Saints Peakhurst Coaches

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boronia
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by boronia »

Fleet Lists wrote: Yes it was m/o 4707 at Marrickville but it would not have been in Saints colours in Tonga if it is the same bus.Yes 4707 did go to Tonga as well but it had been repainted by Marrickville.
From memory, at MBL it was simply white with a black stripe. MBL didn't have a regular "colour scheme" in those days, well before Telfords.
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Post by Swift »

I remember riding one of their ex Telford/ex BCC Panthers with the 680 engine mated to the ZF 2 sp box.Quite an interesting ride from Ramsgate to Hurstville that night.
This was in the mid 1990s sometime and will stay in my memory as one of the last truly fascinating bus rides I had in Sydney.
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by boronia »

boronia wrote: From memory, at MBL it was simply white with a black stripe. MBL didn't have a regular "colour scheme" in those days, well before Telfords.
I now think some of MBLs buses may have got a white and brown paint scheme for a while, but i still dont recall that the Atki was done.

I think there wasl a photo of it in a magazine not so long back (ABCVH??, but I cant find it now). I remember the photo because I was driving it at the time.
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Post by Simes »

Ok I'll show my age (and ignorance) by asking this question.

What does the big A badge in those pics Wrong Way Go Back found represent? AEC? or?? :?
http://19302413.blogspot.com/

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Post by boronia »

ATKINSON
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Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by PUNCHBOWL TIGER »

The former m/o 4707 Atkinson/Coachmaster when I saw it in Tonga had been repainted back into the full Saints livery and like I said before,looked quite good considering the local climate and road conditions.

But this is a fair while ago now and don't know if it is is still running.It is/was owned by one of my wife's relatives.

Whilst on Tonga,there was quite a few former Sydney buses in existance last time I was there.These included some former Kogarah Buslines Coachmaster bodied machines and a pet vehicle of mine,a Punchbowl Coachmaster bodied Tiger Cub which was the former m/o4559 when in Sydney and ended up registered as B229 in Tonga.

Also there is the former Connex/Southtrans Royal Tiger Cub/PMC GM rebody/rebuild etc etc m/o7517 which is now operated by Fangia for Tupou College as B498

So yes,you can find all sorts of buses in all sorts of places.

Regards Punchbowl Tiger
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Post by DiAmOnD T »

Simes wrote: On Saints, I recall they had a Panther, the memories of what I saw towards the end - 1999? or was it '98? The Volvo seemed to be out most of the time.
Saints panthers came ex marrickville as replacements for the two mk2 leopards and did they work hard! out 14 odd hours a day along wiyh the b10 b6 and rg hino.

Rego numbers escape me i think it was 8562 and 8652??? will have to dig up some photos to confirm this.

There was also an ex palmers bedford that turned up round 96/7 for school duties
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Post by Swift »

I remember seeing one of these Panthers leaning to one side as it was doing the Ramsgate to Hurstville run.Looked like airbag issues were plagueing it.
I read later that one was taken off the road due to gearbox problems.
This Panther must have been working very hard because I have been told that the trusty ZF 2 speed automatic rarely fails.
We are talking about a 1968 bus working full shifts well into the 1990s though.I remember it went like a new bus.Even the Merc 0305s,while reliable ,do sound somewhat bomby after 20+ years.
This Panther didn't after nearly 30 years.
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by boronia »

PUNCHBOWL TIGER wrote:The former m/o 4707 Atkinson/Coachmaster when I saw it in Tonga had been repainted back into the full Saints
Whilst on Tonga,there was quite a few former Sydney buses in existance last time I was there.These included some former Kogarah Buslines Coachmaster bodied machines and a pet vehicle of mine,a Punchbowl Coachmaster bodied Tiger Cub which was the former m/o4559 when in Sydney and ended up registered as B229 in Tonga.
Whoever bought 4707, actually got about 6 buses at the same time, and most if not all of them went on the same boat from Sydney. Unfortunately I have no recollection of the other buses involved.
I'm not sure of the date, but probably around 1980-81.
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by boronia »

Its taken a while, but I have managed to locate some photos of this shipment to Tonga:
40618.jpg
41001.jpg
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by Punchbowl Tiger Cub »

Boronia,
Thanks for posting the photos.Certainly brings back some memories.

