(first posted 4/3/2012; updated 6/28/2020)
The GMC “Old Look” bus was first made in 1940, and was phased out when the “New Look” buses arrived in 1959. They utterly dominated the bus market with their advanced features and superb ruggedness, and rightly earned them a Greatest Hits designation. Unfortunately, part of their dominance was the result of GM’s concerted efforts to wipe out hundreds of electric street cars and light rail systems throughout the country and replace them with buses, as well as to monopolize existing bus systems. A Deadly Sin, one for which GM was convicted in 1949. By that time it was too late anyway; the damage was done, and the ultimate outcome may well have played out the same without GM’s meddling. But even without that blemish, these buses were by far the best of their kind. And having had the pleasure to drive them allows me to give a comparison with the newer ones.
Yellow Coach, a subsidiary of GM before it was fully absorbed into the GM Truck and Coach Division, was a pioneer in modern bus design. Their Model 719 highway bus of 1936 set the template for all buses since, being the first to have aluminum monocoque (unibody) construction and a transverse diesel in the rear. (See CC here).
Yellow/GM adapted these significant design principles to their transit buses, the result being the 1940 transit bus series that came to be known as “old look” buses. There were a bewildering array of sizes and variations in this range of these buses, and the last was not built until 1968. In the very first two years, they had flat front windshields, like this 1940 TH 4502.
But the reflections at night on the windshields were bothersome to the drivers, resulting in the familiar slanted windshields of all the subsequent versions.
They ranged from 25′ (this is a 28′ TG-3205) to a few rare 41.5′ long models, but the two most popular sizes were the 35 and 40 footers, in either 96″ or 102″ width. Our featured bus is a 40′, 102″ wide TDH-5105. Their naming system starts with T for transit, then either D for diesel, or G for gas, and after the automatic transmission came along, an H for hydraulic, or M for manual. The first two numbers stand for the nominal seating capacity. Now you’re an expert.
Since buses are just buses for most folks, let’s take a look at some of the distinctive features that made these so successful and legendary. The first stop is in the engine compartment.
Since this bus has a split rear door, we can’t see the Detroit Diesel 6-71 engine in its entirety. For a more detailed description of its history and operation, I refer you back to the GM Coach Silverside” CC. Suffice it to say, this family of engines, which first appeared in 1938, operates on the two-stroke cycle, but with exhaust valves in the head, in what is called the “Uniflow” system. That requires a blower to fill the cylinders with fresh air and exhaust the old. These engines have the reputation of being “screamers” because they sound like they’re revving so high. That’s just because like all two-strokes, they have twice as many power strokes per revolution. These engines develop maximum power at between 1900 and 2300 rpm. But the sound is unmistakable.
The shorter diesel transit buses used the four-cylinder 4-71 engine. And there was a related family of GM buses that were designed for lighter use, and had GMC six-cylinder gas engines and Hydramatic transmissions.
Here’s the right side, or output end of the engine, and a limited view of the Allison V-Drive automatic transmission, which is angled in relation to the engine and bus.
Its configuration was based on the Austin angle-drive patent of 1932.
Here’s another view of the V-Drive, but still partly hidden. The actuator that engages Forward and Reverse is prominent here. Anyway, the Allison V-Drive was a huge step forward for transit buses. Most transit buses before its arrival in 1949 still used a manual four-speed transmission, which highway coaches kept for several more decades, due to its much greater efficiency. But the shifting of the non-synchronized transmission was grueling, especially given the 40′ linkage that it entailed. It’s hard to imagine now, the endless double-clutching and shifting, given the stop-and-go cycles of inner-city transit bus operation.
The Allison V-Drive has a wide-range torque convertor, which allowed the engine to spool up to almost maximum rpm on full-throttle take off (almost the only kind). Depending on gearing (and to some degree on the whims of the particular transmission), at somewhere between 25 and 35 mph came a powerful clunk/lurch into direct drive. The reason it was so noticeable, is because top gear was a direct mechanical connection; the torque converter was locked-up or bypassed, for efficiency. That meant that the engine dropped quite a bit in the rpm band, and any further acceleration was leisurely, to say the least. Top speed on transit buses was roughly 45 – 50 mph.
