Entrance Red CCMC RFW's

[Albion Victor]

Back to RFW's...........................

I have previous Red Bus No.49 as OBD 547 at Wollongong Coaches.

Previous No. 45 at Red Bus as (NSW Rego) TBE 164 with Michael Edgely.

Previous No.41 at Red Bus, Seargents TV664 re reg prior to sale as MO 9641.

I also believe that No 41, (the 37 footer), was more likely a 45 seater, not 49 per BenO's info.

Hope this info is useful.

[Swift]

Anyone know what year Red Bus Services let them go? I first caught their services in 1983 when my family started holidaying at Bataeu Bay every year during school holidays. We would often use their services to go shopping as we didn't bring a car with us. Just wondering if I would have come across them. I do recall lots of different Bedfords and whatnot at the time.
Anyone have photos of these RFWs? may jog my memory, assuming they were still around in my day useing Red Bus Services.

[Landseer]

The 37 footer was spec with an 8v71 but built with a Cummins 903
the other two were 40 footers where 903 Cummins spec
all had 5 speed Fullers & two speed Eaton diffs
On of the Cummins ones is at Wittenoom WA in a sad state
We're on Coil Spring & airbag tag suspensions

See RFW trucks Buses Australia Facebook

[GM]

A photos from Ray parsons of the three RFW's. GM

[Swift]

Thanks GM. Can't say I recall those. Red Bus certainly had some grand looking machines in it's time.
I always loved their Scanias from the 1980s.

[Landseer]

Hi GM

Thanks for the pics
May I use them on the RFW Facebook page

[Swift]

When were CCMC RFWs sold off and WHY? RFW are a well kept secret in making outstanding trucks, so why shouldn't their buses have been the same?
Are RFW still making their own heavy duty axles without relying on the Northern hemisphere to source them? What other Australian company does that??

[THE INFORMANT]

The Wollongong Coaches units were purchased around the time of the Watts Coaches Takeover Circa 1986. They were never very popular with the drivers and saw limited use until the demise of the Wollongong Coaches / Arrow Coaches business caseation. From memory they did not feature Air Con and rode very rough.

[GM]

THE INFORMANT - I do not think that Air Conditioning was IN when the three RFW's were built, they appear to have "JET AIR CONDITIONING" which a lot of Coaches had at that time.
I will contact Ray Parsons who drove these coaches all over Australia about your comments. GM

[Bedford-29]

One of the ex Red Bus RFW at Wittenoom WA.Picture from Michael Hey Cunningham

[Herbert]

Bump!

I've been trying to identify the Wittenoom RFW. What do the experts think? Which one was it at The Entrance?

[BDAT]

E Street's RFW had a Cummins engine and 5 Speed Fuller Box with vacuum operated 2 speed diff great thing to drive. If anyone has photos of this bus Mo1735 would love to see them.
The TBS Denning was the best bus in the fleet.
The business changed hands about 1990.

[Swift]

Bump!

I've been trying to identify the Wittenoom RFW. What do the experts think? Which one was it at The Entrance?

After examination of photos and reading other info in this thread, I have concluded the derelict camper in Wittenoom W.A to be ex The Entrance number 49, ex TV639, ex TV348 (The unit with the black window surrounds in GM's earlier post).
Four clues point to it. 1.The three luggage doors between the wheel arches make it one of the two 40 footers (45 & 49). 2. The greater gap between the the wheel arches and the stainless steel paneling like 49 rather than 45. 3. The front indicator sticking out the side, which you can barely make out in the O/S shots in Wittenoom, is sitting higher up like 49, instead of lower like 45.
4. Number 45, ex TV662, ex TV366 was eventually sold to a circus whereas grumpsson mentioned he had a photo of the only one with black around the windows "camperised" subsequent to Wollongong Coaches ownership. The others had stainless steel surrounding the windows.