BusTalk

ralph kramden

Please don't think I am crazy but I have to ask:
Before the electronic destination signs took over for the roll signs, were the destination signs one roll with split colors, or were the front signs the "split" version. Shocked

I'LL STEP ASIDE SO I DON'T GET TRAMPLED!

Waynejay · Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:38 pm Post subject:

NYCTA always purchased their (new look) buses with one large curtain for the (front) destination sign. Later in the 70s they started using the blue/red sign, but it was simply one roll with 2 colors. NYCTA new looks also had a smaller sign on the side near the exit door.

One small exception is with the '77 Flxibles (9000-9309). Most of these buses had the one-piece front sign like the older new looks. They also had another large one-piece sign on the side near the front door. However a few of them were different. 912X-9159 had tan interiors with padded 2X2 forward facing seating. For some reason these buses had two-piece sign curtains on both the front and side. I don't know the reason. I do think it's better for displaying more combinations of routes and destinations.

B53RICH · Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 254

The TDH5106 Old Looks in the 7000 and 9000 series had split front destination signs I believe.
Here's a photo found in the BusTalk Gallery:

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:58 pm Post subject:

B53RICH,

Great photo of NYCTA 7095.

The one thing that I could never understand about the particular destination sign configuration used on these buses was the fact that the right curtain was full sized and easily readable.

However, the left scroll was slotted to reveal only one line of type for the terminus.

I would have to imagine that it must have been rather difficult for passengers to read especially at any distance from the front of the bus.

The only advantage that I can see to 'one liners' is that it took less time to scroll to the reverse location.

That might just be why they were designed that way!

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

B53RICH · Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 254

About the photo of 7095 previously posted, I should have given credit to Doug Grotjahn who took the photo and to Joe Testagrose from his collection.
Another thing about that destination sign was that the borough prefix was used along with the route number which was then dropped with the New Look destination signs. It then hadn't been used for many years then until around 1971/1972 when the prefixes made a return.

ralph kramden · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:33 am Post subject:

Interesting!! Thanks for the info.

Q65A · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 4:45 pm Post subject:

The GM Old Looks owned by Queens Transit (TDH-5104's and TDH-5106's) used dual crank-operated front destination signs similar to those used on other NYC-area Old Looks. The RH rollsigns (RH=right hand side of the coach as it faced forward) bore route # and name, and had white numerals & letters on a black background. The LH rollsigns bore the destination name, and had white numerals and letters on a red background. The QTC/QSC GM New Looks used single-piece curtains (crank operated on earlier New Looks, electrically-operated on later New Looks) that were in opposite orientation from the Old Look rollsigns: the Fishbowls had their route numbers in white-on-red, while their destinations were in white-on-black.

Mr. Linsky · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 11:23 pm Post subject:

Thought you'd like to see what a destination curtain on a Green Line 1939/40 Mack read like;

Right Curtain; Black Background with White Letters. (Route)

Q-6 SUTPHIN BLVD. – ROCKAWAY BLVD.
Q-7 ROCKAWAY BOULEVARD
Q-8 101st. AVE. – JEROME AVENUE
Q-9 LINCOLN STREET
Q-10 LEFFERTS BOULEVARD
Q-11 WOODHAVEN BLVD. HOWARD B’CH
Q-21 CROSS BAY BOULEVARD
Q-21A BROOKLYN – FAR ROCKAWAY
Q-22 ROCKAWAY PENINSULA
Q-35 MARINE PARK LINE
Q-37 111th. ST. CROSSTOWN
Q-40 142nd. ST. CROSSTOWN
Q-41 ARCHER AVE. – 111th. AVE.
Q -? BROOKLYN – ROCKAWAY PARK
SCHOOL BUS
SPECIAL
CHARTERED
GARAGE
NO PASSENGERS
WORLD’S FAIR

Left Curtain – Red Background with White Letters; (Destination)

LOMBARD STREET
JAMAICA
JAMAICA 8th. AVENUE SUBWAY
119th. AVENUE ONLY
BAISLEY PARK
ROCKAWAY BOULEVARD & 131st. STREET
FARMERS BOULEVARD
LIBERTY AVENUE
CORNELL PARK
OLD SOUTH ROAD
HAMILTON BEACH
QUEENS BLVD. 8th. AVE. SUBWAY
RICH. HILL CIR. 156th. AVE.
HAMILTON BEACH via HOWARD B’CH
ATLANTIC AVE. ONLY
JAMAICA AVENUE ONLY
LIBERTY AVENUE ONLY
135th. AVE. & 131st. STREET
116th. STREET ROCKAWAY PARK
FAR ROCKAWAY
NEW LOTS I.R.T. SUBWAY
HAMMELS ONLY
ROXBURY
RIIS PARK
KINGS HIGHWAY ONLY
149th. STREET NEPONSIT
FLATBUSH AVENUE I.R.T. SUBWAY
SCHOOL BUS
SPECIAL
CHARTERED
GARAGE
NO PASSENGERS
WORLD’S FAIR

Note; the side sign is basically the same except that the much narrower left curtain only carries the ‘Q’ numbers.

Photos courtesy of eBay and the Mack Truck Museum respectively.

Mr. Linsky – Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY