here are some pictures of Bonds Coaches from the Graeme Turnbull Collection, which operated from Adelaide to Broken Hill via Murray Bridge which charged 2 pounds one way and 3 pounds 15 shillings return
Bonds (Adelaide - Murray Bridge - Broken Hill) Silver City Coaches 1 (613x358).jpg (32.01 KiB) Viewed 3861 times
Bonds (Adelaide - Murray Bridge - Broken Hill) Silver City Coaches 2 (623x389).jpg (30.37 KiB) Viewed 3861 times
Bonds (Adelaide - Murray Bridge - Broken Hill) Silver City Coaches 3 (640x368).jpg (149.2 KiB) Viewed 3861 times
Bonds (Adelaide - Murray Bridge - Broken Hill) Silver City Coaches 4 (636x383).jpg (36.77 KiB) Viewed 3861 times
Bonds (Adelaide - Murray Bridge - Broken Hill) Silver City Coaches 5 (640x392).jpg (158.82 KiB) Viewed 3861 times
Bonds (Adelaide - Murray Bridge - Broken Hill) Silver City Coaches 6 (624x350).jpg (35.57 KiB) Viewed 3861 times
Bonds (Adelaide - Murray Bridge - Broken Hill) Silver City Coaches 7 (628x379).jpg (33.46 KiB) Viewed 3861 times
Bonds (Adelaide - Murray Bridge - Broken Hill) Silver City Coaches 8 (640x383).jpg (164.19 KiB) Viewed 3861 times
Bonds (Adelaide - Murray Bridge - Broken Hill) Silver City Coaches 9 (640x350).jpg (156.15 KiB) Viewed 3861 times
I'm sure Graeme would have loved to have taken these pics, but they, in fact, come from the Ken Magor Collection. Whether Ken took them, or received them from others when he was with T&BT, is something we will never know. Fortunately, they survive for us to look at, and in some cases, remember.
My father worked for a subsidiary of Bonds Tours called Kent Town Motor & Body Works. Both comapnies where situated in Boskena Ave, Norwood. Bonds Tours on one side and KTM&BW on the other.
KTB&BW was a crash repair and body building company owned by Bert Bond. My father used to make those big box shaped furniture vans where the diver etc was fully enclosed in the van. He also made those half cab steel carrying trucks where the cab was to one side or in the centre so they could carry extra lengthy pcs fo steel. He also made the old Mercedes Benz pug nose sleper cabs that used to hand over at the back of the cab for the drivers to sleep in. Later he made the box type stand alone sleeper cabs that just bolted on the chassis behind the cabs for Kenworths ect where the cab & sleeper was joined by canvas sleve, where the driver would climb thru to get into bed.
Well KTM&BW used to make the buses for Bonds Tours. It started off as just a chassis and the workers would build a bus in between other 3rd party jobs. Most where old truck chassis that where refurbised. The fact they where old truck chassis with the motors up front is why the doors used to behind the LH front wheel with 1 x seatfor 1 passenger over the LH wheel arch.
My father built a number of coaches No 16, 17, 22 and more and re-furbished a number from having a rounded top at the front to the lip.
My father used to also drive to get extra monies on the weekend. My brother and I would sit in the seat over teh LH wheel arch & sit on the engine cover. We would go 1/2 way to broken hill on a Sunday or Victor Harbor.
My father used to drive half way to Broken Hill on a Sunday where we would leave next to Grovener Hotel at approx 1230 and get back approx 2200. My father would drive until he met the Broken Hill bus heading for Adelaide and they would both stop and swap drivers. The drivers would have a quick chat about wether the 2nd diesel tank was switch on etc and then be off. I can remember the road just north of Burra being dirt with cattle grates.
I can remember Dad saying "the bus seemed guttless" only to find when he stopped to get out to check things where OK he was to be blown halfway down the side of the bus because of the wind. You see there where no tress to judge the wind speed or strength by. The front lip did not help in striong winds.
Dad always took his tool box when he was driving and can remember him having to bleed the injectors a couple of time because the engine has sucked air.
One thing about Bonds Buses was because of the engines being up the front, Dad said they where great on dirt roads. Being up the front they could suck good clean air and the newer rear engine buses where experinecing drive belts etc jumping off pulleys because of the rear wheels kicking up stones, where Bonds buses did not hv the same probelm.
I can remember these was a bus No 21, a really old Bedford. Every driver hated No21 because it was so gutless and when going to Victor up the Old Willunga Hill one was back in 1st gear.
Every driver wrote hateful remarks about the bus in the log book.
Well old Bertie Bond would not have that and called my father to take him for a ride becaase my Dad had also commneted the bus was shocking and should be scrapped.
Well off they when heading South up Fullarton Road and near the old Queen Victoria Hospital Dad was 30mph in top gear and old ertie said "whats wrong with that". Dad replied "It's empty and I am doing 30mph in top gear and when we fill it up with passengers it can hardly pull itself along the road". Bertie replied the passengers should make no difference. Dad laughed as said "If I put 1lb of sugar on that doors step (pointing to the buses door step"this bus has to pull it" Well Bertie would not have it and the bus remained in service.
I can remeber if my Dad drove down the now South Eastern Freeway (although in thoses days it did not go all the way to Murray Bridge) he would straddle the white line between the Turn Left Anytime with Care lane and the lane that went straight ahead incase the lights changed quickly to go straight ahead he would shoot down the TKWC onto Cross Roads to let the brakes cool dwon. There where on Jacobs / engine brakes to assisit with pulling up in those days.
I can remeber socail clubs (Scott Bonner & Alam Hotel) would charter Bonds Buses for their social functions to the Alagate or Balhannah Ovals. They hwere day trips now peolpel communte every day form these areas. The days of the old AMSCOL Ice Cream canvas bags with Dry Ice and Woodroffe's drinks.
Anyway i could go forever. Hope you enjoyed the above.
