Otago Heritage Bus Society Newsletter

8
Winter 2013 | Issue 5 Newsletter of the Otago Heritage Bus Society Incorporated Edgeley 29 Spencer St Andersons Bay Dunedin [email protected] www.otagoheritagebus.co.nz Views expressed in this newsletter are not necessary of those of the Otago Heritage Bus Society Inc. SUBURBAN RUMBLER PUBLIC HOLIDAY BUS SERVICE By Peter Dowden and Andrew Robinson A big decision was made to operate an extended service for two days over Easter was a brave one. The executive had to weigh up the pros and cons of an operation twice the size of anything we'd done before, with twice the cost, no public funding, few tourists in town and a background of modest returns from the Christmas Day service. The Regional Council had to swallow a few brave pills too, as we were asking them to register a service that was contrary to what they were investing heavily in, in terms of vehicle age and disabled access. With careful consideration by all parties, the event was given the green light and marketing material and news gimmicks were hastily arranged. This year, increased emphasis was given to being dog friendly, which got tongues as well as tails wagging. Nick flew in from Christchurch, and after a demonstration of Testing Station diplomacy set about distributing the marketing material to accommodation providers, dairy's and anywhere else that might be in the path of prospective customers along the route. The feedback about our operation from the Hotel staff was great and our material was welcomed without exception. One asked if we could reinstall the tramway between Baldwin St and St Clair, and a few thought it was a shame that we were limiting ourselves to operating 3 days a year when our service was needed on a daily basis. (I explained that it was, provided by Citibus). Andrew had the privilege of taking 170 into the city, and was just pulling out of the Burnside yard when 501 roared past on the Motorway. 501 is impressive when standing still, but on the elevated highway at full noise, it really is something else. 170 also made pretty slick time over the newly sealed southern motorway and was soon heading up Princes Street toward the Octagon when it was hailed by 2 passengers who couldn't wait for the start of the formal service and had arrived early in the hope of a longer ride, which we were happy to oblige. After all these years, it almost seemed unreal to have two yellow and tan Leylands parked opposite each other in the main street. Before long, 194 was put to work on the first scheduled trip to St Clair, a journey it would make 20 times that weekend. 170 ambled around to Hoyts to begin it's first scheduled public service in 20 years. The sight of the back of a distinctive Emslie bodied bus disappearing out of sight up Stuart St was one that was almost consigned to history forever, if it hadn't been for the Lambie family in Ashburton. Throughout the weekend, the bus proved surprisingly popular with both modern drivers and passengers. Some passengers were unaware that it was a heritage service and looked in vain for the Go-Card reader. One even thought this was the upgraded service that he'd heard was to be provided on the route. 194 was kept very busy, and the extremely hot weather had both buses perspiring, and every possible window was open. On the dog front, the Normanby St Clair bus proved attractive for some particularly cute and well behaved animals, whilst on 170 a driver had bought her own dog that settled on it's sheepskin and looked like a permanent fixture. At one point, after having climbed and descended nearly 3000m after not encountering a hill in 20 years, 170 decided that being on a farm surrounded by animals again it was where it wanted to be, and refused to budge. 501 collected the passengers and finished the days operation on the route. After the other buses were returned to Burnside, we went back to 170, which in the darkness and cold didn't require much prompting to get it running again and was soon safely in its shed. The problem lay with the anti-rollback brake and the untimely demise of a battery that we'd hauled out of the scrap heap. Naturally, this was quickly returned to the scrap heap, and another was dragged out, charged and installed. On Easter Sunday, all the buses were all checked and found to be in good order. Nick undertook another major marketing “push”. Glynn topped up our dwindling supply of maps and produced some large print bus stop timetables. We took care of some programmed maintenance on the fleet and 170 was sent off on the Harbour Lights Excursion to redeem itself. In a weekend of firsts for this bus, this was the first time it had been in service on the "Port" road for us and quickly proved to be a slightly faster and better handling vehicle than 194 which on paper is a very similar vehicle. The destination was the Carey’s Bay Hotel, which is a great venue and the meal was lovely. At it's conclusion, an impromptu geocaching adventure was embarked upon. The return journey along the harbours edge, with the interior lights off and the peninsular streetlights reflecting off the water was magic. The rather unusual Ritchies seat layout in this vehicle proved ideal for social trips like this. As we approached Maia, an embarrassed passenger admitted that she'd left her handbag at the hotel, which was great news as it meant we could extend the journey. Jamie demonstrated his professional skill by taking the old Leyland around tight urban streets to get it pointing toward the port again. Once the bag was safely retrieved, we were soon gliding around the roads numerous bends and all too soon we were disembarking at the Railway Station. After the Saturday experience, Easter Monday ran like clockwork. It's an irony that a key reason why Citibus disposed of 194 was because few modern drivers could operate it safely, and now a couple of years later, a number of their staff have revived the old art and can get our Leylands to effortlessly hold modern timetables. 501 helped out on a few runs and generally aroused a lot of interest whenever it was on the road. Drizzle in the late afternoon meant that our fleet was covered in road grime so we accepted Passenger Transports offer to use their power wash. It was a fitting conclusion to a great weekend to see the Leylands back "on shed". It was also a reunion for 501 as two of it's former stablemates were also at the depot. Our Denning took a bit of persuading to leave it's sisters, but it was a feeling of a job well done by our club when we locked our fleet in its shed that night. Financially, the weekend was successful enough to cover costs and pay some bills. The event was all about serving the community, and we reached many hundreds of people, including some of the most needy, and hopefully everyone had some fun along the way. It wouldn't have been possible without a huge amount of effort from a lot of people, and the time, materials, cell phone calls, marketing material, private transport accommodation came at a cost to many participants. We really couldn't have done it without everyone’s help, it really was quite an event. Thank You.

