This single-deck Albion bus is in excellent original condition and operated in the Sydney suburb of Hurstville from 1948 to 1967.

The first buses to operate in Sydney and Melbourne in 1905 were steam powered, but were not successful due to high operating costs and the unsuitability of the roads. A number of servicemen returning from the First World War purchased motorbuses and operated them privately in competition with government trams and trains. The State government tried to put an end to private motorbus operators and regulations were introduced in 1931 to discourage direct competition on routes already serviced by trams and trains. Numerous government takeovers occurred but regular non-government bus services were introduced in city areas not covered by public services, in country towns and between larger townships in the 1930s.

This bus is representative of those used for non-government post-war bus services in Sydney.

References

"Albion Motors" at http://en.wikipedia.org
Peck, Richard C., & Robert Merchant "The Sydney Bus" Volume 8 Bus Information from the Magor Collection (Sydney), privately published, 2005.
Simpson, Margaret, "On the Move: a history of transport in Australia", Powerhouse Publishing, Sydney, 2004.

Margaret Simpson
Curator, Science & Industry
July 2009

The chassis on this bus was manufactured by the Scottish firm, Albion Motors, established in Glasgow in 1899 to produce cars. Commercial vehicle production began in 1909 and during the First World War the firm manufactured 3-ton trucks. Bus production commenced in 1914 and both trucks and buses were made at their Scotstoun works. Both single and double-deck buses were produced and virtually all Albion bus models were given names beginning with the letter "V", including Viking, Valkyrie, Valiant, Victor and Venturer. Diesel engines were used from 1933. Bus chassis were exported to Australia, South Africa, Asia and India.

The Albion Valkyrie CX series, of which this bus chassis is an example, were made between 1937 and 1950 and comprise an engine and gearbox mounted together rather than being joined by a separate drive shaft.

The bus body for this Albion Valkyrie was built by Star Brothers of 654-664 King Street, Newtown, a Sydney suburb in the inner west.

The bus was purchased new, the chassis being imported and a local body built for it. The bus was owned and operated by the Red Transit Co. whose registered office in 1980 was at 70 Hurstville Road, Hurstville. According to the bus' log book it appeared to go into service on 11 June 1948. From 1948 until 1967 this bus was operated on route No. 115, from Hurstville Station to Hurstville Grove, a southern Sydney suburb. The service on this route was commenced in 1924 by Arthur Ashover who sold it to Roy Carpenter in 1932 and Mrs V. Moreton in 1939. Roy Carpenter died in 1957 but route 115 was then managed by his family. In 1979 the route was acquired by Moore's Tours and in 1980 the bus was donated to the Museum by the Managing Director of the Red Transit Co., Trevor Moore.

From 1988 until 2005 this bus was on loan to the Bus & Truck Museum, in the old Tempe tram sheds at 1B Gannon Street, Tempe, operated by the Historic Commercial Vehicle Association Co-op Ltd.

Bus, full size, Albion Valkyrie CX13, single deck, engine No. 242a 113, chassis No. 58057C, chassis built by Albion Motors, Scotland, 1947, body built by Star Brothers, Newtown, NSW, Australia, 1947, used by Red Transit Bus Co., Hurstville, NSW, Australia, 1948-1967

The bus has a red livery with black trim, brown leather seats, sliding glass windows, and front and rear concertina doors. Tyres are Goodyear 10.00-20 heavy duty rayon 12 ply. The Registration number is M.O. 507. The bus was licensed to carry 42 passengers seated and 18 standing. It features a hand stop. The bus was road registered until 1980 and still displays route number 115.

Made: 1947

B2363

1947

2870 mm

2400 mm