CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
The Thornycroft Revs Up
Another sigificant milestone was achieved in the workshop recently with the start-up of the Thornycroft engine. After many months of hard work the engine was purring beautifully - and it is more than 50 years since it last ran! Meanwhile, in the carpentry workshop, the team is working on building the bench seats for the charabanc from scratch. There is much work ahead but the team remains enthusiastic.
The Parlour Car
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It was all hands on deck when the Parlour car returned to the BPSWA workshop recently. The vehicle belongs to the WA Museum and BPSWA will be assisting with the completion of the restoration work. A full assessment will be carried out to determine what work needs to be completed to restore the vehicle to display condition.
Photos: Colin Davison |
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Leyland Lion Refurbishment
The extensive refurbishment work on our ex WAGR Dp90 Leyland Lion PSR1/1 continues in the workshop. Peter Hancey worked on the rear bumpers whilst Kevin Nicholls worked on corrosion repairs to the cargo compartment doors.
Workshop Days
Volunteer days at our Whiteman Park workshop are:
- Every Tuesday from 8am to 1pm
- Second Saturday of each month from 8am to noon (commencing Saturday 13th March).
BPSWA's Busy 2020 - In Pictures
Despite the challenges posed by COVID19, the team of volunteers at the BPSWA workshop were kept extremely busy. We reflect on some of those busy times with restorations, general maintenance and community events throughout 2020.
A Milestone Moment
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It was a pivotal and rewarding moment in the workshop recently when some components of the charabanc project came together for the first time. A number of our volunteers took part in positioning the wood-framed charabanc body into place over the 1930 Thornycroft chassis. There is much more to do but progress is steady. A great moment!
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"Miss Pemberton" Steps Forward
"Miss Pemberton", our 1946 Bedford OB bus is in the workshop undergoing her extensive restoration and transformation. This tourist coach, which was operated by Metro Tours, ended its working life on a farm near Nyabing in the Western Australian wheatbelt before being donated to BPSWA for restoration. Watch this space for future updates and progress.
K17 Sparkles
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One of the most important and regular tasks at our workshop on Tuesday is keeping our restored buses clean and in pristine condition ready for presentation at community events.
One of our newest members, Maree, takes a well-earned break after giving K17 a thorough clean inside and out. Well done Maree - K17 is sparkling! Kalamunda 17 (K17) is the sole surviving bus from the Kalamunda Bus Service. The 1952 AEC Regal Mark IV was donated to BPSWA by the Kostera family in 2008 and is a popular and regular exhibit at community events. |
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Back in Business
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June 2020
Following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions many of our enthusiastic members have returned to the workshop and are eager to get started on restorations and other projects. First off the rank, was a review of our 1946 Bedford OB "Miss Pemberton" to determine the next steps in the restoration plan. Our Leyland Lion PSR1/1 (DP90) is in the workshop for a body and paint work refresh, so Kevin was hard at work on the panels. Trevor is manufacturing a new tow hitch for our trusty Leyland OPS4/1 tow wagon, and Reg was busy working with scrap metal to earn much needed income. |
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A Replacement Engine For the Panther
Our 1974 Leyland Panther is over the pit for some major work.
No 988 was one of the last Panthers to enter service with the MTT in October 1974. Its passenger carrying activities continued well after the MTT was re-badged as Transperth in 1986. This bus remained in service for close to 20 years before being donated to the Bus Preservation Society of WA (Inc) in 1994 and is still used today to provide Shuttle, Explorer and Heritage tours around Whiteman Park.
Unfortunately the engine has failed and John Young and Graham Horton are preparing to fit a replacement engine. Assisting them is a team of graduate Engineering students from UWA who are gaining valuable hands-on experience.
Click here to read the full story of MTT 988
No 988 was one of the last Panthers to enter service with the MTT in October 1974. Its passenger carrying activities continued well after the MTT was re-badged as Transperth in 1986. This bus remained in service for close to 20 years before being donated to the Bus Preservation Society of WA (Inc) in 1994 and is still used today to provide Shuttle, Explorer and Heritage tours around Whiteman Park.
Unfortunately the engine has failed and John Young and Graham Horton are preparing to fit a replacement engine. Assisting them is a team of graduate Engineering students from UWA who are gaining valuable hands-on experience.
Click here to read the full story of MTT 988
ABC Radio Perth Visit
ABC Radio Perth came out to our workshop and interviewed some of the active volunteers on the day including our President Tom Curtis and the ever-lively Pat Hallahan. If you missed the interview with ABC's Emma Wynne, you can always watch the ABC online video - click on this link
Photo: Dave Tierney
Photo: Dave Tierney
Restoration of 1930 Thornycroft Bus
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Our next big restoration project is well underway! Our 1930 wood-framed Thornycroft bus is in the workshop and restoration has begun.
