Home Page  |  Guestbook  |  What's New Antique Photo - Queens, 84th Drive [Courtesy of Al Linsky]

"Pictured above is the yet to be developed Briarwood/Kew Gardens Hills section of Queens, NY taken at 84th. Drive sometime in the late twenties. Of course, the focus of the image is the bus which has been elusive as to its operator and what 'route' it might be taking. After a number of years languishing in my photo file, I have finally solved the mystery thanks to a recent trade journal story entitled 'Queens Surface' - the history of Queens/Nassau Transit Lines and Steinway Omnibus Corporation. This little coach belonged to the Briarwood Bus Company which was a four-bus operation that maintained a single route that was designated as the Q30 which was about two miles in length and began in May of 1929. The buses ran from the Jamaica LIRR station, turning north on Parsons Boulevard and then west to Briarwood Road (now mostly 84th. Drive) to Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens. Upon the opening of the Union Turnpike IND subway stop in 1936, the Q30 route was extended along the boulevard to the station. To make a long story short, Q30 service was discontinued in early 1938 but was picked up the following year by North Shore Bus Company and continued until immediately after the war. Case closed!" ~Al Linsky