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Otago Heritage Bus Society Newsletter

Transcript of Otago Heritage Bus Society Newsletter

Page 1: Otago Heritage Bus Society Newsletter

!Winter 2013 | Issue 5

Newsletter of the Otago Heritage Bus Society

Incorporated

Edgeley 29 Spencer St

Andersons Bay Dunedin

[email protected] www.otagoheritagebus.co.nz !

Views expressed in this newsletter are not necessary of those of the Otago Heritage Bus Society Inc.

SUBURBAN RUMBLER PUBLIC HOLIDAY BUS SERVICE

By Peter Dowden and Andrew Robinson

A big decision was made to operate an extended service for two days over Easter was a brave one. The executive had to weigh up the pros and cons of an operation twice the size of anything we'd done before, with twice the cost, no public funding, few tourists in town and a background of modest returns from the Christmas Day service. The Regional Council had to swallow a few brave pills too, as we were asking them to register a service that was contrary to what they were investing heavily in, in terms of vehicle age and disabled access. With careful consideration by all parties, the event was given the green light and marketing material and news gimmicks were hastily arranged. This year, increased emphasis was given to being dog friendly, which got tongues as well as tails wagging. Nick flew in from Christchurch, and after a demonstration of Testing Station diplomacy set about distributing the marketing material to accommodation providers, dairy's and anywhere else that might be in the path of prospective customers along the route. The feedback about our operation from the Hotel staff was great and our material was welcomed without exception. One asked if we could reinstall the tramway between Baldwin St and St Clair, and a few thought it was a shame that we were limiting ourselves to operating 3 days a year when our service was needed on a daily basis. (I explained that it was, provided by Citibus). Andrew had the privilege of taking 170 into the city, and was just pulling out of the Burnside yard when 501 roared past on the Motorway. 501 is impressive when standing still, but on the elevated highway at full noise, it really is something else. 170 also made pretty slick time over the newly sealed southern motorway and was soon heading up Princes Street toward the Octagon when it was hailed by 2 passengers who couldn't wait for the start of the formal service and had arrived early in the hope of a longer ride, which we were happy to oblige. After all these years, it almost seemed unreal to have two yellow and tan Leylands parked opposite each other in the main street. Before long, 194 was put to work on the first scheduled trip to St Clair, a journey it would make 20 times that weekend. 170 ambled around to Hoyts to begin it's first scheduled public service in 20 years. The sight of the back of a distinctive Emslie bodied bus disappearing out of sight up Stuart St was one that was almost consigned to history forever, if it hadn't been for the Lambie family in Ashburton. Throughout the weekend, the bus proved surprisingly popular with both modern drivers and passengers. Some passengers were unaware that it was a heritage service and looked in vain for the Go-Card reader. One even thought this was the upgraded service that he'd heard was to be provided on the route.

194 was kept very busy, and the extremely hot weather had both buses perspiring, and every possible window was open. On the dog front, the Normanby St Clair bus proved attractive for some particularly cute and well behaved animals, whilst on 170 a driver had bought her own dog that settled on it's sheepskin and looked like a permanent fixture. At one point, after having climbed and descended nearly 3000m after not encountering a hill in 20 years, 170 decided that being on a farm surrounded by animals again it was where it wanted to be, and refused to budge. 501 collected the passengers and finished the days operation on the route. After the other buses were returned to Burnside, we went back to 170, which in the darkness and cold didn't require much prompting to get it running again and was soon safely in its shed. The problem lay with the anti-rollback brake and the untimely demise of a battery that we'd hauled out of the scrap heap. Naturally, this was quickly returned to the scrap heap, and another was dragged out, charged and installed. On Easter Sunday, all the buses were all checked and found to be in good order. Nick undertook another major marketing “push”. Glynn topped up our dwindling supply of maps and produced some large print bus stop timetables. We took care of some programmed maintenance on the fleet and 170 was sent off on the Harbour Lights Excursion to redeem itself. In a weekend of firsts for this bus, this was the first time it had been in service on the "Port" road for us and quickly proved to be a slightly faster and better handling vehicle than 194 which on paper is a very similar vehicle. The destination was the Carey’s Bay Hotel, which is a great venue and the meal was lovely. At it's conclusion, an impromptu geocaching adventure was embarked upon. The return journey along the harbours edge, with the interior lights off and the peninsular streetlights reflecting off the water was magic. The rather unusual Ritchies seat layout in this vehicle proved ideal for social trips like this. As we approached Maia, an embarrassed passenger admitted that she'd left her handbag at the hotel, which was great news as it meant we could extend the journey. Jamie demonstrated his professional skill by taking the old Leyland around tight urban streets to get it pointing toward the port again. Once the bag was safely retrieved, we were soon gliding around the roads numerous bends and all too soon we were disembarking at the Railway Station. After the Saturday experience, Easter Monday ran like clockwork. It's an irony that a key reason why Citibus disposed of 194 was because few modern drivers could operate it safely, and now a couple of years later, a number of their staff have revived the old art and can get our Leylands to effortlessly hold modern timetables. 501 helped out on a few runs and generally aroused a lot of interest whenever it was on the road. Drizzle in the late afternoon meant that our fleet was covered in road grime so we accepted Passenger Transports offer to use their power wash. It was a fitting conclusion to a great weekend to see the Leylands back "on shed". It was also a reunion for 501 as two of it's former stablemates were also at the depot. Our Denning took a bit of persuading to leave it's sisters, but it was a feeling of a job well done by our club when we locked our fleet in its shed that night. Financially, the weekend was successful enough to cover costs and pay some bills. The event was all about serving the community, and we reached many hundreds of people, including some of the most needy, and hopefully everyone had some fun along the way. It wouldn't have been possible without a huge amount of effort from a lot of people, and the time, materials, cell phone calls, marketing material, private transport accommodation came at a cost to many participants. We really couldn't have done it without everyone’s help, it really was quite an event. Thank You.

