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Any roster or photos of 1940's Bronx buses?

 
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N4 Jamaica




Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 858
Location: Long Island

PostPosted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:07 pm    Post subject: Any roster or photos of 1940's Bronx buses? Reply with quote

I was a youngster when the Third Avenue Railway System routes of the 1940's were converted to Surface Transportation buses in the years after World War II. If memory is correct, in general, Macks took over the streetcars of Manhattan, and new "Old Look" GMs later took over the trolley-pole lines of The Bronx. What puzzles me, though, is that I recall post-war GM's in The Bronx numbered in the 1100's (without front roof vent), followed by 1200's and perhaps 1300's with the front roof vents.
Here is a link to a mislabeled photo of an Ogden Avenue bus, probably in early 1948. The streetcar is on the 163rd St. crosstown route, converted to bus in June, 1948.
http://bronxhistoricalsociety.org/notebx.html
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The Macks that took over the Manhattan conduit streetcars were numbered higher, as I recall, 1500's and 1600's. Much later, Surface Transportation bought Macks for Bronx service, largely to replace pre-war equipment. These higher-numbered Macks went straight to trunk routes as Bx 1, 2, and 12.
----
Would anyone have a link to a Surface Transportation roster that includes the 1940's?
Thanks.
Joe McMahon
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B53RICH




Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 254

PostPosted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 11:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Look through The Ohio Museum of Transit production lists, found here:

http://www.omot.org/roster/index.html

They unfortunately don't have production lists for Macks.
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 3:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

N4J,

Good shot of a 1947 Surface TDH 4507 - never saw that one before!

I attached a couple of interesting photos with the first show a pre-war Surface Mack Model CM (1940) and a 1946 GM TD 4506 - I believe the elevated station (Fordham Road) should be familiar to you.

Second photo is of a pre-war Surface Twin Coach also operating in the Bronx.

Enjoy.

Upper photo from BusTalk Gallery
Lower photo courtesy of Vince Syrek

Mr. 'L'


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ripta42
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Age: 44
Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 1035
Location: Pawtucket, RI / Woburn, MA

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 7:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's what I compiled from OMOT (Yellow Coach/GMC/Flxible) and the defunct Bus Rosters on the Web (Mack):

1145-1169 1940 Yellow Coach TD4502
1021-1060 1941 Yellow Coach TD4502
1100-1196 1946 Yellow Coach TD4506
1197-1299 1946 GMC TDH4507
1500-1599 1947 GMC TDH4507
1785 1947 Mack C45GT Demonstrator
1600-1784 1948 Mack C41DT
1811-1812 Mack C41DT Demonstrators
1786-1810 1949 Mack C41DT
1813 1959 Mack C37DT Demonstrator
1900-1959 1950 Mack C45DT
1960-2009 1951 Mack C45DT
1050-1059 1953 GMC TDH5104
2010-2024 1953 Mack C45DT
1060-1089 1954 GMC TDH5106
2990-2999 1954 Mack C49DT
800 1956 Mack C49DT Demonstrator
2962-2989 1956 Mack C49DT
6000 1956 Flxible FT35D Demonstrator
3000-3009 1959 Mack C49DT
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N4 Jamaica




Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 858
Location: Long Island

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 9:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Many thanks to B52 Rich, to Mr. Linsky, and to Ripta42 for your most generous assembling of data regarding Surface Transportation. I well remember the arrival of the 1100's in 1946. Then, as we lost the streetcars, the roster number rose. I was probably wrong to say that the conduit cars of the TARS were first replaced by Macks. It is obvious that the Mack C41 DT arrived later, in 1948. About that time, at age 11, I was given the task of riding the M-100 (Broadway-Kingsbridge) from Marble Hill to West 175th Street to bring Dad's shirts to a Chinese laundryman, Mr. Sandman, alone. So, one of my strong memories is that weekly trip on a Mack, always seated as close to the front door as possible.
Again, many thanks for assembling the roster.
----
By the way, note 1176 at Fordham Plaza in the above excellent color photo posted by Mr. Linsky. Buses had taken over the Willis Avenue carline about 1940, and this 1946 bus replaced the earlier fleet assigned to the route, shown here as Bx29 to Fort Lee Ferry. Today, the same route is Bx15, with a noontime schedule of 72 minutes to reach the pier of the non-existent ferry. The route is slowed more by the many traffic signals than by heavy vehicular traffic.
Joe
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 6:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

N4J,

Our pleasure, I'm sure!.

I think it appropriate at this time to bring out what may well be considered the first STS coach - a Mack Model 'AL' dating from between 1927 and 1929 flagged for Third Avenue Railway System and signed for White Plains.

While there may not have been a big push to convert TARS to buses at the time, these Mack's could have been used to extend some traction lines more deeply into suburbia.

Nevertheless, they were a forerunner of an inevitable trend.

Photo from the files of the Mack Truck Museum.

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

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