Historic Adelaide photo's - PartII

[The Mayor]

Here is the second installment of Garth's collection.

198 Queenstown.jpg

img039.jpg

Klemzig Service.jpg

img032.jpg

875 VictoriaSq.jpg

2 KintoreAve.jpg

Enjoy!

[Ian]

Awsome photos - thanks for posting them!
Just wondering if you have any info about the location of the bottom photo - is it Kintore Ave in the city or somewhere else?

[leyland4ever]

My word - some fantastic photos here - what memories!

I had previously thought that three-door buses had taken over completely on Grange Road services by the time the Queenstown extension was opened - but here is good old Regal 111 No 198 plainly showing 'Queenstown" - your'e never too old to learn something new!

Regal 111s predominated on the Glen Osmond - Findon/Kirkcaldy routes from the time they replaced trams in late 1953, until around 1960 - it was actually the first City based route to be permanently operated by 'fuel' buses.


And-yes the Morphett's bus is in Kintore Ave, Adelaide.

Until about 1957, the Churchill Road and Days Road services, operated by Morphetts and Footes, used to terminate adjacent to Government House in King William Road - then do a U-turn and load outside Parliament House! - imagine doing that these days!

From 1957 until the early 1980s, they went round the block, by turning left into North Terrace, left into Kintore Ave (where the photos was taken), and left into Victoria Drive (?), and then right into King William Road.

That changed when, some years after the MTT takeover of private routes, they were linked through to the southwestern suburbs routes via North Terrace, Pulteney Street, and Wakefield Street.

Cheers

Trevor

[The Mayor]

My word - some fantastic photos here - what memories!

I had previously thought that three-door buses had taken over completely on Grange Road services by the time the Queenstown extension was opened - but here is good old Regal 111 No 198 plainly showing 'Queenstown" - your'e never too old to learn something new!

Regal 111s predominated on the Glen Osmond - Findon/Kirkcaldy routes from the time they replaced trams in late 1953, until around 1960 - it was actually the first City based route to be permanently operated by 'fuel' buses.


And-yes the Morphett's bus is in Kintore Ave, Adelaide.

Until about 1957, the Churchill Road and Days Road services, operated by Morphetts and Footes, used to terminate adjacent to Government House in King William Road - then do a U-turn and load outside Parliament House! - imagine doing that these days!

From 1957 until the early 1980s, they went round the block, by turning left into North Terrace, left into Kintore Ave (where the photos was taken), and left into Victoria Drive (?), and then right into King William Road.

That changed when, some years after the MTT takeover of private routes, they were linked through to the southwestern suburbs routes via North Terrace, Pulteney Street, and Wakefield Street.

Cheers

Trevor

Don't forget Route 490 (now 228) also operated around this loop, originally terminating on North terrace then later around the corner in Kintore Avenue.

[system improver]

Yes, lovely colour photos from (I guess) the early 60s.

The Klemzig vehicle must have been recently painted when the photo was taken. It was one of a pair that were sold to Slattery's Bus Service having been new to G A & R L Cole in the second half of 1955 ( as their numbers 5 & 6) for their Daw Park service. These were unusual vehicles, for SA anyway. They were on an Atkinson chassis powered by a Gardner 4LK diesel engine and bodied by Syd Wood from Bankstown NSW. I believe they were the only Atkinsons that went to Cole but, as can be seen in the last photo, the underfloor version of the Atkinson from the mid 50s was a big favourite at Morphett's bodied by both Syd Wood and Cheetham & Borwick in Melbourne.

[B59 Volvo]

Hey, I've just been through Part I of the photos, and left my appreciative comments in that thread , and now I discover Part II

This really is a treat, and I again thank you for taking the time to post all these photos !

Two questions :

# When did the MTT remove the red striping from their bus fleet ?

# Where is the location of the 'paddock' in which the Bowmans buses are parked ?

[Wally Otto]

Wow! That regal III looks beautiful! (Even on a modern perspective.)

Any left in preservation or in existance?

[paulgersche]

Yes, thanks for the fabulous pics!

I note that the Leyland W-RT 875 photo has one of the "flags", used from time to time by the MTT to advertise special events, above the destination header.

From memory, the one shown represents AA, one red one blue, and not an advertisement for Alcoholics Anonymous, but for the Adelaide Festival of Arts, which I think was a bi-annual Arts Festival. Not sure of the detail, though - it is more than 30 years since I moved from the City of Churches ...

