Hunters Hill coaches

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Bedford-29
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Hunters Hill coaches

Post by Bedford-29 »

I was flicking through the collection pictures and came across this picture I don`t what year this was taken but look at the desto on the REO.Picture from the Graeme Turnbull collection.
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... ?pid=20023
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Punchbowl Tiger Cub
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by Punchbowl Tiger Cub »

Morning Bedford 29,
Well,this picture must be at least early 1970's as Coachmaster Leopard m/o 5377 was delivered in April 1970.Perhaps some of the Hunters Hill information sources can fill in the pieces.

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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by robert »

Bedford-29 wrote:but look at the desto on the REO.
There was a local tradition that Lane Cove shopping centre was known as the "tram terminus" (or more simply "terminus"), apparently for quite a considerable time after trams stopped running there in 1958. Leon Manny refers to this phenomenon in his book, "Terminus, please", which is a direct reference to the use of the word terminus at Lane Cove. He says that, when, for example, a passenger boarded a Route 127 bus, which was running from Longueville to Chatswood, and asked to go to "the terminus", he/she was actually wanting to alight at Lane Cove shops (not Chatswood).

I would say that is why the desto sign on HHBC buses remained as "Lane Cove Tram Terminus" well into the 1970s.
For information about private & Government bus routes in Sydney, look at http://www.sydneybusroutes.com
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Centralian
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by Centralian »

Comparing with the image above I'm sure that these photos I took in the late '70's or early '80's are of former mo 4269 in its next life. I think it was one of the nominees put forward when I posted the photo a couple of years ago.

http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... ?pid=19720
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... ?pid=19721
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... ?pid=19723
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by robert »

I believe you are correct, Centralian. I recall seeing it in that green and cream guise very close to Marayong station (perhaps where those photos were taken?). I found it a rather pleasing body design. Its front had been altered some years before - previously there were three small windows below the windscreen and the desto header was all in one section.
For information about private & Government bus routes in Sydney, look at http://www.sydneybusroutes.com
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mrobsessed
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by mrobsessed »

Those Coachmaster Leopards always looked smart, right up to their end. They also had, and used to display right up to the '90s "Dress Circle Estate", long since called something else.
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by robert »

Dress Circle Estate became East Ryde. I don't think any buses would have displayed it after July 1990, when all North & Western's routes were rearranged and nothing terminated there.
For information about private & Government bus routes in Sydney, look at http://www.sydneybusroutes.com
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by captainch »

the elderly passengers all refered it as" dress cicle estate" rather than east ryde..............as it was one of the very first housing estates built by l j hooker and its streets were named after film stars ect! it was a very pestige suburb! the is a stone monument at east ryde shops at bus terminus refering to the l j hooker estate!
Last edited by captainch on Sun Jan 27, 2013 10:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by royaltiger »

I remember seeing some kind of plaque near the East Ryde shops just a couple of years back marking the establishment of the Dress Circle Estate. I would presume it is still there.
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GM
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by GM »

I must advise that the Proprietor of Hunters Hills Coaches and Buses, Ken Butt passed away this morning.
Funeral arrangements are not available at this moment. GM
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by tonyp »

robert wrote: I found it a rather pleasing body design. Its front had been altered some years before - previously there were three small windows below the windscreen and the desto header was all in one section.
Apparently one of only two forward-entrance REO chassis in Australia, the other being its partner in the fleet 4399.

Yes 4269 had three very smart small low-level windows at the front to allow the driver a better view. I don't know why they were removed but I suspect maybe the Perkins diesel was larger than the engine it replaced and required larger housing beside the driver (these were all front-engined buses) and the bevel on the bonnet that enabled the windows had to be levelled.

If anyone has a photo of 4399 I'd love to see it. That was Clarrie Paull's first "coach" (well, dual-purpose route and charter). It was a good-looker with deep windscreen, high backed seats with headrests and impressively-farting air brakes which gave it an atmosphere of authority!

The final Syd Wood-bodied HHBC coach under the Paull management apparently went to the Sydney Bus Museum but somebody might have more up to date information on that.
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by GM »

Hunters Hill m/o 4399 from the Ken Magor Collection. GM
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... ?pid=19728
tonyp
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by tonyp »

GM wrote:Hunters Hill m/o 4399 from the Ken Magor Collection. GM
Sorry that's 4269! And wow does it look fantastic new, the way they used to paint them! Would love to see that in colour.

I don't remember that there was an air-scoop either, just three panes of glass under the windscreen.
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by GM »

A later photo m/o 4269 from the KM Collection. GM
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... ?pid=19729
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by Bedford-29 »

Roberts Brisbane waters coaches had a front entrance REO number 20 and looking at the red paint in the door way I wondering if this is ex Hunters Hill as this bus was always used on school runs.Picture from the Ken Magor collection.
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... ?pid=19725
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tonyp
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by tonyp »

Yes I think that's 4399. 8) But the back door's been filled and I'm not sure if those are the high backed seats.

The last REOs at HHBC were:

Syd Wood bodies:
4269 and 4322 delivered about 1960, the latter had the door behind the front wheel but like 4269 introduced the top-sliding-only windows.

4399, she of the farting air brakes, described earlier

4446 which had raked windows American style but door behind the wheel again

4576 the coach with door behind the wheel, raked windows, coach seating, had band of blue paint along the windows (looked terrible!)

