Photo Request - Gold Coast Scenic Clippers

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Guy_Arab
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Photo Request - Gold Coast Scenic Clippers

Post by Guy_Arab »

Does anyone have photos of Max Holmans Gold Coast Scenic Clippers 1961 0nwards Most where AEC Denning body buses ??
I drove for them in early 1960,s on the Brisbane Sydney and Sydney Melbourne routes
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Re: Photo Request - Gold Coast Scenic Clippers

Post by OldCoastie »

Whilst I cannot supply any photos of the Gold Coast Scenic Clipper fleet from the early 1960s I do have vivid memories of the AEC RELIANCE 590s and 470s that ran from Brisbane to Sydney, Melbourne and I also believe Adelaide. There were seven vehicles bodied by Athol Hedges (underfloor engines) and one bodied by A.B Denning (rear engine from memory). I am sure there was another underfloor AEC, possibly a Coachmaster or CCMC body. It was definitely in the Cream/White Colurs and Fawn Trim but must have been on Interstate runs as it was rare to see it at Southport Depot.

The depot was located in Windmill St Southport (previously the depot of Ms Peake's Cream and Green Bus Service which ran Southport Railway Station to Burleigh Heads).

I cannot recall the order of events surrounding the Gold Coast Scenic Clippers/ Gold Coast Coaches takeover of Cream and Green Bus Service and also the Blue and Red Southport / Coolangatta /Murwillumbah license but Max Holman also had five SB Bedfords (built new in 1964 by CCMC) that were used on a Brisbane to Tweed heads license. Cream and Green had at least 4 Watt Bodied Austins, a Watt bodied OB (normal control), plus others. The Blue and Red Fleet had some very interesting vehicles, some of these passing to the Penfold Family's Greyhound.

Some of the Gold Coast Coaches/ Gold Coast Scenic Clippers fleet passed to the Greyhound Subsidiary company Surfside. These, along with a lot of Greyhound "hand me downs" formed the backbone of the Surfside Fleet in the mid 1960s and 1970s. Surfsides first "brand new bus" did not arrive until the delivery of Denning bodied PGP 031 about October 1966. The early days of Surfside is another story - although a subsidiary of Greyhound, for many years both Greyhound and Skennars competed with Surfside for the local fares anywhere between Southport and Tweed Heads and local passengers would wait for a Greyhound or Skennar Coach to come along instead of having to board one of the old Austins or "Greyhound hand me downs". Of course the Athol Hedges AECs performed sterling service up and down the Gold Coast for Surfside for quite a few years and were the better vehicles of the fleet in those days.

Back to the Holman fleet, as well there were a couple CCMC bodied Commers, possibly with perkins motors. one of these PAM 177 passed to Smekels in 1966 minus an engine I think. The other PAQ 123 passed to Surfside (No 18 in that fleet).

Anyhow back to the original request for details of the AECs. From memory four of the Athol Hedges AECs passed to Surfside (to become nos 20, 24, 27 and 29 in that fleet). Three went to the Sydney area. The A B Denning bodied coach built in 1964 supposedly went to Port Moresby.

No doubt someone may have finer detials of where the AECs finished up but my memory of the fleets come from spending hours looking out the window at school at Southport between 1962 and 1972 and many many trips on the local buses and to Brisbane over those years.

There a lot more could be written, I wish I had the time.
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Guy_Arab
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Re: Photo Request - Gold Coast Scenic Clippers

Post by Guy_Arab »

Thanks we only used the AEC on our interstate runs. He was the first operator I think using Hostess on The Brisbane Melbourne express in land run missing Sydney;
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Re: Photo Request - Gold Coast Scenic Clippers

Post by system improver »

Better late than never:
4. GOLD COAST COACHES SOUTHPORT. APRIL 1964. (PHOTO BY HARRY TOWNSEND). - Copy.jpg
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