Autumn 2013 | Issue 4

Newsletter of the Otago Heritage Bus Society

Incorporated

Edgeley 29 Spencer St

Andersons Bay Dunedin

info@otagoheritagebus.co.nz www.otagoheritagebus.co.nz  

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

CHRISTMAS DAY BUS SERVICE By Peter Dowden and Andrew Robinson

For the second year in succession, we operated our Leyland Leopard to the GoBus public holiday timetable over this popular route. 194 was bathed in warm sunlight from the moment Jamie eased it out of the shed. After refueling, it commenced the run at the Tip Top stop at the Octagon and was soon turning back time as it glided once more to St Clair in its old livery. Also turning back the clock were the people occupying the driver's seat, with several Citibus drivers who had operated the bus at various times over the last 30 years, once again coming to terms with the pneumocyclic gearbox and rather indifferent handling characteristics of these buses (and loving it). As the day heated up, patronage also picked up. For a service that only operates three days a year, we have an impressive array of regular customers. Some see the bus as an essential service while others see it as a fun way to spend some time, or as transport to other recreational activities. Regardless of the motivation, everyone seemed to appreciate that it was being run by volunteers; and several small edible gifts were presented to the drivers and conductors to keep their stamina up. In spite of the lack of cruise ship passengers, our numbers were boosted by good publicity in The Star newspaper and from the Otago Regional Council, who directed regular passengers to us via their bus information website and their newspaper advertising about holiday bus services. Before long, every window on the bus was wide open to provide relief from the warm weather. The heat of the day was also putting strain on the bus's already under-equipped cooling system. Jamie had anticipated this and had set up a “Pit Stop” at a relative's house beside the Normanby terminus; the bus's vital fluids could be checked when it rolled into the final stop on the route.

There were no cruise ships in port this year, which reduced the number of passengers for our service and also meant that the city's roads were deserted. However, we carried our first dogs, who seemed to enjoy the experience. It is common for dogs to travel by train, bus and ferry in Europe but the same privileges don't normally apply here. As the day turned to dusk, many people who had used our bus to get to the beach or other places en route boarded once again for the journey home. All too soon, the last passenger had been dropped off, and after one last photo run, 194 weaved a leisurely path back to its Burnside home. A special thanks is due to everyone who assisted with the Christmas service: thank-you Mark, Andrew, Telagi, Joanna, Gavin, Chris, Michael, Paul, Jamie, Malcolm, Ethan, Anneke, Phil, Dave, The Star, Otago Regional Council, Jacqui and Cathy. We look forward to doing it all again this coming Easter, on this route and our new St Kilda-Brockville-Halfway Bush route.

Interested in helping out this Good Friday & Easter Sunday?

Email Peter on peter.dowden@otagoheritagebus.co.nz or phone 0211372129 and let him know you are keen to help.

 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

It was overwhelming and great to see many supporters (over 30 people) at the Christmas BBQ with the Buses function at our Burnside depot prior to Christmas, especially fellow Chairman of the Omnibus Society of Wellington, Peter Rendal. Over the past few months we have been extremely busy repairing buses, prepping to acquire buses and keeping on top of maintenance of buses, in all we have been very busy with buses! Applications for community funding have been submitted to the Otago Community Trust and Bendigo Valley Sports and Charity Foundation for the purchase of Citibus MAN #405. This vehicle is a significant part of Dunedin’s public transport history even though it isn’t very old; it marks a change in modernisation and upgrade of the Dunedin public transport system. Next issue of the newsletter will see a vehicle profile and story about this bus if we are successful in obtaining the funds, detailing its history and significance. Headway has been made on the restoration of Mount Cook Denning #501, mainly the repaint of the exterior has happened, along with a few minor repairs and maintenance including balancing the brakes. She was meant to head to Edendale for the Crank Up but due to light loads she was replaced with a smaller vehicle that was more economical. Leyland Leopard 194 had been seen on the St. Clair – Normanby service this past Christmas Day. A special thanks is due to the volunteers who crewed the service during the day. Not long after Christmas No. 194 sustained a minor injury and was in the bus hospital. One of the suspension springs had a crack. The repair has been completed and No. 194 is back in action, waiting for her next call of duty. The Society is happy to announce an alliance with Carey’s Bay Historic Hotel as their preferred transport provider, all Carey’s Bay Hotel customers who are holding a function or event are able to obtain a discounted rate of $240 per vehicle to transport passengers from Dunedin Central to Carey’s Bay and return. Check for availability and instantly book and pay for this service from our website. With Easter upon us very soon, the Society has thought about taking on another route for public holiday bus service operations. This route will be the St. Kilda – Brockville / Halfway Bush route. An application has been lodged to the Otago Regional Council and is pending for us to operate this route. This route will help us engage with more of the Dunedin Community. Along with a new route, the public bus services the Society offers on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day are now going to be known as the Suburban Rumbler, this highlights the revival of the older vehicles and routes we use. Lastly I would like to remind members that their subscriptions are due by 30 April, an invoice and renewal form is enclosed, please return you membership fees along with the invoice and a renewal form, everyone is required to return the renewal form, this give us an opportunity to update our details of you. Remember any donations are kindly accepted and will be acknowledged and donations over $5 are also now tax deductible and a receipt will be issued upon request. Kind regards Philip J Riley Chairman

