The Perth To Kalgoorlie Vintage Commercial Vehicle Run
September 2012: A report by Ross Tinley
Peter Hancey and I began this adventure by visiting Brian Brooks in Byford, mainly to have look at his restored fleet of International Trucks and to seek any information that may be of benefit to our International KB 5 project. We were amazed at the number of trucks he had - the variety in weight and size, from the small 30 cwt tray back, to semi trailers and prime movers
Brian raised the subject of organising a WA trucking run such as they do in the Eastern States, eg Trucking the Hume Highway. He said these runs enjoy great support from the trucking fraternity, restorers and the industry. We asked Brian to keep us informed and said we would investigate whether or not a vintage bus could be made available to join such a run.
Our Role
So the fun began - which bus?? We narrowed it down to two choices from BPSWA’s WAGR fleet, Foden F 44, currently undergoing a major service and mechanical repair program, or the Passenger/Freighter Leyland Lion DP 90
There was doubt about F 44 being ready in time so we began road testing DP 90 around Whiteman Park roads and talking to the regular Tuesday depot volunteers to see who would like to do the Great Eastern Highway Run. The biggest request of all was placing the idea before the BPSWA Council to get a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote. We got a ‘yes’ vote - subject to getting the bus home, even by tow truck, if necesssary! We were asked to do all the necessary work required to bring it to a roadworthy level for a long trip. So we had a list:
Body
Fix rear side lights, repair all rear engine side bay doors, fix left windscreen wiper, replace head lamps, resecure rear engine bay door mesh, lubricate driver’s seat adjustment, and fit new driver’s front and side sun blinds.
Mechanical:
Remove four rear tyres and replace with new tyres from MTT Leyland 361, adjust foot and hand brakes, degrease engine bay, check engine and gearbox oil levels, check fan belts, water hoses and all general piping and service drive train and suspension,
Programmed maintenance to be completed before departure:
A great asset was that three of the team had years of experience driving/working on similar vehicles. We could monitor the mechanical performance along the way and stop immediately, if need be, to prevent damage. That is all history now because DP 90 made it home in first class condition - in fact we thought the long drive did our bus more good than harm.
On The Road
Saturday 8th September arrived and we left Mandurah at 6am to meet Ron Franklin at the depot around 7.00am, then take out the bus, load our gear, do the required checks, park our vehicles in DP 90’s parking bay and lock the shed. Departure was at 7.30 am with Peter driving. We were due to pck up Tom and Paul later in Mundaring.
Our first destination was the Kenworth and DAF Truck Centre in Kewdale where the gates were open from 8.00am to receive pick ups, trucks and rigs taking part in the Vintage Commercial Vehicle Run. When we drove through the gates, the greeting and interest generated by the bus just blew us away; we were made so welcome. People asked us about the bus while others said they used to see it on the road down south.
We were issued with a running sheet and received the receipt for the nomination fee. Our first scheduled stop was morning tea at The Lakes (the York turn off), followed by a drive through the main street of Northam. Our lunch stop was Meckering then it was on to the Kellerberrin Golf Club for our first overnight stay, with dinner provided and evening entertainment from a truckie. He proved to be a damn good entertainer!
So, at 9.12am we departed from the Kewdale truck yard. There was a briefing about convoy procedures and a light-hearted moment with an on-the-spot final inspection and reminder of how to drive by a Mr Plod (for a joke). No joke, however, was falling in behind an OverWidth convoy that went on to harass progress by stopping at all bridges, both big and small, and any other type of tight fit. We noticed these rigs approaching the Great Eastern Highway along Roe Highway. There was just inches to spare between the concrete barriers and a massive line up of traffic behind them. Little did we know that our initial laugh was going to come back and bite us all the way to Meckering!
We caught up with the OverWidth loads half way up Greenmount. DP 90 was slow and sluggish and our thoughts were that it might just be a slow trip. About 25 minutes later they pulled the trucks off the road and let the traffic pass. We were slowing down on every hill and were glad to reach our morning tea stop. Even the slow, old trucks were passing us with a wave of good bye.
