Briscoes Bus And Coach Company.

[busben777]

Hi busben777,
I’ve admired that Diamond T bus for a very long time. Seen it in Hahndorf and in a few parades here and there, but have never had the opportunity to have a ride in it. Maybe one day. Dad always thought the Diamond T’s were a good bus to drive. I think he started his bus driving career driving in buses like that. When he retired, CMV Group drove their restored short wheel base Diamond T to the Aldgate depot for photo purposes. The driver of the Diamond T was telling dad how changing gears was a bit of a hit and miss affair, with some crunching going on at times. They offered dad a drive of it within the depot and he changed gears perfectly! Everyone was very impressed. I guess it was in his blood, as he wouldn’t of driven a bus light that for 40 or more years. Thanks for the photos, sorry it’s taken so long to reply.

Hi Mark,

It’s definitely unique and has an appeal of its own!
Would love to arrange for you to go for a drive in it one day. Unfortunately we are so busy these days between the business and family to get it out as much as we would like.
Ours drives well but to be fair it had a synchro box put in it during the ‘50’s so it’s not really comparing apples.
I definitely think the regular drivers had the “craft” running through their veins.

[Mark Briscoe]

Hi busben777,
It would be great to have a look around your Diamond T and go for a ride one day! I’m currently in Victoria so that makes things even more difficult. I think there was a lot of mechanical sympathy in those times, and bus drivers did their best to give passengers a smooth ride and protect the machinery. I’m not sure if it’s like that these days? Although my dad didn’t regularly drive buses in his later life, those skills were certainly never lost.