Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines

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Dennis Dart
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Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines

Post by Dennis Dart »

MMBL was formed in 1954 to operate two routes from Swanston Street to Gardenvale and to Middle Brighton. Both of these routes had previously been multiple-owner operations. In 1958, MMBL took over the St. Kilda-Middle Brighton service from St. Kilda-Brighton Bus Lines, a subsidiary of Eastern Suburns Omnibus Service. MMBL ran until April 1985 when it was taken over by the Metropolitan Transit Authority. The routes were subsequently combined with other MTA services to the Western Suburbs and to Southland. Transdev currently operate these routes.

In the 1960s, MMBL purchased many underfloor Leylands. Some of these units featured in Transport Regulation Board annual reports, and these pictures are reproduced below.

MMBL 71 was a Royal Tiger Cub with a Freighter body. The lantern windscreen was replaced with a wrap-round windscreen.
Image

MMBL 79 was a Leopard with a Freighter body. Route 2 became route 602.
Image

MMBL 83 was a Leopard with a Freighter body. Route 140A later became route 600.
Image

MMBL 88 was another Leopard, and the last Freighter body purchased by the Company. It had an automatic transmission which was later replaced by a semi-automatic.
Image

Interior shot of 88. MMBL buses had an extra step behind the driver, and the seats on plinths to avoid wheel arch intrusion.
Image

Regards,

Dennis
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system improver
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Re: Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines

Post by system improver »

I can remember reading in the records about No 88 being fully auto to begin with, but I can't actually remember what it was like. I know that the AEC MKVI buses for the MMTB were fully auto to begin with and were later modified to semi auto. They seemed to have the same CAV pneumoelectric (monocontrol) gear changing arrangement. The other thing about these Leopards for MBBL was that they had the 600 engine. I assume that the 680 was available at that stage, but maybe someone can clarify.
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Re: Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines

Post by crazyturbo76 »

Leyland and AEC were part of the same cohort after the latter purchased the former in 1962, so it is very likely the CAV/SCG semi auto gearbox made its way into MMTB Leopards. I know the semi auto boxes on the DGT Leopards here in Sydney were air-operated (and hence of a different type and appearance) so that could most likely back up my statement.

The DGT underfloors (AEC Regal IV 9823E and Leyland ERT1/1 RTW) also had auto trannies (downgraded to semi auto by the early 1970s) so they would have similar transmission gear to the Leopard/Regal VI buses.
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Re: Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines

Post by Bedford-29 »

Here is a few more of Melbourne-Brighton Leylands.Picture from the Andrew Potts collection.
Attachments
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 64 LEYLAND B21 BBM-064
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 64 LEYLAND B21 BBM-064
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 65 LEYLAND TIGER CAL-065
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 65 LEYLAND TIGER CAL-065
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 68 LEYLAND TIGER CUB JBC-068
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 68 LEYLAND TIGER CUB JBC-068
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 76 LEYLAND ROYAL TIGER JKA-076
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 76 LEYLAND ROYAL TIGER JKA-076
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 86 LEYLAND LEOPARD KCB-086
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 86 LEYLAND LEOPARD KCB-086
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 91 LEYLAND PANTHER KTF-091
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 91 LEYLAND PANTHER KTF-091
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 93 LEYLAND LEOPARD LGB-093
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 93 LEYLAND LEOPARD LGB-093
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 94 LEYLAND LEOPARD LGB-094
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 94 LEYLAND LEOPARD LGB-094
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 97 LEYLAND NATIONAL IKW-097
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 97 LEYLAND NATIONAL IKW-097
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Re: Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines

Post by system improver »

Number 76 (and its twin 75) is a Worldmaster. Number 65 and its twin 63 were the last two buses delivered to MBBL. Number 94 is shown as re-fronted after a bingle and the Nationals (96 and 97) were initially delivered in the wrong livery - being a lighter shade of the dark green.
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Re: Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines

Post by boronia »

system improver wrote:I can remember reading in the records about No 88 being fully auto to begin with, but I can't actually remember what it was like. I know that the AEC MKVI buses for the MMTB were fully auto to begin with and were later modified to semi auto. They seemed to have the same CAV pneumoelectric (monocontrol) gear changing arrangement. The other thing about these Leopards for MBBL was that they had the 600 engine. I assume that the 680 was available at that stage, but maybe someone can clarify.
The "automatic" in the auto-monocontrol system was simply a box of relays and other electromechanical wizardry that mimicked the gear change lever in the cab.
010 21TJ.jpg
010 21TJ.jpg (293.29 KiB) Viewed 7290 times
Leaving the selector in the 4th gear position allowed the auto to take over. Moving the selector to another position instantly over-rode the auto. "Conversion" to manual monocontrol involved little more than disconnection of a couple of wires.