I would think the shipment would have taken place about 1981???? Just wondered if the ex:Punchbowl Coachmaster bodied Tiger Cub ex.m/o 4559 may have been part of the same consignment at that time as that is about the time it was sold off and replaced with a PMC bodied Leopard.

As I previously said in this thread,I got to ride both the Atkinson and the Tiger Cub in Tonga in 1986 and 1987.It blew me away to think that these two vehicles still existed at that time thousands of kilometres from Sydney and that they were vehicles I regularly rode living near both the Saints and Punchbowl Depots.

I also remember the Fire Engine and recall it was located under cover in the Army Barracks in Nuku'alofa.It may well be still there.

Regards Punchbowl Tiger
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by mo 5537 »

Punchbowl Tiger Cub,

Better late than never to follow up this thread however I would be most grateful for any feed back on mo 4707 along with the fate of the old Kogarah Bus service units that went over there.
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by Punchbowl Tiger Cub »

Morning m/o 5537,
As far as I know,most or all these vehicles still exist in one form or another on the main island of Tongatapu in Tonga.

I will be travelling to Tonga later this year for about 10 days for my wife and family to attend a family reunion.I have already made arrangements to be supplied with a 4 x 4 to go exploring to track down these buses.Tongatapu is quite accessable being only about 25kms long by about 10kms wide.I know where most of these buses were last time I was there so expect I expect I should be able to locate them.

If time permits I will also fly to Va'vau to check this island out as well.Peter Trevor from the Pacific Buses Website in Samoa has also requested the same information so I have agreed to supply anything I find and record to Peter to add to his Website.

My plan was to record and photograph what I find in Tonga and supply it to this site.I will have no problem sharing what I find on my trip so when it happens,I will contact you to share and discuss.

Kind Regards Punchbowl Tiger Cub
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by ALBION1881 »

I am wondering if anybody has ever thought of bringing the ex saints atkinson back to australia and preserving it as there would be not to many of these buses preserved as long it in good condition.Here is a picture from the peter kane collection which I permission to use it happen to have the mo plate off the bedford with the dominelli advert on the roof this come from peter kane collection to.
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by mo 5537 »

Hello Punchbowl Tiger and Albion 1881,

Many thanks for your update and photos of old mo 5561. I have ridden that one many times and thoroughly enkoyed seeing her again.

Yes it would be great to get mo 4707 back and yes I would be delighted to see any photos from ypour upcoming trip to Tonga. Wonder where mo 4630 ended up. Maybe she is in Tonga s well.

I also seem to recall seeing a photo somewhere on the Discussion Board of Pioneer Bexley's Bedford VAM mo 027 (Athol Hedges) somewhere over there as well. Would be most interseting to see just how many St. George area buses survive there. Least the Tongans have some bus heritage and colour to savour.

On your bus mo 4559, I recall seeing her and fellow Punchbowl Coachmaster lurking around on the old Route 29 up until the early 80's if my memory serves me right. I recall Roselands shopping centre was a great vantage point to catch most of the Punchbowl fleet.

The last time I saw mo 4142, I noted someone had done a mini re-furb on her including a paint touch up/re-spray and fitting of the red Leyland hubs on the front wheels. I thought at the time that it would be nice to see it restored and kept in a collection however I fear that might not have been the case. Hope Iam wrong.

On Saints, they sadly did decline towards the end with the old Bedfords looking very tired and tatty. At least they provided a home for a few KBS Bedford refugees after it became South and Western in 1976.

I still do not know where the KBS Leyland Tiger Cubs disappeared very quickly to however I recall mo 5072 leaving the depot late one evening painted a brown colour with red piping colour scheme. No clues on who that colour scheme was?

On preservation, maybe a rescue mission to get mo 5537 and mo 4707. Would be a fitting tribute to Coachmaster who were quite good bus builders.

I recently saw a picture in the Australian bus magazine of a Saints Coachmaster Bedford VAM from an open day at Tempe back in 1988. Has that one survived? Nothing like to keep hoping.

