Kedzie Garage 1969 Propane Explosion

[trainman8119]

Web surfing, I came across some pics from a propane explosion at Kedzie in 1969. Something like 90 were hurt and 3 buses were totally destroyed (looks like a New Look Flx, a Twin and possibly a new look GMC). As with something that old, it is hard to find newspaper articles and the like, but found some old forum posts here relating to the explosion. Something that was mentioned was that this was the reason Kedzie was rebuilt. Is that true ? I always thought it was just modernization.

[BusHunter]

Web surfing, I came across some pics from a propane explosion at Kedzie in 1969. Something like 90 were hurt and 3 buses were totally destroyed (looks like a New Look Flx, a Twin and possibly a new look GMC). As with something that old, it is hard to find newspaper articles and the like, but found some old forum posts here relating to the explosion. Something that was mentioned was that this was the reason Kedzie was rebuilt. Is that true ? I always thought it was just modernization.

3153.jpg

3153 and 5481.jpg

unknown bus.jpg

Hard to say if the third's a GMC. It almost looks like a Flx. AFAIK, no #300's were prematurely retired, (around '69) . If it is a GMC, it would have to be a #100. The only thing is a garage roster from 1968 says that only #3000 (Flx), #5000 (twins), #8000 and #8400 Flx's, and #9000 Marmon Herringtons were at kedzie garage.

[geneking7320]

Looking at the pic of the unknown bus I think it is a Flxible also. The "small" passenger window on a 40ft Flx looks like a rhombus with rounded corners [like you see in the pic]. The analogous window on a GMC looks like a square with rounded corners.

[Busjack]

If you were referring to the third picture, Gene King is correct. Also, no evidence of the wedge window that would be between the driver's window and the first passenger window on a GMC.

Again, probably a partial historic coverup. Krambles's book talks about how safe propane is, then "Notwithstanding, there were accidents later at North Park, Kedzie, and 69th garages which dimmed enthusiasm for the propane bus."

Blowing the roof off a garage and destroying at least 3 buses would seem like more than an "accident" of the type denoted.

And if that was the reason it was rebuilt, then there would have to be an explanation why it took 15 years. And if something similar happened at 69, about 25.

[trainman8119]

Thanks guys. Upon further review, I agree the 3rd bus is indeed a Flx. I overlooked the teardrop window behind the drivers window a GMC would have. I was more trying to determine if it was a reason behind rebuilding and didn't realize the time frame Busjack pointed out.