On the road again and we caught up once more with a load of slow traffic stopping and starting, then taking off like a rocket only to come to a dead stop again. Yes, you guessed it. That damn OverWidth load again. Where possible they pulled off to the side to let us all go past. The good thing was that DP 90 was starting to settle down to some serious road running. She could smell the open road again; yes, she had blown all the residue out of her system from the slow speeds around Whiteman Park and began to sit on 1900 revs up and down the hills. From then on she did not miss a beat. We worked out at our first fuel top up that we were getting 12 mpg, we were thrilled.
We spotted the Red Arrow markers to guide us into the Kellerberrin Golf Club - most others missed the markers probably because they came well before the town site. A 20 acre paddock had been mown for parking and camping in. The toilets and hot showers plus lighting were left on all night so we had it all. The Golf Club bar and restaurant was open with stubbies @ 4.00 each. Din dins were steak, sausage, cheese, potatoes and a variety of salads
As mentioned earlier, entertainment was put on by one of the truckies. He was great. Along with the music, there were the odd jokes and plenty of raffles to raise funds for the Royal Flying Doctor, the truckies best mate when in need. A shade under $500 was raised and the Golf Club chucked in $250 to total $750.00. When I’m IN THIS AREA on a Saturday night with my caravan I know where we shall be!
We said goodbye to Kellerberrin, with some rigs fuelling up on the way through town, and headed for Merredin, where we toured the Pumping Station and Museum. Morning tea was provided and we visited the Military Museum with its great display of trucks, tanks, military equipment and local WW2 memorabilia.
After lunch, our next stop was Southern Cross, where we were placed on a grass area at the rear of the local Sports Ground. It was a good location, out of the way, with plenty of room for all vehicles, big and small.
The Cross, as it is often referred to, was a ‘do it yourself’ stop, with toilets and showers available for our use. Four of us decided to wander up the road to the ‘local’, check out the menu and the cool drinks. For Tom, it was a little to far for his legs to travel, so he stayed in camp while we had a couple of these cool drinks and discussed what we would do for some grub. Having reached this major decision, we headed back to camp and Paul did the cooking
We had visitors and we wandered around the camp chatting and admiring the rigs. The best in my book was a Diamond T painted all over - and under - in fire engine red. This vehicle was better than brand new; its owner drove it only as far as Merredin and then it was piggy backed on a semi for the rest of the way. The semi looked almost as good as the Diamond T.
We sat around camp listening to our Trucking Musician, discussing DP 90, and thinking about the next leg of our trip, near enough to 400 km return. I asked our team whether or not we really needed to do this final leg to Kalgoorlie. We had proved our worth and trust in DP 90 and, with nothing along the road to see or do with the bus, should we rather say our goodbyes to all and start our return journey to the depot?
I ran this past Brian Brooks and his comment was ‘Well, we can always put it on one of the trailers or the tow truck is always available’ [an item that I forgot to mention earlier]. But he fully understood where we were coming from, so the decision was made that the team would head for home in the morning.
Coming Home
Morning arrived and there was lots of activity in our DP 90 camp. It appeared each of us was in a hurry to arrive back for a home cooked meal and a warm bed. Tom suggested that we leave ASAP and have breakfast along the road somewhere. That idea moved things along even quicker. We wandered around the area and said our ‘thank you’s’ and ‘goodbyes’. The comments we got back were: ‘Are you coming to Geraldton next year?’ We live in hope that maybe Foden F 44 will be available (no boot!).
So we started our engine and built up air pressure. As we did this, people started coming out to look and watch.When we moved off, they started waving madly so I responded with the horn. We waved back and kept the horn waking the few sleepy heads who hadn’t appeared. They were really a great bunch of people who made us feel so welcome.
I drove to Merredin where we had breakfast and checked over our tyres, oils etc., with a good look underneath for signs of any leaks.