UPCOMING EVENTS

DEADLINES & DATES NEWSLETTER

Edition Deadline Winter Friday 10 May 2013 Spring Friday 9 August 2013 Summer Friday 8 November 2013 Autumn Friday 7 February 2014

If you are interested in contributing articles photos or information please email: editor@otagoheritagebus.co.nz or send them to the

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

EXCURSIONS & SERVICES Event Date / Vehicle

Good Friday Public Service

29 March 13 194 / 170

Easter Sunday Public Service

31 March 13 194 / 170

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

Excursions please call Peter Dowden on 021 137 2129 or email: volunteering@otagoheritagebus.co.n

chairman@otagoheritagebus.co.nz

 OPERATIONS REPORT

Good progress has been made on a number of fronts over the last three months. Mount Cook Denning Jumboliner No 501 received a minor electrical upgrade in order to correct a historical alarm defect. The brakes have been steam cleaned and re-adjusted to ensure the correct brake balance and travel is achieved. The new suspension bushes have been fitted. The vehicle interior has had a thorough clean with a special fabric cleaning machine. The exterior has been sanded back and repainted in a more original looking blue white and grey livery. The fibreglass roof and the warm windy painting conditions over the summer holidays created some additional painting challenges. As part of its re-certification as a passenger vehicle, Leyland/Emslie Leopard No 170 has been measured to ensure that the seat spacing and interior appointments comply with the 2012 code. This is a reasonably expensive process and a strange list of requests returned with the vehicle. We were required to reinstate the bell as a matter of urgency, which is surprisingly difficult in the modern age as it isn't easy to obtain the required components. However, some grey plastic clothes line wire looks the part as bell cord, but the electronic sound generated doesn't quite capture the original sound but “ticks the boxes” and will do in the meantime. The electrical cabinet/driver's lunch box salvaged from 173 has been installed. It seems that a number of sheet-metal components for these buses were one-offs as fitting the box to 170's curves was particularly tricky. As part of the re-certification process, we were required to weigh the bus; it lost 10kg in the last 36 years. Some of the seat mounts weren't in great condition and at the moment are being replaced. The electro-pneumatic machinery for operating the door had been problematic and has now been replaced with components salvaged from 173. Door mechanisms are a bit of a dark art and there seems to be a number of variables to be considered when trouble-shooting an unpredictable door. The interior fabric has had an intense clean from the machine bought for cleaning 501. Strangely, the chrome pipe seat tops don't comply with modern regulations and we were required to cover them. Also the middle step has never had anti-slip material fitted, which we were required to rectify. The bus had lost its back seat many years ago. We managed to build a new one along the original outline using largely scavenged materials. Some of the members have become pretty versatile with a pop-riveting gun. A road test of 170 was done in preparation for the Easter event to ensure that the old machine can still hold timetable; the result was a definite yes. It thundered up Stuart St and Brockville Road like a much younger bus. It looked at home whilst parked at the Halfway Bush terminus and was also photographed at a few timeless locations along Princes St. At Cargill’s Corner, a Citibus driver seemed quite startled to see and hear the sounds of a bus consigned to history two decades earlier, powering away from the traffic lights. A number of minor electrical repairs have been undertaken on Leyland/Hess Leopard No 194. After an absence of many years, the rear stairwell light now has wiring to it, and it now emits an orange glow across the steps in that uniquely Lucas/CAV way. The engine stop switch has been refurbished and some minor bodywork repairs attended to. A rather expensive set-back was the discovery of a broken spring. These are of an unusual parabolic design and are additional to the air-bags. Fortunately someone knew someone who had one. However, purchasing and refitting it was an expensive process. The Society's third Leyland Leopard, No 174, an Emslie body identical to 170, has been fitted with a set of donated second-hand batteries and had some replacement headlights fitted as well as some other minor repairs in preparation for the trip south. It is still on a farm in Ashburton, but symbolically it has been turned and now faces the gate that will lead it back to the tarmac. The broken windows have been measured up and a grant application has been prepared for both replacing the broken glass on this bus and replacing the leaking window seals on 194. A few working bees are

