[NSW] Once upon a time - Parramatta Ryde Bus Service Part 2

[Centralian]

Some AEC's and Leylands operated by Parramatta Ryde Bus Service:

5097.jpg (69.48 KiB) Viewed 1421 times

5097 was an AEC Reliance 590 with the operators own body of 1966.

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5670 was an AEC Reliance 691 with a 1971 built body by the operator. Next to it is 5097, shown in the previous photo.

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5808 was a Leyland Leopard with a 1972 build Parra-Ryde body.

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Previously posted, so apologies for those that have already seen and for the so/so quality in reproduction. A line up of the Parramatta Ryde fleet taken at the head of the river regatta in Penrith, I would guess late 70's.

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A rear shot of 7862, the ex UTA 3860 Leyland Leopard. This shot shows the Parramatta Ryde colour scheme to full effect. (See Part 3 post for front shots of this modified vehicle).

[ Edit 19 May 2011 - a couple of extra shots of mo 5808 ]

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5808.3.jpg (62.57 KiB) Viewed 1421 times

[Member 573]

Those rear quater windows on 7862 were notorious for ejecting themselves onto the road at the most inapropriate moment. A few? of the Randwick examples had the windows removed and the space pannelled over, whilst I seem to rcall that Leopards from other depots had a metal strip applied horrizontally across the window to keep it in place. Most of the Willoughby examples leaked copious amounts of water in the rain and small rivulettes would zig zag their way all over the malthoid floor looking like a road map at 1:1000 relief!

I'm surprised that Little Desy didn't have his treated the same after conversion. I used to do the odd charter for Des in the latter years of his operation and was always impressed by his way of dealing with his drivers. He used to present his self in the drivers room and yoik and carry on with them as though he was one of the blokes. I think most of the drivers respected him for this as I seem to recall that most of his men were long timers that were most upset at the "unwelcome" interest" showed in the company by North&Western towards the end.

Des intimated to me once that the fronts applied to the later White Super Powers' and the seven AEC sisters were coppies of the fronts of Thames Trader trucks. Similarly, the fronts applied to the Leylands were coppies of the "ergonomic" cab design.