A a look back at Skennar's

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tboyallan
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by tboyallan »

Hi Len!
Thanks for the invite and I should be able to make it. I never actually got to find out how the end of Skennars came about. I was at my mothers' funeral at Albany Creek Crematorium and I just happened to see the day's schedule. Bugger me if the next cremation was C.B. Skennar! I would have loved to have stayed for his service but of course I had family to look after. I'd love to hear the story about how the end came about. I know Clarrie even in the early days had 'health problems' that were never spoken about but I suspect would have been diabetes, since I know he was on a special diet even in the '70's. It must have been incredibly hard for him to firstly end the company, and secondly see each of his coaches leaving with new owners one by one. I was told that when he and Audrey decided to start Skennars, they were walking down the main street of Goondiwindi and picked up a baby's booty that was blue and yellow. They decided that it must be a good luck omen and that was going to be their company colours. I don't know if that is true or not but it came from staff close to Clarrie.
I do remember Clarrie used to like his yellow wheels and he would rip the wheels off a coach one hour off it's scheduled departure and respray them. He was a sight to see after spraying into the wind and painted head to toe in yellow except for the two pink eyes when he took the goggles off.
He certainly valued loyalty and 'good company men'. Again, it may be urban myth but I was told of an employee who was 'a good company man' having helped them out of many a spot of bother in his own time. At smoko one day, Clarrie pointed out to him that the tyres on his car were a bit on the bald side. He replied that things were a bit tight lately and he had plans to replace them soon. An hour or two later, the tyre service arrived, jacked up his car, and took the wheels away. An hour later they came back with new tyres fitted. No charge, no bother, nothing further said.
Au Revoir
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dominodc122
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by dominodc122 »

Clarrie was a legend...even to those drivers who didn't work for him...and it would be great to here more stories about the man and his exploits...I only ever met him once and was impressed that he took the time to stop and talk, even though I worked for another company...he lived for coach and bus operations and his business was a model of how people...loyal people should be treated...he was a legend in his own time...and God bless the man for his passion...because it rubbed off on all of us...happy travels Clarrie :D :) :wink:
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Boss
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by Boss »

434 AAA hooking into the corners at Roma St 198X??
Skennars 434 AAA.jpg
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by Fleet Lists »

Living in the Shire.
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dominodc122
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by dominodc122 »

A very fine example of the 'Denning lean over' there Jas (and she's looking to be on about full steering lock :roll: ) - great shot of the 'Ramp' at Roma Street mate :D
Denv12
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Skennars Coaches.

Post by Denv12 »

A Denning Jumbo of Skennars.From a Truck & Bus Advert advertising the Denning Jumbo.
A Denning Jumbo of Skennars.From a Truck & Bus Advert advertising the Denning Jumbo.
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Over the years whilst travelling I remember the coaches of Skennars Coaches.I travelled on their Dennings from the Sunshine Coast to and from Brisbane.They seemed to have had a mixed fleet of coaches.This would have had to have been one of the most well known coach companies in Queensland and more specifically in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
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Skennars Denning Jumbo.
Skennars Denning Jumbo.
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Mitch
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by Mitch »

Skennars' ex-Austral DD1 is still sitting at the yard in PJ&T Motors in Geelong. Looks to still be in good nick.

Thanks,
Mitchul ;]
burrumbus
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by burrumbus »

Different Skennars Mitch.The Austral DD1 was owned by Craig Skennar from Kirrawee in Sydney-a much later operator-than the legendary Clarrie Skennar.Cheers.
REVBUS
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by REVBUS »

Hi Guys,
I thought I would add a few pictures to see if any one knows of this bus.
Cheers,
GT
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tboyallan
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by tboyallan »

Hi GT!
Where were the photos taken? It looks to be recently refurbished and possibly sold by a used coach dealer. Everything is very neutral right down to the all-white colour scheme. The blanked-out destination box indicates that it might have been purchased by a community group, sporting group, or school. Or maybe it's about to become another mobile home. Hope that gives you some help.
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by Fleet Lists »

I cant find SQR336 as a current Victorian registration.
Living in the Shire.
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dominodc122
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by dominodc122 »

...definitely one of Clarries old girls...looks great too (does she still have the seats?)
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Boss
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by Boss »

Ex Skennars fleet number unknown- early 80`s
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Ex Skennars fleet number unknown
Ex Skennars fleet number unknown
pauwri
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by pauwri »

The white Denning was PIJ 744 and the Watt bodied one was NZW 166. Cheers
Mogambo
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by Mogambo »

REVBUS wrote:Hi Guys,
I thought I would add a few pictures to see if any one knows of this bus.
Cheers,
GT
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Gday all

Loving the Skennars memories! This bus is definitely ex PIJ 744 - I spotted her in Bairnsdale Victoria in 2002/3 or thereabouts. A chap was planning to use it to do some sort of voluntary work with youth transport of some sort. Was a long time ago. This was my favorite Skennars vehicle. My recollections were that it was modernised just prior to Expo 88 by Brewer's body work in Moorooka. Clarrie sold it to Hoy's of Harrietville in Victoria some time thereafter, and it was used for Mt Hotham shuttles, until being sold by them date unknown.

