British Classic Buses in Australia  -  Page 3

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Last updated 30 December 2007

Leyland Comet survivor

Al Curran called to ask if I could identify this "1962 Leyland 33 foot bus". He said that the owner was turning it into a motorhome and Al was making his thermal curtains. He had asked Al if he could identify the model, and he had looked for hours through bus websites without success;

I was still struggling with that when Al got a response from elsewhere solving the problem.

Ian Lynas wrote "It is almost certainly a Leyland Comet with a Cycle Components Manufacturing Co body (CCMC) (pre Customs days), and I would hazard a guess it is ex-Delwood Bus Co., or one of the Rowe group of companies, Campbelltown Transit or Parramatta-Villawood. It should have a chassis number on the offside about mid way along the chassis or same place on the nearside. Difference is some were original Comets rebodied or they were chassis intended for export to places like India or South Africa and they got diverted to Australia. It should also have a body number on the CCMC plate around the middle of the plate starting with the year suffix 58/??? through to the mid 1960's."

Ian attached an old photo of a similar looking bus at Campbelltown, to prove his point. Interesting find !

London RT enjoys the sunshine

Paul Harrington from Morphett Vale, South Australia, wrote;

"Allow me first to say what a superb website you've put together on the subject of classic buses. Simply brilliant. I've enjoyed surfing through it many times."

"The main reason I've put finger to keyboard is to inform you of an immaculate RT series currently being used in South Australia."

"I drive RT 1787( KYY 625) only once a year on South Australian roads for the annual Christmas pageant. Unfortunately I'm not the owner, as it's owned by South Australian Major Events Commission. But sometime in the future...who knows."

Thanks Paul. I love the loudspeakers on the front, which I think were not standard when in London service !  The activity in the background is also interesting - not just the other RT behind with red wheels and scalloped sidewalls, but what on earth is happening on the right of the picture ?

Well, Scott Mitchell emailed to provide the answer. He says; "The happenings behind the RT are the setting up of the Christmas Pageant floats. A long tradition in Adelaide was to go see the Christmas pageant with the family. There are many floats all based on children's stories. As for the RTs, I have a few pics of them in the pageant and I even got to ride 1787 one year after the pageant to get some photos."

Thanks Scott. That explains it.

Leyland motorhome

Zach Thomas emailed me an advert for his 1957 Leyland double decker bus motorhome-conversion for sale. At the time it was stored at Aldinga in South Australia, about 1 hour south of Adelaide.

We tried to identify it, but Zach was unable to find a chassis number. I'm guessing it's a Sydney Leyland Titan OPD2, but maybe somebody can throw some more light on it. (David Wilson says it's an OPD2/1 with a Clyde body)

Zach has been trying to sell it for some time, without success, and the last I heard he had decided that part-exchanging it for a car was the only way he was going be able to pass it on !

Another Leyland motorhome

And here's another one. Mal Howell asked "Can you please help me id this bus I just purchased? I think it's a Leyland. The engine no is Leyland C5207,   Type E66/1N."

Again my guess is that it's a Sydney Leyland Titan OPD2, and once more we don't have a chassis number. Any ideas?

(David Wilson says it's an OPD1 with a Clyde body, and quite rare !)

News from Whiteman Park

It's always busy at the Bus Preservation Society of Western Australia facility, with a line of interesting projects waiting to be restored. One of their finest productions was completed in 2005, when Leyland LT1 Lion, ex Metro No.22, was rolled out. Cameron Bell, President of BPSWA, very kindly sent me the photo below;

Built in 1929 it has a 4-cylinder petrol engine and a Western Australian built body. Owned and restored by BPSWA, the job was completed in July 2005, and it is seen here outside the workshop at the Bus Museum of Western Australia.  Another picture sent by Cameron is below, and shows a Guy Arab from the fleet of Western Australia Government Tramways;

This 1950 Guy Arab III was No.101 in the WAGT fleet (it was originally one of fifty), and has a 6-cylinder Gardner 6LW engine. Again this is owned and has been beautifully restored by BPSWA, and the work was completed in December 2004. These are two magnificent restorations, and a credit to the workmanship of the Society members. And there's more to come, judging by the stuff they have stashed away in the shed !  Watch this space. Congratulations to the team, and many thanks to Cameron Bell for sending the photos.

Real Antique discovered

Clay Atkinson from Queensland has recently acquired the remains of a 1936 Bristol bus which he hopes to restore.

It's a Bristol JO5G originally delivered to United Automobile in north-east England as their fleet number BJO42 (rego BHN 237). In the 1970s it was converted to a caravan and set off on a "world tour".

In April 2006 Clay said "Looks like things are starting to come together to finally bring the Bristol home, I have a friend who believes he can borrow a truck and trailer for a weekend so we will go and pick it up ourselves. As you can see from the photo, the driver's cab looks quite unstable so I will be removing the windscreen and building some bracing in the cab area to support the roof during the trip. I will keep you posted on the progress."

In October 2006 Clay sent more info; "I thought I would let you know that I have finally got the Bristol back home to Brisbane. It was an interesting exercise, we organised with a local farmer at the pickup point to give us a hand, with his tractor to load it. He was very concerned initially that his machine would not be powerful enough to do the job, but once we got it rolling, steering and stopping he soon got into the spirit of the occasion. All and all it only took an hour and a half to come up with a plan and get it on the truck, luckily there was a loading ramp that we were able to use which was great."

"Getting it off at home was another thing, we had no loading ramp and very little flat ground so we ran the truck up a reasonably steep embankment and lowered it off using a pair of 7 foot ramps, a snatch block and the winch on my Nissan Patrol. It was a slow and challenging task and took about 5 hours. Now for the hard bit, getting started on the restoration! Keep you posted."

