Ed Axenty at Work
Ed Axenty (right, 1901-1975) at work on installing a fare meter on what appears to be a new PCC unit General Motors bus for the Pacific Electric in this undated photo. Note the unopened “Operating Instructions” booklet hanging from the back of the operator’s seat. Ed is the great-granduncle of contributor Tommy Henrich.
Tommy Henrich Collection
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It appears to be a bus, not a PCC car. The windshield molding is rubber, which was chrome on new PCC cars, and only changed to rubber near the end. The dash is that of a GM old look. The vehicle in front is also a bus. The real giveaway is the reflection of a steering wheel in the windshield just over the shoulder of the worker on the left.
I’d like to differ, for the following reasons:
I don’t know about the windshield mouldings, but as the windshield is vertical, it can’t reflect the steering wheel which is essentially 90 degrees below it in the flash.
We can’t see the pedals, but the 2 speed automatic transmission’s shift tower and lever would have been visible coming out of the floor by the knees. I don’t think the vehicle in front is a bus either, because there are no louvers in what would have been the engine room for the 4-71 Detroit.
It’s a bus. Look at video at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFVSR4CS9-o&feature=related
You will see how dash is shaped, seat, nonvertical windshied, the side window. Not all buses had the shifter in the same place.
Also, if Mr. Axenty worked for PE, PE only had the double ended PCC’s which had windows nothing like those shown (although I do admit they do resemble the windows on the all-electric LARy PCC cars– as do old look buses).
Well, we can agree to disagree, but that is definitely the roller for the trolley cable on the PCC in front, partially obscured by the windshield divider, not a license plate.
It is a GM “OLD LOOK” bus, I know, I own 10 of them!
– hard to dispute that! Thanks, Ralph! – Ed.
Much as some of us hate to admit it, buses are part of PE history.
It’s a TDH 4502 or 4506 GM Truck and Coach [GMC] bus. Mr. Cantos is 1000% correct. And I would love to pictures of his collection. . very cool.
How can this be a PE photo? The vehicle in front is not painted in any PE livery I ever saw, and the tail lights do not look like 1940s-1950s GM bus tail lights.
– It could be a PE successor company like MCL or LAMTA – ed.