Back in the early 60's there was a transportation company in Baltimore called McMahon Trans. that had even older buses than this.
They had very tiny rear windows and the back tapered very sharply. It seemed to be a whole generation earlier than the city transit buses.
A) Who was the manufacturer?
B) Does anyone know of a suitable HO model?
I know Rapido is making bus models, but we are talking Star Wars compared to what I am looking for.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Would a HO Scale CMW "old Look" (late '40s) GMC TD 3610 bus suit your needs?Of course it's sold out at Walthers...
Any of the buses here look like it?
https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LEVvKLlQpZ2GIAdesnnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTEyc3VkamdoBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjM4ODdfMQRzZWMDc2M-?p=Old+American+Bus+Photos&fr=yhs-mozilla-002&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-002
BigDaddyB) Does anyone know of a suitable HO model?
Here is a collection of my bus roster.
The models by CMW are excellent representations. The red/cream and navy blue/cream are marked APM* China on the bottom. I do not recall where I got them. The Mercedees is by Busch and the two Greyhounds also by CMW.
*American Precision Models
Athearn makes a Flxible Visicoach bus as well.
There's a bunch on ebay if you care to go that route. I searched CMW bus and came up with quite a few.
When you mentioned tapering sharply in the back it made me think of the red/white model like the Flxible VisiCoach.
If you can locate one, Jordan makes both a school bus and city bus from the 1940s era.
Mine is still in the finishing stage.
Good Luck, Ed
OP's picture Found comment saying it taken 1963 (no streetcar tracks) - 1974 (ESSO sign)
1960's Community Relations Bus Baltimore Police Department
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f3/6d/f7/f36df7a8b65d9698b9b8bbdd9a8b03ca.jpg
Baltimore Transit GM Bus built in 1945
https://www.flickr.com/photos/37640374@N04/4189711570/
Baltimore ACF Bus
https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/577868195907807151/
First Affrican American Drivers Baltimore Transit
http://www.freewebs.com/theretirees/sp%20(2).png
Stanley Jackson and Perey Leon 1952 The Commute Through Racial Barriers http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2003-02-22/features/0302220361_1_bus-drivers-yellow-cab-baltimore-transit
Baltimore Trolley Buses
http://www.trolleybuses.net/bal/bal.htm
Maryland DOT Transit Administration -has articles on history of transit in Maryland
https://mta.maryland.gov/transitblog
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
Henry,
Your bus is a GMC 1940-1969......Rode many in Chicago in the 40's/50's era. The ones they had in the Loop were pretty classy inside, cloth comfortable seats. You did not want to be behind one though in Your car for very long.....the Detroit 2 stroke diesel black smoke emitting from the exhaust that came out at rear bumper height would drive you away....mainly the smell.
Rapido I believe was into making the ''Fishbowl'' design GM Bus.
Info about the GMC Bus and why they changed the name to just GM and more:
http://utahrails.net/buses/GM_Coach_Diesel_Division_ttmg.htm
Take Care!
Frank
gmpullmanWhen you mentioned tapering sharply in the back it made me think of the red/white model like the Flexible Visicoach.
I think that must have been it. I thought I remembered windows, but I saw one for sale and it had a round thingy in the back that I remembered
I know what to look for now on Ebay. And thanks for the links.
Flexible Visacoach is a highway bus, not a city transit bus.
http://flxibleowners.org/breeds-of-flxibles/
Flexible made the Metro starting in 1953, but I have not found a photo of it. The Metros and clones I have found photos of appear to be later buses and do not match your description
Flexible Company history and photos
https://myntransportblog.com/2013/12/16/buses-coachbuilders-hearses-ambulances-flxible-ohio-usa/
DSchmittFlexible Visacoach is a highway bus, not a city transit bus.
Maybe but my father took me to every Baltimore Colts game from the game before the "Greatest Game Ever Played" Until 2 years befor Irsay moved the team in the middle of the night.
We paid for parking in the "hood", really the "hood" now but sat in traffic for a good hour to drive the 10 miles home. There were the usual MTA buses, and school buses, but the local bars would run buses to the games, because everyone would come back the bar and celebrate or drown their misery.
McMahon, in my recollection, was a private bus company. From the above links it looks like they might have had a contract to run one of the MTA routes, but in addition to their GM buses, the had older looking buses with small windows. I remember being impressed with little or perhaps it was no rear windows and that round gizmo, which no one has identified.
I like old stuff and it's nice to see some of these were converted to RV's. Maybe McMahon bought Trailways or Greyhound used buses.
The round gizmo looks like the cord reel used on a trolley bus to hold the electric arm. Could it have been there because that model came in diesel or electric?
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Your bus is a GM TDH-4509 or TDH-4512. It is available in N scale but not HO from Tomytec through Walthers.
https://www.walthers.com/north-american-gmc-tdh-4512-bus-unpowered-world-bus-collection-green-white
https://www.walthers.com/north-american-gmc-tdh-4512-bus-unpowered-world-bus-collection-yellow-green-white
https://www.walthers.com/north-american-gmc-tdh-4512-bus-unpowered-world-bus-collection-orange-cream
BigDaddyMcMahon, in my recollection, was a private bus company. From the above links it looks like they might have had a contract to run one of the MTA routes, but in addition to their GM buses, the had older looking buses with small windows.
I grew up there (Fullerton & Perry Hall) from 1950-69 and remember McMahon busses. They had a shop/terminal in (I believe) Overlea and their busses were very common. I believe they did have regular routes on Belair Rd and Harford Rd. I think they were mostly a charter line. I took a trip to the EBT once and our bus was a McMahan. I don't know what kind it was.
Roger Huber
Deer Creek Locomotive Works