foreseen to get 174 ready for the long trip south (these aren't fast buses). Despite not having run for a year, the vehicle started easily and ran well. No 194 has handled the bulk of the charters. The first of note saw it provide the transport to and from the Servants Health Centre's annual children's Christmas party. It looked quite a sight darting around the city amongst the heavy pre-Christmas traffic. No 194 also participated in a 1930s themed murder mystery event at the Carey's Bay Hotel. We picked up the passengers at the Savoy stop in Princes St. It wasn't hard to tell which passengers were ours, we had the gangsters and fair maidens queued up at our doors while the other operators had a few straggly youths as patrons. Our Leyland spent the evening parked near her younger Citibus siblings at port. The return journey provided a rare chance to use the high beam lights on the Leopard, they're actually pretty good for highway work, unlike the rest of the bus. Christmas Day had 194 racing around the city's streets again, on the Normanby-St Clair route. We had at least half a dozen different drivers, many of them professionals. The service seemed to be really appreciated by the people who used it and the crew received a number of small gifts. The high temperatures of the day placed a bit of strain on the cooling system, and every window that could be opened was opened during the day. 194 also played tour bus for two different city sightseeing tours, the first was a private hire from some cruise ship passengers and led to Brian capturing some stunning images of 194 parked alongside one of the large and luxurious ships. The second trip was for a tour group from the United Kingdom who were keen to look around the city and visit the Ocean Beach Railway. Their driver was due for a day off, so using us for the local trip was ideal. Their agent was initially doubtful about employing us but the feedback from their guests was such that we will be a permanent part of their itinerary. Some of the passengers opted to chip in some extra funds and extend the trip, with 194 returning to its shed some hours later than anticipated. We've had quite a few approaches for interesting and varied charters. However, we're always keen for more opportunities to take the vehicles out on the road and collect some revenue to upgrade the fleet, so please feel free to contact us with any ideas or opportunities. A special thinks is due to everyone who helped with restoring, maintaining and operating the vehicles. Regards, Andrew Robinson Operations Manager operations.manager@otagoheritagebus.co.nz

 SOCIETY CONTACTS

Postal Address: Edgeley 29 Spencer St Andersons Bay Dunedin New Zealand General Enquiries: info@otagoheritagebus.co.nz Bus & Coach Hire: hire.a.bus@otagoheritagebus.co.nz Bookings: excursions@otagoheritagebus.co.nz Volunteering: volunteering@otagoheritagebus.co.nz Membership: membership@otagoheritagebus.co.nz Accounts: treasurer@otagoheritagebus.co.nz Executive Committee Members: Secretary Brian Wolff (03) 4727749 or 0274659163 secretary@otagoheritagebus.co.nz Treasurer Jacqui Hellyer (03) 4879585 or 0274127242. treasurer@otagoheritagebus.co.nz Deputy Peter Dowden Chairman 021 137 2129

deputy.chairman@otagoheritagebus.co.nz Chairman Philip Riley +61 4 22 174 516 (Australia) chairman@otagoheritagebus.co.nz Operations Andrew Robinson Manager 021 043 8348 operations.manager@otagoheritagebus.co.nz

BUS OF INTEREST …

DUNEDIN CORPORATION TRANSPORT #1

1950 - 1966 DCT #1 was the first trolley bus for Dunedin City and coincidently the first trolley bus on the most southern trolley bus network in the world. She entered service on December 24, 1950 and saw 16 years of continuous service until she was retired. She made her own way from Dunedin to Wellington by towing a DC generator. Here she was put in to service with the Wellington Tramway Society in Queen Elizabeth Park near Paekakariki. She was later moved to Foxton to join the Ian Little Collection of buses where she operated till 2008. Late 2008 saw DCT #1 return to the Wellington Tramway Museum after the passing of Ian Little. She operated in Foxton for many years as the public bus service on the short overhead wire along with other DCT sisters #10 (now in Toitu Settlers Museum) 76 & 77 DCT #1 is destined to join the fleet of Otago Heritage Bus Society later in 2013/14, funding permitting. A feasibility study will take place to see what future lies ahead for this historic vehicle, whether it be operational or static, either way she will be preserved in our City for future generations to enjoy.

CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH A COUSIN Photos by Paul Jeffery.

Mount Cook Denning 501’s first outing in her new livery seem to attract an old cousin, a Bedford truck from the freight division of Mount Cook Line. Below are a few photos of the reunion with the historic Dunedin Railway Station as the backdrop…

If you happen to have any interesting bus photos and want to share them, please scan and email them to: editor@otagoheritagebus.co.nz along with a description.

 TRIP REPORT

- Edendale 26th Crank Up - Saturday 26 January 2013

On the 26th of January, the society operated it's heavily advertised trip to this long-anticipated event. Due to lower than anticipated numbers, but in keeping with the event's theme of marking 110 years of the Ford Motor Company, experienced coach driver, Peter Dowden took the helm of a late model Ford Transit minibus for the journey south. After an on-time departure from the Dunedin Coach Station (formerly the Dunedin Railway Station), Peter was soon making slick progress down a remarkably empty SH1. Things became a little more interesting when we observed a classic American car on fire outside a petrol station, prompting a 111 call. The voice activated prompts seemed unfamiliar with New Zealand English but eventually Peter was able to talk to a human. Frustratingly the human was unimpressed that we hadn't braved the flames to find a house number for the location and was equally dismissive of his suggestion that the Milton fire Service would know where the main street was and extremely doubtful that the Caltex would be located from the description given. But eventually the WW2 air raid siren was cranked into life and presumably the fire appliance and fire were united with each other with out any of the anticipated navigational difficulties. As we continued south, we overtook an array of tractors and other vehicles clearly heading to the same destination as us. We opted for the shorter but hillier road from Clinton to Mataura, over which one of the passengers gave a surprisingly detailed description of the high-tension electricity network in the area. Soon we were at the entrance to the event and confronted with a sea of serious looking white-coated men who rolled their R's and were armed with clipboards. It was a long drive from the entrance to the official park for white late model vans but was accomplished this with minimal confusion. The programme hand-out was an essential document, with a dazzling array of events in fine print on the back cover and a neat orderly map that still has me baffled to this day. First on the programme was a performance from the Lower Mataura Country Music club who performed throughout the day. Their performances were always good and a couple of their younger performers were stunningly talented. An array of novelty races then launched across the main field. There was almost a need for Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear to take the microphone to explain the real life importance of racing a tractor against a vintage truck and an airport baggage cart, but numerous improbably combinations were pitted against each other. A number of trade stands jostled for space at the perimeter, some of them familiar from our trip to the Palmerston A&P Show last year. There were also sales tables where merchants attempted to sell rare and collectible vintage machinery parts alongside things that someone