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!CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

With winter now upon us, we celebrate the first year of OHBS News, and put former DCT Bus 170 to hibernate after its triumphant return to service for the Easter Suburban Rumbler public bus service. It was good to see that 10 years in a paddock hadn’t knocked the wind out of her sails; she gave good service over Easter. She is now inside at Burnside receiving some remedial attention whilst DCT 194 and MCD 501 hold the fort for private bookings and upcoming excursions. Over the past few months we have been busy in establishing our next phase of engagement for restoration projects. We have funding applications currently being processed for: • The relocation of DCT Trolleybus 1 from Wellington. • Restoration costs and remedial repairs to DCT 194 and 174 • Purchase of ex Citibus MAN Bus 405 We have been successful in securing $4000 from the Otago Community Trust and $1000 from the Bendigo Valley Sports and Charity Foundation. However we are still about $8000 short to make the purchase of Citibus 405. We are pursuing other avenues of funding to make the purchase. Hopefully in the next issue of OHBS News I will have something even more positive to report on this front. Enclosed is a donation form to help to contribute to any of the above projects. All donations received over $5 are tax deductible and a receipt will be issued upon request. Over the Easter period I am pleased to announce that we carried over 1200 people on our Suburban Rumbler pubic holiday bus service. This service to the community would not have happened without a bunch of keen volunteers. This weekend would not have been as successful as it was without you. Over the coming months we have an array of excursions and short trips planned. We encourage you to get in behind them and have fun! Not only will you be supporting us but you will also be supporting other local community groups. This year we will not be making our annual excursion to the Kingston Flyer due to the pending sale of that operation its closure till the current owner finds a new suitable operator. So it only made sense to replace a railway activity with another railway activity, this time we are heading to Pleasant Point Railway in South Canterbury. Our railway excursion that happens every year has proven to be very popular in the past, we encourage you to make a booking via phone or online or fill out the booking form and returning it to us to secure you spot. If the Pleasant Point Sunday departure is successful in filling the Sunday departure, we may extend bookings to include a departure on Monday 28 October, but we will let you know if this happens. A trip to the TSS Earnslaw is planned for late February. The team has been busy securing small jobs for the fleet of buses, over August and September. If you are keen to volunteer, check out the list of dates we have jobs on under the “Volunteering” section of this newsletter. We require drivers, hosts/conductors and valets/cleaners. I would like to remind members that their subscriptions were due by 30 April, if you find yourself looking at an attached invoice with your membership subscriptions I urge you to return it to us along with your payment as soon as possible. Your subscriptions help produce this newsletter, help pay for operational costs of the heritage bus fleet and help purchase vehicles for preservation and restoration. I would like to thank the members who paid their subscription on time. Kinds regards and keep warm (and dry!) Philip J Riley Chairman (hon.) [email protected]

UPCOMING EXCURSIONS & EVENTS

DEADLINES & DATES NEWSLETTER

Edition Deadline Spring Friday 18 August 2013 Summer Friday 8 November 2013 Autumn Friday 7 February 2014 Winter Friday 9 June 2014

If you are interested in contributing articles photos or information please email: [email protected] or send them to the

Society’s postal address prior to the above deadline date.

