PA numbers?

[mercurygrandmarquis1]

why did some early 80s RTS's have a PA prefix before there number?

[mtattrain]

why did some early 80s RTS's have a PA prefix before there number?

 

They were sponsored by the Port Authority, just like some of NJ's buses (IIRC).

[gtNovaBusRTS9369]

Because Port Authority helped purchase them.

[East New York]

Those buses were fully funded by Port Authority for NYCTA, and MaBSTOA.

[N20]

Out on LI, MSBA had (I think) 33 Flxible Metros purchased through Port Authority as well, PA1000 to PA1019 were Mitchell Field buses usually assigned to N20/21, N23, N28, N58 and occasionally N22, N24, N45 and N70-71-72. The Rockville Center buses usually ran N31-32, maybe N4 as well, can't swear to that, as I never worked Rockville Center.

 

Originally, the dispatchers were pretty diligent about making sure the PA10XX buses made Queens-bound or such connected lines, but when things became a little looser, you could see them on the N70-72 routed as they required wheelchair assessable service, and the N45 as it served the Cerebral Palsy Center in Roosevelt. I worked a weekday split on the N45 that got PA buses (and students drivers too) for just that reason, and it was a pretty sweet deal as they had to have working (or semi-working) A/C, when we still had a mixed fleet of GMC New Looks and Flxible New Looks that hadn't seen a working A/C since the Carter Administration... but I digress.

[Joel Up Front]

And now that the fleet is 100% Orion, people leave the windows open on the Vs, which results in the bus barely getting any colder, but on the Orion VIIs, it gets ice cold within 4 minutes. It does help if it's crowded (which I hate more than anything on the NGs).

[Phantom909]

Out on LI, MSBA had (I think) 33 Flxible Metros purchased through Port Authority as well, PA1000 to PA1019 were Mitchell Field buses usually assigned to N20/21, N23, N28, N58 and occasionally N22, N24, N45 and N70-71-72. The Rockville Center buses usually ran N31-32, maybe N4 as well, can't swear to that, as I never worked Rockville Center.

 

Originally, the dispatchers were pretty diligent about making sure the PA10XX buses made Queens-bound or such connected lines, but when things became a little looser, you could see them on the N70-72 routed as they required wheelchair assessable service, and the N45 as it served the Cerebral Palsy Center in Roosevelt. I worked a weekday split on the N45 that got PA buses (and students drivers too) for just that reason, and it was a pretty sweet deal as they had to have working (or semi-working) A/C, when we still had a mixed fleet of GMC New Looks and Flxible New Looks that hadn't seen a working A/C since the Carter Administration... but I digress.

 

Also there were PA 987-PA999

 

Joe

[Far Rock Depot]

i remember seeing msba's PA 9xx's in far rock but never the PA 1xxx's. i guess that may show which depot had what.

[N20]

Also there were PA 987-PA999

 

Joe

 

Now that you mention it, I remember PA996... good call. I really didn't remember that.

 

Those Grumman Flxibles were a mixed bag, much less uniformly well built (or well maintained maybe) than the Metro's that came later. I do remember, however, that 945 was a fast bus, and 985 was a fine bus too. 949 was a dog, and if I remember right, had a collision with a house in Hicksville at the south entrance to Mid-Island Mall (is that even still there?), and was even worse when rebuilt. Needed wipers on the inside of the windshield for all the leaking it did. Good think it wasn't a submarine...

[Phantom909]

Now that you mention it, I remember PA996... good call. I really didn't remember that.

 

Those Grumman Flxibles were a mixed bag, much less uniformly well built (or well maintained maybe) than the Metro's that came later. I do remember, however, that 945 was a fast bus, and 985 was a fine bus too. 949 was a dog, and if I remember right, had a collision with a house in Hicksville at the south entrance to Mid-Island Mall (is that even still there?), and was even worse when rebuilt. Needed wipers on the inside of the windshield for all the leaking it did. Good think it wasn't a submarine...

 

i believe 939 hit the house in hicksville.

 

Joe