R.I.P. The Blackback Bus

[MHV9218]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[The Real]

Ever since the MTA started to cease ordering of black paint, it became pretty clear that the black rear end of a bus, an MTA painting scheme since the first RTS in the early 80s, was coming to an end.

 

As we've all come to unfortunately learn, what leaves Manhattan first, leaves the city. First the GMCs, then the TMCs, and these days the NovaBUS RTSes leave for Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx (often to MTA Bus) before retirement.

 

And the blackback in Manhattan is frankly a lost cause. 126th Street has a collection of white back LFSes, a majority of whiteback 1998 RTSes, and mainly whiteback D60HFs. The few blackback 1996s only balance the depot out -- and those'll be gone soon. Quill sees about three blackback O7s, ten or so blackback D60s, and fewer every day blackback RTSes (I think the count is around 15 by now). 100th Street is mainly whitebacks, and Manhattanaville, oh, Manhattanville. Every NG arrived with a whiteback, and every single OG save for 6788 (and with 6787 repainted last week, that'll be gone soon) has been whiteback'ed.

 

It's only a matter of time until the 68xx buses see whitebacks start to appear, and as some of the MTA Bus buses are repainted, those'll be gone too. This isn't "foaming," this is noticing a thirty-year color scheme finally coming to an end.

 

 

However the Black is not completely gone. With the new Decal scheme of the buses for the MTA, the black is back in a major way...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and a little of what a C40LF would look like in the Decal Scheme (Thanks to Nick for the Skeleton)

[St Louis Car 09]

RTS`s were so much better with black backs.What was the reason for painting them white in the first place?

[The Real]

RTS`s were so much better with black backs.What was the reason for painting them white in the first place?

 

The MTA ceased buy black paint as it was mega expensive. One of the cost cutting measures, and now same with the blue which is why the new schemes since the "straight back blue" Orion 7s are decals and not paint. The only paint we are purchasing is White.

[East New York]

The MTA ceased buy black paint as it was mega expensive. One of the cost cutting measures, and now same with the blue which is why the new schemes since the "straight back blue" Orion 7s are decals and not paint. The only paint we are purchasing is White.

 

The black framing the windows is paint right?

[The Real]

The black framing the windows is paint right?

 

No, its vinyl decal

[MHV9218]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[4P3607]

the Hybrid orion VIIs in L.A. depot have many of their buses still w/ the blackback scheme. look for 3607 still has the blackback. and thats why I will always love that bus.

[LRG]

TBH I never liked the black backs on the buses anyway, ever since I started seeing the white paint scheme, the black paint seemed out of place.

[QM1to6Ave]

If it saves money, its good with me. Anyway, white reflects light so much better than black, which makes the rear of the bus more visible to those behind it, and keeps the engine cooler in the sun.

[Princelex]

So let me get this straight, are buses going to start looking like bus 3511 and 3556 up above from this point on?

[gtNovaBusRTS9369]

Most or half of QV's 9000 & 919X don't have the whiteback nor do their 9200's have one. However I have one question:

Why repaint some of the Buses that were already born with rear Blackback paint?:confused: Couldn't they just order buses with Whitebacked paint alone?

 

So let me get this straight, are buses going to start looking like bus 3511 and 3556 up above from this point on?

 

If an RTS can't look like that anymore then I dunno how a Hybrid can.

[East New York]

Most or half of QV's 9000 & 919X don't have the whiteback nor do their 9200's have one. However I have one question:

Why repaint some of the Buses that were already born with rear Blackback paint?:confused: Couldn't they just order buses with Whitebacked paint alone?

 

 

 

If an RTS can't look like that anymore then I dunno how a Hybrid can.

 

All buses delivered from 2008 on have had whitebacks. And I dont understand what you are saying about the RTS not being able to have them. What is "them?"

[gtNovaBusRTS9369]

All buses delivered from 2008 on have had whitebacks. And I dont understand what you are saying about the RTS not being able to have them. What is "them?"

 

1. I am talking about the outer black paint scheme! Remember when some of the RTS'es (1999 Novas), PBL RTS'es had black doors before the had "them" painted white. I talking about when buses had more of a black exterior. I was responding to Princelex's comment on the pictures that Vintage Soul put up.

 

2. For my question I was talking about why repaint the buses that were delivered w/black paint. Plus just order buses w/whitebacks then instead of coverting the whole fleet (Black Back born buses such as ones before 2007 & on) White. What's the point if you don't have to worry about their Black Paint since they were long purschased already.

[East New York]

1. I am talking about the outer black paint scheme! Remember when some of the RTS'es (1999 Novas), PBL RTS'es had black doors before the had "them" painted white. I talking about when buses had more of a black exterior. I was responding to Princelex's comment on the pictures that Vintage Soul put up.

 

2. For my question I was talking about why repaint the buses that were delivered w/black paint. Plus just order buses w/whitebacks then instead of coverting the whole fleet (Black Back born buses such as ones before 2007 & on) White. What's the point if you don't have to worry about their Black Paint since they were long purschased already.

 

Buses are only repainted with whitebacks when they need to be. They arent just painting buses to be painting them. MTA buses don't spend their whole service lives with the same paint they were delivered with. If they did, they would look horrible. And again, all buses are now ordered with whitebacks straight from the factory. So I'm still slightly confused as to what you are talking about.

[Grand Concourse]

TBH I never liked the black backs on the buses anyway, ever since I started seeing the white paint scheme, the black paint seemed out of place.

 

Totally agreed. What is still odd are the partial white-black backs where the 'grills' are from 2 different buses. I forgot the number, but it was a 90xx bus at FB and the back is still the same as it was when I saw it like last year or longer.

[BeeLineVsMTA]

I like the Blackbacks better.

[MHV9218]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Smooth]

You know what? Since they are at it. They shouldn't buy decals to cut on spending. Lets just have the bus all white no black or blue decals and just have the MTA logo and numbers on them. Thats the direction that it looks like were going in.

[T J Trainman]

MTA Bus 3535 now has that new paint job. I saw it on the Q-21 earlier this evening.

[Cait Sith]

Scratch some more gone. Quill, if I'm not mistaken, now has an entirely whiteback O7 fleet with the repaintings of 6695, 6713 and others. MTV just saw 6783 get bleached, leaving 6782 and 6788.

 

ARGH, and I had 6695 on the M8 a few weeks ago.....too bad my photo came out crappy...ughhh

[Broadway Local]

The blackbacks are okay on buses, but I like the whiteback buses.

 

The first whiteback bus I saw was New Flyer C40LF CNG on the B8 #839, and then Orion VII CNG on the B8 #7610.

[Bracamonte]

However the Black is not completely gone. With the new Decal scheme of the buses for the MTA, the black is back in a major way...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and a little of what a C40LF would look like in the Decal Scheme (Thanks to Nick for the Skeleton)

 

What camera did you use? Cause those pictures are beautiful.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Why do they paint the signals on the sides of the bus which aren't white all white? Why not just leave that as is since the areas where the signals are found aren't painted when originally ordered? It looks cheap. I also wonder why when they reletter the buses after painting them that they can't get the letters and numbers to be the same size as when they are new? For example the 8s always look weird from the rest of the other numbers on the bus.

[T J Trainman]

3516 has the new paint job like 3511 and the others.