'New York City's First Bus'

[Mr. Linsky]

Boy, this one rolls back the time machine to 'day one' in the archives of bus transportation as we savor a photo of the very first motorized coach to operate in New York City, New York State or possibly the entire country.

Seen in 1905 meandering the paths of Manhattan's Central Park in demonstration service for the Fifth Avenue Coach Company (FACCO) is a 24 passenger open topped double decker modeled as a Type 'D' with a chassis built in France by De Dion-Bouton and carrying a body by J.G. Brill and Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

It is said that the test trials were so successful and well accepted by customers that the company almost immediately ordered an addition fourteen buses while beginning to make serious inroads into the retirement of their large horse drawn fleet.

FACCO continued to do chassis business with foreign suppliers including Daimler of England until World War I halted such overseas shipping forcing the company into its own manufacturing.

Of note is the extraordinary (for the time) 10 cent fare which was provided for in FACCO's State Public Service Commission permit.

Unfortunately, the black and white film hides the elegant color scheme of the vehicle which was a body of rich cavern green with touches of gold leaf pin striping.

Photo courtesy of 'bk.sales' and is available at eBay as item # 390495542900.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York