North & Western Bus Lines remnants

[Nat]

If it had the rear door right at the back behind the rear axle then yes. There UF Perkins had a particular deep note to it and the Allison suited the bus. In the 80s in was generally on 152 Meadowbank to Gladesville driven by Max.
I remember NSW lotteries too...

[Swift]

I can recall at least four Perkins diesel CCMC front engine Bedford VAMs, all with manual gearboxes from early 70s vintage, possibly some from the late 60s.
They all had taillight clusters consisting of three round taillight cells in vertical formation each side IIRC.
IIRC all had the "upside down" grill (wider on top tapering to a narrower bottom) and older blackened headlight surround edges with a "bend" in it, bar the lotteries aoa bus which had the later regular straight angled slightly protruding headlight surround edge front (like the bus museum's preserved ex Forest Volvo B58) and the grill the other way around in the "upright" looking position. One of the two MW liveried ones had smaller twin headlights in a chrome bezel with a back door behind the rear axle while the rest just had regular dual headlights mounted individually in a black surround and centre doors, as did the NSW lotteries one. There art least one that stayed in the Cumberland scheme, possibly two, until it/they were sold sometime in the late 80s or early 90s. Come to think of it, I think I can vaguely recall one other CCMC VAM in Cumberland scheme that looked like the Perkins one, that was Bedford engined.
I found the lotteries bus with it's newer frontal treatment the most regal looking of the them all, even though I liked the others also. The one with the headlight bezels looked strange to me.

[tonyp]

Perkins diesels were also dropped into some of the Syd Wood buses too, not sure exactly which ones (4269, 4399 for starters?). I was fortunate enough not to be riding the buses any longer when that change came, it must have ruined the passenger experience. One of the nice things about the Reos was the smooth quiet ride compared to the DGT's juddering, noisy British diesels. If you lived on the interface of the two systems and used both, it was always so nice to get on board one of the HHBC buses after an uncomfortable trip from town on the "guv'mint bus". It was like somebody coming to pick you up in a limo. And of course all that time the bastards at the DGT were trying to take over HHBC territory. It should have been the other way around. Now, 50 years later, that change might come - too late!

[Nat]

Such a long time ago, and also with the constant swapping of plates it gets hard to know what was what. I thought I had a pic of new lotteries but alas. IUt might have been 5445, which wears a different AOA.

[Swift]

I thought I had a pic of new lotteries but alas. IUt might have been 5445, which wears a different AOA.

The lucky lotteries one had a slightly newer front -like the Ford in the first pic, except with dual headlights and different shapes paneling around the desto area -like 5445 most likely.

[ed24]

Didn't get a photo but spotted a remnant sign on the Pacific Hwy Chatswood near Ellis St

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.800 ... 312!8i6656

[Swift]

How long until some selfish Sydney bus enthusiast knocks it off?

[Paulgmelb]

I drove for them in the late eighties.
I remember Ken covering the tyres in white dots to check if I scrubbed tyres.
I drove the 228 and was shown ropes by old John Cook.
ANTHONY was good bloke and was my age and I remember BBQ at his house and the Xmas cricket .
Does anyone know what happened to Anthony Butt?
I went from a 20 yo bus driver to being a lawyer in Victoria.
Cheers

[Paulgmelb]

Also remember the big English inspector. I think his name was Joe.

[Swift]

. ANTHONY was good bloke and was my age and I remember BBQ at his house and the Xmas cricket .
Does anyone know what happened to Anthony Butt?
I went from a 20 yo bus driver to being a lawyer in Victoria.
Cheers

I came across his profile on Facebook a while back and he was living in Brisbane IIRC with his wife and children.
Did you have a spin in the ex Woomera Leopards, Coachmaster Leopards or the ex Adelaide Worldmasters? They were my favourites but the ex Woomera Freighter Leopards were my top pick.
Last time I saw one going was in Devlon Street Top Ryde in 91.

[Swift]

Also remember the big English inspector. I think his name was Joe.

Oh yes, if he's the one I'm thinking of I saw him a few times in my travels in Metro West buses back in the 1980s. I thought he was the proprietor and when I asked the driver if he made a lot of money, he replied "not really". That left me baffled.

In latter years there was this tall bloke with an American or Canadian accent who would supervise the buses. Does anyone know if he drove as well?

[hillsboy]

I remember a guy who drove for them probably about late 80s early 90s, i think his name was Ed, had driven for Baxters and Westbus before that and used to drive his bus as if he was doing laps around Bathurst, cant imagine he would have lasted too long at Metro West either

[captainch]

the guy with the caadian accent latter came with the take-over by STA ryde he was a inspector nick name was "CAPTAIN CAOLLAPSIBLE any thing he did was a compleate "STUFF UP. he smashed up 35 truck 4 times he latter left bought a take-way shop up the new england highway it its first weeks it burny down.one of the NORTERN WESTERN driver called RAY was made a inspector nicked named "ROBO COPP" there were some characters from N&w 0ne driver a rather lage guy called "WALLY" most of the complaints we got were about him he did everything by the book very officious trouble was the book he was using was 20 years old.

[Swift]

Wouldn't want him near any Wilson epycyclic transmission then. Would probably chew it up and spit it out with his gear change techniques -that's just in the yard!
Captain Clumsy more like.