Peter drove to Tammin where we topped up the tank and carried on, DP 90 keeping to her 1900 revs up and down the rises. The time was filled with informative chats covering many subjects. Paul gave us the history of landmarks along the way - some where he had worked as a Chemist. It was all interesting; we can never stop learning.
We broke our journey south of Northam, at Bakers Hill, at that damn good cake and pie shop. While we were sitting on the benches outside, eating, guess who turned up - the tall bloke who can sense a former WAGR Railway Road Service bus from a 100 miles away - John Young ! He spotted us on the road and, after that, couldn’t help himself from stopping to say hello. It was great to catch up with John for a chin wag.
We said our goodbyes to John and turned off for Stoneville Road to drop Tom and Paul. Arrival back at the depot was around 3pm. All that remained was to empty out our gear, put DP 90 to bed and, with 125 km to go to Mandurah, head for home and a well earned rest.
Special Thanks
We owe a special vote of thanks to Ron, who ‘mother hen’ed DP 90 from the start to finish and to Geoff who did all the mechanical work with support from Ken Lines. Pat Hallahan and Jaroon came to the Depot specially a day before departure to clean the bus. Thank you to one an all.
From the team of Guy’s with whom I did the outing: I would do it all again with you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you all. Thankyou
The one, stand out-item on this run was the interest shown in DP 90 wherever we stopped. Many people wanted to look at it, both truckies and the general public. We even had two offers to purchase, one from a Queensland man driving a Dodge truck fitted with a camper unit on its back. He just stood and admired the body design, the way the panels rolled under, the rear roof scoop and so on. When advised of the mechanical details, he just said ‘yes’ and went straight back to the body with its flowing curves (maybe he thought it was wearing a blonde wig?).
Our special thanks must go to Brian Brooks and his team who put this Truck run together, a first for the State of WA. The variety of experiences made for an excellent outing. There was much to see and do.
The Future?
Whether or not I go to Geraldton with a bus next year or tow our caravan, I shall do my best to be on the next outing
Ross Tinley
September 14TH 2012
Brian raised the subject of organising a WA trucking run such as they do in the Eastern States, eg Trucking the Hume Highway. He said these runs enjoy great support from the trucking fraternity, restorers and the industry. We asked Brian to keep us informed and said we would investigate whether or not a vintage bus could be made available to join such a run.
Our Role
So the fun began - which bus?? We narrowed it down to two choices from BPSWA’s WAGR fleet, Foden F 44, currently undergoing a major service and mechanical repair program, or the Passenger/Freighter Leyland Lion DP 90
There was doubt about F 44 being ready in time so we began road testing DP 90 around Whiteman Park roads and talking to the regular Tuesday depot volunteers to see who would like to do the Great Eastern Highway Run. The biggest request of all was placing the idea before the BPSWA Council to get a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote. We got a ‘yes’ vote - subject to getting the bus home, even by tow truck, if necesssary! We were asked to do all the necessary work required to bring it to a roadworthy level for a long trip. So we had a list:
Body
Fix rear side lights, repair all rear engine side bay doors, fix left windscreen wiper, replace head lamps, resecure rear engine bay door mesh, lubricate driver’s seat adjustment, and fit new driver’s front and side sun blinds.
Mechanical:
Remove four rear tyres and replace with new tyres from MTT Leyland 361, adjust foot and hand brakes, degrease engine bay, check engine and gearbox oil levels, check fan belts, water hoses and all general piping and service drive train and suspension,
Programmed maintenance to be completed before departure:
- Rear brake adjusters seized; free and adjust
- Front brakes to be checked and adjusted
- Examine compressor hose. Check water leak.
- Gearbox breather piper to be replaced
- Rear engine bay doorplate pins, excess wear, door hard to open, replace rubber stoppers
A great asset was that three of the team had years of experience driving/working on similar vehicles. We could monitor the mechanical performance along the way and stop immediately, if need be, to prevent damage. That is all history now because DP 90 made it home in first class condition - in fact we thought the long drive did our bus more good than harm.