The system became unreliable with age, so disconnecting it saved a lot of maintenance problems.
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Dennis Dart
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Re: Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines

Post by Dennis Dart »

boronia wrote:
system improver wrote:I can remember reading in the records about No 88 being fully auto to begin with, but I can't actually remember what it was like. I know that the AEC MKVI buses for the MMTB were fully auto to begin with and were later modified to semi auto. They seemed to have the same CAV pneumoelectric (monocontrol) gear changing arrangement. The other thing about these Leopards for MBBL was that they had the 600 engine. I assume that the 680 was available at that stage, but maybe someone can clarify.
The "automatic" in the auto-monocontrol system was simply a box of relays and other electromechanical wizardry that mimicked the gear change lever in the cab.
010 21TJ.jpg
Leaving the selector in the 4th gear position allowed the auto to take over. Moving the selector to another position instantly over-rode the auto. "Conversion" to manual monocontrol involved little more than disconnection of a couple of wires.

The system became unreliable with age, so disconnecting it saved a lot of maintenance problems.
MMBL 88 originally had a two position selector box with an inverted U rather than a H pattern. When it was converted to semi-automatic operation, it was then fitted a conventional box with four forward gear positions, as per Boronia's photo.

Regards,

Dennis
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Re: Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines

Post by boronia »

I haven't seen that arrangement before, but presumably it just eliminated the manual over-ride.

Sydney's AEC autos were always reluctant to change down when going up hills, often getting down to near stall speeds before the next lower gear kicked in. Most savvy drivers would do a manual change to keep up momentum. Prhaps this was not a problem on MBBL routes.

Also the Sydney AECs were initially programmed to start off in first gear, but the change to second could be rough, so they were later changed to 2nd gear starts. Manual over-ride was needed for hill starts, although many drivers could not be bothered, no doubt causing gearbox damage.
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Re: Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines

Post by boronia »

I regularly travelled to Melbourne in the 60s and 70s, and enjoyed seeing MBBL's "real" buses, compared with the insipid looking Bedfords pottering around the suburbs.
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Re: Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines

Post by Doc68 »

Aha I knew I'd traveled on "one" of their Panthers Or this one (91) if they only had one I have been looking, beginning to doubt my memory ???
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Re: Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines

Post by Bedford-29 »

Here is a B & W picture of a Melbourne Brighton bus.Picture from the Graeme Turnbull collection.
Attachments
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 36 AEC RELIANCE GOJ-136
MELBOURNE-BRIGHTON BUS LINES 36 AEC RELIANCE GOJ-136
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Dennis Dart
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Re: Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines

Post by Dennis Dart »

Doc68 wrote:Aha I knew I'd traveled on "one" of their Panthers Or this one (91) if they only had one???
MMBL had four Panthers, nos 89 - 92. Two were re-configured with additional seating and were then mainly used for charter work. MMBL retained the higher floor level like their earlier Leopards as illustrated in this Denning advertisement.

Image

Regards,

Dennis
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Re: Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines

Post by MMTB Busnut »

MMBL #93 is preserved with the Ken Peck Collection.
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MMBL 93 lives on.
MMBL 93 lives on.
0905260193-93.JPG (122.13 KiB) Viewed 6533 times
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Re: Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines

Post by crazyturbo76 »

That is one fine-looking preserved example of a MMBL bus. Nice pic of it too :D
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Re: Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines

Post by stajourneyman »

Those Denning and Comair Leopards were fine looking pieces of gear when they were new.

Bear in mind that we are talking roughly 1970 -73. At the same time, the NSW Government was still turning out for several more years those vile looking PMC Leopards. It's a shame they couldn't have taken a leaf or two out of MBBL's book!

It is also interesting to compare the strong similarity in appearance between the Denning and Comair bodies of that 70-73 era (in their fleet).
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