The following buses were photographed on Steve Olsen's Christmas layout and traction layout.

You will notice there are a lot of different bus at the same garage. I am trying to replicate all the buses from my childhood that I rode on as a kid. A kid that worked for the Dominico Bus Company washing the old look buses by hand in the 30th street garage. Some people looking at the photo's may say that is not the garage on 30th street! That's correct, the replica is the garage on 2th street owned by the Drogin Bus Company, which is still standing but quite empty. As a kid I used to try to wheel and deal - Saturday morning at Dominico and the afternoons at Drogins, downtown!

Mike's Recollections

While working for Dominico, one of my jobs was to sit on an old milk case in front of the garage and write down every time a B-11 bus went by. The B-11 buses were owned by Dominico, I believe he had 4 or 5 buses on the 2 routes, they joined the rest of the IBOA's on those routes. You had the Bayonne-Jersey City locals that went to Journal Square - route number No 10 and then you had the 99 which went to the Dixie Hotel in New York.

It was too expensive to go to the Port Authority. The Dixie Hotel was one block south of the Port Authority Bus Terminal. They had a turntable in the basement so they could turn the buses into separate stalls, and when they were ready to leave they would back out on to the turntable and an operator would work the turntable. I enjoyed this the most because my Uncle Sal drove for the company. Just a little story that I remember.

Folks, another bus story: While washing buses during the day and delivering Christmas tree's at night for the Scalfani Bros on 12th street in Bayonne, a woman bought a tree but she wanted it delivered to her house on 34th street. So guess who got picked, yours truly. This is a very true story. Lou Scalfani said, "hey Junior bring this tree to the lady." And I inquired HOW? He looked at me and said, "you work for a bus company. Take the bus." Have you ever tried to take a bus with a 7 ft Christmas tree??

So I stood on the corner of 12th street, waiting for a Public Service bus No 14 Greenville. After about ten minutes, here comes the bus. I stick out my hand for him to stop. He blew by me as if he was in the Indy 500 and going for the finish line. So I waited another 20 minute's for another bus - did the same thing. He blew by me faster then the other guy. I said to myself there's got to be a way. So I walked to the next corner, which was 13th street. At 13th street there is a traffic light. If I'm lucky the next guy will get stuck with the light. Lo and behold he does.

In the mean time I had put the tree down so he couldn't see it. I put out my hand, he stops, opens the door's, and I turn to get the tree. The light turns green, he sees the tree, shuts the door's in my face, and away he goes. So 3 hrs later when I return to the tree lot because I had to walk to 34th street - and back, Lou say's to me, "Junior where you been?" So I told him what he could do with his Christmas tree. Moral of story - Never, I mean Never, try to take the bus with a 7 ft Christmas tree!!!

Inter-City ACF on Mike Seft's O-Scale Layout

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