I saw a reference to PLC 018 also - that spent many years going up and down the Toowoomba range for Ward's bus service on their Helidon and Iredale school runs. The last report I heard about it, was that it ended up as a motorhome and was seen in the Albany region of WA.

Crisps of Warwick were running an ex Clarrie GBW bodied Inter as well, and believe it was only fairly recently sold as motorhome (as in within the last couple of years). Crisps of Stanthorpe I recalled having NKQ on the Toowoomba - Warwick run for many years after Skennar's. and PUF was a school bus based in Stanthorpe.

Does anyone know what date the photos of former PIJ were taken? At the time I saw it, it wasnt looking quite as nice and polished as it is in these images, and was in the process of having power steering fitted.

I've always thought that it would be lovely to have an ex Skennar's vehicle in preservation in Skennar's livery....but keeping track of them once theyre motorhomes is almost impossible.

Anyway, just a bit of a Skennars rant :)
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Industry
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by Industry »

Has anyone have photos of the clipper in Skennars or his Port Macquaire Colonial Coachways
tboyallan
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by tboyallan »

I too would love to see a Skennars coach preserved in its' original livery. I can't afford to buy the coach but I can afford to paint it and preserve it. Who knows what may happen or come available in the future? Should anybody else do it, I may be available to help depending on location.
Cheers
Allan
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Boss
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by Boss »

Denning Hi Screen Brand new at Sydney Bus Show, unknown number
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Skennars Denning Hi Screen
Skennars Denning Hi Screen
REVBUS
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by REVBUS »

[/img]
Mogambo wrote:
REVBUS wrote:Hi Guys,
I thought I would add a few pictures to see if any one knows of this bus.
Cheers,
GT
The attachment 007_6 (640x427).jpg is no longer available
The attachment 006_5 (640x427).jpg is no longer available
The attachment 008_7 (640x427).jpg is no longer available

Gday all

Loving the Skennars memories! This bus is definitely ex PIJ 744 - I spotted her in Bairnsdale Victoria in 2002/3 or thereabouts. A chap was planning to use it to do some sort of voluntary work with youth transport of some sort. Was a long time ago. This was my favorite Skennars vehicle. My recollections were that it was modernised just prior to Expo 88 by Brewer's body work in Moorooka. Clarrie sold it to Hoy's of Harrietville in Victoria some time thereafter, and it was used for Mt Hotham shuttles, until being sold by them date unknown.

I saw a reference to PLC 018 also - that spent many years going up and down the Toowoomba range for Ward's bus service on their Helidon and Iredale school runs. The last report I heard about it, was that it ended up as a motorhome and was seen in the Albany region of WA.

Crisps of Warwick were running an ex Clarrie GBW bodied Inter as well, and believe it was only fairly recently sold as motorhome (as in within the last couple of years). Crisps of Stanthorpe I recalled having NKQ on the Toowoomba - Warwick run for many years after Skennar's. and PUF was a school bus based in Stanthorpe.

Does anyone know what date the photos of former PIJ were taken? At the time I saw it, it wasnt looking quite as nice and polished as it is in these images, and was in the process of having power steering fitted.

I've always thought that it would be lovely to have an ex Skennar's vehicle in preservation in Skennar's livery....but keeping track of them once theyre motorhomes is almost impossible.

Anyway, just a bit of a Skennars rant :)
Hi there,

Finally got back online to see if anyone could identify one of Skennar’s old girls and it looks like Mogambo (Hamish) takes the prize and yes tboyallan (Allan) well spotted it was purchased by a community group and use for the past 10 years by “Bairnsdale Youth Services” which we have transformed to suit the youth tastes and they reckon it’s the coolest bus to travel on and they are not talking about the air conditioning because it has none just check out the pictures below.

I can have the latest whiz bang coach next to us for a cruise and they all want to get on the “REVBUS” which is it Victorian rego number because on-board there is no fancy seats, tinted window, climate control or computerized air suspension with seamless auto transmission with quite plush interior but with 2400 watts of sound system with iPod music blasting through two earthquake 12 inch sub woofers linked to LCD screen and neon’s, strobes and LED lighting throughout the coach and an on-board fog machine also musos can plug into the sound system for a full on band jam but they have to play loud to get over the roar of the freshly rebuilt Detroit 6V71 sounds great in the Burnley Tunnel especially the downhill part with the Jakes ripping away.
Outside the fog machine can fill the area with smoke and at night the 36 Neon lights under the coach makes it a great sight out of the bins there is another 3000 watt sound system which the youth can go nuts with both inside and outside at the same time powered by an on board silent generator and during the day roof mounted solar power system and heap of other gadgets.

