Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
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- Coach_Captain
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Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
Seen down in Colac late November was this Leyland/PMC. It has the seats removed and looks like it has been a long term project for conversion.
I am like a Royal Family Member..
Better than taking the horse and cart
I drive the Silver SmartBus... and it's a Mercedes!!
Better than taking the horse and cart
I drive the Silver SmartBus... and it's a Mercedes!!
- red baron
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Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
Great pic's Coach_Captain
A real good find...also along way from home the bus is.
A real good find...also along way from home the bus is.
it's a load of hog wog wash
- panther998
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Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
I agree with red baron - a really good find. One of the 18 Leyland B21 / PMC units that saw service with Darwin BS, and retaining much of its original appearance externally - quite remarkable.
81 was originally 45 in the Darwin BS fleet. These photos suggest that the DBS disposal list accessible through Bus Australia may be incorrect, as it shows 45 / 81 as having passed to a QLD operator and subsequently being destroyed by fire on 17/03/2001 -
http://www.busaustralia.com/fleetlists/ ... &busreq=81
Yet, these 11/2010 images refute this, so presumably some sort of muddle has crept into the DBS list at some point.
81 was originally 45 in the Darwin BS fleet. These photos suggest that the DBS disposal list accessible through Bus Australia may be incorrect, as it shows 45 / 81 as having passed to a QLD operator and subsequently being destroyed by fire on 17/03/2001 -
http://www.busaustralia.com/fleetlists/ ... &busreq=81
Yet, these 11/2010 images refute this, so presumably some sort of muddle has crept into the DBS list at some point.
- system improver
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Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
The people in Colac, lucky they are.red baron wrote:...also along way from home the bus is.
- panther998
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Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
It appears, influenced by the Star Wars character Yoda, you both are ...
Drat !! Now you've got me doing it !!
Drat !! Now you've got me doing it !!
- Leyland B21
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Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
Such a tragedy to see a B21 wasting away. If the owner dont do something with it, i may have to see if he wants to sell it!! Its not a Howard Porter body but could certainly put it to good use!!!
You can take the boy out of Armadale W.A but you cant take Armadale out of the boy!!!
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Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
It's very very similar to a mk2 O305 from here - it could be argued, different chassis and a different frontLeyland B21 wrote:Such a tragedy to see a B21 wasting away. If the owner dont do something with it, i may have to see if he wants to sell it!! Its not a Howard Porter body but could certainly put it to good use!!!
Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
I have seen that from the train in the past... it would make a nice preservation job. Leyland B21's with that wonderful GM roar is something i miss.
As for the disposal info, as thats probably from the time i did such things, it was info gained from gunzel mags, contacts and random emails... no idea now.
As for the disposal info, as thats probably from the time i did such things, it was info gained from gunzel mags, contacts and random emails... no idea now.
- OLYMPIAN
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Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
Isn't a Darwin B21 bendi around in Colac too?
Can't see the photos now
Can't see the photos now
Detroit 6VT92/ZF 4HP500...the best bendi bus power train!
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Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
Can't recall where, but the ex. DBS Leyland-DAB (or is it DAF? What little information the internet provides is conflicting) is somewhere in Victoria, having seen service for "a time" with Hoys in Wangaratta.OLYMPIAN wrote:Isn't a Darwin B21 bendi around in Colac too?
Can't see the photos now
It was supposed to be a preservation project, but apparently that hasn't gone very far.
This vehicle has a similar VIN to a Leyland-DAB once registered as CRM927T, so there's also the possibility of the engine being a Turbo-Charged 680.
Have attached some photos I've pilfered; the first five from a Flickr poster by the name of "Zed Fitzhume," dated from 2012, the latter I cannot recall, but possibly from the ATDB via the InternetArchive.
Last edited by Merc1107 on Fri Jan 18, 2019 4:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Leyland B21
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Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
Love love love. Great post. Notable front end differences between the PMC bodies in comparison with Perths Howard Porter bodies and the second batch Bolton bodies. I was actually unaware the B21 had a bendy body built.