Then I think Syd Wood finished the bus body business and next Paull got, iirc, a coupe of small Bedfords for the Riverview area runs and then a couple of CCMC bodies (still REOs I think?). The CCMCs had luggage racks above the seats and I'd always stand up into them being tall! I'm sure my bald patch today is patterned on two-inch wide timber slats :lol:

That takes us to mid 1960s, then came Ken Butt and the British buses and the REOs were fitted with Perkins engines. That's all off the top of my head. I'm happy to stand corrected on any details.
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by OKO »

royaltiger wrote:I remember seeing some kind of plaque near the East Ryde shops just a couple of years back marking the establishment of the Dress Circle Estate. I would presume it is still there.
It is.
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by tonyp »

I forgot the two CCMC VAL Bedfords. :roll:
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by White Super Power »

tonyp wrote:
robert wrote: I found it a rather pleasing body design. Its front had been altered some years before - previously there were three small windows below the windscreen and the desto header was all in one section.
Apparently one of only two forward-entrance REO chassis in Australia, the other being its partner in the fleet 4399.

Yes 4269 had three very smart small low-level windows at the front to allow the driver a better view. I don't know why they were removed but I suspect maybe the Perkins diesel was larger than the engine it replaced and required larger housing beside the driver (these were all front-engined buses) and the bevel on the bonnet that enabled the windows had to be levelled.

If anyone has a photo of 4399 I'd love to see it. That was Clarrie Paull's first "coach" (well, dual-purpose route and charter). It was a good-looker with deep windscreen, high backed seats with headrests and impressively-farting air brakes which gave it an atmosphere of authority!

The final Syd Wood-bodied HHBC coach under the Paull management apparently went to the Sydney Bus Museum but somebody might have more up to date information on that.

Not sure but didn't Picton Coaches and Higletts have FE Reos in their fleets ? Just checked Leon Batman's photo site and found a photo of MO 4037 Reo FE at Picton
tonyp
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by tonyp »

White Super Power wrote: Not sure but didn't Picton Coaches and Higletts have FE Reos in their fleets ? Just checked Leon Batman's photo site and found a photo of MO 4037 Reo FE at Picton
I'm just quoting (or at least recalling) from a statement in the previously mentioned article in T&BT, so it's not gospel.
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by One Tonner »

Not sure exactly when, but as I recall it was in the late 1960s when 4269 had a serious accident in Badajoz Rd North Ryde. The front of the bus ran over the top of an overtaking car - sadly fatal for the car occupants. In the rebuild the engine was replaced with a Perkins Diesel and the front end lost its three low-light windows. The front desto also had the separate route number box fitted. I always thought the front of 4269 looked more interesting as it was before the rebuild.

Dress Circle Estate [East Ryde] is still known as such by some in the district. The name was used as a marketing incentive by L.J.Hooker who bought the land previously used as the Ryde sanitary depot! I think the idea behind the name was to emphasize its location as being on top of a hill, looking out toward the City of Sydney. A couple of years ago there was an unsuccessful campaign for the suburb to be given the name, "Dress Circle". It is still one of only a few places in the metropolitan area where the government bus route 506 does a full loop - so on each run, each bus passes along Twin Road in both directions.

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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by robert »

One Tonner wrote:It is still one of only a few places in the metropolitan area where the government bus route 506 does a full loop - so on each run, each bus passes along Twin Road in both directions.
That statement set me a challenge to see just how many other loops there are on Government bus routes in Sydney. Here is my list of those that have loops.

139 - Foam St
145 - Nth Balgowlah and Manly Vale West
208 - Northbridge
261 - Northwood and Longueville
263 - Benelong Rd
265 - Greenwich, Wollstonecraft and Nth Sydney station
275 - Douglas Av and Middle Cove
311 - (formerly) Billyard Av
400 - Domestic and International airports
445 - Lilyfield tram terminus
462 - Cabarita
473 - Arncliffe station
476/7 - Rockdale Plaza shops
487 - Roselands
507 - Meadowbank station
543 - Farnell St

You could almost argue that Macquarie Centre falls into the same category and how many bus routes use that loop?
Last edited by robert on Mon Feb 18, 2013 12:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
For information about private & Government bus routes in Sydney, look at http://www.sydneybusroutes.com
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by captainch »

not much has changed east ryde is still a sanitary depot as far as i'm concerned, the ppl there are so up them selves and do the most complaining of any route we do at ryde they want a bus service ,but not a bus depot near there 'DRESS CICLE ESTATE'
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by Fleet Lists »

White Super Power wrote: Wed Jan 30, 2013 12:38 pm
Not sure but didn't Picton Coaches and Higletts have FE Reos in their fleets ? Just checked Leon Batman's photo site and found a photo of MO 4037 Reo FE at Picton
See http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... ?pid=10499 Dont know who built the body - the othr bus in the photo would be a Syd Wood.
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Re: Hunters Hill coaches

Post by Red and Cream »

Fleet Lists wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 4:16 pm
White Super Power wrote: Wed Jan 30, 2013 12:38 pm
Not sure but didn't Picton Coaches and Higletts have FE Reos in their fleets ? Just checked Leon Batman's photo site and found a photo of MO 4037 Reo FE at Picton
See http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... ?pid=10499 Dont know who built the body - the othr bus in the photo would be a Syd Wood.

It was a 48 seat CCMC body.


1241B.jpg
MO 4037 REO CCMC LEE of Picton on a hiring to Taronga Zoo Park.

The FE Reo's of Hunters Hill when in service.
B67-Hunters Hill-4269.jpg
4269 on the Pacific Highway at Chatswood on 30th. September 1959 with its small frontal windows still intact before the accident.

1182BBB.jpg
the other FE Reo m/o 4399.
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