Small bus companies of the 60's & 70's. Part 2.

[Red and Cream]

Continuing the theme of small companies of one to five buses.

[boronia]

File comment: Bill Sanders was another one man one bus operator on the 117 Route Oatley - Gungah Bay with this Comeng bodied Ford Fleetline m/o 4855 ex Bus Lines of Australia Dubbo MO 4261. Sanders had an unusual arrangement with Ted Lind who operated Route 118 Oatley - Oatley Bay who was another one bus operator that outside peak hours they would alternatively operate each others routes.

I wonder what the DMT would have thought of such an arrangement? They were even very much against the concept of an operator with two routes using buses on the incorrect services, or operators borrowing buses from another company to cover breakdowns.

[mo 5537]

Dave,

Many thanks for the photos on both posts. They are absolute crackers. Apart from the buses in your shots, I also go about trying to fathom out what is in the background and when I know/think where the shots are, looking at them to see what is still there. Looks like you will have me haring all over the North Shore a bit more - that said, I enjoy doing so.

Having been at the SAN most of this week and seeing the old main building entrance road torn up as part of the upgrade, I can happily say that that magnificent pine tree in the background, still proudly stands on the front lawn and will I hope, be light up for Christmas.

Please keep the photos coming. I for one always get great enjoyment out of them.

I also recall the little Commer that was in the other post in the National Park - Maianbar service when both Maianbar and Bundeena were hard places to get to. I recall my mother saying in the early 60's when our next door neighbours moved there "that the place would never take off" - real estate wise. Wrong!! Wonder if any of the members know if any of these little buses are preserved anywhere.

Kind Regards, m/o 5537

[GM]

Reo Waddingtons was second hand to Bill Neely, Parramatta-South Granville. It took the place of a Properts Bedford which had seen better days. GM

[Red and Cream]

File comment: Bill Sanders was another one man one bus operator on the 117 Route Oatley - Gungah Bay with this Comeng bodied Ford Fleetline m/o 4855 ex Bus Lines of Australia Dubbo MO 4261. Sanders had an unusual arrangement with Ted Lind who operated Route 118 Oatley - Oatley Bay who was another one bus operator that outside peak hours they would alternatively operate each others routes.

I wonder what the DMT would have thought of such an arrangement? They were even very much against the concept of an operator with two routes using buses on the incorrect services, or operators borrowing buses from another company to cover breakdowns.

Evidently it was officially condoned by the department as long as documentation showed the two owners names as jointly operating the two services together.
I must mention here that most of the route info i have been using has been gleaned from Robert Henderson's most informative Private Bus Routes web site for which i gratefully thank him. I meant to mention the use of his site in my introduction to this post but in my haste to set up the post i neglected to include it.

[Punchbowl Tiger Cub]

Good Morning Dave,
As always,many treasures and wonderful memories of times gone bye.As m/o 5537 and others have stated,you spend time looking at these pictures not only at the buses but the changing streetscape.Some things stay the same whilst other things change.

Again many thanks Dave for posting these pictures and keep posting - can't get enough of it.

Kind Regards Punchbowl Tiger Cub

[Bus Riders]

The buses of A.E. Wood on Route 20 Bankstown/Eldridge Road were always immaculate turned out and had a very intricate livery applied. Is m/o604 in Old Kent Road? This plate still lives on!

As 5537 and PBTC have already pointed out, what wonderful street scenes. The South side of Bankstown still has most of the buildings and even the buses have made a return nowdays albeit in reverse!

There were quite a few little COMMER's serving sparsely populated areas. Makes the m/o plate look oversize!

The ex Blythe REO must have had a million miles on the clock by the time it made Bundeena. Wonder if the old guy in glasses who used to drive her all the time on the 68 had retired and the bus sold because no one else could drive it?

Your posts open the flood gates on our memories Dave and show the young enthusiasts what was, SO much variety! At most small bus depots enthusiasts were welcomed and the owner would bend over backwards to assist sometimes even supplying a cuppa and cake!

Thank you Dave, looking forward to more!

[Punchbowl Tiger Cub]

Morning All,
Bus Riders brings up a point about those small Commers.

Reminds me of a school excursion in 1972 where the Primary School (that Bus Riders and myself attended) had a excusion to the Snowy Mountains and Canberra over three days.Anyway,the Coach transport provided was a Sampson's of Nowra Denning and a Commer.Fortunately I landed the Denning for the road part of the journey from Nowra to Batemans Bay,across to Cooma,then Snowy,back to Canberra finishing in Moss Vale.A few of the unfortunate kids who didn't fit in the Denning copped the Commer.

Not only were they hours behind on every sector as George Sampson put the pedal to the metal in the Denning (a real treat) but most in the Commer were çarsick from the cramped conditions and poor ride. Obviously not suitable for a trip of hundreds of kilometres.

Kind Regards Punchbowl Tiger Cub

[Bedford-29]

This could be Wood MO-4500 when new.Picture from the Ken Magor collection.

[Fleet Lists]

Either m/o 4500 or m/o 4501 which were similar.
I lived along route 20 for many year so those Arthur Wood photos certainly bring back some memories from the fifties and sixties.

