Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

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Centralian
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Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by Centralian »

The first photo post I did was a couple of years ago now and was on Pykes Tours who were a Sydney based day tour operator in the '60's and 70's. Their fleet included a number of imports including Duple bodied Thames chassis and Van Hool bodied Bedford Vam and Val chassis. Hope you don't mind my re-posting a few of those images that I took in the mid '70's.

Admin Note: see post http://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewt ... 10&t=20592 TV 629 was reported there as TV 620.

TV 596 http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-17387

TV 202 http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-17377

TV 003 http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-17370

TV 629 http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-17376

HSY 393 http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-16588

JZB 083 http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-17386
Last edited by Centralian on Sun Sep 25, 2011 9:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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DENAIR
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by DENAIR »

Hi the Van Hool Val ended up as a school coach with Hoys Wangaratta
Image

cheers denair 8)
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Centralian
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by Centralian »

Thanks Denair , was always an unanswered question for me as to where that Val ended up. I'd love to know what became of the rest of Pykes fleet, if anyone out there has any info ?
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ed K
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by ed K »

The one in Action colours is in a backyard at West Ryde plus another bus.
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ALBION1881
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by ALBION1881 »

I say there be some bus museum in England would of love to get there hands on these buses these would be a rare bus over there it is a pity we over here could not one of them and restore it.If it was the van hool twin steer bedford that would good restored great pictures mate I like to more of unusal buses.
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system improver
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by system improver »

There must have been some reason that Pykes went for these imported vehicles other than their quality and looks eg. ex Brit in charge or other personal connection. Also, how did they manage to get these vehicles through the protection barriers at the time? They must have been more expensive than the local product. A harbinger of things to come though. Any info would be welcomed.
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TV600_Denning
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by TV600_Denning »

Love the twin stack headlights on the Val, Very 70's man, groovy!

Thats one of the most unique bus fleets i've ever seen, thanks for sharing!
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by AEC Decker »

AEC Decker remembers Pykes Tours operating sightseeing tours along Sydneys' eastern suburbs beaches in the 1960s & 1970s. :D
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boronia
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by boronia »

That Mee bodied thing looks plain ugly, what a comparison to the euro coaches. (And it doesn't seem to be registered :oops: )

Pykes morphed into AAT, I think the Van Hools operated in AAT livery for a while.
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GM
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by GM »

I do not know when Pykes Tours started but they were around in the 1940's. GM
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GM
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by GM »

When most operators had changed over to Metal Framed bodies the Duple Bodies were still Wooden Framed. GM
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system improver
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by system improver »

GM wrote:When most operators had changed over to Metal Framed bodies the Duple Bodies were still Wooden Framed. GM
Gee, didn't know that. I wonder if they were the only ones in Britain to do this.
alburybuses2
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by alburybuses2 »

GM wrote:I do not know when Pykes Tours started but they were around in the 1940's. GM
AAT Kings website - History, in part : " One of the original components of AAT was Pykes Tours, who pioneered sightseeing in Sydney with a pre-World War 1 drive-yourself car service. In the 1920's Colonel Pyke extended the business to motor tours of Katoomba & Jenolan Caves using seven seater cars. Coaches were first introduced in 1935 and raised the passenger capacity to 14. Of note - the first ten tourist licences issued by the NSW Government Motor Dept. were registered to Pykes and are still held and operated by AAT Kings"
900249 Pykes Tours, Sydney Foden PVSC6 ex MVC Viewmaster CoachesLawton body - David Jones[1].JPG
alburybuses2
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by alburybuses2 »

[quote="
The attachment 900249 Pykes Tours, Sydney Foden PVSC6 ex MVC Viewmaster CoachesLawton body - David Jones[1].JPG is no longer available
[/quote]
Pykes original paint scheme for the Fodens was a modified MVC, here is how I remember them after the repaint.
(If one keeps looking, it will turn up, even 10 years later). Pykes sale advert may be of interest (sori about the poor quality).
Attachments
Foden Viewmasters Coaches (ex MVC) 026.jpg
Foden Viewmasters Coaches (ex MVC) 026.jpg (17.42 KiB) Viewed 40828 times
Foden Viewmasters Coaches (ex MVC) 024.jpg
Foden Viewmasters Coaches (ex MVC) 024.jpg (41.22 KiB) Viewed 40828 times
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Looselion
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by Looselion »

Not sure if this image featured earlier. Most have disappeared. An Ansair/Ford photographed at Katoomba.
Attachments
Pykes Tours Coach - Katoomba NSW.jpg
Pykes Tours Coach - Katoomba NSW.jpg (18.9 KiB) Viewed 40615 times
eagle
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by eagle »

I recall as a child in the mid 1960's boarding a Pykes Bus in Martin Place and travelling to Katoomba on a day tours.

Many years later an ex Pykes Bus still in their cream colours but converted to a motorhome was on Bribie Island for years.

Your post is most timely for me, I have no idea what happened to the motor home.

ps the pic's don't appear on your post or perhaps its me operating this end. .
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Centralian
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by Centralian »

I've re-attached the photos. People may also be interested in this bit of Duple bodywork badging that appeared on the front bumper bars of the Duple body and visible in the above images.
Duple.jpg
Duple.jpg (47.71 KiB) Viewed 40575 times
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eagle
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by eagle »

tv202 is the style and colour I went to Katoomba and the one that was on Bribie as a camper'

many thanks for the posting
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Dennis96
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Re: Once upon a time ....... Pykes Tours

Post by Dennis96 »

Found this one in the Perth suburb of Bayswater this afternoon. Ex Pykes ?
Attachments
Duple Ford rear view 2017042 2_143414_red.jpg
Duple Ford Bayswater 20170422  red.jpg
Passengers must not talk to Driver
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