Car Life

[Derrick J Brashear]

On Wed, 27 Dec 2000, John Swindler wrote:

> Speaking of Johnstown, reminded of a comment from their General Manager 
> concerning the TDH 3501 bus.  PAT bought about 45 around 1966, but all were 
> gone by mid-1970s.  But Johnstown was still running some in early 1980s.  
> The comment?  "They're a good little bus - if you keep after them."  Then 
> followed some discussion about Johnstown vs Pittsburgh maintenance 
> practices.

When I visited the barn in the early 90s care of then-CCTA-GM Harold
Jenkins, one "heritage" bus painted in JTCo colors was in the barn; I
assume it was one of these. Another rests in pretty good condition in 
a scrap yard along the road out of Johnstown toward South Fork (the road
that in the streetcar era was PA 53). And in the movie "Slap Shot", filmed
in Johnstown around 1975, at least one and maybe more can be seen waiting
for the "parade" to pass at the end of the film. 

How much of this can be attributed to how "late" JTCo was around before a
public authority was created as compared to PAT? How much can be
attributed to (what I assume was) most of the JTCo barn crew continuing to
work in the CCTA era?

-D