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Thursday, July 19, 2012

REMEMBERING LELAND "LEON: BUKER'S TRENTON TRANSIT

How my friend, the late Leon Buker would love to see the collection he labored over and carefully preserved for so many years being on display for posterity! Thanks to Tom and Rosemary Buker, much of Lee's collection has become an integral part of the Hamilton Township Public Library's "TROLLEYS-BUSES-RAILROAD" folder in the Local History Collection. The colored graphic on the left is only a small part of Lee's incredible collection of Trenton Transit bus and trolley memorabilia. The photo of the old familiar Trenton bus terminal (AKA "Union Bus Terminal" will be forever remembered by Tom Glover. The very last time I was at that terminal was in 1955 when I waited for a "Trailways" bus to take me to my new assignment as a cloak and dagger operative at Fort Devens, Massachusetts.

Tom,
My brother and I spent many a hour playing against the brick wall waiting for my dad to get his assignment. Saw many Trailways, Greyhounds, Royal Blue Coach, and Public Service buses running in and out of the terminal and of course your favorite bus. "LIBERTY ST." Thanks for the posting.
Tom Buker

Anonymous said...

What always amazed me (as a kid), was how they managed to squeeze the bus from the rear lot and between those brick buildings out onto Front Street, as the buses got larger and larger, like the Greyhound and Trailways I think it was a combination of luck and/or skill.

In the early 1950's we still didn't have a car and used my Uncle Tom's Airstream Trailer down at Holgate at the tip of Long Beach Island. Our trip for a week at the shore involved a few bus rides and took almost the entire day. We would take Trenton Transit (S-Colonial), to the Cathedral and then over to "The Terminal" where we would get a bus to Philadelphia. Often it was a hot ride with no AC but there was one refreshment/potty stop by Route 72 in Lebanon. Then it was on to the end of the line at Beach Haven leaving about 5 miles to go to Holgate and with no bus or cab service you were left with an outstretched thumb. Back in the 50's, the stretch between Holgate and Beach Haven was essentially deserted; just dunes and grass till you got to Lindhal's Trailer Park (that still survives today). Holgate had the Coast Guard tower for coastal defense against Kraut subs and such from WWII. During the big storm of (62?) the owners perished when they left the safety of the tower, but essentially is was not much of a "resort" with a single bar, one hot dog stand and a small sit down small burger place and of course the obligatory boat repair shop. Aside from that, just a few dozen trailers and a one street of houses. To go fishing for snappers off the Beach Haven dock, well Dad was quite resourceful and we rode into town on the milk truck, bottles clanking (standing room only), and returned on the "summer school bus" in the afternoon. Tom, seeing that old photo sparked the memory. Then there were the fires, at times you could barely see the road. Hard to imagine but it took all of the day to make that "journey" back then. When LBI was so quiet and heaven to a city kid. The only "entertainment" aside from snapper blues and splashing were the cheap comics, old ones and for 10 cents you got a pack of 12 with the covers torn off. Thanks ...

Ed Millerick

Tom Glover said...

VERY INTERESTING RETROSPECTIVE, TOM AND ED. .ALL THESE COMMENTS ENHANCE THE GRAPHIC VERY NICELY.

TOM GLOVER


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tom,
My brother and I spent many a hour playing against the brick wall waiting for my dad to get his assignment. Saw many Trailways, Greyhounds, Royal Blue Coach, and Public Service buses running in and out of the terminal and of course your favorite bus. "LIBERTY ST." Thanks for the posting.
Tom Buker

Anonymous said...

What always amazed me (as a kid), was how they managed to squeeze the bus from the rear lot and between those brick buildings out onto Front Street, as the buses got larger and larger, like the Greyhound and Trailways I think it was a combination of luck and/or skill.

In the early 1950's we still didn't have a car and used my Uncle Tom's Airstream Trailer down at Holgate at the tip of Long Beach Island. Our trip for a week at the shore involved a few bus rides and took almost the entire day. We would take Trenton Transit (S-Colonial), to the Cathedral and then over to "The Terminal" where we would get a bus to Philadelphia. Often it was a hot ride with no AC but there was one refreshment/potty stop by Route 72 in Lebanon. Then it was on to the end of the line at Beach Haven leaving about 5 miles to go to Holgate and with no bus or cab service you were left with an outstretched thumb. Back in the 50's, the stretch between Holgate and Beach Haven was essentially deserted; just dunes and grass till you got to Lindhal's Trailer Park (that still survives today). Holgate had the Coast Guard tower for coastal defense against Kraut subs and such from WWII. During the big storm of (62?) the owners perished when they left the safety of the tower, but essentially is was not much of a "resort" with a single bar, one hot dog stand and a small sit down small burger place and of course the obligatory boat repair shop. Aside from that, just a few dozen trailers and a one street of houses. To go fishing for snappers off the Beach Haven dock, well Dad was quite resourceful and we rode into town on the milk truck, bottles clanking (standing room only), and returned on the "summer school bus" in the afternoon. Tom, seeing that old photo sparked the memory. Then there were the fires, at times you could barely see the road. Hard to imagine but it took all of the day to make that "journey" back then. When LBI was so quiet and heaven to a city kid. The only "entertainment" aside from snapper blues and splashing were the cheap comics, old ones and for 10 cents you got a pack of 12 with the covers torn off. Thanks ...

Ed Millerick

Tom Glover said...

VERY INTERESTING RETROSPECTIVE, ED. IT ENHANCES THE GRAPHIC VERY NICELY.

TOM GLOVER