VOLUNTEERING Event Date & Time Vehicle

Private Charter Thursday 29 Aug 13 3:50pm – 6:00pm 194

Private Charter Friday 30 Aug 13 10:15am – 3pm

OR 6pm 501

Private Charter Friday 30 Aug 13 3pm – 6pm 170, 194 & 501

Private Charter Saturday 31 Aug 13 10:15am – 2:30pm 501

Private Charter Saturday 31 Aug 13 10pm – 1am 194

Private Charter Saturday 31 Aug 13 10:45pm – 12:30am 170

Private Charter Saturday 5 Oct 13 3pm – 1:30am 501

If you are interested in Driving or assisting on any of the above

private charters please call Peter on 021 1372129 or nominate online at www.otagoheritagebus.co.nz/join-the-society/members-area/ or

email: [email protected]

WE REQUIRE DRIVERS, CLEANERS & ONBOARD ASSISTANTS

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!OPERATIONS REPORT

Despite brilliant weather, the market for charters and excursions in the later portion of summer can only be described as sluggish. For a while, one bus was trapped behind a large pile of lime whilst another was behind stacks of timber. Someone with a sense of humour provided us with a shovel for the lime mountain. However, we took the DIY approach with a near-by forklift and loader to sort out the congestion and get the buses back on the road. But when our thoughts turned to spending more time at home beside the fire with our feet up, the demand for our vehicles increased, as did the amount of time spent crawling around in the dark and cold doing maintenance. We've always had a policy of continuous improvement, and our electrician Glynn was able to extend that to the electrical side of the operation. It was discovered in rather dramatic fashion that a number of circuits on 501 aren't fused, so a new fuse board in the rear of the coach has been installed to guard against further problems. A number of instrument and exterior lamps have been replaced, as have been the two oil pressure sender units. The instrument lights on the dashboard of both 170 and 194 have been replaced. 170's instrument panel is particularly unpleasant to access, with the repairer facing an ever present risk of becoming wedged between the electrical cabinet and driver's seat. A salvaged inverter has been fitted to 194 so that it's main destination board fluorescent tubes once again work. The old inverter had literally exploded under the prior ownership and these lights have not functioned for a few years. The original system for the side and rear boards wasn't able to be resuscitated so both are now illuminated by white LED lights. We briefly had an issue with 194 becoming very lazy on the hills. It turned out that the vehicle's throttle linkage back nut had become loose which lead to the problem. Anyone wishing to make a bus into a mobile home follows a reasonably well-trodden route. However, going the other way is a reasonably lonely path, and there were some differing opinions from the industry on the way forward. 170 was required to comply with the rather incomprehensible 2012 standard, which certainly didn't have a bus society and a farmyard relic in mind. However, after no small amount of work in replacing the seat mounts and re-securing them to the required specification, eventually engineering certification was obtained and at almost the last possible minute, VTNZ decided that they could indeed issue it with a Passenger Service Vehicle loading certificate. It would be nice to think that they recognised all of our skill and hard work (for some seats, we had to crawl along the narrow space between the fuel tank and exhaust and reach up past air reservoirs and suspension to unite the nut with the bolt that was all but invisible, protruding through the floor). But it seems equally possible that they became sick of us and our rattly bus and the audience that it attracted. An interesting interlude to the restoration, maintenance and operation of the buses was a short journey into the city on April 7 so that 501 could visit the two former Mount Cook Landlines depots, being the one initially operated by Midland, then H&H in Great King St, and the one that was developed by Newmans and recently ended its motor coach association when Intercity moved to their new and rather distant location. The wall covering on 170 and 194 received attention from Philip's upholstery cleaning machine, the amount of dirt removed was amazing. Trevor is looking forward to setting the machine loose on 174. 501 visited the bus hospital across the yard from the shed that we use, to have a new luggage locker doorframe made. The old one was severely corroded. The new one, faithful to the original and utilising many of the original parts looks great and functions well. In the future, we'll upgrade the other doors, but in the meantime having this one overhauled is a big step forward. Recently, our buses assisted one of Dunedin's newest primary schools, Bathgate Park School with their Marae sleepover. 194 worked for part of 4 days, supplemented by 501 on 2 days. It was nice to see our community benefitting from our efforts, and the heritage bus experience was enjoyed by all. The feedback was great, hopefully we'll get to help out again.

The list of forward bookings is looking much healthier than it did this time last year, and there is a more diverse range of destinations and clients. Whilst this is very much a hobby, it's great to have machines with high overheads being able to sustain themselves going forward. Warm Regards, Andrew Robinson Operations Manager (hon.) [email protected]

VOLUNTEER VACENCIES Volunteer Coordinator: As the Society is growing at a rapid rate we require a designated Volunteer Coordinator. The role entails rostering; preparation of vehicles and coordination of people-power and marketing drives to name a few duties. You may be required to showcase the fleet of heritage vehicles to potential clients in the absence of the Excursions Committee / Excursion Coordinator. This role reports to the Operations Manager (hon.). Previous experience is not necessary but will be beneficial. A Position Description is available by emailing the Chairman or by calling Brian on (03) 472 7749.

