BusTalk

[ACFCity]

Is there an ACF Bus Historic Roster? I just became the owner of a 1933 ACF City Bus (unrestored and missing a lot of parts) and am looking for other owners of early 1930's ACF Busses.

[Mr. Linsky]

ACFCity,

Welcome to BusTalk - glad to have you aboard.

You might want to see the following entitled 'Bus Rosters on the Web' at;
http://www.oocities.org/~buslist/Delivery.html

You may also attempt to contact the author of the list directly at the email address at the bottom of the roster page.

The Motor Bus Society Directory of Preserved Coaches (10/89) shows only a handful of early 30's ACF's which are mostly held by transportation museums.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

[ACFCity]

Mr. Linsky,
Thank you for your reply. I'll have a look.

I'll also try to get some photos of the one that I have posted here.

[ACFCity]

Attached are a few photos of the 1933? ACF H-12-S

There is no date on the data plate, unless the first two numbers in the engine number are the year it was made.

[Mr. Linsky]

ACFCity,

There's certainly something to work with here but it's going to be a long haul!

I think that one of the most difficult restorations will be the roof which, in the era, was still steam bent plywood covered in 'traffic top' roofing on most buses.

Do you have any inkling as to where the bus originated from? - both New York City based Queens/Nassau Transit Lines and Staten Island Coach Company did use the model.

I can tell you that there's a fair chance that your H-12-S came from one of the two mentioned operators because they had numbers of them and only 49 were built in 1933 with only 242 manufactured altogether between 1933 and 1936.

When you're ready for it, just send me your Builder's Plate and I'll make it look like brand new for you in my work shop (no charge).

Attached is photo of Staten Island #141.

Regards and good luck,

Mr. 'L'

[ACFCity]

Mr. Linsky,
Thank you for your reply and photo.

The Roof should not be too difficult. The Model AA Delivery had a roof that was made of similar construction. The metal cross bows are all there and the longitutudinal wood strips are not too difficult to form because they are thin and narrow. There are enough of the wooden cross bows to make patterns and the wood on the very front and the very rear at the roof radius is all in tact. All of the interior white frosted dome lights are in excellent condition and I have all of the exterior light lenses and one of the tail light lenses. The tail light lens screws onto the housing. The glass lens has threads that are part of the glass lens. It was able to be removed with a lot of patience and penetrating oil. All of the running light lenses are red glass with the exception of the two top front facing lenses that are amber. The front door entrance step light and lens is still there and the WATCH YOUR STEP plate is still on the bus. The ACF name plate came with the Bus as well.

It will be a lengthy project, but will eventually be worth the effort. The frame under the body is in very good condition and the entire rear bumper is in excellent condition.

I would like to find a sponsor or sponsors to help with the restoration. The bus could be used for promotional events or for a vehicle in the motion picture industry.

[Mr. Linsky]

ACFCity,

As Lt. Columbo used to say; "Oh, just one more thing"

If all else fails just make a service car out of it as did Staten Island Coach as seen below.

BTW; notice the original clever windshield wiper arrangement in which wipers for two different windows swivel off the same transmission!

Photo courtesy of the Queens Borough Public Library.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

[ACFCity]

Mr. Linsky,
THANKS!!! Those are great photos you attached.

My bus was found about 20 miles south of Columbia, S.C.

Do you know if there are any records of the bus fleet in Columbia or Charleston, S.C. that used ACF H-12-S busses.

I found a 1932 ACF ad and this bus looks exactly like the one in the ad.

I'll get it scanned and see if it can be posted here.

The red bus body is a 1930 Wayne School bus body for the 121" wheelbase Model AA Ford or Chevrolet chassis.

[Mr. Linsky]

ACFCity,

If the bus in the 1932 ad was exactly like yours then it would have to have been a 1933 because that was the first year that the H-09-S and H-12-S styles were built.

Here is a very partial list of H-12-S operators other than Queens/Nassau and Staten Island Coach;

Harrisburg Railways - Harrisburg, Pa. with 39
Chicago and Calumet District Transit Co. - Chicago, Ill with 28
Evanston & Niles Center Transit - Evanston, Ill. with 7

Unfortunately, very little else in the way of information is available.

BTW; Yellow/GM used Faraday Buzzer systems both for passenger signals and mechanical warning conditions.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

[rsauer]

I have an ACF delivery list which shows that the bus is a 1934 model that was manufactured for Columbia Railway, Gas and Electric Company in Columbia, S.C. as their 43.
I wrote a history of Harrisburg Railways in a 1968 Motor Coach Age. Harrisburg had H-12's.

Bob Sauer

[Mr. Linsky]

rsauer,

Welcome to BusTalk - glad to have you aboard.

Happy that you were able to solve ACFCity's identification problem,

A little more research on my part came up with four H-12-S's (two 1933's and two 1934's) for Utica City Lines division of New York State Railways.

If you could scan your pre war ACF production lists for us that would be really great.

Best regards,

Mr. 'L'

[rsauer]

Mr. Linsky,

It is good to be aboard Bus Talk. Lots of good bus stuff on the site. I really liked your Reading Bus Co. postings.

Unfortunately, I have had a problem scanning the lists and cannot do so at this time.

Best regards,

Bob

[ACFCity]

Below are attachments of the October 15, 1932 ACF Ad with a H-12 Bus. The ad is from a Transit Journal publication.

My dad may have ridden on that bus. He is 87 and lived in Columbia after WW2.

Bob, could you make a photo copy of the Delivery List you have and mail a copy to me. I will be glad to make payment for your effort.

Also, if you still have access to the Harrisburg Railroad study you made in 1968, I would like a copy of that as well. Send an email to aaford157@nosford.com

Eric Moore

[Mr. Linsky]

O.K., let's go all out with Vintage ACF!

Bee Line of Rockville Centre New York (no relation to The Bee Line System of Westchester) was a major Long Island operator and, in fact, was the anchor of the Jamaica Hub until dethroned by North Shore Bus Co. in the mid thirties.

Aside from having two very lucrative transit routes between Nassau County and Jamaica, the company's Long Island Tours division, created in 1931, served charter on the Island and beyond and was among the first ever to run luxury commuter 'Express' service to Manhattan (a novelty at the time).

As an avid ACF customer, Bee Line purchased thirty eight of the company's 'top of the line' Hall-Scott powered P-64's in 1931 painted in purple and gold as seen below.

Unfortunately, the New York commuter and charter services dropped off substantially in the post depression era and the P-64's were sold off mostly to Jersey operators by 1933.

Photo courtesy of the Motor Bus Society.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York

[Mr. Linsky]

Attached is a copy of an ACF ad undoubtedly from Bus Transportation Magazine announcing the arrival of a more modern version of the company's H 9 and 12 S's for 1935.

Shown in the blurb is fleet #400 - a 29 passenger ACF Model H-15-S in demonstration service for the then Reading Street Railway Company of Reading, Pennsylvania (one of many corporate names preceding Reading Bus Company).

Apparently, the property liked the model enough to purchase nine H-13-S's and one additional H-15-S in 1935.

The only visible difference between the H-15 and earlier versions was the engine radiator which was resigned to blend with the contours of the body.

The ad has what I believe to be a glaring error; while ACF allied itself with J.G. Brill of Philadelphia in the early thirties, I don't believe that the 'Brill' marque appeared as part of the badge until a new line was introduced after the war.

Credit with frame.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York