Roderick

I took photos of Blue and Red buses in Southport in 1954. GM

Great photos. So Red & Blue was a company on the up and up. Was it taken over, or did it morph into a major?
Any id for the chassis in those photos? Two look remarkably like contemporary WAGR Fodens, but the nature of the body/chassis split in the bus industry means that anything can look like anything else.

Roderick

1) Blue & Red No 25 - MO 3242 White Watt Bros Tug - Athol Hedges Semi - Rebuilt 1953 was MBA 09.1946 - Southport Depot 02.1954
2) Blue & Red - MO xxxx Mack Syd Wood - Southport Depot 02.1954
3) Blue & Red - MO xxxx White Chas Hope - Southport Depot 02.1954
4) Blue & Red - MO xxxx White Waddingtons - Southport Depot 02.1954
5) Blue & Red - MO 3131 White MBA Semi
6) Blue & Red - Mack Properts GM

Interesting post as allways Roderick.
A bit of info I have is Blue and Red Bus Service operated a service from Murwillimbah-Coolangatta from 1945 to 1961.The service to Southport dates from the 50s.
A suggestion is that it was owned by Miller.
H.J.Miller is listed as operating from Murwillimbah-Coolangatta by 10/42 until by 1945.
Greyhound Pacific(Penfold family) is listed as operating from Murwillimbah-Coolangatta from 1961 so it appears likely that Blue and Red sold to Penfolds in 1961.
Hope this assitts.

Found a Blue Bus Co in Coolangatta in 1928. Not sure of owner of photo. GM

burrumbus wrote:Interesting post as allways Roderick.
A bit of info I have is Blue and Red Bus Service operated a service from Murwillimbah-Coolangatta from 1945 to 1961.The service to Southport dates from the 50s.
A suggestion is that it was owned by Miller.
H.J.Miller is listed as operating from Murwillimbah-Coolangatta by 10/42 until by 1945.
...

Owned by Walter Shapowloff from 1945 to somewhere around 1947/48/49 ... have dates written down at home.

Walter Shapowloff was more famous for the Mt Morgan rail deviation in the early 1950s, he then went on to take over one of the country's largest road transport companies called Colliers Interstate Transport which was then morphed into Trans-Australia Transport but was forced to change the name by the government ... confusion with Trans-Australia Airlines ... and then went on to create the very well know overnight express company in 1958 called Kwikasair.

I have spent many, many hours researching Mr Shapowloff who was a white Russian immigrant. He was also tied up as a director in Redmans-Cobb & Co transport in the S/E of QLD.

Walter Shapowloff took over from Miller sometime around early November 1943 and it seems that I may have had my dates wrong in the previous (off the top of my head) post .. Walter sold to a company called Queensland Transport Agencies in early June 1945.

werkhorse wrote:Walter Shapowloff took over from Miller sometime around early November 1943 and it seems that I may have had my dates wrong in the previous (off the top of my head) post .. Walter sold to a company called Queensland Transport Agencies in early June 1945.

See attached record from the State Transport Commission's meeting on 16 December 1943.

Thank you Hornibrook, the construction company he was part owner in was called Central Construction Company and he was part owner with his father in law Alfanasy Bobileff. They did road construction, culvert work etc.