AGM / EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE VACANCIES

Deputy Chairman: Our current Deputy Chairman will be stepping down from his post this coming AGM due to time constraints he has with other community groups. In turn the Society will be seeking a replacement at this coming AGM. If you have drive, enthusiasm and are not afraid to help lead one of Australasia’s most progressive bus preservation groups we would like to hear from you. It is an advantage for you to have access to a phone and the Internet for this position along with good leadership skills. You can nominate yourself by emailing: [email protected] or calling Brian on (03)4727749. Secretary: Our current Secretary will be stepping down from his position due to time constraints he has with other community groups. In return the Society will be seeking a replacement at this coming AGM. If you have drive, enthusiasm and not afraid to help lead one of Australasia’s most progressive bus restoration groups. It is an advantage for you to have access to a phone and the Internet for this position. You can nominate yourself or others by emailing: [email protected] or by calling Brian on (03)4727749

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

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!SOCIETY CONTACTS

Postal Address: Edgeley 29 Spencer St Andersons Bay Dunedin New Zealand General Enquiries: [email protected] Bus & Coach Hire: [email protected] Bookings: [email protected] Volunteering: [email protected] Membership: [email protected] Accounts: [email protected] Elected Executive Committee Members: Secretary Brian Wolff (03) 4727749 or 0274659163 [email protected] Treasurer Jacqui Hellyer (03) 4879585 or 0274127242. [email protected] Deputy Peter Dowden Chairman 021 137 2129

[email protected] Operations Andrew Robinson Manager 021 043 8348 [email protected] Chairman Philip Riley +61 4 22174516 (Australia) [email protected]

OVERDUE SUBSCRIPTIONS

There are a few members who have not paid their

subscriptions for the 2013 / 2014 membership year. For those members who have an invoice included with this newsletter, please pay you membership

subscriptions promptly.

If you require more time, please advise our Treasurer by phone or email as soon as possible

and arrange a date when it will be convenient.

If we don’t hear from you before July 31, your membership privileges will cease and your

membership will be terminated. Remember that your membership renews on the 1

April and expires on the 31 March each year.

OVERDUE SUBSCRIPTIONS

MCD 501 VISITS FORMER DEPOTS Photos by Peter Dowden

Mount Cook Denning 501 visited former Mount Cook Landline depots on Great King and St Andrew Streets in early April. The bottom photos is of Dennis Wigley and 501 outside the St Andrew St Depot. Dennis is Rudolph Lysaght Wigley's grand-nephew and Sir Harry Wigley's first cousin once removed, Dennis come along to see the mighty Denning for himself as his family is the founder of the Mount Cook & Southern Lakes Tourist Company, the birth company of Mount Cook Landline.

If you happen to have any interesting bus photos and want to share them, please scan and email them to: [email protected] along with a

description

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!THE ASCENT OF MAN

by Peter Dowden and Andrew Robinson

Dunedin's first acquaintance with the Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nuernberg technology was when three sparkling new yellow Auckland Regional Authority buses were provided as demonstrators and were deployed onto the hill routes on both the day and evening work, Dunedin City Transport seeming to take full advantage of the deal. They ran with only route numbers displayed and the push-button bells caused some confusion amongst passengers but generally this glimpse into the future was well received by passengers. 25 years later this model of bus returned to the city's streets, in the form of 4 very second hand ex Stagecoach machines originally owned by the ARA being purchased by Citibus for a brief life on the city's streets. The German manufacturer's initials next appeared in Dunedin stencilled across the back grille of a repowered Nissan Scorpion, as described previously in OHBS News Winter 2012 This re-engining was not a huge success, with only a couple more short years of service gained for the Nissan-Mans, but it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship with Man for Dunedin City Transport and its successor Citibus Ltd. DCT's policy of buying Leylands with enormous diesel engines while at the same time tearing down trolley bus lines was starting to look a little less sustainable by the late eighties. In 1989, 301, 302 and 303 arrived. These three Man 10.150 35-seater, ten tonne "midibuses" were not attractive, featuring thick black aluminium window extrusions, a nasty but brief era in bus design between good old window rubbers and the stick-on glazing of the last three decades. Their interiors were very grey-industrial with little concession to comfort. Each seemed a little different, as though they were one-offs as DCT was searching for their favoured layout. The midibuses heralded a radical new colour scheme of "red, white and blue" diagonal stripes designed by Dunedin decorating firm Andrews & Beaven (the angle appeared to have been got from the window angle of the Emslie slant-windowed Leylands and Nissans). For the first time in living memory, DCT had departed from its drab living-room colours of "peaches and custard" and outdated body styles that you wouldn't want to be seen dead in (even the Hess design of the 1980s Leopards was old by the time it arrived in Dunedin). DCT also changed its style to 'Citibus - Dunedin City Transport' but remained a Council department for the time being. Citibus was still not quite there in terms of answering Dunedin's changing transport needs. 301 and 303 each had a relatively low floor by the standards of the day, which would have been a boon for Dunedin's elderly and lame, but 302 had its seat rows placed on high podiums either side of the aisle in "boach" layout: a bus/coach for both urban and charter work, where higher, forward-facing seats have a clear view outside. Regrettably, the seating for all three buses came from the absolute budget end of design, with short squabs and Ryanair-style kneecap-splitting non-legroom, all in gunmetal grey. 302 thus never excelled at anything other than very short-distance travel. The worst aspect of these three little pigs was their gutless engines. These Man buses copied the layout of Volkswagen's Kombi van, with the engine overhanging the back axle (a layout introduced to Dunedin in the Nissans). Unfortunately they also had the Kombi's lack of horsepower. According to depot smoko room legend, a MAN representative was sent to Dunedin to sort out the new buses' hill-climbing problems. "You don't haff hills in zis city," he allegedly said, "You haff mountains!" On the plus side, the introduction of push-button ZF automatic transmissions and Voith hydrodynamic retarders represented a major leap in technology, although the Dunedin hills and perhaps inexperienced mechanics meant the gearboxes never gave their best. People who have never driven a bus won't empathise, but a good retarder will do a lot for even an underpowered bus. The midibuses could safely be driven down Stuart St at 50km/h, right from the top, in full control with no use of the ordinary brakes until a quick dab in time for the hard left turn at York Place. They also had excellent handling, befitting their German origin. (The three 10.150 midibuses of course paved the way for Dunedin's hugely successful fleet of ten little 10.100 minibuses, but that story deserves to be told at a later date.)

