Hey all,
I know it's been a while, so I'll keep it short. Most of the stuff I want to cover has been over at the ATDB. Anyhow, there was a tour organised to farewell mark I Mercs from route service in Sydney, using MO 5829 (64) from Shorelink. Originally 1930 was going to be taken down to Tempe and posed with #64 and 1923 from the museum, however 1923 developed a fault and 1930 was run in it's place and performed well. Seems a damn good run got rid of that bearing rattle. Phew.
Here are some links to photos and tour reports
Australia Transport Discussion Board along with members "gangsters4life"s fotopic site and "David-" photobucket site. Finally over at the ACT Bus Forum
Meanwhile 2413's not in good shape, around the 1st anniversary of taking it to Terrey Hills, seems she just does not want to start, she flattened the battery cart last time DJ tried. Hopefully all will be sorted out soon
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
May and June '08
Hey all,
Well 1930 is registered and had it's debut back on the 20th April out at the Museum Of Fire out at Penrith .
It was a great day out and 1930 performed relatively well, although feedback from those who've driven her say that I need to get the brakes and steering looked at. Als0 there seems to be a mysterious short in the dash, plus the front door switch needs replacing.
With 2413, I spent a day up at the yard ripping out the school light wiring and with the help of SW, ripped out the CCTV wiring (and all the little odds and ends) in a hope that I could then charge the batteries up and be able to leave it sit without the batteries again being drained via some sort of glitch in that system. Needless to say I made a few discoveries while doing this, first off, the ad machine on the drivers bulkhead must of gone at overhaul, since there is a large patch plate in the drivers locker whereas in 2360 that never had an overhaul, there's some moulding for the ad machine's motors etc, this has been removed in 2413 with the hole just patched. Also 2413 would probably of had one of those powered offside full length ads in the late 90's, since there are 2 wires that are attached to nothing and loose in the electrical cabinet. Slightly more oddly, 2413 had two bowser plates- basically the bus rolls up to the bowser, the depot computer then "talks" to the bus via the plate bus connected to a plate in the concrete.
In the end myself and SW had stripped out a large wiring harness and with all the wires and "black boxes", I was able to fill a glad tuff bag - the black CCTV box that sat in the luggage rack, I've thrown in a pile with 2413's "scrappy" bumper and 1930's mangled bumper. These along with whatever else metallic that comes off my buses I'll put in for scrap, may as well get something back (or someone else get it back) from all this...
All in all with the help of SW who cut what needed cutting and me stripping out what remained, I attached the battery charger last thing and hoped for the best the next day. On Wednesday I got up there pretty late in the afternoon (for winter) about 2pm, darted up to 2413, disconnected the charger, reconnected the terminals to the batteries, shot back to the drivers cab, tried the hazards, yes good we have hazards.... turned on the battery "clunck" went the solenoid, slight depress of the accelerator and press the engine start button by the door switches - nothing - removed the key, another go of the hazards, yeap they work. Key in, battery on "clunk" slight depress of the accelerator pedal - still nothing- , key out, try hazards nope nothing- grrrrr the batteries are cactus! Oh well worth a try
Also with 2413 I've had some work done on fibreglassing the hole on the back of the nearside and the offside front and rear - seems she'd suffered a hit that cracked the front corner and rear corner panels. All done by a bodybuilder from where 2413 came from....
So school lights gone
CCTV gone
Ads gone
I'm up for a new set of batteries and a new 4 way valve - so a few hundred $$$'s
I'm now on uni holidays for six weeks (yay world youth day) and will have the first two weeks of July off from work as well, so I hope to really put a dent in the work on 2413, hopefully have her ready for painting externally, also remove all the seat cushions and prime up the seat frames.
On another front, I'm also hoping to secure a handful of mkI and mkII shells from a local private company, for one thing, I need a side desto set up for the mkI and 2413 needs two windows down the back, plus a new back and both curved windows - scratchitti grrrr! Finally 2413 needs an original seat frame, the 2nd last on the nearside - the one's that there is an interloper - stainless steel frame, common on all the other PMC mercs but the mkII's, they had mild steel frames which were dipped in electrified black paint (kinda like the process for chroming metal I guess?) Also an original front bumper could be gained - although if I can't get these shells I can get a front bumper another way...
At least one will be a shed where I can store my stuff and ultimately a place to put the seat cushions under cover (unlike 2360's which are strewn all over the yard!)
Well 1930 is registered and had it's debut back on the 20th April out at the Museum Of Fire out at Penrith .
It was a great day out and 1930 performed relatively well, although feedback from those who've driven her say that I need to get the brakes and steering looked at. Als0 there seems to be a mysterious short in the dash, plus the front door switch needs replacing.
With 2413, I spent a day up at the yard ripping out the school light wiring and with the help of SW, ripped out the CCTV wiring (and all the little odds and ends) in a hope that I could then charge the batteries up and be able to leave it sit without the batteries again being drained via some sort of glitch in that system. Needless to say I made a few discoveries while doing this, first off, the ad machine on the drivers bulkhead must of gone at overhaul, since there is a large patch plate in the drivers locker whereas in 2360 that never had an overhaul, there's some moulding for the ad machine's motors etc, this has been removed in 2413 with the hole just patched. Also 2413 would probably of had one of those powered offside full length ads in the late 90's, since there are 2 wires that are attached to nothing and loose in the electrical cabinet. Slightly more oddly, 2413 had two bowser plates- basically the bus rolls up to the bowser, the depot computer then "talks" to the bus via the plate bus connected to a plate in the concrete.
