Cont...

With Grinnin's lamb roast well and truly devoured, we decided to up stakes and head back out to the airy comfort of the concrete apron and take in a few additional beverages before shut eye..
The Kwikasair Kombie could be still be heard way off to the north as jimbo extracted every last
ounce of pace out of it..

A bull light pierced the near darkness of the main street from the south...
Seconds later the distinct rattle of an empty trailer was heard as it crossed the rail line on the edge of town..
Lights now dimmed, the semi approached at a steady pace, the dust gathering around as it neared to a stop.
First glance it looked to be a bonneted White, but it was difficult to see in the half light through the dust.
Seconds later, another one very similar pulled in along side his mate..
Place was starting to get busy all of a sudden, maybe the word was out Grinnin was doin a Sundy roast!
"Well i'll be buggered, have a look at this" Ol Greenie sprung to attention.
Both empty too Greenie, maybe they are loading goannas too..
Greenie chose to ignore that comment and was more focused on the two jokers making there way toward us.
"Well bugger me!, its Rob Acar and bloody Tacho!"
"The things ya see when ya haven't got a gun" ol Greenie obviously happy to see these two fellas.
A few intros out of the way and the conversation turned to the usual, where ya goin, where ya been, what ya doin...
"We're headed to Mitchell's Flat, got a couple of loads teed up that will get us back toward home eventually.."
"What about you blokes?" "Arrr we're just coolin the heels for a few days" Greenie givin nothin away this time..
"Ya got a big move on?" Yer mate, just waitin for the pieces to fall into place really"
"Pity ha didn't have crates! Big livestock move goin south they reckon.."
" Yer so we hear, yer" Greenie not gettin too heavily involved in the finer details, which did seem a bit unusual..
"Ya want a feed?, better get a wriggle on the big fellas done a Topside roast, bloody beautiful!"

Whats the story there ol mate?
"Arr bloody characters them blokes, they been around the traps a while, Rob's had that Autocar about 20 years i reckon, first one they built with a V8 Perkins"
"His mate Tacho, well hes actually a Salesman for OG Roberts in Gount Mambier...dunno what the go is with him..." "He'e been around a bit too, reckon he drove for Mick Travelledlots, doin the TNT stuff."
Ol Greenie knew em all, he'd been about this bloke..

"Righto, thats it for me..big day tomorrow chocs, Few hours kip and we'll head out and see what Braggy has lined up for us...."


to be continued...

Here are some of the existing bus threads in this historic section. There are also many in the Events section, and the campervans converted from old buses thread.

Hoy:
www.hcvc.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1400035402
Atlantean:
www.hcvc.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1402628935
Bedford:
www.hcvc.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1395377954
Invicta:
www.hcvc.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1394674785
White and other semitrailer buses: www.hcvc.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1355351722
1961 Morris:
www.hcvc.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1392637504
Old double deck: www.hcvc.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1385023162

Roderick.

Hi Guys. Anyone heard of these (or better still have one they want to loan me - permanently) for my 1942 Ford semi trailer bus restoration. I've never heard of them, but they are in the book. Thanks. Rod.

Hi guys. To help in the restoration of our 1942 Ford semi-trailer bus, we are on the lookout for a bench seat for the prime mover. Any leads appreciated. Thanks. Rod.

Triggered by Crawlin' the Hume, have two trucks converted to campervans, and two views of a semitrailer which is either campervan or horse float.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

140414Sa Craigieburn (Vic.), Crawlin' the Hume, campervan truck. Roderick Smith.


110313Su Clunes (Vic.), HCVC rally, possible campervan semitrailer. Roderick Smith




130310Su Clunes (Vic.), HCVC rally, safari module. R Smith.

Think it was fairly common on the semibuses.
Fowler Road Machinery did sell a lot of bits for them. Have got a copy of quote for some trailer bits for a semibus.

I have to ask-what what keeps it on the ball?

This is the coupling on our semi-trailer bus. Unusual?

G'day Lang, that's an interesting story...school day memories...finding the bus you misbehaved in...wanting to get it back to Goolwa...but what happens when it is back there??
Uroo

Just had a bit of a rethink :.
I may be able to move the tug (prime mover) myself. So only need the trailer part to be moved.

parsons at castlemain ..eagle towing ..or aaa have tilt slide semi trailers fitted with duel winches may be the answer 'a phone call or 3 could take the pain out of it cheers don

The ultimate would be a freebee .
But that will not happen. No, the aim is just to get the old girl back to Goolwa.
Will check on loading facilities in the next few days.

Nice find. Looking forward to seeing it on the road. All the best with transport. Jon

Well guys. We went and purchased our old school bus and now have to figure out the best way to get it from Ballarat to Goolwa (SA).
It is nowhere near the condition in the photo. I have described it as a "basket case", but I believe most of it is there so it will present a challenging restoration.
The dimensions are Trailer 36'long 9'high & 8'wide - prime mover (tug) 18' long 7'6" high and 7'6" wide.
If the trailer is fitted to the tug, I estimate we can shorten it by about 6ft, thereby the request for the 48ft trailer. Still have to work out how to load and unload it.
(Nice) thoughts and comments and suggestions appreciated, Thanks Rod.
ps from what we can work out, it is a 1942 Ford with the trailer part probably manufactured by J.A.Lawton.
Exciting and VERY challenging.

Hi Mairjimmy. You may find this interesting, from exploroz forum;

Found this, taken from Alexandrina Council Oral Library,
'Rose: So what happened to you when you finished school? Did you go to Victor High?
Helen: Mmm. That was an experience. (spoken wryly, followed by laugh)
Rose: Did you go on the train, or a bus?
Helen: No - we went on a semi-trailer school-bus! Abbott