Citibus had come from a long tradition of grunty buses and they were not going to make the mistake of buying underpowered buses again. Enter three little diamonds: 304, 305 and 306. These were Man 10.180s, and the code number is significant as it indicates a 10-tonne bus of 180 (German "DIN") horsepower, with the aid of a turbocharger. That's thirty more steeds in the boot than their predecessors and now here were some buses that could go up Stuart St at 50 as well as down! These buses, with 211, were known as "Turbos" and were held in great regard by drivers. Even now, the remaining 306 and 228, in Passenger Transport Citibus's fleet as a schoolbus, go like rockets. The 'boach' layout of 302 had found favour among management so 304-306 were laid out in a fairly plush carpeted interior with high podium seat rows. The hard plastic seats had an upholstered inlay and were actually quite comfortable. There was moody tungsten lighting, getting away from the fluoro, "municipal" atmosphere in the Leylands; these three buses had an "executive" feel about them. Designline had done themselves proud, with stylish stick-on windows and an impeccable paint job, tiger-striped in the case of 304 as the latest incarnation of Dunedin's favorite Tiger Tea bus. All three were in demand for medium distance out-of-town charters, although the under floor lockers were more like gloveboxes in size. Citibus management often seemed to promote use of the midibuses for charters, but for some reason always targeted the underpowered ones with the awful seats. Citibus-Newton had become official sponsors of Otago rugby, and in a rather misguided attempt at a joke, they painted 302 in an all-over white ambulance livery with a huge red cross and a legend saying "We're just off to pick up the other team." As well as being just a bit bogany, this was in breach of New Zealand and international law. The New Zealand Red Cross were furious and demanded immediate removal of their cherished logo, used in breach of the Geneva Convention. The white paint job had been well applied and this bus became part of the Newton Tours fleet (although never much of a tour vehicle as mentioned above). This bus found a niche on the Balaclava evening and weekend route, a numbingly tedious route in an unpopular bus which was once used on an office memo as a threatened punishment shift for naughty drivers! Later, 303 became "The Rugby Coach" to market Otago rugby games at Carisbrook. Once again the opportunity to market a bus for off-peak charter use was lost as, had this bus been comfortable to travel in for any length of time, it would have been a popular hire vehicle. Citibus took a little of the turbocharged wind out of the drivers' sails with their next acquisition, 211. Numbered in the "2xx" scheme of full-sized urban buses, this was a Man 12.180 - note, that's two more tonnes on the same engine as the midibuses. This was still a pretty darned good bus, happy on Brockville as well as the recently acquired southern routes out to Mosgiel and Brighton. When Invercargill Passenger Transport purchased Citibus in 2011, this bus clashed with an identically numbered vehicle in Invercargill, so it has been renumbered "228". The ascent of Man was now established in New Zealand as Stagecoach had adopted them as their official supplier, introducing zillions of Mans in Auckland and Wellington. Otago Road Services brought in a new low-floor Man-Designline, Dunedin Passenger Transport, the new upstart Invercargill, introduced a bunch of second-hand Mans from Australia, and then as the Leylands reached retirement, Citibus began a total replacement programme beginning with six full-length, low-floor Man 12.223s. The Otago Regional Council had adopted a full-size bus standard for contracted services while the benefits of full-size vehicles for off-peak school or footy charters became clear. Dunedin's flirtation with small and medium sized urban buses was over. Where are they now? 301, 303 and 305: on display for sale at Transport Place 302: a seat & engine-less shell in Roxburgh 304 (Tiger Tea bus): sold, to become a horse float! 305 and 228 (formally 211): in service as school buses