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You can take the boy out of Armadale W.A but you cant take Armadale out of the boy!!!
Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
Found this one! It's in a field not too far from Sunbury. I've seen a picture of one of the other buses that it sits with, for sale at the same place, about nine years ago, but it looks like they may have not sold and all been moved together as I'm fairly sure that's not the site that they're at now.
Pics here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskMhLej2
Pics here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskMhLej2
- ScaniaK320
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Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
The rear end of the bus is very much like the Volvo B58 and B10M of Adelaide.
All tickets and Passes please
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Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
The artic is a Leyland-DAB, and served with Darwin Bus Service as #34. Not sure when it entered service, but sometime in the early 1980s would be my guess given the PMC bodywork dates from 1980. It was in service until the early 1990s, recorded with a new registration around 1992 (maybe another operator after it's life with DBS?), before being sold to Hoys in Wangaratta sometime around 1994.
There were some photos further up the thread I shared some time ago of the vehicle. Some comments suggest it was converted from auto to manual (or vice-versa) - as there is both a manual gear stick and automatic selectors on the dash in those photos. Another person I've spoken to believes it was delivered as a semi-auto, given the park-brake control is on the left side of the dash.
The link below includes some photos of the bus while it was in service with DBS:
http://bcsv.org.au/vm/reflections-on-darwin-in-1990/
There were some photos further up the thread I shared some time ago of the vehicle. Some comments suggest it was converted from auto to manual (or vice-versa) - as there is both a manual gear stick and automatic selectors on the dash in those photos. Another person I've spoken to believes it was delivered as a semi-auto, given the park-brake control is on the left side of the dash.
The link below includes some photos of the bus while it was in service with DBS:
http://bcsv.org.au/vm/reflections-on-darwin-in-1990/
Last edited by Merc1107 on Fri Jan 18, 2019 4:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Swift
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Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
Anyone got any bus back shots of the PMC Sydney B21s?
What a fascinating amalgam of a VoV body with a Leyland National.
What a fascinating amalgam of a VoV body with a Leyland National.
NSW, the state that embraces mediocrity.
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Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
The Showbus website (https://showbus.com/australia/gallery/darwin.htm) has a few examples on the first couple of pages.Swift wrote:Anyone got any bus back shots of the PMC Sydney B21s?
What a fascinating amalgam of a VoV body with a Leyland National.
A description of a photo I recently saw (from "Rattler," I believe) mentioned these B21s were a "B21/National front married to an adapted Mercedes-style body, in this case a Sydney version."
- Swift
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Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
I used to compare the Leyland National wraparound curved windscreen with the similar looking Sydney Mercedes mark IV square body version. To think the mark II Mercedes body indeed received a wraparound windscreen in the form of these 18 B21s for Darwinbus is quite extraordinary to me. Perth's B21s were effectively a Perth Mercedes 0305 body married to a National front.
I notice the rear taillight panels of the Darwin B21s sit higher than the Sydney Mercedes 0305 counterpart and the bus in the photos have had square lamps fitted in place of the original round lenses. The British National styling blends flawlessly with the German inspired VoV body style to form an Anglo -Germanic bus.
I notice the rear taillight panels of the Darwin B21s sit higher than the Sydney Mercedes 0305 counterpart and the bus in the photos have had square lamps fitted in place of the original round lenses. The British National styling blends flawlessly with the German inspired VoV body style to form an Anglo -Germanic bus.
NSW, the state that embraces mediocrity.
- OLYMPIAN
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Re: Former Darwin Bus 81 in Colac (Vic)
According to Google streetview March 2022. They are no longer there along Wildwood Road.Nicko wrote: ↑Wed Jan 16, 2019 8:44 pm Found this one! It's in a field not too far from Sunbury. I've seen a picture of one of the other buses that it sits with, for sale at the same place, about nine years ago, but it looks like they may have not sold and all been moved together as I'm fairly sure that's not the site that they're at now.
Pics here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskMhLej2
Detroit 6VT92/ZF 4HP500...the best bendi bus power train!