Vintage Buses Shine at the New York City Transit Museum Bus Festival

SEPTEMBER 22—A selection of five vintage buses made their way from the Bronx to Brooklyn Bridge Park for New York City Transit’s annual Bus Festival on Sunday, an event crowded with nostalgia and transit enthusiasts.

TWU Local 100 members worked tirelessly to prepare the buses for the festival, getting them into place 4 hours before the event’s 10 AM start time.

“When it comes to stuff liek this there’s people behind the scenes who actually really care, a lot of times I want to say it’s their life’s work,” said Larry Vila, a MaBSTOA Maintainer of 20 years and shop steward from the Zerega Overhaul Shop. 

Models from the 1930s through the 1990s and a modern electric bus were the attractions at the park, with some lines wrapping around the corner and down the block.

“The lines are long like they’re going to the movies,” marveled Cassius Forbes, a Bus Operator with 20 years on the job who drives out of Quill Depot.

Betsy, a model 1263 double decker bus in operation from 1931 to 1947, was the star of the show, with eager history buffs hoping to get a glimpse at the interior waiting on line up to an hour.

But several Local 100 members at the festival who operate and maintain these 20th century wonders had another favorite: Model 3100, the first air-conditioned bus, which was in service from the mid 1950s through the mid 1970s.

“You have to actually drive it and push and pull,” said Forbes. “You have to take your time. It takes a lot of effort. There’s no time to relax. It keeps you busy.”

The maintenance of the vintage buses is a labor of love, said the people tasked with keeping them running.

“From bumper to bumper it takes a lot of work and effort,” said Raul Belo, a Bus Maintainer at the Grand Avenue Depot. “Some parts aren’t available, so we have to manufacture, rebuild, restore.”

Vila agreed, noting that the work, while widely enjoyed, is done anonymously.

“They put a lot of dedication into these buses, it's almost like their legacy, what they leave behind when they retire. Everybody gets to see it but don’t know who actually did the work,” said Vila.

Although the buses were the main event, the festival also showcased a modern-day bus tow truck.

Wrapping up the day, all six fully operational models were primed for takeoff from the park in a small fleet. Tim Myers, a Bus Operator of 27 years out of Quill Depot, got Model 3100 ready for its tour back home to Zerega. His years of expertise were on full display as he patiently secured his bus, closed the doors and marched up the aisle to the driver’s seat just like he would do before clearing a modern bus for full operation. And then he was off.