight with blondish gray hair and wearing gray uniforms that made them look like prison matrons but they could wheel those buggers as well as any guy!

And, the 5106's of Bee Line and Schenck were no slouches either - man, you didn't want them on your tail - Bee line especially tore through like bats out of hell with Schencks breathing down their necks!

I'm telling you - it was a show that I would have been willing to buy a ticket to see!

Them were the days.

Pictured is a Bee Line (L.I.) getting ready for another one of those runs!

Photo borrowed for educational purposes only.

Regards.

WCA

[Mr. Linsky]

Shown below in a photo taken sometime during World War II, we see the main (actually the then only) passenger terminal at La Guardia Airport in North Beach, Queens.

While the facility was known as La Guardia from its inception in 1939 thanks to the then mayor of the same name, its actual name as seen on the building itself was New York Municipal Airport until 1947 when it was officially changed.

Standing at the lower entrance waiting for passengers on the Q33 line is a 1942 ACF Model 45-S and one of 24 (881 to 904) operating for the Triboro Coach Corporation of Jackson Heights.

The 45-S of which only 51 were ever built signaled the end of civilian bus production for ACF until the end of the war in 1946.

Photo courtesy of the New York Daily News Archive via Getty Images.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[HwyHaulier]

Mr. 'L' -

What a charming, dated view! Reminds of a lot of film classics! Oh, "Flying Down To Rio" (1933) comes to mind, tho the film predates LaGuardia...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024025/

BTW. OK, the ACF 45-S. There was apparently some post WWII production of, perhaps, a similar sized coach, used by USAF and possibly, ARMY?
It had a somewhat different, and plainer, "front clip" on it. Otherwise, also a 45 seat coach? It used same sash seen in the photo you posted...

Does it jostle any memories?

....................Vern.....................

[Mr. Linsky]

Vern,

Boy, 'Flying Down to Rio' is an oldie!

Except for updated front ends, the first post war ACF's such as the C-36, C-41 and C-44 were little changed from the last of the pre-war models just as most automobiles remained pretty much unchanged - war time design rooms were devoted mostly to military hardware.

ACF did make several thousand buses for the Army and Navy during those years and, in fact, was the biggest supplier.

Triboro's 45-S's had the distinction of being the first 35 foot long buses allowed in the state (by special dispensation) - 32 feet was the legal limit at the time.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

[B53RICH]

Referring to the photo at the IND 179 St. station during the LIRR strike, it appears on the front of that pre-war Mack an ad for 7-UP or is that just the grill and an illusion on my account?
Also, any photo referrences on the Bee Line 5101 at Jamaica?
Thanks Mr. L., wonderful photos.