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USA & CANADA 738-OJ-179 USA & CANADA
Gateway Double-Decker Bus Tours, New York. 22 (XNW 870S) was converted to open top between 1/00 & 8/00,
21 (XNW 869S) to open top c3/01, followed by 18 (501 OHU) in 4/01. Buses into the new red livery, by 5/01, are
8/18/20-22 (ANU 11B/501 OHU/WJM 821T/ XNW 869/70S). Some buses carried small “NY Double Decker Bus
Tours” fleetnames, later just “Double Decker Bus Tours”.
2/6/9/11/19 (BDL 581B/KHT 955E/FWC 428B/GVF 445D/806 SHW) are all currently out of use (6/01).
Gray Line, New York. Further open top conversions to report here include: 223-6 by8/98 (unless supplied from
the UK in this format); D238/40 by9/99; D237/9 by6/00; D243 by2/01 (all former San Francisco
Olympians); D237/40 are in slightly different all-red liveries and D241-3 in white with wavy red & blue bands,
D241 later gaining a white/graduated orange all-over advert for “Power Street”. D246 went into a red/lemon
yellow “City Sightseeing” livery by5/01.
Some vehicles have had the prefix ‘71’ added to their fleet numbers (part of a national numbering scheme??).
212/19 (TWR 466W/PWR 449W) are currently out of use providing spares for the fleet, 219 after sustaining
accident damage.
Manhattan Double Decker Tours, New York. HDL 407/8N arrived from Boston with the n/s door removed, and
fitted into the o/s, and with a second (smaller) staircase (a Boston requirement) fitted into the rear n/s corner of
the saloon (this work had been done in the UK before export). In 6/94 HDL 407N was in a livery promoting
“Crazy for You”, and HDL 408N was in a livery for “My Fair Lady”. Around the spring/early summer of 1994, it is
believed an unidentified double decker was broken up for spares.
New York Apple Tours. The five DMS Fleetlines were impounded by the Authorities (see above) because they had
non-compliant Iveco engines; they have never been released, though OJD 379R/THX 541/636S are in an open
compound near Newark Airport (NJ) which certainly is not secure since a container/trailer company vacated the
site. The other two (THX 473/588S) are believed to be inside a secure warehouse at Carteret, NJ, to which
access was denied.
15 (THX 286S, and originally numbered 40) was having its Iveco engine replaced by a Gardner unit (other
sources state a Leyland unit!) when we visited in 8/98.
More conversions to open top have taken place, as follows: by8/98 74 (?xxx ???)
by9/99 11 (OJV 117S); 41 (KBE 107P); 87-91/96 (Neoplans); c10/99 32 (GHM 782N)
by6/00 44 (GHM 892N); 92 (Neoplan); C755 CWX/C811 JGR/C163 UHN (MCW Metroliners, unless
shipped from the UK in rough open-top form, like 72 (5227 DD))
c6/00 15 (THX 286S - after sustaining roof damage in closed top form); 31 (KUC 180P)
by10/00 93-95 (Neoplans)
23 (GHM 836N) and 27 (TGX 866M) may have been taken out of service as early as “by9/99”, but they were
held in reserve until the end of Fleetline operation.
Some renumberings within the MCW Metroliners may have taken place that we are not aware of, especially
among those that were never prepared for service (paper numbers, perhaps). I have shown an unidentified
MCW above (in by8/98) as such a vehicle was being prepared for service as a second no. 74 (open top & full
livery) when we visited the depot in 8/98; however we were asked to leave before I had had the chance to
identify the vehicle. It’s always possible it could have been an MCW, already in possession, just being
renumbered (78, 79 or 81 for example). We were told that the old 72 and 74 were renumbered 86 and 85
respectively – certainly they were in the yard devoid of fleet numbers, and I know for a fact that the old 74 (then
85, etc, etc,) was one of those sent to Nimco in April/May 2001. I show 17 Metroliners above needing disposals
after the collapse at the end of 2000. It is known for certain that 15 (at least) Metroliners reached Nimco’s
premises for breaking, but because access is denied, Alex Hall (our man on the spot!) has been unable to
identify all. In addition to those whose disposals are given as Nimco (above), one liveried vehicle from nos. 73
(C104 DYE) or 78 (C159 UHN), and two white vehicles from nos. 83 (B472 JVK), 84 (A703 DCN) or 86 (C902
JOF), also made it to Nimco’s yard. All had been broken up by 6/01. Plea – if anyone has photos of any of the
18 Metroliners identified as having been with NYAT (see Vehicles Out above for registrations), either with any
UK operator, or in America, would they please offer them on loan to help positive identification of the vehicles in
New York. After studying the photos and noting all relevant detail, they will be returned to their owners. Please
help if you can, thank you.
Closed top vehicles sold to Nimco, had their roofs crudely cut off before the journey to the breaker’s yard in
Newark, perhaps so that they could negotiate one of the various tunnels under the Hudson River.
170 and 174-6 never entered service with NYAT; it is believed that some of the Bristol VR’s may be going to a
Coach USA subsidiary in Chicago for sightseeing work there.
By 6/01, the Borden Avenue, Long Island City, Queens, maintenance depot yard was empty, lifeless and locked
up. It’s just possible some buses may have been over the pits, but unlikely. Only a month earlier there had
been three VR’s and a line up of Neoplans here! Over at West Street, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, there were at least
four, maybe as many as six, ex-NYAT VR’s, some with their signwriting removed as if they were destined for
eventual service elsewhere. Equally interesting was the fact that four of Gray Line’s own VR’s were present,
suggesting that perhaps Gray Line intend using this site as their New York operational base instead of the West