I am sure Clarrie wouldn’t have thought when he brought this coach it would end up changing the lives of young street kids to value life and know that people do care for their future when their parents wouldn’t care less.

More to come later on further updates on the REVBUS future……

Cheers, GT.
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dominodc122
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by dominodc122 »

WoW - Clarrie is looking down with a huge smile on his face :) - Awesome set up!
jayvee
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by jayvee »

tboyallan wrote:Me again!
I remember one day waiting to talk to Clarrie while he sat at his dingy little desk in the workshop on the telephone. I think the conversation was about one of the girls at the coach office as he said in his measured tones "Now now Audrey, don't be childish!". At that point I discreetly slipped away. If you look at the photo of PFD at Doggett Street, you will see one of the old gold coast coaches in the background minus windows. Clarrie gave me the body as I had dreams of starting a transport museum at the time. I think it was NOU but don't quote me. He wanted the chassis back as he wanted to build a new body on it. It wasn't NNJ as that went to Jacobi's at Strathpine and it wasn't NQB as that went to a private buyer at Clayfield. I should know the rego off by heart but I'll dig out the photos and post them for all to see. It ended it's days on the fire dump at Brisbane Airport. I also bought one of the ex-TAA airport buses from Clarrie as I was in Rainbow Bay Surf Life Saving Club and we needed a bigger bus. I swapped it later for the rusty old Tweed Bowls Club ex-Cobb & Co Denning (#21 I think) which I later sold to a guy at Kholo for a mobile home. The ex-TAA bus later went to a Surfers Paradise motel and I haven't seen it since. They were based on the old Ford R192 chassis. I also worked for Cobb & Co at the workshops at Salisbury for quite a while.
I remember the Skennars clippers well. One of them had just been re-trimmed in brown vinyl when I was working there. I also remember the Colonial Coachways PLC-018 Denning which was rebuilt mechanically, bodily, and re-trimmed and sent down NSW way. My favourite was the GBW triaxle NPV. The lower windowline just looked so hot. The ugliest coach and orphan was PPK, the Athol Hedges bodied coach. As if it wasn't the ugly duckling, it was made worse by using it as the model for the coach mural on the side of the Barry Parade coach terminal. The painting was skewed so badly that it looked like it had been hit by a bus!
I got rid of all my photos to the Transport Researchers Group in Brisbane (I don't know if they still exist) but I still do have some photos that I will post. I think I still have all my old negatives which is thousands of photos of the fleets of Skennars, Cobb & Co, Haidleys, Greyhound, and many others. I also recently bought an old Ansett Roadlines clipper timetable if anybody would like copies of it.
Does anyone remember Col Payne who always did the Noosa run in PYM? So many young guys salivated over the exhaust note of that coach! I don't know if it still sounded the same after they converted it later to a triaxle.
More memories shortly!
Many thanks
Allan
Hi,i have got a few photos of col,john.
marashkar
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by marashkar »

Another needy person here. Would any one have any photos of skennars gbw bodied den/air 677-oiv. It was one of the 2the other one being 083-nus. Plenty of the second one does not seem to be any of the first one about. Asking for the current owner (it is now a motorhome) we have one of it with Sunshine Coast coaches and some of it with caboolture bus lines. But missing the early part of its life. Any help anyone. Actually any photos of it will do. Thanks steve
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Bedford-29
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by Bedford-29 »

I got got permission to use this picture of a coach that Skennar`s had.Picture from Trev Jones facebook.
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SKENNAR`S ANSAIR FLXIBLE CLIPPER PSX-732
SKENNAR`S ANSAIR FLXIBLE CLIPPER PSX-732
Previoulsy known as United Diesel 15
tboyallan
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by tboyallan »

Boy, that brings back memories! If it is the same vehicle, I only ever saw one Clipper at Doggett Street and that was (I think) this one. It had just come back from getting the seats recovered and I clearly remember the dark brown vinyl. It was at the fuel bowsers getting filled. The only time I ever saw a Clipper at Doggett Street. I enjoyed looking inside as it reminded me of the Continental Coachlines days and other fond clipper memories.
tboyallan
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Re: A a look back at Skennar's

Post by tboyallan »

By the way, the Trev Jones you got the photo from. Is that the same Trevor Jones who worked for Continental Coachlines and drove a Freighter bodied Hino RU coach PFR-172?
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