Neil and his team have already started building the wooden frame onto the chassis. The "spare" vehicle in the southern lease compound has been stripped down to salvage any usable parts for the restoration. The engine has been partially stripped and poses numerous challenges. Work is progressing on three fronts with different teams - the chassis, the body work and the mechanical components. A big job ahead but the team is enthusiastic! |
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Turning Scrap into Cash
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Two of our industrious volunteers, Reg and Tom, got busy stripping copper wire from an old electrical motor. The copper wire will be sold as scrap along with other scrap metals and batteries to bring in much needed funds for our restoration projects.
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It's always a busy time at the Workshop - come join us!
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About Our Workshop
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- The BPSWA Workshop is situated inside Whiteman Park along with the Bennett Brook Railway, the Perth Electric Tramways and the Park's maintenance workshops.
- Visits by the public to the 'Workshop area are welcome by arrangement - click Contact Us to request a visit. The Workshop hours are 8am to 1pm each Tuesday.
- When visiting the workshops, please consider your safety - wear close-fitting clothing and closed shoes. Children must be supervised at all times. Hi-Vis vests, safety glasses and ear plugs are available for visitors thanks to one of our generous Sponsors - Stocklands.
- Morning Tea is generally at 9.30am and lunch at 12.00pm. You would be very welcome to join our volunteers in the crib room for coffee or tea and a biscuit.
- If you would like to join our volunteer organisation and participate in preserving Western Australian history - click Join The Fun.
The Workshop
BPSWA has about 2,500 square metres of workshop and undercover storage space at our depot at Whiteman Park. Here we house about 27 buses, some of these we have restored or rebuilt; some are in undercover storage as they are rare or unique and need to be protected from the elements. Others (about 15) have been rebuilt /refurbished and operate as part of our unique collection of operating 'in service' buses and need storage undercover.
The dedicated workshop area has;
The People
Each area has a committed team of trades and trade assistants, and each project has an identified Project Leader working under the management of the workshop foreman. A 'stores' controller, manages the supplies of (largely) recovered parts from previously 'broken up' buses. Usually the 'crib room' has about 25 to 30 people enjoying the fellowship at morning tea or lunch. A small group collect batteries and metal waste from sponsors who continually donate these items to the Society. These are 'on-sold' to earn funds for the restoration activities. There is a group of administrators/archivists who prepare material for display; digitise manuals and other documents for use in the workshops; record and manage the archival material and some 20,000 items of memorabilia, books, photographs and other records.
A small group of volunteers check tyres, batteries, water, oil and fuel each week for the operational buses in the fleet. As well, these intrepid group of volunteers service these buses on a rotational basis to make sure that they are available for the weekly running on the Shuttle and Explorer services operated by the Society for Whiteman Park, each weekend. All our members are volunteers who give up their time and energy to work on a range of projects and activities such as these.
BPSWA has about 2,500 square metres of workshop and undercover storage space at our depot at Whiteman Park. Here we house about 27 buses, some of these we have restored or rebuilt; some are in undercover storage as they are rare or unique and need to be protected from the elements. Others (about 15) have been rebuilt /refurbished and operate as part of our unique collection of operating 'in service' buses and need storage undercover.
The dedicated workshop area has;
- a pit and floor space for general maintenance,
- a body shop,
- a mechanical workshop,
- a dedicated section for up to five major projects/rebuilds.
The People
Each area has a committed team of trades and trade assistants, and each project has an identified Project Leader working under the management of the workshop foreman. A 'stores' controller, manages the supplies of (largely) recovered parts from previously 'broken up' buses. Usually the 'crib room' has about 25 to 30 people enjoying the fellowship at morning tea or lunch. A small group collect batteries and metal waste from sponsors who continually donate these items to the Society. These are 'on-sold' to earn funds for the restoration activities. There is a group of administrators/archivists who prepare material for display; digitise manuals and other documents for use in the workshops; record and manage the archival material and some 20,000 items of memorabilia, books, photographs and other records.
A small group of volunteers check tyres, batteries, water, oil and fuel each week for the operational buses in the fleet. As well, these intrepid group of volunteers service these buses on a rotational basis to make sure that they are available for the weekly running on the Shuttle and Explorer services operated by the Society for Whiteman Park, each weekend. All our members are volunteers who give up their time and energy to work on a range of projects and activities such as these.
