Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

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tonyp
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by tonyp »

A c1940 Syd Wood bodied Reo Pusher (rear-engined bus) being loaded onto a truck for transport to Peter Anderson's collection at Deepwater. The centre door has been infilled at some stage of its life. A few Syd Wood buses went out to Deepwater where their fate seems to have been to slowly crumble into oblivion. I don't know the fate of this particular bus.

Image

Image
(John Ward/University of Newcastle photos)
hugh45
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by hugh45 »

I am impressed by the coloured models of early Syd Wood buses shown. If there were photos of the real buses of that era they would be black and white photos.
tonyp
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by tonyp »

hugh45 wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 8:57 am I am impressed by the coloured models of early Syd Wood buses shown. If there were photos of the real buses of that era they would be black and white photos.
I assume they're authentic liveries of the respective operators (whoever they were), but the air door is not authentic for the 1930s, guessing they've used the same mould for both models.

This must be the oldest preserved example of a Syd Wood bus (1934):

Image
A lot of detail photos here:
https://collection.maas.museum/object/208513

Syd Wood would also do a posher window treatment if required, even angling the door glass in alignment with the window pillars:

Image
(Batman photo)
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Centralian
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by Centralian »

Hey, I know that Reo Pusher. Was owned for a while by one of our past posters on here GM.
As to your comment tonyp of its fate being to 'slowly crumble into oblivion' , unfortunately there are hoarders and there are preservers.
A few examples of the hoarder collections are still with us today.
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by Fleet Lists »

I also remember that Reo Pusher when still with The Entrance Red Bus Service. In the late 50s, early 60s I visited The Entrance regularly when my father was building a weekender there. The REO Pusher had been relegated from the Gosford service to the local The Entrance service. The Gosford service was mainly operated by newer REO/Syd Woods by then. The pusher which was (7) was replaced as (7) by this newer REO/Syd Wood http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... p?pid=4429

A couple more photos for the photo gallery. The Batman photo has been in the gallery for some time.
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robert
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by robert »

tonyp wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 12:18 am A staff and family picnic in 1949, perhaps at Bobbin Head. One bus at least is "Parramatta-Northmead" - which company? I well remember those back doors set an extra row forward which, with the front door set back, were excellently placed for the all-door loading that was normal in those days. By 1950, Syd Wood had moved to a more modern front end that remained standard until the end of production. At the rear there was often a panoramic wrap-around rear window. In their very last bus, mo 4576, they introduced a moulded fibreglass rear that subsequently became standard from all other manufacturers, but alas no more for Syd Wood.
The signwriting on the bus appears to read "Parramatta Northmead and District"(?). So the bus was probably operated by Parramatta Bus Co, which was owned in 1949 by Alfred J Richards.
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by boronia »

tonyp wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 7:42 am A c1940 Syd Wood bodied Reo Pusher (rear-engined bus) being loaded onto a truck for transport to Peter Anderson's collection at Deepwater. The centre door has been infilled at some stage of its life. A few Syd Wood buses went out to Deepwater where their fate seems to have been to slowly crumble into oblivion. I don't know the fate of this particular bus.
Back in the early 1970s, a number of Peter's buses found their way to a property at Ingleburn, in anticipation of a transport museum being established in the Campbelltown area. There was a Reo "pusher" in the mix, and I'm sure Peter told me it had a Mack engine. The museum plan never got off the ground, but I'm not sure what happened to his buses. I thought some were just abandoned there.
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tonyp
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by tonyp »

boronia wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 6:24 pm
Back in the early 1970s, a number of Peter's buses found their way to a property at Ingleburn, in anticipation of a transport museum being established in the Campbelltown area. There was a Reo "pusher" in the mix, and I'm sure Peter told me it had a Mack engine. The museum plan never got off the ground, but I'm not sure what happened to his buses. I thought some were just abandoned there.
Yes, it saddens me to see these significant examples of private bus manufacturers' work with their many varied liveries and specifications rot away into the ground while multiple examples of what seem to be the same few types of government bus are lovingly restored almost on a fleet scale. I think the priorities are unbalanced.

The Deepwater situation reminds me of that railway disaster at Dorrigo. Momentarily preserved, then lost.
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Centralian
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by Centralian »

With you 100% on those comments.
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Red and Cream
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by Red and Cream »

It would have been a bit ironic for the Syd Wood staff at that picnic to be photographed against that Parramatta Bus Company bus as it is not a Syd Wood body but one built by Properts.
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by tonyp »

Red and Cream wrote: Thu Jul 29, 2021 1:00 pm It would have been a bit ironic for the Syd Wood staff at that picnic to be photographed against that Parramatta Bus Company bus as it is not a Syd Wood body but one built by Properts.
Yes I noticed that!
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Red and Cream
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by Red and Cream »

It's interesting to try and match up the faces in the two group photos, at first i couldn't find a match until i noticed the elderly gentleman wearing the dark coloured shirt and wearing the hat in the picnic group and then looked at the group with the 1000th bus and hey bingo i reckon that is him in the front row, even holding his beloved hat in his hands.
Looking at the bus in the picnic photo especially at the front wheel hub it seems to be a feature of an ex army AEC Matador 4 wheel drive, could it possibly be that the body was constructed on an extended Matador chassis. Another pointer to this is the very high floor line with an amazing 6 step risers to reach the top ( must have been like climbing a mountain to the elderly passengers).
Thanks for posting this look back into the past tonyp