On The Road
Saturday 8th September arrived and we left Mandurah at 6am to meet Ron Franklin at the depot around 7.00am, then take out the bus, load our gear, do the required checks, park our vehicles in DP 90’s parking bay and lock the shed. Departure was at 7.30 am with Peter driving. We were due to pck up Tom and Paul later in Mundaring.
Our first destination was the Kenworth and DAF Truck Centre in Kewdale where the gates were open from 8.00am to receive pick ups, trucks and rigs taking part in the Vintage Commercial Vehicle Run. When we drove through the gates, the greeting and interest generated by the bus just blew us away; we were made so welcome. People asked us about the bus while others said they used to see it on the road down south.
We were issued with a running sheet and received the receipt for the nomination fee. Our first scheduled stop was morning tea at The Lakes (the York turn off), followed by a drive through the main street of Northam. Our lunch stop was Meckering then it was on to the Kellerberrin Golf Club for our first overnight stay, with dinner provided and evening entertainment from a truckie. He proved to be a damn good entertainer!
So, at 9.12am we departed from the Kewdale truck yard. There was a briefing about convoy procedures and a light-hearted moment with an on-the-spot final inspection and reminder of how to drive by a Mr Plod (for a joke). No joke, however, was falling in behind an OverWidth convoy that went on to harass progress by stopping at all bridges, both big and small, and any other type of tight fit. We noticed these rigs approaching the Great Eastern Highway along Roe Highway. There was just inches to spare between the concrete barriers and a massive line up of traffic behind them. Little did we know that our initial laugh was going to come back and bite us all the way to Meckering!
We caught up with the OverWidth loads half way up Greenmount. DP 90 was slow and sluggish and our thoughts were that it might just be a slow trip. About 25 minutes later they pulled the trucks off the road and let the traffic pass. We were slowing down on every hill and were glad to reach our morning tea stop. Even the slow, old trucks were passing us with a wave of good bye.
On the road again and we caught up once more with a load of slow traffic stopping and starting, then taking off like a rocket only to come to a dead stop again. Yes, you guessed it. That damn OverWidth load again. Where possible they pulled off to the side to let us all go past. The good thing was that DP 90 was starting to settle down to some serious road running. She could smell the open road again; yes, she had blown all the residue out of her system from the slow speeds around Whiteman Park and began to sit on 1900 revs up and down the hills. From then on she did not miss a beat. We worked out at our first fuel top up that we were getting 12 mpg, we were thrilled.
We spotted the Red Arrow markers to guide us into the Kellerberrin Golf Club - most others missed the markers probably because they came well before the town site. A 20 acre paddock had been mown for parking and camping in. The toilets and hot showers plus lighting were left on all night so we had it all. The Golf Club bar and restaurant was open with stubbies @ 4.00 each. Din dins were steak, sausage, cheese, potatoes and a variety of salads
As mentioned earlier, entertainment was put on by one of the truckies. He was great. Along with the music, there were the odd jokes and plenty of raffles to raise funds for the Royal Flying Doctor, the truckies best mate when in need. A shade under $500 was raised and the Golf Club chucked in $250 to total $750.00. When I’m IN THIS AREA on a Saturday night with my caravan I know where we shall be!
We said goodbye to Kellerberrin, with some rigs fuelling up on the way through town, and headed for Merredin, where we toured the Pumping Station and Museum. Morning tea was provided and we visited the Military Museum with its great display of trucks, tanks, military equipment and local WW2 memorabilia.
After lunch, our next stop was Southern Cross, where we were placed on a grass area at the rear of the local Sports Ground. It was a good location, out of the way, with plenty of room for all vehicles, big and small.
