Private Bus Observations 2021

[Swift]

. Very high tech in those days.

No kneeling feature? It needed one!
I notice it's right behind a taxi zone. Where was the pic taken?

[tonyp]

No kneeling feature? It needed one!
I notice it's right behind a taxi zone. Where was the pic taken?

The photo is from this forum, not sure of the authorship. I've pored over the operational area and termini on google maps and darned if I can identify the location, even using that church and what looks like a hospital in the background as reference points. I thought it might be Gladesville but now I don't think so. I'll have to add it to the list of "guess the location".

[Fleet Lists]

I would love to use the photo of 4399 in the photo gallery - who should it be accredited to?

[tonyp]

I would love to use the photo of 4399 in the photo gallery - who should it be accredited to?

As far as I can find in a search, I think Centralian posted this photo in a 2010 "Where is it?" thread. I couldn't find the photo in the Hunters Hill photo threads back in 2013 but it looks rather like it may be from the Ken Magor collection. Alternatively a Leon Manny photo?

[Centralian]

It's not one of my photos. I did post a photo of a similar vehicle in all green colours in private ownership, perhaps as a church bus.
Can't find it at the moment, but someone may have said it was former 4399. I'll keep looking.

[tonyp]

It's not one of my photos. I did post a photo of a similar vehicle in all green colours in private ownership, perhaps as a church bus.
Can't find it at the moment, but someone may have said it was former 4399. I'll keep looking.

That other photo was Hunters Hill mo 4269 Centralian. I suspect this photo of 4399 is from the Ken Magor collection.

[Swift]

It's a bit hard to tell where it is if that church was knocked down long ago and the bus fills most of the frame. Knowing Sydney's absolutely abominable respect for heritage, it's likely it is long gone.

[Fleet Lists]

It's not one of my photos. I did post a photo of a similar vehicle in all green colours in private ownership, perhaps as a church bus.
Can't find it at the moment, but someone may have said it was former 4399. I'll keep looking.

I have all four views of the bus in green as well as a copy of m/o 4399 as MO 7141 with Roberts at Terrigal and m/o 4399 in this thread for inclusion in the photo gallery tomorrow. So no need to look any further.

[tonyp]

I have all four views of the bus in green as well as a copy of m/o 4399 as MO 7141 with Roberts at Terrigal and m/o 4399 in this thread for inclusion in the photo gallery tomorrow. So no need to look any further.

In that 2013 photo thread on HHBC there is this great shot of 4269 new, identified as Ken Magor collection.

Are you featuring HHBC/N&W in the photo gallery?



These were beautiful buses to ride in, much better than the DGT buses at the time.

I was having a look at Syd Woods' factory on the 1943 aerial (NW corner of Chapel and Rickard Rds, Bankstown) and he had this quite large factory in the middle of nowhere but scattered houses (more built-out near the station) and open fields, no other industry. It must have been cheap land, but it was a walk from the station for any workers. There was an air raid trench next door at that time.

[Swift]

Looks resplendent in that shot. Interesting you found it nicer to travel in than the heavy duty AEC and Leyland chassis govvie offerings. I'm guessing it was smoother and had a better ride quality.
Those spider wheels made tyre changes easier. The only bus I've travelled in with those wheels was a PMC Progress bodied MAN with Glenorie Bus Co. way back in 1990!
Trucks would commonly have them for years later, including all the major continental European makers.

[tonyp]

Looks resplendent in that shot. Interesting you found it nicer to travel in than the heavy duty AEC and Leyland chassis govvie offerings. I'm guessing it was smoother and had a better ride quality.

Yes and quieter. Not having the fillings vibrated out of your teeth was a definite bonus too. Also the bodies, finishes and internal outfit in those days from the likes of, not only Syd Wood, but CCMC and Coachmaster were very very nice. The private operators put a lot of effort into making the travel experience nice. The government buses seemed to be designed so that they could be hosed out inside at the end of a shift (and probably were!), more a cattle truck experience. It's not that the DGT had to deal with bigger loads either. Some of those HHBC peak services, like to Woolwich and Chatswood, were packed with standees eyeball to eyeball. The older ex normal control Reos would scrub their tyres on the mudguards as they leaned into the Woolwich Pier Hotel corner!

[Swift]

It was still evident with North and Western to the end. Nice faux wood interiors. I remember once catching one of their older Leopards and was struck at the ornate glass light fittings coming from the ceiling each with a light bulb. I was used to flush rectangle covers in buses in the early 80s.
It was readily apparent the different methodology when I caught one of N&Ws Volvos not long after the take over and the shock at how fast the interior had become so dirty compared to the standard I had taken for granted before.

[Fleet Lists]

I have all four views of the bus in green as well as a copy of m/o 4399 as MO 7141 with Roberts at Terrigal and m/o 4399 in this thread for inclusion in the photo gallery tomorrow. So no need to look any further.

