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W.B.'s Bus Almanac for April 22nd

Posted by W.B. on Mon Apr 22 15:45:09 2024


April 22, 1963 - The Book of Bus Renumberings

Manhattan, Queens and The Bronx, New York
Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority

To avoid duplications of bus numbers in the fleet as inherited from the former Fifth Avenue Coach, New York City Omnibus and Surface Transportation System / Surface Transit entities, presumably the Board of Transportation 4000's as well (and in anticipation of the arrival of the first 'New Look' buses ordered for MaBSTOA), numerous buses (mostly from within Surface Transit) are renumbered. A few examples, starting with the more recent and going on down, include:
- 1-10 (air-conditioned 1960 Fifth Avenue Coach Lines TDH-5301's [with 6-10 going to Surface Transit after late 1960]) - as 3211-3220
- 3020-3059 (1959 Surface Transit TDH-5106's) - as 3291 and 3221-3259
- 1060-1089 (1954 STS TDH-5106's) - as 3260-3289
- 2990-2999 (1954 STS Mack C-49DT's) - as 4990-4999
- 2962-2989 (1956 STS Mack C-49DT's) - as 4962-4989
- 800 (1956 STS Mack C-49DT, ex demo) - as 4910
- 3000-3009 (1958 Surface Transit Mack C-49DT's) - as 4900-4909
- 1090-1099 (1953 STS TDH-5104's) - as 2590-2599
Other, earlier buses (from what was left of the TD-4506, TDH-4507 and TDH-4509 fleets, most being ex-NYCO and FACCo buses transferred to Surface Transit after 1957) would also have their numbering sequences changed. A few that were renumbered were done so for purposes of scrapping or other reasons.

(Source: "Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority: The First Ten Years" by Bernard Linder. Motor Coach Age, May 1972.)

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Re: W.B.'s Bus Almanac for April 22nd

Posted by irtredbirdr33 on Mon Apr 22 16:43:10 2024, in response to W.B.'s Bus Almanac for April 22nd, posted by W.B. on Mon Apr 22 15:45:09 2024.


WB: Its seems that MaBSTOA eliminated roster duplications fairly quickly.

It took them ten more years to eliminate the duplicate route numbers.

Larry, RedbirdR33

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Re: W.B.'s Bus Almanac for April 22nd

Posted by W.B. on Tue Apr 23 11:21:14 2024, in response to Re: W.B.'s Bus Almanac for April 22nd, posted by irtredbirdr33 on Mon Apr 22 16:43:10 2024.

It would seem that the route situation was more in MaBSTOA's original organization. They had inherited the old FACO Division, NYCO Division and Surface Transit Division monikers, and student bus passes each had different designs for students traveling on "former Fifth Avenue lines," "former New York City Omnibus lines," and of course those of Surface. (This, from recent eBay auctions.)

I think it was around 1973 that MaBSTOA was basically reorganized, with the aforementioned division designations eliminated and new divisions, Manhattan Division and Bronx Division, created - and routes of the three heretofore separate divisions consolidated and unified. It no doubt took the front roll signs created for the new T6H-5309A's ordered (with M prefices showing up for the first time on former FACCo and NYCO routes) to show how deep the route duplication was, especially in Manhattan. Although they also ended up duplicating route numbers of "private" companies as well - notably Green Bus Lines' QM15 and QM16 route designations (which MaBSTOA had applied to the Fifth Avenue/Jackson Heights and Elmhurst Crosstown routes, respectively). Oddly, when the 1974 route renumbering took place (side roll signs printed as early as April, though it didn't become official until July 1), one strangely enough wasn't - the ex-FACCo M10 Broadway pull-in/pull-out route between "135 St Only" and 168th Street, given the more prevalent ex-NYCO Eighth Avenue/Central Park West line of the same designation. However, that upper Manhattan "drop-off only" route (which never figured in any bus maps or even route dispatchers' maps) was eliminated altogether by 1976.

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