The Cross, as it is often referred to, was a ‘do it yourself’ stop, with toilets and showers available for our use. Four of us decided to wander up the road to the ‘local’, check out the menu and the cool drinks. For Tom, it was a little to far for his legs to travel, so he stayed in camp while we had a couple of these cool drinks and discussed what we would do for some grub. Having reached this major decision, we headed back to camp and Paul did the cooking
We had visitors and we wandered around the camp chatting and admiring the rigs. The best in my book was a Diamond T painted all over - and under - in fire engine red. This vehicle was better than brand new; its owner drove it only as far as Merredin and then it was piggy backed on a semi for the rest of the way. The semi looked almost as good as the Diamond T.
We sat around camp listening to our Trucking Musician, discussing DP 90, and thinking about the next leg of our trip, near enough to 400 km return. I asked our team whether or not we really needed to do this final leg to Kalgoorlie. We had proved our worth and trust in DP 90 and, with nothing along the road to see or do with the bus, should we rather say our goodbyes to all and start our return journey to the depot?
I ran this past Brian Brooks and his comment was ‘Well, we can always put it on one of the trailers or the tow truck is always available’ [an item that I forgot to mention earlier]. But he fully understood where we were coming from, so the decision was made that the team would head for home in the morning.
Coming Home
Morning arrived and there was lots of activity in our DP 90 camp. It appeared each of us was in a hurry to arrive back for a home cooked meal and a warm bed. Tom suggested that we leave ASAP and have breakfast along the road somewhere. That idea moved things along even quicker. We wandered around the area and said our ‘thank you’s’ and ‘goodbyes’. The comments we got back were: ‘Are you coming to Geraldton next year?’ We live in hope that maybe Foden F 44 will be available (no boot!).
So we started our engine and built up air pressure. As we did this, people started coming out to look and watch.When we moved off, they started waving madly so I responded with the horn. We waved back and kept the horn waking the few sleepy heads who hadn’t appeared. They were really a great bunch of people who made us feel so welcome.
I drove to Merredin where we had breakfast and checked over our tyres, oils etc., with a good look underneath for signs of any leaks.
Peter drove to Tammin where we topped up the tank and carried on, DP 90 keeping to her 1900 revs up and down the rises. The time was filled with informative chats covering many subjects. Paul gave us the history of landmarks along the way - some where he had worked as a Chemist. It was all interesting; we can never stop learning.
We broke our journey south of Northam, at Bakers Hill, at that damn good cake and pie shop. While we were sitting on the benches outside, eating, guess who turned up - the tall bloke who can sense a former WAGR Railway Road Service bus from a 100 miles away - John Young ! He spotted us on the road and, after that, couldn’t help himself from stopping to say hello. It was great to catch up with John for a chin wag.
We said our goodbyes to John and turned off for Stoneville Road to drop Tom and Paul. Arrival back at the depot was around 3pm. All that remained was to empty out our gear, put DP 90 to bed and, with 125 km to go to Mandurah, head for home and a well earned rest.
Special Thanks
We owe a special vote of thanks to Ron, who ‘mother hen’ed DP 90 from the start to finish and to Geoff who did all the mechanical work with support from Ken Lines. Pat Hallahan and Jaroon came to the Depot specially a day before departure to clean the bus. Thank you to one an all.
From the team of Guy’s with whom I did the outing: I would do it all again with you, it was a pleasure to share this experience with you all. Thankyou
The one, stand out-item on this run was the interest shown in DP 90 wherever we stopped. Many people wanted to look at it, both truckies and the general public. We even had two offers to purchase, one from a Queensland man driving a Dodge truck fitted with a camper unit on its back. He just stood and admired the body design, the way the panels rolled under, the rear roof scoop and so on. When advised of the mechanical details, he just said ‘yes’ and went straight back to the body with its flowing curves (maybe he thought it was wearing a blonde wig?).
Our special thanks must go to Brian Brooks and his team who put this Truck run together, a first for the State of WA. The variety of experiences made for an excellent outing. There was much to see and do.
The Future?
Whether or not I go to Geraldton with a bus next year or tow our caravan, I shall do my best to be on the next outing
Ross Tinley
September 14TH 2012