In that 2013 photo thread on HHBC there is this great shot of 4269 new, identified as Ken Magor collection.

Are you featuring HHBC/N&W in the photo gallery?

These were beautiful buses to ride in, much better than the DGT buses at the time.

I was having a look at Syd Woods' factory on the 1943 aerial (NW corner of Chapel and Rickard Rds, Bankstown) and he had this quite large factory in the middle of nowhere but scattered houses (more built-out near the station) and open fields, no other industry. It must have been cheap land, but it was a walk from the station for any workers. There was an air raid trench next door at that time.

Good idea - I have just created an entry for Hunters Hill Bus Co which links to 8 existing photos and will include or link to the 6 items to be added tomorrow. Over the next few weeks I will then include the photo suggested here and then slowly work through the various Hunter Hill threads in the discussion board. We sould bave a good collection by the time I am finished.

[Benny95]

Symes Coaches 4618 MO passed through Glen Innes this afternoon with the Cavanaghs Bus and Coach Accred. Can anyone confirm if Symes have been purchased by Cavanaghs?

[Fleet Lists]

The six photos mentioned yesterday are now in the photo gallery. There are still over 50 photos in various Hunters Hill threads which will be added as time permits. As from later this week I wont bè adding as many as 8 a day and other photos will also be scheduled to be added.

[tonyp]

The six photos mentioned yesterday are now in the photo gallery. There are still over 50 photos in various Hunters Hill threads which will be added as time permits. As from later this week I wont bè adding as many as 8 a day and other photos will also be scheduled to be added.

Good work thanks. I can confirm that the photos of "possibly 4269" are definitely 4269 and the Brisbane Water bus is definitely 4399. Dave Wilson will be keen to see his favourite mo 4446 before too long!

[Centralian]

Symes Coaches 4618 MO passed through Glen Innes this afternoon with the Cavanaghs Bus and Coach Accred. Can anyone confirm if Symes have been purchased by Cavanaghs?

Symes of Inverell were listed for sale late last year or earlier this year, so could be the new owners. Haven't seen anything to confirm this though.
If it's Cavanaghs (of Kempsey) then it would be the Dineen Group.

[Linto63]

Symes Coaches 4618 MO passed through Glen Innes this afternoon with the Cavanaghs Bus and Coach Accred. Can anyone confirm if Symes have been purchased by Cavanaghs?

The Cavanagh logo appears on the Symes website now but didn't in March. Sale appears to have happened by early early June.

[Benny95]

Thanks Guys for your assistance. Just looked out of character and hadn't seen anything posted about it being for sale or sold for that matter

[Merc1107]

Also the bodies, finishes and internal outfit in those days from the likes of, not only Syd Wood, but CCMC and Coachmaster were very very nice. The private operators put a lot of effort into making the travel experience nice. The government buses seemed to be designed so that they could be hosed out inside at the end of a shift (and probably were!), more a cattle truck experience.

Actually if a bus was hosed out daily, the presentation of many fleets would vastly improve .

It seems as though most fleets get treated to a bucket of mucky water used to clean dozens of other buses only on a weekly, or worse yet, fortnightly basis.

[Swift]

Preferably with the passengers in them with a fire hose, particularly schoolkids.

[BDAT]

Baxter's would not agree with any of those cleaning options Drivers were, and are paid to clean their bus properly.
They go out of their to instill a sense of pride into the drivers.

[Centralian]

Now there's a word 'pride'. I think it disappeared with the company liveries that were replaced by the TNSW blue and white.

[tonyp]

Now there's a word 'pride'. I think it disappeared with the company liveries that were replaced by the TNSW blue and white.

Much as I liked the old liveries, it is important to have a consistent presentation of what is or should be seen as a unified urban transit system. The overall agency should take a lead in setting a standard that operators can be proud to uphold. We used to have a standard type of bus, now the fleet looks like an op shop. One manufacturer has given us a standard that we could well adopt in several respects. For a start, make the insipid livery more inspiring. Keep the light blue in parts by all means but throw in something bold too, like this vivid dark blue:



And stipulate a standard interior that's actually functional and passenger-friendly (thus mandatorily stepless) and light and airy (no gloomy, cramped spaces) and looks good too:



Finally, incorporate in this a little space where the individual operator can identify themselves with something distinctive that, at the same time, doesn't take away from the standardised format.

[tonyp]

Apropos earlier discussion - the whole staff of Syd Wood Bankstown with their 1000th bus, 1942 (Bankstown Library collection):

The photo is taken from where Aldi, Chapel Rd is now.

Just to round it off with the other greatest Sydney bus builder - they overlapped by about five years - here's CCMC's (Custom's) first bus with all the staff, at Guildford I think at that time (Custom Denning photo):



Not entirely a private bus observation as they both built lots of government buses, but more associated with private operations over time.

The papers of Walter Selby (Syd) Wood and his business are in Bankstown library.