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!TRIP REPORT

- Queenstown & Walter Peak High Country Farm - Sunday 19 May 2013

By Russell Duff, Peter Dowden and Andrew Robinson

This story begins with a Real Journeys ad offering “One for the Locals” of up to 54% off their fares. I was determined to visit to see more, and as I fondly remember when Mount Cook Landline coaches plied between Christchurch and Dunedin over 30 years ago the Mount Cook Denning Jumboliner operated by Otago Heritage Bus Society was an obvious choice for transport. We left the Edgar Centre early on Sunday 19 May heading for Queenstown where we had to arrive at 11.30am to board the 100 year old twin screw steamship 'Earnslaw' for Walter Peak Station. Drizzle most of the way to Raes Junction required constant twiddling of the Jumboliner's idiosyncratic compressed air powered windscreen wipers. There were sunny blinks after Roxburgh, then through dense fog over Fruitlands before arriving in Alexandra to sunshine. A good run beside Lake Dunstan to Cromwell and through the Kawarau Gorge to arrive in Queenstown at 11.40am; with judicious use of a cellphone to persuade Real Journeys that we were indeed coming. A truly wonderful trip to Queenstown aboard the beautifully riding coach. With little fuss everybody set sail. Arriving at the Walter Peak Station wharf the sun burst through for us to eat outside in glorious sunshine. Everyone thought the barbecue lunch was superb, for the amount for the variety of food presented. Then it was time to meet the farm animals, including sheep and Highland cattle. A mustering and sheering demonstration followed, before re-boarding the 'Earnslaw' for Queenstown. As we were leaving, we heard “Russell, Russell!” One of our members was waving frantically. Fortunately, another passenger who came by car was able to assist by waiting for the next sailing to collect this unfortunate character. Even in their heyday, the sight and sound of a Mount Cook Denning weaving amongst Queenstown’s narrow streets was something of an occasion. It's now over three decades since these egg-shell blue and silver monsters first towered over the suddenly inadequate looking Bedfords and Fords operated by competitors. Our excursion's entrance into Queenstown was no less momentous, this time it was reconditioned Japanese urban buses and Chinese tour coaches that came under 501's steely stare.

Coincidentally, 501 (the very first Mount Cook Denning coach) was able to tuck itself in behind one of Alan Denning's most modern designs. The Denning tradition of using the best of everything available was still clearly obvious in this much newer Mercedes-Benz powered vehicle. While most of us were on the cruise and lunch visit to Walter Peak, our driver Peter remained at the wharf to be interviewed by the local Queenstown Times newspaper (you can read the article on the back page of this newsletter.) Once safely back in Queenstown, our coach received a quick inspection before we set off on the homeward journey. We headed through Arthurs Point and the famous Edith Cavell Bridge for a photo stop. The Coronet Peak ski field stands as a permanent memorial to the Mount Cook Group, and this was clearly visible on the left-hand side of the coach on the way to Arrowtown. Taking the road less travelled, we soon found ourselves in a tree-lined avenue above the main street, and without much prompting, we relented to the photographers to disembark and capture the golden autumn colours. A plan was quickly hatched to allow everyone who wanted to stretch their legs to walk down to and through the main street. The bus picked everyone up on the far side and we "cruised on out of town". We paused at the Kawarau bungy-jumping bridge. Plans to take up a collection and throw our deputy chairman off the bridge were foiled by AJ Hackett Bungy being closed for the day. The last of the daylight vanished as we left the vineyards behind and trundled down the Kawarau Gorge toward dinner in Alexandra.

Our guests disembarked at the Stadium Tavern and the bus headed into town for servicing. A quick visit to the Warehouse and a rummage through 501's "might be handy one day" box soon had the vehicle back in top condition and ready to pick up its refueled passengers. The meal dragged on at a leisurely pace, so the time had come for the big Detroit engine in the back to prove its worth and we were soon making good progress through the terrain that would have slowed a lesser bus to a crawl. The comfortable riding qualities and sound proofing meant most passengers were oblivious to some serious horsepower being delivered to the road. After a leg stretch in Lawrence, it was time to make the final push for Dunedin. Light rain and greasy roads meant that great care had to be taken on the tight corners of the Manuka Gorge. Incredibly, an empty fuel truck and tanker overtook us despite our vehicle operating at the speed limit. At Milton, the first of the evenings goodbyes occurred, with more at East Taieri before the veteran tour coach chalked up its 700th kilometer of the day and reaching the final stop at Dunedin's Edgar Centre. Overall, it was a very successful trip with lots of new friends made and new places visited. Sincere thanks is due to everyone who worked on the trip, especially instigators Russell Duff and William Torr and all those who worked behind the scenes but were unable to join us on the day.

Page 7: Otago Heritage Bus Society Newsletter

!PROJECT UPDATE

Leyland Leopard 174

As covered in previous issues, three of the ex Dunedin City Transport Emslie bodied Leyland Leopards have been "out to pasture" on a farm near Ashburton for over a decade. 170 made a triumphant return to the city streets comparatively recently as part of our group's first “hardcore” restoration project. 174 joined our fleet as part of the deal to purchase 170. We believe that 174 saw out its final years of service on Dunedin streets with all-over signwriting as the “Litter Critter” whilst 170 had all over BNZ advertising with a “beach” theme. The current plan is for 174 to be restored and operate in the short-lived red white and blue livery. We feel that in this scheme, it will look totally different to 170 despite being theoretically identical. For similar buses that have lead a similar life, they're very different to work on, have different defects and handle differently. Our first task was to empty the bus of the materials that it had been storing over the years. A number of interesting and relevant artifacts were discovered including a spare alternator, brand new tyre on the appropriate rim, the original side destination box and the rear door-well mirror. After bolting together the exhaust we set about livening up the various "systems" on the bus. The wiring in 174 is both a figurative and actual bird's nest. The bottom half of the electrical cabinet was full of straw. A number of wires leading to instruments and warning lights had been cut. Frustratingly, the wiring colour codes vary between the buses, and the vandalism as well as alterations all made getting the electrical system functioning properly quite tricky, especially under the bus. The interior light fittings were worked on overnight at the local hotel and emerged in the morning looking much cleaner. All the interior lights are now back in place and working well. Water had caused corrosion in one of the air-lines, blocking the supply of air to the brake pressure gauge; very delicate repair work was called for to rectify this. The speedo sender unit had been removed and the replacement one was found to have been incorrectly assembled, so more microsurgery was called for. The doors were initially unresponsive but have now come to life with considerable enthusiasm; they'll probably need to be toned down before the public are allowed near them. A funding application is being considered by the Southern Trust to cover re-glazing the broken windows, the costs of bringing the bus to Dunedin and painting the exterior. This application also seeks funds to deal with some of the moderately expensive jobs required to keep 194 alive. We're hoping that 174 will be "coming home" in the next month; the date will be dependant on funding and completing the required work and documentation.

