New York City Transit Authority 1948 GMC TDH-5101 #2969

Welcome aboard New York City Transit Authority Vintage General Motors Old Look #2969 on Route M42 to 12th Avenue/Circle Pier via 42nd Street. This bus is part of the NYC Transit Holiday Vintage service using three preserved buses dating back to 1948. 2969 is a 1948 TDH-5101 coach that was once part of a 400 bus order by the Transit Authority. It is also famous for being the bus Jackie Gleason from Honeymooners fame posed in for publicity photos for the series. It was originally numbered 4789 but has since kept the honeymooners coach number. This series was also the first and perhaps only model where a 40 foot frame was built successfully on a chassis used on 35 foot buses

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• General
• Motors
• Old
• Look
• TDH
• 5101
• New
• York
• City
• Transit
• Vintage
• Holiday
• Service

[GarageBoy]

That driver is the KING of all drivers

[Nabinut]

I consider myself lucky to have ridden that bus that day with that driver. It made my year

[gmcbuses]

Curious what time wher you on this bus. I want to try to get some rides on these buses. I know I"m going to have to wait till the snow melts, dry streets or they will not run these. When do you think is the earliest I will get my chance.

[Nabinut]

They run from 10am-2pm on the M42 line on 42nd street. Best places to look for them are at Grand Central Station and Times Square

[Bastranz]

Great video! I love it at 6:59...that'll make you appreciate power steering any day!

It was also interesting what the driver said about driving those buses. You couldn't be dainy if you wanted that bus to move, like these days.

I hope to make it up there for a ride very soon!

[busrailfan]

Gotta love those stiff cable throttle pedals too!

[Streetcar1743]

I remember when these buses ran in regular service. But I thought that these were all TDMs by GMC. But I guess they also built TDHs with the same shell. Seeing this bus takes us back to the days before the Civil Rights laws weren't even thought of yet.

[w5pda]

I can't begin to imagine what I'd be willing to give up for a day behind the wheel of this awesome lady :-)

[zaidrim]

With today's clean air regulations, I'm sure they have been retrofitted not to put out all the smoke and soot they used to. It was enough to choke a horse. You could really smell that raw diesel in the air. How times change. I would not mind riding on one of those again. The seats were comfortable. If I'm correct, there were also Mack buses similar to those with gasoline engines.

[DrFruikenstein]

I LOVE the roar of the engine.

I used to drive a '72 Kenworth that had the same roar from it's much newer Detroit 8V92 replacement engine.

The 4-53, 4-71, 6-71 Detroit engines totally transformed passenger buses of all types, and NOTHING else has that sweet sound.

[Streetcar1743]

That bus really moves! You don't see buses like that these days!!