BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

In the early 70's, the now-defunct Washington St. lines in Hoboken operated a few ex-PS Old Look transits; the very last did not disappear until about 1985 (STILL in ex-PS paint!)

Here is one of the ex-PS buses (renumbered "#11") at the PATH station at Hudson Place, in the early 1970's

The bus is still wearing the PS paint of the 1960's; it is also easy to see where the PS emblems were once located.......

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?637

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?639

(courtesy: bus.nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

By the late 1970's, it was virtually (if not totally) impossible to still be able spot a "TNJ" bus that still was wearing the old "PS" emblems.

However, if you knew where to look, you could still spot the familiar old "triangle-within-a-circle" "PS" emblem at certain locations (in some areas, the familiar, rounded "BUS STATION" signs hung on for many more years, even lasting well into the NJT era; this has been already documented here in another topic)

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?2343

(courtesy: bus.nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The PCC's that ran in the City Subway in Newark had the distinction of being the last ex-PS vehicles to be still wearing the old gray paint, and still carrying the old "PS" emblems.

It was not until TNJ repainted the cars in the new "Bicentennial" scheme that the cars lost their PS paint.

Long after the last PS Old Looks had been repainted, you could still ride the City Subway, and see the cars still attired in the same, once-familiar PS paint that they had been wearing since late 1953.

Here, then, was the last bastion of the famed PS gray..........

http://www.newdavesrailpix.com/psct/htm/psct063.htm

http://www.newdavesrailpix.com/psct/htm/psct065.htm

http://www.newdavesrailpix.com/psct/htm/psct066.htm

http://www.newdavesrailpix.com/psct/htm/psct148.htm

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

From photos I have seen over the years, it seems that PS began adopting the gray paint scheme sometime around 1945/1946.

This new gray scheme, of course, was not applied to the streetcar fleet; ironically, even though the ASV fleet would be gone by 1948, the electric coaches were repainted in the new postwar gray as well.

Another interesting bit is that, when, in the 1960's, PS began repainting its Old Look transits into a new two-tone green scheme, the City Subway's PCC's were not repainted as the buses were, but retained the old gray until the mid-70's, when they were repainted in the Bicentennial scheme........

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Circa-1950, we see a group of battered ASV's awaiting scrapping at FEDERAL in Newark.

With their mangled trolley poles reaching vainly upwards for non-existent overhead wires, these once-proud vehicles (after only being in service for a little more than a decade) sit silently awaiting the cutting torch.

Note that the nose wings have vanished from these coaches........

http://www.trolleybuses.net/psct/htm/usa_h_psct_yellow_001_waitingtobescrapped.htm

(courtesy: trolleybuses.net)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here sporting the new PS postwar gray, we see ASV #9311 at a layover point, most likely on the ESSEX Division; note that the poles are hooked down.

It is interesting to note that, though PS discontinued all ASV lines by 1948, the newer vehicles were all repainted, even though they would be gone before 1950.

PS did not, however, repaint the older front-engined YELLOW coaches into the new gray scheme; they retained their old prewar PS paint until they were scrapped......

http://www.trolleybuses.net/psct/htm/usa_h_psct_yellow_9311_newark_bv.htm

(courtesy: trolleybuses.net)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

This timeless photo from the 1950's shows PCC #14 at Franklin Avenue, awaiting departure for Penn Station.

This scene remained virtually unchanged for nearly 30 years, before a new facility replaced the simple platform seen here, in the early 1980's.

During rush hours, there were always connecting PS buses at the street side of the platform, either discharging inbound Subway commuters or picking them up on their way back home........

http://www.newdavesrailpix.com/odds/nj/htm/njt19.htm

(courtesy: newdavesrailpix)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Another timeless City Subway portrait, this one snapped at Penn Station, circa-1960's.

For decades, this scene was virtually unchanged; lines of silent, sleek PCC's*, patiently awaiting the next hectic rush hour, slumbering on one of the old subway-surface car departure tracks (on the right, you can see the wall of the Subway's repair shop, which opened in 1953)

This repair shop no longer exists today.

From my childhood days, and well into adulthood, this once-familiar scene was one that was most familiar to me, a timeless scene that, today, I still remember fondly, all these years later........

http://www.newdavesrailpix.com/tcrt/htm/tcrt083.htm

(courtesy: davesrailpix)

*When they were retired in 2001, the City Subway PCC's had the distinction of being the very last PS-owned vehicles in revenue service; buses purchased long after the cars debuted in Newark were only memories by this late date........

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Though the massive PS terminal in Newark itself survived well into the TNJ era, it was, by that time, no longer in use by buses.

The last PS buses to use the lower level of the huge terminal (via the Cedar St. Subway) ran into the facility in 1966 (the building itself was demolished in the late 1970's)

This view dates to the later 1930's, when the streetcar service into the Terminal was nearing the end (the last cars to enter the PS terminal [lower level] were the cars of the "#43 JERSEY CITY" line, which was converted to ASV's in 1938)

Though tracks and overhead are visible (this photo shows the approach to the upper level) no streetcars are to be seen, only buses.

Indeed, for many years, the Terminal was Newark's own (multi-modal) version of the PABT.........

http://www.trolleybuses.net/psct/htm/usa_h_psct_yellow_003.htm

(courtesy: trolleybuses.net)

[MaBSTOA 15]

Great photo!

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(what else can I say about this AWESOME old photo??)

With the loop for the PCC's being installed at Franklin Avenue in 1953, the tracks to the old stub terminal were cut, and the old double-ended cars began operating to/from a crossover just beyond the Heller Parkway station.

The new Franklin Avenue station and loop went into service in December, 1953.

By February, 1954, the last of the old PS cars were retired; however, several of the old cars were retained against emergencies in the old Cedar St. Subway connector; these cars were removed during March of that year.

Note the 8000-series car in the lead; these cars were known among PS men as the "Rapid Transit 8000's", as they had been rehabbed and re-geared for higher speeds in the Subway, back in the early 1930's.

LOVE that "BOLLER" beverage sign on the rear of the last-in-line PS bus; back in the early/mid-1960's, when Mom and I used to visit my aunt and uncle who then lived in West Orange (via DE CAMP's #22 from Journal Square) they always had cases of "BOLLER" on hand (my favorite flavors were black cherry and fruit punch!)

Ahhh, what memories!

"NYO"

*Also LOVE that PS ad under the rear windows for Turnpike Express service!

Indeed, PS was the undisputed King of the (Jersey) Highways (and streets) back in the day........

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's a similar view (in b/w) showing the old stub-end Franklin Avenue terminal (City Subway), with a PSNJ bus and a 2600-series streetcar on hand, circa 1952........

http://www.newdavesrailpix.com/psct/htm/psct040.htm

(courtesy: newdavesrailpix)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

In this circa-1955 view, taken at the new Franklin Avenue loop terminal, we see a PCC, awaiting the next inbound run to Penn Station, in the company of two Old Looks.......

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4221

(courtesy: bus.nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The 1947 date for this photo is, of course, incorrect.

Here we see City Subway car #8113 leaving the new Franklin Avenue station, which was still under construction when this photo was snapped; the photo would have been taken either in late 1953, or, early 1954.

Note PS buses in background.........

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?116252

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"CONTRASTS" (Franklin Avenue, 1955)........

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?88045

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)