Like the later “new look” buses, these also came in “Suburban” versions, used for longer routes and highway use. They lacked a rear door, had larger windows, and coach-type seating throughout. They had a higher highway top speed (60-65 mph), as they used the VS2 version of the Allison, which had a planetary overdrive on the input shaft that engaged automatically above a certain speed. A manual transmission was also still offered on these.
The other huge step forward was GM’s air suspension, which arrived on these buses in 1953 or so. The transformation was quite startling, in terms of ride quality. In order to carry such heavy loads, the leaf springs on the previous buses had to be very stiff, and unless well loaded, the ride was quite harsh.
Here’s a look at the rear suspension (looking forward); the air bags are very visible, as is the drive shaft.
And here’s the front end. The trailing control arms (two sets) are visible. Like most air suspensions, they leak. When I used to start my bus up in the morning, it would magically rise from its low-rider position, like an inflatable toy.
During my short bus-driving career at Iowa City Transit (1975-1976), the system had all new look buses except for one ancient 1948 40′ bus like this one, as an emergency backup if one of the newer ones broke down. As such, it had the leaf springs and a bone-jarring ride when empty. And during the winter months, the system rented a handful of 40′ air-ride “old-look” buses to handle the crush of passengers on the busiest routes by switching to higher-frequency service.
I’ll never forget my first drive: it was downtown, and I was relieving a driver for the afternoon shift. Compared to the picture-window “fish-bowl” buses, this thing was like climbing into a submarine. The visibility was drastically reduced, especially if one was tall. I’d have to hunch way over and peer up to see traffic lights.
And although they were supposedly made of alloy like the newer buses, the old ones felt much heavier, more ponderous, and sluggish. Well, the 35 foot New Look buses were smaller, lighter and more powerful, so it’s not surprising that they felt almost “sporty” in comparison. But I got used to the old tanks, and before long, was whipping them around, although that expression seems a bit of a stretch. More like it was whipping me around; these U boats were a handful.
This bus has been converted into a mobile restaurant of some sort, but wasn’t open. Let’s see, what would be the appropriate food to serve in a bus? Seems like a french fryer would have to be on board.
Here’s how it would have looked back in its day hauling passengers.
And haul they did. I used to ride these quite a lot in Baltimore when I’d hook school. The #8, went right from the courthouse in Towson down York Road into downtown. I have some colorful and zesty memories of those rides.
I was a bit surprised to see them still serving the main lines in Los Angeles, probably right into the early eighties. Must have been the climate. Most of these buses served at least twenty years in front line duty, up to thirty or more, testament to their structural integrity, which was probably never surpassed.
the past and the future; or vice versa?
Speaking of Southern California, it was one of the more contentious areas where GM (and some other “partners”) played a role in the downfall of the high-speed regional Red and Yellow Line light rail systems that were once the envy of the world, as well as the transit planners of today (part of the Red Line has been rebuilt at great expense).
I’m not going to go into the whole story here, as it’s complex and can’t be done justice in this space. And there’s no question that GM doesn’t deserve full credit for the whole huge transition away from the electric trams that once served almost every city and even smaller towns. But there is no question that GM deliberately undertook and participated in a number of schemes to convert rail systems, and monopolize existing bus systems, with the goal of selling more buses.
The more nefarious theory is that GM really wanted to sell more cars, as the buses increasingly were swallowed up in the rapidly congesting surface streets, instead of the dedicated rights-of-way most regional rail systems enjoyed. This was particularly so the case in Southern California. Obviously, it wasn’t as simple as that, as folks were spreading out rapidly after WWII, and the still-private and declining rails systems lacked the required capital to expand, since no public funds were then involved, for the most part. Bus service, even a mediocre one, was relatively cheap to implement, wherever the new roads were built. Wiki has a story on it here.