forgot to throw out years ago. Andrew bought a sander, presumably with the intention of making even more noise and dust in the Burnside bus shed. Local service clubs competed with commercial operators for the lucrative refreshment market, and the increasingly hot temperatures and large amount of walking required, meant that frequent visits to the Edendale Scout Group BBQ and cold drink stall was an essential survival tactic. Showing incredible stamina under the conditions was the piano accordion band who despite a combined age of a couple of thousand years, just kept going and going. A number of marching bands completed the musical spectrum. The Tractor Pull was an unusual event for city dwellers to view, and proved that more horsepower doesn't necessarily provide more torque on the ground. Some rather tame looking tractors produced some very sound results while louder efforts produced dust and smoke instead of momentum. A number of historic military units had recreated themselves at the event; with vehicles, tents and weapons completing the picture. A few mock battles were held and sadly for them, the Germans always lost. Nathan Cohen, Olympic rowing gold medalist, was helicoptered in and soon put to work pedaling a bike connected to some vintage shearing equipment. An impressive collection of small or stationary engines belched and popped their way through the day. This must have been one of the worlds largest gatherings of Ford tractors, they seemed to stretch forever and were in all shapes and sizes; in any colour you like as long as it's blue. The lawn-mower racing was a surprisingly good spectacle and the speeds and slides around the tight course were every bit as exciting as the higher budget forms of motorsport. The under 5 lolly scramble took a surprising amount of organising as the original lolly scrambler must have realised the perils of the job and staged a disappearing act, and it took some time to coerce someone else into this essential but risky task. A number of marching teams took centre stage accompanied by pop music from the big names in the industry; the commentary for this and other events provided from a rather precarious looking caravan perched on top of a truck. A Ford parade zig-zagged across the main field, lead by the Model T's that were on a South Island tour. The older Ford people quickly made their way to the parts and tools sales tables, maybe in search of something that would make the journey home more of a certainty. For our group, the day ended with the Grand Parade, lead by the combined pipe bands. This included an immense number of tractors, several traction engines, a few steam trucks and Fords of every shape and size. General Motors weren't well represented although an International truck with a Detroit 8v53 made the right sort of noises but served as a reminder that it would have been nice to have had our 501 down there. As is common with these events, a few noteworthy vehicles lurk in the carpark and I was intrigued to see a Leyland Comet bus and an old passenger trailer from the Arrowtown-Macetown route, lying largely un-noticed. Our group didn't seem to have suffered unduly from the incredibly long queue for the ice cream stand or the piano accordion marathon and we had a swift and uneventful journey home. Our Transit “bus” was about as much fun to drive as a work ute (given a choice I hop in the passenger side of those), but it had plenty of torque once it was under way, rode well, was comfortable and not too bad on fuel. Air conditioning was a bonus as it was 28 degrees outside. Special thanks are due to the North East Valley Community Project and Dunedin North Intermediate School and to the people who made this excursion happen, especially Dave Harris and Philip Riley who envisaged and promoted the trip.

 A LEYLAND CAN NOT LIVE ON GRASS FOREVER

By Peter Dowden & Andrew Robinson

Andrew writes: In the previous newsletter, we speculated that we had a considerable task ahead of us in recovering and restoring Dunedin City Corporation Leyland Leopard No 170, but by the time most readers would have read the article, recovery was well under way and I had the Leyland oil under my fingernails to prove it. It was with some trepidation that we arrived in Ashburton to commence preparing the vehicle for her homeward journey. The engine had started instantly and run smoothly when we visited in January, but it was now September and there was a real risk of deterioration. Fortunately this was not the case and the owner had relocated the vehicle to another part of the farm and put a considerable amount of time into emptying the vehicle of its fascinating components. Our first task was to complete this, with reinforcements in the form of Society members and volunteers from Timaru and Christchurch assisting. The interior of the bus was then cleaned, with some very dirty water leaving the vehicle and the interior noticeably lighter once the windows were cleaned. Sorting out the seat jigsaw then commenced. An aspect we were slow to pick up on was that this vehicle had been stripped elsewhere and the fittings we were working with had come from 173 and 174, and that alterations to the interior layout had occurred during its time with Ritchies. Both the gearbox and power steering reservoirs were low on fluid, necessitating several trips to Ashburton for supplies. The automotive store assistant leafed through their books for over half an hour before asking whether a Leyland Leopard was similar to a Leyland Mini Clubman. On returning to the farm, we discovered that Ivor Lambie had a 20L container of the special Leyland oil which we hastily started to consume. The power steering filler is located immediately below the floor and fluid prefers to flow down your sleeve than into the appropriate hole, making for an uncomfortable and sticky task. Sorting out the seat jigsaw went surprisingly well. We get the impression that the seats were inadvertently placed in the woolshed rather than being thrown out as intended, which is extremely fortuitous. The emergency door switches were reinstated and numerous small repairs taken care of, including the grease gun doing a tour of duty. Attempts to inflate a soft tyre with a small compressor attached to the cigarette lighter of a car were ineffective. One of the team had the foresight to bring up a long hose with the correct fittings to allow the bus's compressor to inflate its own tyres, which it did very efficiently.

