The last manual route buses in Sydney

[Campbelltown busboy]

What was the last Sydney roue to be serviced by a bus with a manual transmission and who operator of that route at the time

[thunderbird]

I remember being on a connex south trans route 992 in 2001 that was a synchromesh manual (no clutch). It had 5 gears mounted on the left of the steering column.

Anyone know more about the above? I was only young then and my memory isn’t perfect.

[boronia]

You can't have a manual box without a clutch. Perhaps you're think of a Wilson epicyclic box with electric change?

Probably some suburban operators still had manual Bedfords and Hinos into the 1990s.

[boeing]

No answer to the OPs question, but I wondered...
At school in the 70's they had what I thought were semi automatics, you lift off the accelerator, move the small lever to neutral, then again to the next gear. The lever was in a sort of curved top, cast block, maybe made of magnesium of aluminum, with an extended H pattern. It took minimal effort to move from what I could see. I guess it was electric?

[Fleet Lists]

I think some of the UTA Worldmasters and/or AEC's 43 seaters of those days had those.

[Campbelltown busboy]

I can remember catching a few of Interlines manual Mercedes LO812s witch where nicknamed as the "Macarthur mini" in the early 2000s there was also a manual Mercedes LO912 witch was rarely seen on the full Raby-UWS Macarthur 874

[busrider]

I remember riding a manual B10M from the CDC fleet back in 2013, so they were around as late as that, at least.

[tonyp]

I think some of the UTA Worldmasters and/or AEC's 43 seaters of those days had those.

Aren't we talking about the Pneumocyclic gearboxes then?

[stajourneyman]

Baxters fleet of Bedfords in the 1980s would have been largely manuals.

Western Road Bus Service had a fleet of Volvo B6FA route buses purchased in 1984.
Were these manuals?

Karen and Heath at Fairfield also had a fleet of manual Bedfords on route work for many years.

[boronia]

I think some of the UTA Worldmasters and/or AEC's 43 seaters of those days had those.

The first Worldmasters, Leopards and Atlanteans had this same gearbox, but with an air operated (pneumo-cyclic) change. The Mercs were the first proper automatics. The "preselectors" before then had the same gearbox as well.

[VIKing]

The Worldmasters were able to be driven as automatics, the gear selector was left in 4th gear position. This function was disabled in the late 1960s, the last ride I had in a Worldmaster driven as an automatic was December 1968. Harris Park also operated many manual buses on route service in Sydney.

[Campbelltown busboy]

I have heard stories about the Busabout Custom Coaches 510 B10M twins m/o1016 and m/o 1017 being converted from manual to automatic sometime after the Nevilles/Liverpool Transport fleet and operations amalgamation

[boronia]

The Worldmasters were able to be driven as automatics, the gear selector was left in 4th gear position. This function was disabled in the late 1960s, the last ride I had in a Worldmaster driven as an automatic was December 1968. Harris Park also operated many manual buses on route service in Sydney.

Coming from the eastern suburbs I didn't get to ride ERTs very often. On the few occasions I fluked an auto version, the drivers worked them manually. I guessed there must have been some problem with them. AEC drivers preferred to use auto, although the system was very reluctant to change down when going up hills.

[thunderbird]

The more I think about it, Veolia Transport used to have a smaller weird looking bus around 2005, 2006 that was a manual transmission. Used to use it on 973, 974 and 975 quite often.

I can’t find any record of the bus, it had rounded edges into the front of the body and definitely had a clutch and a gear stick. I remember once a younger driver boasting to me if he matched the engine revs correctly he could get away without using the clutch.

Does anybody remember this bus?

[Daniel]

Yes - A Mercedes with ABD Vario body:
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... hp?pid=253

[Ben O]

The last manual route buses in Sydney would most likely be Busways minibuses that are specifically utilised on school services around the former Hawkesbury Valley network. I do not know current shift configurations, however at one stage the Coaster performed an AM route 668 service from Glossodia to Windsor Station arriving around 9:20 AM.

As for "real" buses, 2014 spelled the end of the ex Glenorie Bus Co manual B10M at Hillsbus Region 4. Although these seemed to be used elusively on school services.

[Swift]

Gosh I remember craving to have a go at the gearstick of the Bedford BLPs I used to catch everyday in high school in the 1980s with Metro West Bus Lines of an afternoon.
It was so notchy when watching the driver doing the dance in the driver's seat from the single near side front seat immediately behind the front entry. What a view that was.
I can remember when their Hydracyclic Tigers were converted to manual operation with the gear selector lever moved from the right hand side Leyland National style to it's own post on the left side Leopard style.
I overheard a young school girl a grade or two behind me talking to the driver about the owner (Ken Butt) changing to manual on these buses!
I recall North and Western Bus Lines running some Leyland Super Vikings with Allison automatics with a nifty looking t bar style shifter like you see on a dragster bike(!) and many years later came across Interline's manual versions with the same Custom Coaches stepdeck bodies. They also had AEC nut guards fitted!

[gilberations]

How about the old Nepean Nippers, they were manual.

I also remember Busways operating a “pre-select” style gear box where the gears were on the steering column up until at least 2006

[Campbelltown busboy]

I also remember Busways operating a “pre-select” style gear box where the gears were on the steering column up until at least 2006

The buses where Volvo B58s but I can't remember exactly what variant of B58 it was. I'm not sure if the B58-61s that where based at Camden South back 2003 or earlier had those pre selector gear boxes as memeries pre 2004 when it comes to buses are not really a thing

[gilberations]

They were used out of the Glendenning depot as late as 2006? Just before the tway opened

[1whoknows]

They were not pre select as that requires the gear to be selected in advance of it being required - then activated by a foot pedal.
Busways B58s, Leyland Tigers and other models all had semi automatic gearboxes where the gear was selected at the time it was required.

[Campbelltown busboy]

They were used out of the Glendenning depot as late as 2006? Just before the tway opened

I gather that Glendenning would of held onto a lot of their pre Mercedes fleet when the Volvo and MAN fleets where getting transferred up north and getting switched for the younger and air conditioned ex King Bros Custom Coaches 510 Mercedes O405s and Custom Coaches CB50 Renault PR100.3s

[Swift]

Busways central coast still had semi automatic B58s in the early 2000s and I got to ride in a rare B10M mono control semi auto on route service that was assigned to a particular driver on his shift back as late as 2007 I think. He drove it very conservatively I noticed but never flat changed it. You had the feeling this driver was the only one who could be trusted to drive it properly by then. Yet they managed to entrust hundreds of drivers to operate Leylands in the past. I guess that's down to semi autos being a common transmission back in the day so drivers were thoroughly trained in how to operate them whereas in modern fleets dominated by go button accelerator pedals with full automatics, drivers have become steering wheel attendants.
People forget that full auto transmission in buses are easily abused as well. The era of manuals and semi automatic buses forced the driver to think more.
Automatics today are very expensive and sophisticated hardware requiring ever more computers and complex components to run them.

[volvoB58]

Neville's were buying manual Scania K series in the mid to late 80's. Not sure how long they lasted as I moved out of the Liverpool area shortly after.

[Swift]

I remember I used to enjoy riding Bedfords with Allison automatics over manuals. They sounded more interesting and you could almost meditate to them.