ROTARY CLUBS CHARTER By Andrew Robinson

On a cool autumn evening, 501 accepted an invitation to visit the Taieri Rotary Club in Mosgiel. The Rotarians liked what they saw, and this paved the way for a trip to Milton the following week. In the grey and fading light, members from both the Mosgiel and Taieri Rotary clubs filled every available seat on our tour coach, and with a throaty roar from the Detroit V6, headed south on STATE Highway 1. Without much prompting from Peter's right foot, the Mount Cook Denning Jumbo-liner effortlessly merged into the swift traffic and purred effortlessly through the darkening damp evening. A pause was made at Waihola, nominally to pick up a passenger, but more importantly to allow Peter to impartially draw a raffle and broadcast the results over the PA system. Once back on the road, the miles quickly slid by and before long, the bus was being carefully backed deep into the Tokomairiro Rugby Club car park. The Rotarians were being hosted by their Milton colleagues to a dinner and presentation from some Rotary exchange guests from Ireland and Northern Ireland. The cooks and waiters were the local Tokomairiro High School First XV rugby team, who were amazingly efficient at their job. The presentations were intriguing and touched on aspects of the emerald isle that aren't widely reported. A diverse range of people were present, all the passengers seemed to enjoy travelling Heritage Bus lines including a commercial driver who'd never heard of us. Apart from encountering "the wrong sort of rain" for our awesome pneumatic wipers, the return trip north through the deserted blackness was uneventful. Despite being a "paying job" record donations were received and lots of words of encouragement were given. We look forward to working further with this organisation. It was notable that all the needs of the Rotary Clubs for the entire evening had been met by the voluntary/community sector and we certainly appreciated being included in this way.

Page 8: Otago Heritage Bus Society Newsletter

!1977 Jumboliner provides touch of luxury

by Tracey Roxburgh. Permission granted by Queenstown Times / Otago Daily Times.

Thirty-two Dunedin residents rode in style to Queenstown on Sunday, on the first Mount Cook Denning Jumboliner, made in 1977.

The Otago Heritage Bus Society excursion was a rare opportunity for the day-trippers - primarily members of the Dunedin Camera Club - to travel in what was once considered one of the most luxurious vehicles on New Zealand roads.

Bus society deputy chairman Peter Dowden said the 42-seater bus, owned by society chairman Philip Riley, formerly of Queenstown and now living in Melbourne, was halfway through restoration.

It was formerly owned by Good Time Tours and before that McDermotts. Mr Riley bought it for about $20,000 and in the past year the society had helped refurbish parts of it, most recently the exterior which had been returned to its original colour scheme.

Permission had been obtained from Air New Zealand to reinstate the original logo - a Mount Cook lily - on the exterior of the bus.

When the bus was first commissioned as ''501 City of Wellington'' it was used as an express coach service on a daily return trip between Auckland and Wellington.

Later it plied the tourist route from Christchurch to Mt Cook and Queenstown, Mr Dowden said.

''In this day and age it doesn't look like much, but when these were first introduced, there was nothing anywhere near as good in New Zealand.

''It had things like airbag suspension, an automatic gearbox and an onboard toilet, which are common today, but it was a pioneer of that type of [engineering].''

Mr Dowden said one of the other defining features of the bus was its ''very, very powerful,'' Detroit V6 engine.

''It isn't one of those you get stuck behind on the highway.''

Join the Otago Heritage Bus Society for a great day out on our third annual railway excursion on Sunday 27 October 2013, this time to Pleasant Point Railway and Museum in South Canterbury for their annual Labour Weekend Crafts Fair. Departure will be from the historic Dunedin Railway Station at 8:30am or from the Gardens Bus Stop (opp. Pet Planet). A refreshment stop will be at Oamaru. Arrival in to Pleasant Point will be at approximately 11:30am. Ride the rails behind a steam locomotive or ride back in more modern times on board the worlds only Model T Railcar, RM4. Your fare includes unlimited rides along the Pleasant Point Railway, access to the Keanes Crossing Museum Complex and entry to the Labour Weekend Crafts Fair. Pack a picnic or indulge at one of the local pubs or cafes. Departure will be about 4pm from Pleasant Point (Railway Station) and a 1-hour refreshment stop will happen at Oamaru for dinner upon our return.

BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL ONLINE OR BY CALLING (03) 4879585 OR RETURN YOU BOOKING FORM WITH PAYMENT BY 18 OCTOBER 2013.