Agent of change or faithful servant, the old look GM buses did what was asked of them, and then some.
Related reading:
GMC Coach “New Look” transit bus
Good question about the mirrors. Maybe because it was the old days, everyone would just help out the driver by keeping track of the surrounding area and advising him in real time. Like analog driver aides, with suits and ties, women in dresses and gloves, fancy hats, all that old-timey stuff. I’m pretty sure men showered in a suit and tie and a fedora in those days…
Interesting to see that Tomytec have chosen the GMC Old-Look transit bus to launch their ‘World Bus Collection’ models in 1:160 scale. Should be nice models, if very small!
https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10591386
Hey there! I have a 55 TDH4512 and in reading your article, you mention the forward and reverse actuator. My question if you will ever get this is:
Do the double rear entry door switches break the shifter actuator circuit and require closed for the actuator to allow forward or reverse engagement from the lever operation in the drivers area?
I don’t know. I never thought about that. As a former driver of GM transit buses, including this kind, all I know is that the lever that allowed the rear doors to be opened also locked the air brakes, making bus movement impossible.
Reverse gear was hardly ever used. I’m hard pressed to think of when I ever did! While I suppose it’s possible that the rear door switches to affect that, I can’t imagine what the point would be, since the bus can’t move in any case, due to the locked brakes.
That’s all I can add.
Jamaica Bus Terminal in Queens, NYC. The buses have to back out of the parking spaces to begin their journeys.
As for the door control lever, at least on the New Looks, one notch forward opened the front door, the second notch enabled the back door. One notch backward was back door only. Correct?
Yes, that’s how it went. And IIRC two notches back then opened the front too. In case someone suddenly showed up to enter. Old looks were the same, I’m quite sure.
You are correct about the Allison transmission having a two-speed variant, the VS2, and this manual (PDF) confirms it: https://brandon314.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/08122011123538.pdf
See Para 1-8, page 14 in the PDF.
Thanks for your interesting and balanced posts.
Thank you for that! I’ve searched a few times to come up with some detailed info on the Allison V Drive, but failed to find anything as detailed as this. I’m going to update the article.
There is a good book that covers exactly what happened in regards to the transition from street cars to buses in Los Angeles. Railways To Freeways by Eli Bail. It’s not in print but isn’t too hard to find. It’s really a stretch to say GM (and Firestone Tire and Standard Oil) conspired to replace streetcar service in Los Angeles, that trend had started as far back as the late 1930’s. Both Pacific Electric and Los Angeles Transit Lines were losing money before WWII, and after a brief resurgence caused by wartime rationing things got worse in the 1950’s. Streetcar lines were burdened with high labor costs (maintaining old streetcars, track and right-of-way, operating their own substations), tremendous property taxes, and poor revenue. At the time, buses were just a lot cheaper to operate, an important factor for privately owned transit agencies. GM clearly had the best public transit products in the industry and unlike White, Flxible/Twin Coach, and Mack offered financing through GMAC to transit agencies that didn’t have the best balance sheets! No question GM was actively investing in public transit at the time and was conspiring to benefit from the streetcar to bus transition, but I don’t think they caused it.
Having read more on the subject since I wrote this, I quite agree. GM just took maximum advantage of the circumstances, and facilitated the inevitable.
It would have taken a far-sighted approach to save the trains, and a lot of public money, which just wasn’t in the cards then.
The hero of fellow Old Look drivers throughout the world.
