Gladstone semitrailer bus in 1968

[Roderick Smith]

Roderick

[Bedford-29]

I`d say the trailer is Syd Wood the prime be a White and a ex Sydney bus.But I`ll look for a picture for you.

[GM]

I think it is a MBA bodied White. GM

[busmadrod]

I am aware that
Rover Motors of Cessnock, Georgetown Bus Service, Parramatta-Ryde Bus Service and also Foggs all operated Semi Trailer Buses

[Bedford-29]

The trailer looks like the one in this picture.Picture from the Ken Magor collection.

[burrumbus]

I am aware that
Rover Motors of Cessnock, Georgetown Bus Service, Parramatta-Ryde Bus Service and also Foggs all operated Semi Trailer Buses

Also Kirklands.

[GM]

From Greg Travers book THE AUSTRALIAN ARTICULATED BUS of 1987 there appear to have been nine White Forward Control MBA bodied Semi-Trailers.
11.1945 Kirkland Lismore
03.1946 Quinn Yamba
05.1946 Berrima District Bus Service (No Photo)
08.1946 Quodling Bros Queenbeyan
09.1946 Blue and Red Murwillumbah
09.1946 Blue and Red Murwillumbah
01.1947 New England Motor Co Lismore
02.1947 Eggins Taree
02.1948 Rutty & Sons Wollongong GM

[bjg154]

Thanks for the shots and detail GM.

Kirklands MO 739, "Spirit of Progress" was sold in 1955 to Morgan of Gympie.

NEMCo MO 3192 was sold to Bull's Coach & Bus Hire of Adelaide.

[Roderick Smith]

Does that hint then that the Gladstone one was a further cascade from Gympie? If the book doesn't mention Gladstone, we are into the realm of guesswork.
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[bjg154]

Does that hint then that the Gladstone one was a further cascade from Gympie?

I don't think so, for two reasons. Even allowing for removal of roof rack and spats, the Kirklands unit (seemingly uniquely among the others photographed) has a square, rather than rounded, driver's window. Plus, its "cutout" at the front bottom of the trailer starts under the tenth window from the rear - on the Gladstone unit it starts under the ninth.

[marley]

Hi All.

I remember only too well the semi trailer bus in Gladstone I took it most days from Barney Point to school. That is a very long time ago now, but as I say memory of it clear as day pick up on the corner of Wood St.

[Hornibrook]

There was in fact two semi trailer buses in Gladstone - dating back as far as 1953.

One was a Commer registered Q603-609 with a trailer plate QT25-593 - this registration dates from 1953.
The other was a White registered Q590-915 with a trailer plate QT22-339 - this registration also dates from 1953 (a few months earlier than the Commer).

Meaning that if it is a MBA bodied White it must've been disposed of to Gladstone by 1953.

[GM]

Any photos of Both? GM

[Hornibrook]

Any photos of Both? GM

Here's a photo I just found during a quick Google search - courtesy of Cam McFadyen.

It shows the two trailer buses.

[Hornibrook]

There was in fact two semi trailer buses in Gladstone - dating back as far as 1953.

One was a Commer registered Q603-609 with a trailer plate QT25-593 - this registration dates from 1953.
The other was a White registered Q590-915 with a trailer plate QT22-339 - this registration also dates from 1953 (a few months earlier than the Commer).

Meaning that if it is a MBA bodied White it must've been disposed of to Gladstone by 1953.

These semi trailer buses belonged to the Gladstone Bus Service which was owned by ADRIAN WALLACE GRAHAM until sale to CECIL PETER & MATILDA GERSEKOWSKI during June 1955.

At that stage the fleet consisted of five vehicles:
1) Q603-609 (QT25-593) Commer Semi Trailer Bus
2) Q590-915 (QT22-339) White Semi Trailer Bus
3) Q636-763 International
4) Q649-496 Dodge
5) Q672-965 Leyland Diesel

Based upon the valuations the Leyland Diesel was the newest of them all.

[Hornibrook]

Upon some photo comparisons the Quodling Bros vehicle appears to be a likely candidate for the Gladstone vehicle.

What does everyone think? What disposal is recorded for it?

[Bedford-29]

The Commer rig and trailer looks like ex Georgetown bus service mo-418 Newcastle.Picture from the Ken Magor collection.

[Hornibrook]

While they are kind of similar I don't think it is the one that went to Gladstone, Bedford-29. The driver's window is one of the biggest dissimilarities.

[GM]

The left hand Trailer certainly looks like the Gladstone Semi. GM

[Hornibrook]

The left hand Trailer certainly looks like the Gladstone Semi. GM

Hmm I disagree based on a photo comparison - although happy to be proven wrong.

I guess a relatively easy way of determining one way or another is when the photo of Ken Magor was taken?

If it's after 1953 then it clearly isn't the same vehicle (as it was in Gladstone by then).

[Red and Cream]

Here is a photo i took of Georgetown's Commer on the 16th, January 1962.

[GM]

Looking at all of the White/MBA semis the Quinn's unit MO 3068, seems to be the closest to the Gladstone unit, as the trailer unit has normal mudguards where all the others had Spats.
The Quinn's unit went to Georgetown Bus Co in 1958 as m/o 725, Commer Tug replaced White April. 1959.
Bus sold 01.1971 to P Kerr Gunnedah.
On the Commer unit the windows on the section over the Turntable are small in comparison to the MBA units GM

[Hornibrook]

Looking at all of the White/MBA semis the Quinn's unit MO 3068, seems to be the closest to the Gladstone unit, as the trailer unit has normal mudguards where all the others had Spats.
The Quinn's unit went to Georgetown Bus Co in 1958 as m/o 725, Commer Tug replaced White April. 1959.
Bus sold 01.1971 to P Kerr Gunnedah.
On the Commer unit the windows on the section over the Turntable are small in comparison to the MBA units GM

We're back to square one then as it's clearly not the ones above.

[bjg154]

These images are from Neale Kirkland's CD. There is no context confirming that this is definitely the ex Kirklands bus though - to me the grille doesn't seem to match.
The bottom image has somehow been stretched vertically in attaching it to this post. The others seem OK.

[GM]

It is similar to Kirklands White Semi particularly the grille. GM