Regards and thanks again,

mo 5537
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by KBS »

Just a bit of trivia, that Peakhurst Coaches have not gone all together,as the name is now owned by Kingsgrove Bus Co.
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by ALBION1881 »

I found this among the pictures I hang onto it belongs to unknown owner but it is saints atkinson mo-4208 it might interest someone as I didn`t know I had it till I searched through oh I forgot I found a picture of pioneer bedford mo-027 in leon batmans collection before it went to tonga.
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by Simes »

Funny this Saints thread's been revived, I went past their old depot yesterday for the first time in a long time - all gone for a medium density development from Forest Rd thru to the street behind and it looks to be just completed

There's a more locally available piece of Pioneer history up for grabs down at Moruya
http://19302413.blogspot.com/

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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by Punchbowl Tiger Cub »

Good Morning m/o 5537,Albion 1881,Simes and other Board members,
Boy,there are some long treasured memories coming out in this discussion.

I guess I must be showing my age,but memories come flooding back of what bus operators we have had in the St.George district over the last forty plus years that I have been around for and what it has become today with basically two private route operators plus the STA.

I am thankful that I had the chance to ride many of those vehicles with many of those operators plus occasionally get a drive.The friendship of many of the drivers and operators is something to be treasured as well in these constantly changing times.

I guess the things I miss now are the variety of vehicles and colourschemes more than anything else along with drivers who can actually drive a bus that isn't an automatic !

Look,I could go on and on but I won't.Yes,I could list my favourite buses,routes etc of yesteryear but I might let somebody else kick that off but I will leave you with a list of some of what has been lost in this area over the last 30 years etc.

Pioneer Bexley,Leech,Allways,Saints,Red Transit,A.J.Moore,Moores Tours (Route work),Crossways,Red Top to name but a few.

Kind Regards Punchbowl Tiger Cub
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by GM »

A little bit of Saintly history from my collection. GM
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by ALBION1881 »

This has really has been a saintly thread this one it amazing what is popping out of the wood about this company what amazes me is how many atkinson alphas the company had the one in gm picture the one leon batmans of picture mo-4208 and the one that went to tonga.I wonder how many more atkinson alphas saints had and the aec regent 3s I didn`t know saints had two of these from brand new it has been great to see things about a bus company.
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by mo 5537 »

Hello GM, Albion 1881 and Punchbowl Tiger,

Thank you all for your recollections. What a ripper of a shot of the Atkinson with the silver roof.

Then the Pioneer Bedford. Gee those Athol Hedges things were big ugly big brutes. I recall Kogarah bought four of them in about 1970.

Now that Iam an OHS Manager in later life, I shudder as they were an ergonomic shocker. As a lad going to Kogarah Marist, I lost count of the number of folk (in particular ladies and pensioners) who took falls and fell in those wretched things. The seats were perched up high on a ledge and you stepped down into the aisles. If you were not looking or distracted over you went as most people would assume the floor was flat. Come to think of it I think it also happened to me on the odd occasion. On that thread, I also recall the best seat in an Albion Aberdonian Coachmaster (gee they were nice old buses) was seat 1A next to the front door. No safety panel and an open door which meant a quick entry and even quicker exit. Added to that you got to stick your head out the door and catch the wind. In the morning if things at KBS got boring, a trip up from Kyle Bay on a wooden seat next to the driver on one of AJ Moores Leyland Comets or Bedfords. No thought of a frontal collision or a fan belt letting go and the loose engine bay clips wich allowed us a shot of the iron governer at work on the King Georges Road hills up to Maher Street.

Hope the little terrier dog escaped from under mo 027!!!! That marvellous depot on Forest Road was always a source of interest as was the Blythe one up in Haig Street.

Regards,

mo 5537
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by ALBION1881 »

Here is something from leon batmans collection to top this thread off I found these two aec regal 3s plus one shot a regal 3 and a aec reliance from red top so that is nearly all these bus companys covered it has been enjoyable and I hope these pictures are of interest.
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Re: Saints Peakhurst Coaches

Post by mo 5537 »

Hello Albion 1881,

Many thanks for those photos of the Red Top AEC's. I recall some of the old Regals got a revised round style frontal treatment in the mid 60's. Not sure who did that. I also recall the canvas rear doors.

I recall mo 5177 and the other AEC's that were ex Canberra. They used to get up a bit of speed on the straight on King Georges Road between Forest and Stoney Creek Roads. They also had a great engine noise.

Not long after these photos I recall the Leyland Tigers with their Progress PMC bodies began entering the fleet. A trip on the 34 to Strathfield and back from Hurstville was a great cross Syney bus ride. Up there with Punchbowl's 244 that seemed to go all around the world for sixpence.

My thanks again for reviving very happy times and memories.

Regards,

mo 5537
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