Thanks Clay, and good luck with the restoration.

A couple of Lodekkas

Scott Mitchell sent me these two pictures of Lodekkas in Australia;

He says; "Here are two Bristol Lodekka's currently in NSW. The first one is a motor home and in "Flight Centre" livery, it is ex Top Deck Travel". This is LWC 665C, a 1965 FLF6G originally No.2839 with Eastern National, joining the Top Deck fleet in 1983 as "Loft". Now registered QVC676 it was last recorded with Bill James of Sydney.

"The second one is ex Hants & Dorset No.1517 (registration CLJ 868C). It spent time operating a sightseeing service in Melbourne, but that operation no longer exists. It now resides in NSW and is owned privately by a bus driver at Premier Nowra who intends on restoring it."

Thanks for the pictures, Scott.

School buses in Victoria

David Hurst (with help from Ian Hurst) of Korumburra, Victoria, sent me the following photos and information;

"My Grandfather pioneered government susidised school bus travel in country Victoria many years ago. Ralph Hurst began transporting children from farms to the Korumburra Higher Elementary School in a 7-seater Vauxhaul car, converted to carry 14 children. The Vauxhall was the ex governor's car I believe. Ralph's fleet grew over the years, his sons Brian and Ian (my father) joined the business also. Ralph passed away in 1968, leaving the fleet with both sons. Ian retired due to ill health in the mid 1970's, Brian continued and later his son Trevor joined the business. Over the years "Hurst's of Korumburra" was scaled down to two buses, and Brian retired from driving. Trevor sold off the remaining bus circa 2000. The Bus service continues with other owners, namely Harley's of Korumburra. Also my Mother's brother has a fleet of buses on school runs, Alan Winterhalter. My Dad taught him to drive buses. Sadly Uncle Brian passed away in 2003."

"I have attached a couple of photos for you."

"First is NA-424, a 1949 Bedford OB on its delivery day to R.R. Hurst & Sons. Beside her is the 4th bus purchased by Ralph Hurst, an ex McHarry's of Geelong 30-seater Ford, MH-143."

"The second image is "Nelly" (NL-117) a 1950 Bedford OB, also on its delivery day to R.R.Hurst & Sons."

My thanks to David for the pictures and details.

Brisbane Regal swapped for a cow

Doug Whale, from Queensland says "We have an AEC Regal III from 1948 with 9.6 ltr diesel and 4 speed preselect gearbox. Body was built by Commonwealth Body Builders In Sydney. This bus is one of only three surviving in Australia. The other two are owned by members of QOCS.  We are still in restoration stage. May take quite some time as we are trying to find parts to get it running again."

"These buses were owned and operated by Brisbane City Council, from 1949-50 until 1971 when this particular bus, No:78 was decommissioned and eventually sold in 1973 to a chap that lived in Brisbane and actually drove this same bus for the council during those years. He was going to transform it into a motorhome but never got that far, having passed away and left it to his son, who at the time was driving taxis for the same council. The bus sat in their backyard, ( or rather "paddock" ) for nearly 16 years, never being moved or started, until the son moved to Gympie and set up house here in 1989."

"He also thought about building it into a motorhome for the next 12 years and gave up on the idea after moving back to Newcastle, (just north of Sydney) to take up driving coaches up the Hunter Valley. The bus was then given to a mutual friend of ours as a storage shed for his computer gear, and sat in his yard for another 4 years until I saw it and purchased it for the price of a Jersey milking cow ( I swapped him a cow for it ) on 5 Oct 2006."

"Since 1973 it has not been started but has been turned over, apparently burning out the starter motor, (they tried to start it on 12 volts). It still has 26 gallons of diesel in the fuel tank from 1973. I am still looking for a starter motor for it, so I can get it running...ANY HELP would be appreciated !!

"The bodies for these buses were made by Commonwealth Engineering in Granville, Sydney, and Athol Hedges in Brisbane (ours is a ComEng) between 1948-1953. I don't know exactly how many were made, but from research I have done, I think there were only 12 or 13 Regal III 's with full fronts, others around the country I have seen are all half fronts."

Doug's bus is number 78 (chassis number O962261) but, as he says, No.77 is preserved by the Heritage Bus Association, and No.80 is with QOCS. Good luck with the restoration !

MTT Worldmaster

Mike Tamkin, now with Alpha Bus Co., has sent this photo from the late seventies / early eighties when he was a Bus Operator with the MTT at Causeway Depot, Perth. It shows No.539, one of a batch of 20 Leyland Royal Tiger "Worldmasters" delivered in 1963. Mike says "We had about 40 like this at Causeway depot as late as 1980". Thanks Mike.

Preserved Melbourne Regal

This fine M&MTB AEC Regal III belongs to John Phillips, and is seen at the Sandown Rally, Sandown Park, near Melbourne in 2007. Melbourne acquired a huge number of Regals in the early 1950s. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I reckon they had 18 with ComEng bodies in 1951-52 (No.435 is believed to survive from this batch), 18 more with ComEng bodies in 1952 (352 survives at Tempe), 29 with ComEng bodies in 1952-53 (513 survives as a mobile home), one with an Ansair body in 1953, and 69 with Martin & King bodies delivered in 1953-54. Of that last lot, 537 survives at the Tramway Museum Society of Victoria, and this one (No.592) makes two. Many thanks to Pete Kane for letting me use this photo. Pete says "the AEC virtually still looks the same as when it came out of service, the owner John Phillips takes pretty good care of it."

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