Also notice that it is operating as a One-Man service, going by the small "Enter at Front" sign forward of the Centre door.

Regards to all.

[The Mayor]

Hey, I've just been through Part I of the photos, and left my appreciative comments in that thread , and now I discover Part II

This really is a treat, and I again thank you for taking the time to post all these photos !

Two questions :

# When did the MTT remove the red striping from their bus fleet ?

# Where is the location of the 'paddock' in which the Bowmans buses are parked ?

I believe they were somewhere in Highbury.

[EX PTC & PTB]

I love the pic of 875 with it's front doors open

[leyland4ever]

[quote="B59 Volvo"]
# When did the MTT remove the red striping from their bus fleet ?


The red bands strarted disappearing in late 1958/early 1959.

The last few Leyland Worldmasters, from about 960, I think, were delivered without the red band - except for the very last one, 978, which got a red band as it was to be driven off the production line at Freighters by the then Premier, Sir Thomas Playford, to mark the end of the large contract of tram replacement buses. (Politicians using public transport for publicity is nothing new!)

As buses came due for repainting, they received all-over silver - it was an economy move, apparently - the MTT were very sensitive to cutting costs at this time, as they had been strongly criticised in a Parliamentary Enquiry in the early 1950s, when the tram system started losing money heavily.

To the best of my recollection, most buses still in the fleet had been done by 1963 or 1964, though I can remember that there was a small group of Leylands, numbered somewhere around 816-819 which kept the red band for longer.

None of the Com-Eng bodied Regal 111s lost the red bands - most were withdrawn by early 1961, with the last four going in early 1962.

Almost all of the remaining single deck trolleybuses were all-over silver by the time the trolleybus system closed in July 1963.

Most of the Hope-bodied Regals, certainly the 13 which survived after mid-1963 were all-over silver - didn't suit them at all.

The Daimler double deckers, which were also withdrawn by early 1961 kept at least two red bands, but most had lost the lower band by the time of withdrawal.

However, the H-class trams retained all three red bands - even two trams which were repainted in an experimental livery of a darker silver and red roof in the early 1970s retained the red bands - they would have looked ridiculous in all over silver, I think. Their red bands oinly disappeared as they were returned to the original tuscan red and cream livery during the 1970s.

Cheers Trevor

[transit2203]

Good to see Adelaide hasn't changed one bit!!! Seriously though I love the 875

[B59 Volvo]

Just before I ask a couple more questions, I want to thank Trevor for the information you provided regarding the striping used by the MTT.

I'm trying to identify the Bowmans bus in picture #2, and the location.

I cannot see a bus number, nor can I clearly identify the Rego. My thinking is that it is a Commer TS3 with a Perkins engine, and a Freighter body. As for the location, it appears to be a terminus somewhere in the north-east suburbs, which of course was the domain of Bowmans buses.

[locoman8434]

Just before I ask a couple more questions, I want to thank Trevor for the information you provided regarding the striping used by the MTT.

I'm trying to identify the Bowmans bus in picture #2, and the location.

I cannot see a bus number, nor can I clearly identify the Rego. My thinking is that it is a Commer TS3 with a Perkins engine, and a Freighter body. As for the location, it appears to be a terminus somewhere in the north-east suburbs, which of course was the domain of Bowmans buses.

It definitely is a Commer with a Perkins 6-354 in it and the photo was taken at Bowmans "old" Depot in Hope valley or Highbury, the name of the road escapes me right now, though may have been Valley road, the house next door was I believe Milton or Jack Bowmans house. Unfortunately I cant come up with a fleet number but the last 2 digits of the number plate "I think" are 54 and as most of that model Commer had the start of the number plate from memory as SNA.
I used to drive for Bowmans as did my brother and it was the best bus company one could drive for. The buses were spotless, excelllent mechanical condition, and looked good, even the old "trammies" as we called them (800 and 900 series Worldmaster 3 door) were great to drive, as they were in really good nick, even after their long service with the MTT.

[locoman8434]

I love the pic of 875 with it's front doors open

It was quite common in those days to leave the front door open in summer to allow the breeze to get in and help cool the bus, and men especially, would stand on the bottom step with one foot on the second step, and chat with the driver, as in those days you would have the same driver on a shift for one or two weeks at a time, and one got to know the driver and vice versa.

I cant remember when the change came in, but do remember a circular from the company I was driving for at the time (Transway) that all doors on buses must remain shut whilst the vehicle was in motion.

They were the good days of bus driving.