BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

(SEE PREVIOUS POSTS)

Footnote........

CROWN COACH also built some cargo/passenger buses ("Brucks")

One of these unique combo coaches went GREAT NORTHERN TRANSPORT ion 1968.............

"NYO"

["PLENTYWOOD"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

A VERY obscure bus builder was the long, long defunct "FORT GARY AUTO & TRUCK BODY WORKS"; 12 of these buses went into service when the Alaska Highway was completed in 1942.

These rugged buses were noted for their outstanding performance under severe operating and weather conditions.

WESTERN CANADIAN GREYHOUND LINES operated these buses......

"NYO"

["WCGL"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

........if you look at 1960s-era PREVOST coaches (like the "CHAMPION"), it is easy to see that they have some resemblence to the MCIs of that time.............

"NYO"

["MONETTE & FILS"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Further:

Way back in the day, PREVOST buses could only be found on the now-defunct New Jersey suburban carrier, "SOMERSET" ("The Blue Star Route")

In the late 1960s, "SOMERSET" became the first United States company to purchase these Canadian-built buses (these few buses, AFAIK, were used to replace the last of the old ACF-BRILL C-44s).............

"NYO"

["NEWARK 141"]

[Cyberider]

Don't have much to add except that I used to think that Prevost buses were something special. However, the ones that come into the Bus Grease Monkey's shop usually have a lot of serious problems.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Truly "unorthodox" buses...............

These two buses, indeed, would MORE than fit the bill...........

Circa-1973, I saw (only this one time) a PSNJ/TNJ suburban Old Look parked at the old PS Terminal in Newark, obviously having been rebuilt with forward-slanting windows, a la Fishbowl (I had just used up my last roll of film in my trusty KODAK Instamatic, and only had enough money left for bus fare home on the #144.

NEVER saw the likes of this "experimental" ever again.

The other, which I DID ride aboard a number of times, in the early/mid-1990s (but, foolishly, never took any photos) was a Fishbowl transit (NHBL) that had been retrofitted with large square windows, similar to those used on an AM GENERAL or a NEW FLYER.

I often wonder if some other bus enthusiast, back then, took any photos of these "customized" buses..........

"NYO"

["1 JOURNAL SQUARE"]

[Cyberider]

NYO,

Pretty bizarre sounding buses!

I did my photography in those days with a Kodak Duoflex, a cheap twin lens reflex that used 620 film. The results were unremarkable.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Cyberider:

That memorable day of not having money enough to buy more film (I was 16 then!), I had used two rolls to take pics of the City Subway and the PCCs, as well as take photos of the long-abandoned subway-surface car connecting ramps.

In 1973, all the buses I knew were GMs (the diverse days of non-GM buses were already long gone by that date)

In fact, we didn't see any Flex New Looks until 1976/1977, when the NJDOT purchased nearly 900 of them for various independent companies in the State, including TNJ.

The last of these NJDOT Flxibles have now been gone for nearly 30 years now........man, where do the years go.............

"NYO"

["TRANSPORT OF NEW JERSEY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Further "diversity".......

Through the mid-1960s, several local annual events in my area would bring dozens of charter buses in from far and near; many were out of state, and provided a certain young lad QUITE a bit of interesting of bus watching!

I can still recall (besides the many GMs)

YELLOW 743

SILVERSIDES

ACF-BRILL

FLXIBLE (Clippers/Visicoaches)

AEROCOACH

WHITE (798/1150)

Talk about "The greatest show on Earth!

"NYO"

["CHARTERED"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

More "obscure" buses.....

Though "AUTOCAR" was famous for building trucks for many, many decades, it is interesting to note that, at one time, the company also built buses.

At least one New Jersey company rostered AUTOCAR buses; this was the now-defunct "LAFAYETTE & GREENVILLE"/"GREENVILLE & LAFAYETTE" in Jersey City, back in the late 1930s and 1940s.

To date, I've only seen one circa-1940 photo of one of the L&G "AUTOCAR" buses........

"NYO"

["LOCAL"]

[Cyberider]

It must have been a real beast like the Autocar trucks!

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Talk about a HIGHLY UNORTHODOX bus!!!!!

Check out TRAILWAYS' "Victory Liner" of WW2........articulated AND built of PLYWOOD!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/take-the-plywood-bus-help-the-boys-overseas/ (GREAT PHOTOS!!)

["SANTA FE TRAILWAYS"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's a direct descendant to the famed "Pickwick Nite Coach" of nearly a century ago..........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeper_bus

["VanHool"]