[mo 5537]

On the little Commers. I guess not too many survive but as the Punchbowl Tiger Cub and Bus Riders alluded to, they were all over the place in the bush and lived hard lives on harsh roads. When I had to spend some time being schooled up at Wellington, I recall catching one on the old Parkes Road to and fro each day. Yes, it was hard going along the dirt parts of the road and no air con. I recall the things were as hot as Hades on the arvo runs particularly if they had those roof mounted saloon windows in them. All aboard for Sun Top, Curra Creek, Walmer Siding and Arthurville in mid December or February sitting on hard red vinyl seats. These little places are all just blips on the map.

Looking at the shot there in Oatley, I see the stacks at the brickworks in Judd Street were still there then. Must have been in the days before the St George County Council had their depot there and it later became a TAFE. On the St George County Council, does anyone have some shots of what I recall were those huge Austin powered Pantechs that they used for lines work. They had the old wooden ladders strapped to the sides and on the roof.

Regards, m/o 5537

[Dave Wilson]

For some reason 4500 didn't last anywhere near as long as 4501 did. What a gem 4501 was in its final days

[Reo]

Hi mo5537
I too remember the Brickworks in Judd St., however we used to look at them from the "other side", from our house in Lansdowne St.,Penshurst. I also remember all the "big" circuses that used to set up next to them....Worths', Ashtons' etc.

Cheers

Reo

[Landseer]

Pattersons Bus service route 84 - Chester Hill Guildford. some photos on facebook of the buses

[Bedford-29]

A few pictures of Patterson buses.Pictures from the Ken Magor collection.

[Fleet Lists]

Of those 4331 made it to Chester Hill Bus Service when they took over route 84.
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... ?pos=-6062

[burrumbus]

The buses of A.E. Wood on Route 20 Bankstown/Eldridge Road were always immaculate turned out and had a very intricate livery applied. Is m/o604 in Old Kent Road? This plate still lives on!

As 5537 and PBTC have already pointed out, what wonderful street scenes. The South side of Bankstown still has most of the buildings and even the buses have made a return nowdays albeit in reverse!

There were quite a few little COMMER's serving sparsely populated areas. Makes the m/o plate look oversize!

The ex Blythe REO must have had a million miles on the clock by the time it made Bundeena. Wonder if the old guy in glasses who used to drive her all the time on the 68 had retired and the bus sold because no one else could drive it?

Your posts open the flood gates on our memories Dave and show the young enthusiasts what was, SO much variety! At most small bus depots enthusiasts were welcomed and the owner would bend over backwards to assist sometimes even supplying a cuppa and cake!

Thank you Dave, looking forward to more!

Beautifully put Bus Riders.

[Red and Cream]

The buses of A.E. Wood on Route 20 Bankstown/Eldridge Road were always immaculate turned out and had a very intricate livery applied. Is m/o604 in Old Kent Road? This plate still lives on!

Your posts open the flood gates on our memories Dave and show the young enthusiasts what was, SO much variety! At most small bus depots enthusiasts were welcomed and the owner would bend over backwards to assist sometimes even supplying a cuppa and cake!

Thank you Dave, looking forward to more!

I'm not sure exactly where i took that photo Bus Riders but i dont think it was Old Kent Road. Maybe Fleet Lists recognizes it as he lived on the route, probably parked outside a drivers house while he took a break.
You are certainly right about the positive response we received from bus proprietors in those days. I remember when i was in Cowra, i had been photographing buses outside the school when one of Thomas' Bus Service drivers invited me back to their depot where their drivers gathered to have breakfast.
On arriving at the depot the driver took me onto the large verandah of the Thomas home where all the other drivers were already tucking into their brekkie and i was invited to demolish plateloads of lovely warm toast with the most marvellous home made marmalade on it. Oh, and that nice hot cuppa to finish off. Needless to say i left Cowra slightly later than i originally planned to after that country hospitality.
The Thomas fleet at that time consisted of five buses being two Albions, one a Viking and the other a forward control Comeng bodied example whilst the other 3 buses were one of my favourite type of vehicles, the Ford Fleetline with one of them, MO 270 being the original Fleetline built in 1954.
This Fleetline was the only one fitted with a Ford grille whilst all others had the Comeng grille. Originally it was a demonstrator registered as m/o 290 but over the following years it appeared as m/o 557 with Mosman Bus Service, m/o 4267 with Sinclair Passenger Service and Reid's Brighton Bus Service before going to Thomas at Cowra as MO 270.

[burrumbus]

Bill Sanders I think ended up at Peak Hill owning the Peak Hill-Tomingley school contract with a mechanical repair business.
Cheers-and another great thread.

[Red and Cream]

Just reminiscing about Thomas of Cowra reminded me it fitted in with my theme of small bus companies so here goes.

[captainch]

DOES ANYONE know what happened to mo270 and were it finished up thanks

[Swift]

4020 has a very modern look to it. I'm used to the idea of that Capitol style being 1970s buses. I do know they were built into that decade.

[Red and Cream]

DOES ANYONE know what happened to mo270 and were it finished up thanks

Last notes by me had it going to a school bus operator at Quandialla, NSW.

[Bedford-29]

Thomas must of like there Fleetlines.Here is a few more pictures of Thomas Cowra.Pictures from the Ken Magor collection.

[Fleet Lists]

I'm not sure exactly where i took that photo Bus Riders but i dont think it was Old Kent Road. Maybe Fleet Lists recognizes it as he lived on the route, probably parked outside a drivers house while he took a break.

I dont recognize it from along the route but I would think it is Old Kent Road from the number on the letter box which is about where the depot was.