This may be the exact bus in this Don Allitt photo.
m/o 424 AEC Propert Parramatta Bus Company.
m/o 424 AEC Propert Parramatta Bus Company.
424.jpg (65.85 KiB) Viewed 1984 times
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system improver
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

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tonyp wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 12:18 am
...Anybody know anything about the Adelaide-Kilburn service?
This was owned by H F (Frank) Morphett which continued on to 1974 when acquired by the MTT. At that stage, they had about 20 buses. The Syd Wood bodied bus was on a Reo chassis and was apparently licensed to carry 60 passengers. Most of Morphett's other buses up to the early 50s were Fords with bodies built in Melbourne by either Symons & Fowler or Cheetham & Borwick. They then tried the Atkinson chassis and had a number bodied by C&B and then some more by Syd Wood, with the last one coming in 1959. It didn't survive until 1974, having been sold to another Morphett in Adelaide for the Port Adelaide to Glenelg service. In the 60s, Morphett's then moved to the Bedford chassis with a Freighter body, and also had some AECs before finally going to Hinos. They also operated a charter arm as Morphett's Tours.
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by Rclasstramcar »

boronia wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 6:24 pm Back in the early 1970s, a number of Peter's buses found their way to a property at Ingleburn, in anticipation of a transport museum being established in the Campbelltown area. There was a Reo "pusher" in the mix, and I'm sure Peter told me it had a Mack engine. The museum plan never got off the ground, but I'm not sure what happened to his buses. I thought some were just abandoned there.
.
Some of his buses were up for sale on Gumtree about a year or two ago.
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VIKing
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by VIKing »

The Syd Wood body list is one that I copied from the files and records of Vic Hayes, I assume he obtained the details from Syd Wood perhaps at the time they were closing down ? The list only covers bodies 1710 (July 1956) to 1913. Besides bus bodies Syd Wood in earlier years manufactured domestic dish washing macahines - I was once told that the success if the dishwasher business was reflected in the number of alumium strips fitted to their bus bodies. The strips were off cuts from the dishwashers : the more strips, the higher the number of dishwasher sales. Not sure of this was true or just a piece of fanciful history, but they certainly did manufacture and sell dishwashers.
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by tonyp »

VIKing wrote: Sat Aug 07, 2021 4:22 pm The Syd Wood body list is one that I copied from the files and records of Vic Hayes, I assume he obtained the details from Syd Wood perhaps at the time they were closing down ? The list only covers bodies 1710 (July 1956) to 1913. Besides bus bodies Syd Wood in earlier years manufactured domestic dish washing macahines - I was once told that the success if the dishwasher business was reflected in the number of alumium strips fitted to their bus bodies. The strips were off cuts from the dishwashers : the more strips, the higher the number of dishwasher sales. Not sure of this was true or just a piece of fanciful history, but they certainly did manufacture and sell dishwashers.
Thanks. Maybe there's also a production list in the Bankstown library collection. One day when we're no longer locked down I would like to try to get there to look at the Syd Wood papers. I think I mentioned above in this thread Eswood dishwashers which company still exists. Partnered with a brother, it started off in the Chapel Rd factory but later moved to a new site. They were and are commercial dishwashers, so there would be nothing too fancy in the offcuts I imagine.
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by boronia »

Rclasstramcar wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:59 pm
boronia wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 6:24 pm Back in the early 1970s, a number of Peter's buses found their way to a property at Ingleburn, in anticipation of a transport museum being established in the Campbelltown area. There was a Reo "pusher" in the mix, and I'm sure Peter told me it had a Mack engine. The museum plan never got off the ground, but I'm not sure what happened to his buses. I thought some were just abandoned there.
.
Some of his buses were up for sale on Gumtree about a year or two ago.
Ben
These would have been his collection at Deepwater, after his passing?
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tonyp
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by tonyp »

An interesting example of a Syd Wood forward entrance bus that was also an early NSW example of a centre door was MO 5473, operated by Deanes out of Chatswood (a route later taken over by N&W). I never recall seeing this bus at Chatswood myself and wonder when it dates from (looks like c1960) and where it went to?


http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... ?pid=19923
[provenance of photo unknown]
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by Linto63 »

HQ Kingswood in the background would suggest it is post 1971.
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by robert »

I used to see m/o 5473 when I lived at Chatswood from 1977 onwards and it was doing 54 Chatswood-Northern Suburbs Cemetery-Macquarie Uni. When I look at Vic Hayes' fleet listing of 1981, 5473 was a National, so this vehicle may have moved on by then.
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by tonyp »

It has all the hallmarks of a Syd Wood body and they closed in 1962. The number plate suggests that it has had an earlier life and was re-registered.
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by boronia »

Linto63 wrote: Tue Sep 07, 2021 8:10 am HQ Kingswood in the background would suggest it is post 1971.
I noticed that, but I guess the 1960 reference is to the build date of the bus.
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

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Our fleet lists show "ex m/o 5350 4/69; ex Melbourne Brighton Bus Lines, VIC (37) 9/68."
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tonyp
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by tonyp »

Fleet Lists wrote: Tue Sep 07, 2021 10:36 am Our fleet lists show "ex m/o 5350 4/69; ex Melbourne Brighton Bus Lines, VIC (37) 9/68."
I was thinking it might be ex Victoria as they went for centre doors there much earlier than NSW.
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Re: Syd Wood, bus builders, 1912-1962

Post by 1whoknows »

You can tell its an ex MBBL unit by those four marker lights above the desto, which were used at night by MBBL to distinguish the route 1 buses from those on route 2 along the common section from the City to Prahran.
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