Recently " route 35 " asked for some photos of Red Top's buses in the 50's and 60's and i have these from my files.
Red Top was formed about 1949 to purchase various bus services in the general area of Hurstville , Bankstown and Punchbowl . In the period between the mid 50's and the mid 60's when i knew of their operations they were operating at least four routes 26, 34, 39 and 176. Also in this period they had seemed to have standardized their fleet to consist of Albion forward control and AEC forward control and half cab buses although a few other makes of other vehicles lingered on. Another thing they favoured was the wooden framed bodywork of Syd Wood and all new buses in this period were by them.
When Canberra Buses started selling off their AEC Regal Comeng bodied half cabs Red Top became an enthusiastic buyer and purchased a substantial number of them, operating some of them as half cabs but converting the major proportion to forward control buses with the Comeng body featuring at first, a new Comeng front but the most of them received the PMC front end. The next wave of selloffs from Canberra were the underfloor AEC Reliance's again with Comeng bodies and Red Top Bought quite a few. As the 1970's approached Red Top realised it needed new buses to retain charter business and eventually started to take delivery of some new Leyland Leopards with PMC bodies commencing in 1970. Sit back and enjoy a rollercoaster bus ride through the swinging sixties.
Red Top Transport Service in the 50's and 60's.
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- Red and Cream
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Re: Red Top Transport Service in the 50's and 60's.
5044 with an off-side desto! How rare is that in Australia?
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Re: Red Top Transport Service in the 50's and 60's.
SYDNEY TRAINS SIGNAGE
It's improved out of sight over recent years, no doubt at great cost, so it's interesting that Hornsby booking office is not even identified as such. These shots were taken on SUNDAY 7.4.19.
It's improved out of sight over recent years, no doubt at great cost, so it's interesting that Hornsby booking office is not even identified as such. These shots were taken on SUNDAY 7.4.19.
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- boronia
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Re: Red Top Transport Service in the 50's and 60's.
Was a feature of Canberra buses up to that eralunchbox wrote:5044 with an off-side desto! How rare is that in Australia?
Preserving fire service history
@ The Museum of Fire.
@ The Museum of Fire.
Re: Red Top Transport Service in the 50's and 60's.
More common was a board mounted on both sides of bus showing the places served by the route.
Re: Red Top Transport Service in the 50's and 60's.
Hornsby Station Booking Office since the deal to reopen it as a shop have fallen thru, and is now Drivers/Guards Meal Room as has been heavily modified for tis use inside.
Re: Red Top Transport Service in the 50's and 60's.
Great stuff again Dave for one of the most interesting fleets in Sydney.
Route 34 was the companies mainstay route and was an incredibly busy route,even up to Eddie Hayman's ownership as Canterbury Bus Lines..
It is now a shadow of it's former self with the Roselands centre providing the bulk of a much reduced patronage.The other routes are now incorporated into various Punchbowl routes having lost much viability over the years.
There was a really interesting history of Red Top by John Birchmeier in an Australian Bus magazine piece several years ago.
Route 34 was the companies mainstay route and was an incredibly busy route,even up to Eddie Hayman's ownership as Canterbury Bus Lines..
It is now a shadow of it's former self with the Roselands centre providing the bulk of a much reduced patronage.The other routes are now incorporated into various Punchbowl routes having lost much viability over the years.
There was a really interesting history of Red Top by John Birchmeier in an Australian Bus magazine piece several years ago.
Re: Red Top Transport Service in the 50's and 60's.
I remember these buses when living near Beverly Hills in the 50s & 60s. The photos of m/o 090 and m/o 4338 are the first time I have seen these photos and have forgotten them from my memory. I am also interested in photos when Marrin was the owner of routes 34 and 35.