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'AN INTERESTING NYC TWIN DEMO'

 
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 1:40 am    Post subject: 'AN INTERESTING NYC TWIN DEMO' Reply with quote

Seen below in demonstration service for New York City is one of only a handful of 1948 Twin Coach Model 58 DW Articulated buses ever built.

At 47 feet long by 102 inches wide, the 58 passenger 58 DW's were powered by two 180 hp underfloor engines located just behind the forward rear axles and were combined with hydraulic transmissions.

In an apparent test, the 58 DW is shown negotiating a rather steep incline to determine the maximum angle at which the two units can operate safely.

Of particular note are the fire engine tiller type steering wheels on the rear unit which work in synchronization with the main steering gear for easier maneuvering in tight spots.

Also notice the 'test run only' placard placed in the rear window with the same undoubtedly in the windshield as well.

To my knowledge, this bus was never purchased by the city, and records show that only one that had been operated in Chicago and converted to a trolley bus is preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum.

Photo courtesy of New York Public Library.

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

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HwyHaulier




Joined: 16 Dec 2007
Posts: 932
Location: Harford County, MD

PostPosted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 11:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

M "L" -

You overlooked the part where it found a customer in Omaha?

Betcha an Achilles Heel in it was the motors? It badly needed a large block CAT or DD. I thought Dwight Austin explored the "issues"
with tandem motors in the earlier Pickwick units...

Vaunted Greyhound didn't learn, of course. First of the Scenicruiser product had the disaster of the twin engines. Guess no one was
around to claim ownership of the idea, once it proved so very deficient...

................Vern..................
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 2:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Vern,

Sorry that I forgot to mention that the Directory of Preserved Coaches does show two 58D's originating from the Omaha Transit Company (Fleet #'s 1308 and 1315).

As of 1989, # 1308 was in the hands of a Joe Shields of Seattle, WA., and 1315 was in the care of the National Museum of Transport in St. Louis, MO.

Speaking of Pickwick, I'm about to do a piece in 'Bus Nostalgia' about a bus that could be a page right out of their play book!

BTW; the problem with dual engines including those of Greyhound was lack of synchronization generally

Watch for it.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'
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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 3:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This just in;

Thanks to Mike from Edmonton (North of the Boarder), a photo of a Twin 58 DW (ex Omaha Transit 1309) alleged to be preserved has been found.

While number 1309 is far from pristine in condition, there seems to be enough of it left that someday someone will restore it.

BTW; an interesting point that even I was not aware of; while the 58 DW's have the ability to bend perpendicularly, the two units cannot move laterally thereby requiring the synchronized rear steering system.

This was not an exclusive innovation from Twin as Henry J. Kaiser's all aluminum prototype artic from 1946 featured the same mechanics (also seen below).

Kaiser photo courtesy of Coach Built.

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


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HwyHaulier




Joined: 16 Dec 2007
Posts: 932
Location: Harford County, MD

PostPosted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 9:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr "L" -

All that time, effort and troubles to put a fifty-eight (58) seat coach on the streets! Note contemporary, GMC TDH-5502 (tho overall length
not noted in Ohio Museum source) http://www.omot.org/roster/GMOldLookList/tdh5502.html

Seems to me it would have been cheaper and quicker if Twin Coach first identified some "sure thing buy" users. Then, between the builder
and users, made sure the right people were bought, who "held the pencils" on vehicle sizes on the highways...

The Twin Coach artic has to be one of those, "Odd Moments In History" products. Today, we would call it a, "dumb computer trick"?

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