MURRAY VALLEY COACHES - ADELAIDE TO ALBURY

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SIMON ARMS –

This was a big business back in the 1950s. I believe that they were originally powered by a White and later Gardiner engines. The service stopped sometime around the late 50s and after I started an express service from Albury to Mildura in 1982 one of the directors of original business paid a visit to our Albury office and some of the stories he told were hair raising. We actually employed Brian who was an old Murray Valley Coachlines Driver and he told stories of continual mechanical problems which he believed sent them broke.

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Colin Davidson

Re: MURRAY VALLEY COACHES - ADELAIDE TO ALBURY

Can you imagine the hassles the driver would have endured if he got a flat tyre. It would have been a 2 man job just to get a spare off the roof, getting a tyre up onto the roof would have been a nightmare.

Vicar

Re: MURRAY VALLEY COACHES - ADELAIDE TO ALBURY

In reply to this post by SIMON ARMS

Your picture brings back memories. My father drove for a bus company who used these 'buses', the company was called "Bulls Buses". This was after we were kids and they used them to transport us on sports days to the various ovals. It was a Catholic College and being tight with their purse strings would cram us all in. We are talking circa 1965.

There was a story that went with these buses, whether it is true or not is another thing. For passengers to communicate with the driver, in the separated cabin, there was a tube between the 2 units. As it goes each end of the tube had a funnel to send the messages. This communication apparatus was deleted after a footy team used the funnel for other reasons. The driver was apparently really pissed.

Even back then we thought why didn't they use their mobile phones? Of course mobile phones consisted of 2 empty tin cans and a piece of string, primitive but good rates, no texting.

DARCY

Re: MURRAY VALLEY COACHES - ADELAIDE TO ALBURY

In reply to this post by SIMON ARMS

I rememember a football end of season trip in 1964 to Orange from Sydney on one these buses, it was that cold the only way to keep warm was to get a seat in front with the poor bloody driver who had to put up with with about 5 13 year olds in the cabin with him, it was the first time many of us had seen snow and probably the only time than any of us played football in it.

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