The vehicle was given a serious water-blast, which removed a lot of lichen, and grime that it had picked up during its retirement. Not only did the previous operator's branding reappear, but so did evidence that the body-shell was in excellent condition. The relatively dry storage conditions and being laid up for so many years had allowed the bus to become a viable restoration project for us. If it had continued in service, it would have worn out and probably been scrapped. If it had been stored in a wetter or more salt-laden climate (such as Dunedin) corrosion and decay would have been real issues. A complete check of all of the bus's systems was undertaken and everything seemed in order. It started instantly every time we tried it. When the moment came to move it for the first time in our ownership, it lurched sideways and became stuck. But with a professional driver at the wheel, it was very soon unstuck and reversing slowly down the farm's long driveway. It then bolted through the open farm gate and onto the labyrinth of long straight back roads around the Dromore district. In order to complete the necessary checks, and to keep it clear of the highway we took a circular route back to the hotel in Ashburton. We'd received special permission to have the bus there and it spent the night tucked in amongst some large trucks. On the following morning we took 170 to VTNZ to get a professional opinion on a “way forward” for the project. She was put through the full range of tests and surprisingly they came to the same conclusion that we'd reached; there really wasn't a lot wrong. The brakes were exceptionally good, they were keen for the uncompleted work to be completed and intrigued with the biodiversity on the roof. Pleased with such a positive outcome we had a very relaxed journey back to the farm. Long smooth roads, spring lambs, green fields, snow capped mountains, the old council bus being the odd one out but still making for some quite fun photography. We returned the following weekend; the first job being to have the wheel nuts loosened professionally on all 3 buses (they'd been impossible to shift by hand) so that we could swap the tyres around so that they matched and a perished one could be permanently retired. Light rain made the job of crawling under the bus to tighten seat bolts less pleasant. The bolts are very close to the chassis rail and often the end of the bolt is behind air tanks or other equipment. The rain had also softened the manure which added to the experience (you have to put up with a lot of bullshit in this job). The loosened tyres were swapped using hand tools and in the fading light on Sunday 170 trundled out the farm gate for what turned out to be the last time. A wrong turn lead to us having to make quite a spirited trip on the highway for part of the journey back to Ashburton, giving the opportunity to use high beam on the bus for the first time. Our bus spent the night in the hotel truck park in the company of a late model imported Denning, its driver being as interested with what we'd dredged up as we were with his magnificent highway machine. Under the dim glow of distant street-lights we removed the Ritchies signage out of respect for the company who had sponsored some of this project.

 

VTNZ didn't seem overjoyed to have decrepit Leyland as the first customer for the week for the second week in a row. This time we were seeking a COF. After checking it over again, they decided that as a bus, it “wasn't quite there” condition-wise but was safe to operate on the road. To make it go away, they failed it on a trivial item (loose seat bolt, brake light to improve) and gave us a temporary permit for the journey from Ashburton to Mosgiel. (These were subsequently rectified and VTNZ Dunedin issued the COF a few weeks later.) The 10-year-old Road User Charges were traded in for some new ones and the vehicle was registered for the first time in a decade. I suspect the Crown never expected those road miles to be sold back, but the whole process was achieved swiftly. Until now, the bus had been running smoothly on 10 year old diesel, decomposed spiders and condensation, but the time had come to introduce it to the joys of low sulphur diesel. This cured the waxy smelling exhaust but still left the bus idling contently. Now road legal, and just as we were about to commence the journey south, the phone went. It was the insurance company; the paperwork was done at their end and we could safely proceed with the knowledge that we had cover if the unthinkable happened. We dived briefly into suburbia as we wound through the back streets of Tinwald and headed toward the coast to follow a back-road. Like most council Leylands, 170 has a low speed differential for hill climbing. Now on a long straight rural road, the size of the task ahead became apparent as we were many hundreds of kilometers from Dunedin, potentially had a fragile vehicle and in top gear it was only ambling along despite the rev counter being fairly well around the dial. A break-down en-route could be very embarrassing and expensive consequences. A police-car was hiding in a barn and I fully expected to be parked on the side of the road explaining the newly acquired permit, but there was no flicker of interest as our rather motley looking vehicle rattled past. The wisdom of the back road approach became less certain as the road narrowed, before briefly becoming an expanse of dry river-bed, but soon it reverted back to a gravel track which was a bit easier to drive on. We went back inland to civilisation at Hinds, and immediately after returning to the highway, I pulled up to prepare for a driver swap. As I dealt with the paperwork, I became aware of an English accent and a camera. By chance we'd parked adjacent to the Hinds garage, where Martin repairs and restores vintage vehicles. He'd previously operated a fleet of Leopards in the United Kingdom. After a tour of his premises, I leaped aboard the north-bound Intercity coach vacated seconds before by Peter. The comfort and speed of this vehicle contrasted dramatically with the vehicle I'd just parked on the opposite side of the road. Once reunited with my car, I made my way south. A text from Peter: "It goes faster if you wear earmuffs" was a bit alarming.

