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| [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles (325842) | |
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| (325842) | |
[PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by Bill Newkirk on Fri Oct 13 20:21:17 2017 
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by Catfish 44 on Fri Oct 13 20:56:18 2017, in response to [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by Bill Newkirk on Fri Oct 13 20:21:17 2017. I didn't know those 7500s were on the road by July 1991. Nice shot |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by gbs on Fri Oct 13 21:39:23 2017, in response to [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by Bill Newkirk on Fri Oct 13 20:21:17 2017. The first time I ever saw a Flxible bus was in 1962 or 1963, from the window of my classroom at Russell Sage JHS 190 in Forest Hills. It was a Q23 rounding the turn from Yellowstone Blvd onto Austin St, and I had never seen anything like it. Besides being a cheap-looking knock-off of the other buses that were common, it immediately reminded me of a bizarro-GM new look bus. Then later when I examined the name plate, I thought there was a mis-print with the missing E. (I still don't get that spelling.) 
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by gbs on Fri Oct 13 21:44:12 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by gbs on Fri Oct 13 21:39:23 2017. It was, of course, a Triboro Coach bus. 
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by kcram3500 on Fri Oct 13 22:57:18 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by gbs on Fri Oct 13 21:39:23 2017. The "E" was dropped to make the name easier to trademark. Back then, an attempt to trademark common words was less likely to get the nod than today. |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by Catfish 44 on Fri Oct 13 23:10:08 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by kcram3500 on Fri Oct 13 22:57:18 2017. Somebody else already had the trademark in 1913, no? |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by kcram3500 on Sat Oct 14 07:30:25 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by Catfish 44 on Fri Oct 13 23:10:08 2017. The original name of the company was The Flexible Sidecar Company, as that was what they made - motorcycle sidecars. When they opted to expand into large passenger vehicles, they needed to adjust the name.They decided to go with "Flxible" to avoid conflicts with other companies. |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by Bill Newkirk on Sat Oct 14 09:12:26 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by Catfish 44 on Fri Oct 13 20:56:18 2017. Thank you. I guess those 75xx's were retired and were to be scrapped, but since they were still in running shape, were sent to MSBA to run out their careers. #441 is ex-Hempstead Bus 441. 1970 Flible 11CD-D51 Photographer unknown. Here is sister #437 in November 1970. That's how #441 would have looked.  |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by Catfish 44 on Sat Oct 14 14:18:41 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by Bill Newkirk on Sat Oct 14 09:12:26 2017. From Ulmer Park I only saw 9000s and the trip to Manhattan produced 9000s as well. That's the only time I noticed Flxibles |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by northshore on Sat Oct 14 15:14:34 2017, in response to [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by Bill Newkirk on Fri Oct 13 20:21:17 2017. Flxible originally built primarily highway coaches. Flxible transit buses had its origins as Twin Coach. Flxible acquired Twin Coach in 1953. |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by randyo on Sat Oct 14 15:22:33 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by kcram3500 on Sat Oct 14 07:30:25 2017. Like Flexible Flyer sleds. |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by randyo on Sat Oct 14 15:28:11 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by northshore on Sat Oct 14 15:14:34 2017. Correct. As for the poster who though of the 1962 Flxibles a looking like cheap knock offs of other buses (presumably the GM fishbowls), the design used on the later Flxibles was the designed originated by the earlier Twin Coaches and the GM design was actually the knock off of Twin’s design. I rode earlier Twins on Westchester Street Trans in the early 1960s and I have seen photos of the B of T's Twins operating in Queens years before the GM fishbowl design was even thought of. |
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| (325865) | |
Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by B53RICH on Sat Oct 14 16:48:34 2017, in response to [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by Bill Newkirk on Fri Oct 13 20:21:17 2017. I had seen 7596 in Hicksville back then. The paper sign in the windshield shows it was on the N81. That may have been the route it was on when I had seen it. There were also a few 9000 series TA Flxibles sent to MSBA at that same time. |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by Catfish 44 on Sat Oct 14 17:39:14 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by B53RICH on Sat Oct 14 16:48:34 2017. Interesting didn't know that |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by Caine515 on Sat Oct 14 18:21:20 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by Catfish 44 on Sat Oct 14 14:18:41 2017. Ulmer Park depot in Brooklyn had #9178 up until 1992. |
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| (325871) | |
Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by Catfish 44 on Sat Oct 14 22:21:37 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by Caine515 on Sat Oct 14 18:21:20 2017. Yeah I believe that because I had them as school buses in the afternoon. Maybe I should have wrote 9xxx. Because Ulmer Park had 900x and 922x but I don't really recall 91xx |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by gbs on Sat Oct 14 22:33:27 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by randyo on Sat Oct 14 15:28:11 2017. Thanks for that perspective. Since I had seen the GM's way before the Flxibles, to me they were the originals. What especially made the Flxibles look cheap were their faceted windshields, made up of entirely flat pieces, giving them that bizarro look, while the GM windshields had that curvy, sexy glass. |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by Catfish 44 on Sat Oct 14 22:43:52 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by gbs on Sat Oct 14 22:33:27 2017. Interesting to hear you guys say this stuff about Flxibles because my impression of them was that they were precisely built and had a nice fit and finish to them. I truly like both of them but the GMs in NYC were around longer and I enjoyed their nostalgic feel. |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by W.B. on Mon Oct 16 09:20:50 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by Catfish 44 on Sat Oct 14 22:43:52 2017. As I've said, though the 1964 and '65 Flxibles gave long service, they did seem off-off Broadway, dinner theatre, roadshow (confined largely to three of the other boroughs - plus the Bronx if you count the Q44 buses that ran into that borough) compared with the 1964 and '65 MaBSTOA 5303's that, on some routes, literally ran "on Broadway." And in the heart of the major theatre district, no less. 'B53RICH' recalls seeing at least one of those Flxibles in service in Manhattan on the M15, but 'WayneJay' swears there were none of those 5000-5100's or 5600-5700's assigned out of the TA's Manhattan Division depot at 126th Street and Second Avenue. Were any '64-'65 Flxibles ever assigned to the B39 which went to Manhattan via the Willy B, and/or the B15 (later B51) that traipsed through the Manny B? |
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| (325900) | |
Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by Catfish 44 on Mon Oct 16 09:46:48 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by W.B. on Mon Oct 16 09:20:50 2017. I don't know that was before my time. My knowledge only goes back to 1990. The only new looks I know are the 72-73 6xxxs the blitz buses and the 9xxx Flxibles. |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by WayneJay on Mon Oct 16 10:28:44 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by W.B. on Mon Oct 16 09:20:50 2017. Sir, I can't say for sure, but as far as Flxible 5000/5100/5600/5700 series... My intent was to say that I've never seen them operating from 126th Street. I realize that doesn't mean they were never there.The Flxibles I recall seeing operating from 126th Street were a bunch of the '73 7000 series, and of course some '75 7600s, and '77 9100s. |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by TransitChuckG on Mon Oct 16 19:04:42 2017, in response to [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by Bill Newkirk on Fri Oct 13 20:21:17 2017. Septa had Flxs , they ran well here. I guess some folks still consider them GM knock-offs and they were lousy buses. |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by CJ on Mon Oct 16 20:33:11 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by B53RICH on Sat Oct 14 16:48:34 2017. Were those 9000 series renumbered for MSBA? If so, do you know their numbers? |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by B53RICH on Mon Oct 16 22:00:17 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by CJ on Mon Oct 16 20:33:11 2017. The numbers remained the same for the 9000's along with 7596 and 6149. |
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| (325913) | |
Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by B53RICH on Mon Oct 16 22:21:19 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by W.B. on Mon Oct 16 09:20:50 2017. The 5000 series Flx that I'm sure I saw on the M15 was probably a loaner, something that was common to 126 St. and other depots as well back then. I can't say if there were any others at that time, I didn't frequent that area too often. 126 St. always had a mixed bag of buses from different depots along with their regular fleet.Another rarity, Fresh Pond had several 1964 5000 series Flxibles for a short time around 1980. |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by randyo on Tue Oct 17 16:22:28 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by TransitChuckG on Mon Oct 16 19:04:42 2017. I had mentioned in another post, that the front window design as used on the Flxible “fishbowls” was actually a design used on many of the older Twin Coaches. In looking at some photos of older Twins, I seems to me that the design for the GM fishbowls was taken directly from the Twins’ design with the only modification being the forward slanting of the side windows. That would mean that the GMs were actually the knockoffs and not the other way around. |
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Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles |
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Posted by Q4 on Wed Oct 18 16:28:06 2017, in response to Re: [PHOTO] A Tale Of Two Flxibles, posted by Bill Newkirk on Sat Oct 14 09:12:26 2017. Thanks for the picture. I remember that color scheme when I was a kid waiting for the city bus on Hillside Avenue. |
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