The reruns of The Honeymooners just show the fireworks, and not the bus going down a New York Street or Avenue. The tv clip shows 2739, a 1949 TDH4509, while the well-known publicity photo with Jackie Gleason and his fellow Honeymooners cast members was on the REAL 2969, also a TDH4509, which started running in Manhattan around Christmas of 1950, the borough where they spent most of their service lives, until ca. 1966, when the ones still left were exiled to Da Bronx to finish out their service days. None were saved by MaBSTOA…in fact, only two Old Looks were saved…one, 4789, a 1948 TDH5101, was more saved by luck…it became an FDNY command vehicle, also ca. 1966, while the other, 3100, was the first transit bus with factory air conditioning, and was a demonstrator before Fifth Avenue Coach picked it up in 1956…there is a story as to how it was saved, but I don’t know it well enough to relate it. As it turned out, had Gleason based his show in Brooklyn, his bus could have been a TDH4510, one of three special orders that started the paired window era at GM…the 4510 was similar to an early 4509, except the 4510 was 102″ wide. Most of the 4510s were sent to MaBSTOA starting in May of 1962, to replace ex-Surface Transit TD4506s, TDH4567s, and Mack C-45-DT’s, which had, due to Surface Transit’s sloppy maintenance, had become basket cases
Did this generation ever get factory power steering, or was it always pure muscle?
As a child, I grew up with trams, and later buses, passing my front door. But Australian city buses are so different from these American ones. Certainly they were in 1950s Melbourne. When the VR St KIlda to Brighton Beach tramline (or ‘electric street railway’ as it was originally called) was replaced by MMTB buses around 1958, rather than getting new buses, or even some of the newer ones, we got these old wartime (or maybe even prewar) leftover AECs where the driver sat alongside the engine in a little half-width cab.
I have to say riding in these was a lovely experience, if you could afford the fare; I usually couldn’t, so riding one was a treat. Yes they were slow, but you kind of expected that of a bus. All buses were slow back then, or at least all the ones I’d seen. And who had ever been overseas? Nobody we knew. The ride seemed smooth, with jolting only from occasional potholes. The seats were khaki leather worn smooth by the rubbing of a thousand backsides. The engines were very slow-revving, and now that I replay the sound in my head, I realise they must’ve had a narrow rev range but massive torque. The driver had the convenience of a preselector gearbox. It was a treat to sit near the front and watch him flick the little lever in a pod alongside the column, then stamp the change pedal when he wanted the next gear to come in. Ah, retrotechnology…
About the time I moved away they were replaced with Leyland Nationals, horrible noisy things that always seemed to be growling angrily, rattled and shook even over cobblestoned gutters, and leaned horribly in corners. Oh, they were new, true, and much faster, with the rear engine and automatic you Americans had had for decades -, but in the Leyland you were aware of riding cattle-class, or steerage. Not a pleasant riding experience.
Always thought the laid back windshield made the thing look like it had a big “forehead” like a Neanderthal or old black & white horror show monster, Frankenstein. Regardless of conspiracy or not at least back then the GM engineers were building a better product with some innovation, the up and coming business versus later when they were the behemoth that couldn’t get out of its own way.
I rode these downtown with my mother in the 60’s hundreds of times, and later by myself when I got my first job downtown. They looked old, in the same sense that a 1950’s auto looked old in those days. But other than that, the adjective that always came to my mind was “solid”. They seemed strong enough to drive though a brick wall if need be.
They were “solid” to me in another sense, too. When I was a child in the early 60’s, the world seemed to work – the big trash trucks came for the garbage every week, the faucets brought hot and cold water, and the oil trucks brought warmth in the winter. Every need seemed to have been addressed, and met, in an orderly manner; often by large vehicles and other machines. These buses were just another part of that. I realize that for many folks who didn’t live in neat suburbs, the reality even then was much different, but when you’re a kid that is easy to miss. The early 60’s were the only time of my life when the world seemed stable and secure.
Rode the ‘old look’ buses a lot, back in the 1960’s. LAMTA in Burbank and Glendale, Ca.
Seemed like those tanks could run forever, just as a 1960’s Chevy, GMC or Ford Truck
I can still hear the transmission shifting ……
I’ve always wondered about the oblong vent and cover above the rearmost windows on both sides of some models. What was the purpose? Some have grillwork below the solid vent cover, while others just have the solid vent cover with nothing below. Any ideas?
I rode these old look models growing up in NYC in the ’50s and ’60s. In addition to the Transit Authority, I rode lines from Queens Transit, Triborough, and the Bee Line.