Peter writes: I caught up with 170's southbound journey at Hinds, where Andrew was waiting as I got off the Intercity bus. I kept to the back roads through South Canterbury to keep as much as possible from holding up traffic on the highway. At one point my map let me down; a bridge hadn't been built yet and I had to reverse about 2 km back towards Ashburton.

We got a nice photo of Andrew driving 170 back over the mighty Waitaki (bouncing dramatically on the bridge expansion joints) and into Otago for the first time in two decades. A rest in Kakanui provided pleasant scenery then it was on south with darkening skies. Andrew writes: Winding though the back roads around Kakanui, 170 looked totally out of place, and the flapping mudguards did it no credit at all. Some cosmetic repairs were undertaken during Peter's rest break, it's amazing what you can achieve with black adhesive tape when you have to. I took the helm again in Palmerston. Darkness became a problem as 170 had only one working tail-light. Some frustrating minutes in Palmerston yielded only interesting invertebrate life from the second light cluster, so Peter drove tail-end Charlie in Andrew's car to illuminate the rear of the convoy. 170 was in its element as we encountered road works with long speed restrictions and lots of loose gravel and the soft Leopard suspension handled the conditions much better than the surrounding vehicles. The Kilmog was the next challenge, being 170's first serious attempt at hill climbing for possibly close to 2 decades. It was making great time, absolutely storming up the hill. However, in the darkness I could see a large plume of black smoke, so I eased off and dropped down a gear. I was rewarded by quieter slower progress but the plume remained. Near the top, we had a friendly toot from the Intercity coach that sped past us in the right-hand lane. Sorting the paperwork out in Ashburton had taken longer than anticipated, but from that point on, the 36 year old bus had run to schedule through-out the day despite not having done a journey like this for many years. It was a real tribute to the manufacturers, people who'd maintained it and our own club members who worked in extreme conditions with few resources to recover it. Peter writes: At Waitati Andrew kindly offered me the tiller as I had spent many years driving Leyland school buses over Mount Cargill and knew the road well. 170 was in her element here on just the sort of winding hilly road for which she was built; we were descending into North East Valley by the time Andrew had caught up in his car. A quick photo stop at Normanby terminus (where 170 would have been in active service many times) then it was time to park for the night at Woodhaugh depot. Our story ends the next day when 170 posed in front of the railway station for a photo shoot with bus clubber Jamie Hellyer scraping off lichen for a story in the Otago Daily Times. Leaving the station, we decided to rark up Ritchie's depot forecourt. This was our way of showing appreciation to Ritchies for their kind sponsorship of members' travel to Ashburton. The Ritchies manager and staff engaged in good-natured banter and took photos of "their" Bus 83 beneath Ritchies depot signage before she was re-clad in her original DCT colours and number.

 IMPORTANT

NEWSLETTER UPDATE

OHBS News is going digital. This will be come effective from Issue 5 – Winter 2013 in June, all past editions are online now for easy reference. To check out the “Members Area” page go to: www.otagoheritagebus.co.nz > Join the Society > Members Area Here you will be required to enter a password, the password is MCD501. If you prefer to receive the newsletter digitally, you can fill out the online form on the ‘Members Area” page and you will receive future editions via your email.

REMINDER

Remember to keep a look out for emails from: chairman@otagoheritagebus.co.nz and save this email address to your “Safe Contact List” to avoid missing out on the next edition of OHBS News, special offers and other important information we like to share with you.

TAX EXEMPTION AND DONEE STATUS UPDATE

It brings great pleasure to announce that we have been successful in obtaining Tax Exemption and Donee Status with the Inland Revenue Department. By obtaining the Donee status it now provides an opportunity for individuals who want to make a donation over $5 tax deductible as per Section LD1 of the Income Tax Act 2007. If you request a receipt when you make a donation, you will be able to use your donation receipt as a tax credit on your next IRD Tax Return.

This Easter on Saturday 30 March 2013, the Society is holding the first City Lights & Dinner Trip, this year we

will be making our way to Port Chalmers to enjoy dinner and / or drinks at Carey’s Bay Historic Hotel. We

hope to run this trip annually during Easter.

Departure Time: 6:30pm Departure Point: Dunedin Railway Station Return Price: $10 per single|$17 per couple*. Bookings Advisable Phone (03) 4879585 *Please note the price does not include dinner or drinks.