BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

.....too bad there are not nearly as many vintage BUS interior photos as there are subway car photos........

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?1364

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3824

(courtesy: bus.nycsubway.org)

[MaBSTOA 15]

It’s interesting that transit New Looks had fluorescent lights while the New Look suburbans (according to the sales brochure) had incandescent lights that were identical to the ones used on the Old Looks.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

From: "WELCOME ABOARD THE GM NEW LOOK BUS" (McKane/Squier)......

".........the power source for the florescent lighting system was initially located under the dashboard. This location was changed on later models, and, as an extra-cost option, provided another florescent system, that in addition to lighting the passenger area, also supplied back-lighting for transparent advertising materials......"

Also:

".......it is not surprising that many properties pleased with the performances from the first-generation buses, returned for repeat orders......."

.".....not the least of which was New York City's Manhattan & Bronx Surface Operating Authority, and the New York City Transit Authority. The transit TDH-5303 was very popular with these operators, and would be synonymous with bus transit in the New York City area....."

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Speaking of florescent lighting on buses........

What type of lighting is used in today's MTA bus (and subway fleets); I'm wondering if only the oldest subway in use cars still have "traditional" florescent lighting, or have these tubes been replaced by modern hardware?

In the subways, from photos I have seen taken since I retured in 2003, many stations now have "valances" over the platforms and stairways that house current lighting apparatus.

I always liked the old florescent tubes that ran above the platform edges, creating an interesting "sinew-y" look on platforms that had curves.

Those were the florescent fixtures I knew best underground, but, of course, I also loved the classic incandescent fixtures, especially the fixtures where there would be multiple bulbs in a cluster (I still refer to them as "bulb clusters"!)

Those were my favorites; the H&M/PATH also used these fixtures well through the 1960's.......

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"Classic Era" florescent lighting on the platforms, long ago.........

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3095

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3188

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4030

(courtesy; nycsubway.org)

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

That's just about what I figured; thanks.

Strange how things change over the years....I NEVER thought I could ever feel the least bit nostalgic for florescent transit lighting........

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Fishbowl interior views (#100)......

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?2938

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?2939

(courtesy: bus.nycsubway.org)

Man, do those metal standee straps bring back great memories of REAL buses!!

[MaBSTOA 15]

As promised I've checked my files and found the following...

The first photo, dated February 1956 shows the rear lounge seat of a Fifth Avenue Coach TDH-5104 and the fluorescent lighting system.

The second photo, undated, shows the rear lounge seat of a Fifth Avenue Coach TDH-5106 ( "buses with the sign that stuck out in the front") and the fluorescent lighting system.

The caption for this photo talks about the three girls, high school students from Queens, testing the new "soft ride" Fifth Avenue Coach Lines bus, two of which went into operation on the company's Manhattan-Jackson Heights route. The shiny new vehicles feature an "airplane lounge" and flickerless fluorescent lighting.

Note the bus behind is one of the "buses with the sign that stuck out in the front" signed for 135th St

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

MaBSTOA 15:

Once again, you've dug through the "bottomless depths" of your archives, and came up with more rare gems.....THANK YOU for posting these nostalgic old photos!

Folks indeed were quite nicely dressed, way back then (I'm old enough to remember those times!); the young lady sitting in the rear seat in the first photo looks my sister-in-law, when my brother was dating her, back in the early 60's!

The young school girls REALLY takes you back to another, long-ago, more innocent day! (those nice seats sure wouldn't last long today, sad to say)

Love that a bus with "the sign that sticks out in the front" can be seen through the rear window.....ANOTHER bonus!

I always thought buses like these to be quite "exotic"; here in New Jersey, only New Looks had florescent lighting; those straphanger straps, on the other hand, were as common as cracks in the sidewalk on the buses I grew up with, over 50 years ago.

I still miss the old "buzzer cords"!

Again, GREAT PHOTOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"NYO"

[traildriver]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

traildriver:

Recall, also, the short-lived "NX"!

Back in the 60's, it was interesting that the IRT and the BMT were both using letters for their route designations; the IRT's R-12/14's (ACF, 1948/1949) were the first cars on the old "Interborough" to use roller curtains with route numbers.

After I graduated high school in 1975, I used to love riding an ORANGE & BLACK Old Look into the PABT, and riding old prewar IND cars on the then-rush hours only "CC"; the two-car Bowling Green shuttle was a lot of fun, too!

I used to enjoy riding up to E. 180th and viewing the remains of the old "Westchester" (Damn, why didn't I take pictures??)

NOTHING said "Noo Yawk" like the sound of dropping your token into a 1920's IRT turnstile, and hearing that sharp "SNAP!", followed by the heavy "CLUNK" of the wooden turnstile arms as you passed through!

The last of these that I recall were on the Brooklyn-bound platform at Wall Street (Lexington Avenue line), back in the 1990's.

Ahhh, nostalgia.........

"NYO"

[MaBSTOA 15]

Here are two views showing the fluorescent lighting power pack located above and behind the driver as well as an interior view showing the bright lighting of the new buses.

Two things to note...

First, In the first picture notice the transparent sun visor (partially shown). This type of visor was an option by GM. The standard visor was a padded card board like the ones used in cars.

Secondly, the interior view is of a first generation New Look model. Note the length of the standee window.

Both pictures came from the sales brochure for the TDH-4517/4518 and TDH-5303/5304

[MaBSTOA 15]

An ad appearing in a trade magazine showing the Luminator fluorescent lighting system as applied to a BoT Mack C-50DT