In the end myself and SW had stripped out a large wiring harness and with all the wires and "black boxes", I was able to fill a glad tuff bag - the black CCTV box that sat in the luggage rack, I've thrown in a pile with 2413's "scrappy" bumper and 1930's mangled bumper. These along with whatever else metallic that comes off my buses I'll put in for scrap, may as well get something back (or someone else get it back) from all this...
All in all with the help of SW who cut what needed cutting and me stripping out what remained, I attached the battery charger last thing and hoped for the best the next day. On Wednesday I got up there pretty late in the afternoon (for winter) about 2pm, darted up to 2413, disconnected the charger, reconnected the terminals to the batteries, shot back to the drivers cab, tried the hazards, yes good we have hazards.... turned on the battery "clunck" went the solenoid, slight depress of the accelerator and press the engine start button by the door switches - nothing - removed the key, another go of the hazards, yeap they work. Key in, battery on "clunk" slight depress of the accelerator pedal - still nothing- , key out, try hazards nope nothing- grrrrr the batteries are cactus! Oh well worth a try
Also with 2413 I've had some work done on fibreglassing the hole on the back of the nearside and the offside front and rear - seems she'd suffered a hit that cracked the front corner and rear corner panels. All done by a bodybuilder from where 2413 came from....
So school lights gone
CCTV gone
Ads gone
I'm up for a new set of batteries and a new 4 way valve - so a few hundred $$$'s
I'm now on uni holidays for six weeks (yay world youth day) and will have the first two weeks of July off from work as well, so I hope to really put a dent in the work on 2413, hopefully have her ready for painting externally, also remove all the seat cushions and prime up the seat frames.
On another front, I'm also hoping to secure a handful of mkI and mkII shells from a local private company, for one thing, I need a side desto set up for the mkI and 2413 needs two windows down the back, plus a new back and both curved windows - scratchitti grrrr! Finally 2413 needs an original seat frame, the 2nd last on the nearside - the one's that there is an interloper - stainless steel frame, common on all the other PMC mercs but the mkII's, they had mild steel frames which were dipped in electrified black paint (kinda like the process for chroming metal I guess?) Also an original front bumper could be gained - although if I can't get these shells I can get a front bumper another way...
At least one will be a shed where I can store my stuff and ultimately a place to put the seat cushions under cover (unlike 2360's which are strewn all over the yard!)
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Keep an eye out......
Well there has been some progress to report, 1930 has a new bumper, looks very smick, her wagga destos are back in and I spent a day cleaning her seats.
On Wednesday myself and AH gave her a wash (first she'd had since Wagga!) needless to say she was a tad mossy on the outside. Then left for a final inspection at Tempe. After a spot at home to pick up her docs (opps should of known) mum saw her for the first time and her response "what a lovely old bus" . Onwards to Tempe, the old girl probably saw a few Kingsgrove depot run streets that she hadn't probably seen for a good 15 years or more! Anyway at Tempe she got re inspected and the rego docs filled out, some of the members there had a look over her as well (including the owner of 1901).
I was at the RTA yesterday afternoon, registering the mark one! The plates are downstairs, I'm going to head up to the yard tomorrow for a final wash and mop of her attact the plates and rego labels, before the Museum of Fire rally on Sunday. Mum and dad so far are coming. Hopefully some photos can be taken of her all scrubbed up with rego plates on, ready to go :)
So keep an eye out on Sunday for her with one of her Fearnes depot mates
On Wednesday myself and AH gave her a wash (first she'd had since Wagga!) needless to say she was a tad mossy on the outside. Then left for a final inspection at Tempe. After a spot at home to pick up her docs (opps should of known) mum saw her for the first time and her response "what a lovely old bus" . Onwards to Tempe, the old girl probably saw a few Kingsgrove depot run streets that she hadn't probably seen for a good 15 years or more! Anyway at Tempe she got re inspected and the rego docs filled out, some of the members there had a look over her as well (including the owner of 1901).
I was at the RTA yesterday afternoon, registering the mark one! The plates are downstairs, I'm going to head up to the yard tomorrow for a final wash and mop of her attact the plates and rego labels, before the Museum of Fire rally on Sunday. Mum and dad so far are coming. Hopefully some photos can be taken of her all scrubbed up with rego plates on, ready to go :)
So keep an eye out on Sunday for her with one of her Fearnes depot mates
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Well lookie here......
On Saturday I went up to the yard and at a loose end, I thought I would do something that I've been thinking of doing for months. Since I had no use for the school lights, I wanted to see what was under them - I had been told that the practice during corporate repaints was to mask up around the lights, from my own memory of seeing some repaints that sounded right to me, I still wanted to have a look anyway. So I got up on the ladder and removed em and this is what was under the lights on both sides at the front
I did the nearside light first, thinking that possibly the offside may of been redone due to that side taking a hit somehow. Surprisingly both sides are intact like above - showing the dark blue and the white line - which seems to of been painted on, whereas the blue line seems to be vinyl...
I'm thinking I should make a mark in the centre of the front desto glass as a reference point since these two spots may well get obliterated during painting preparation...
On the back - there was mandarin blue under both....
I did the nearside light first, thinking that possibly the offside may of been redone due to that side taking a hit somehow. Surprisingly both sides are intact like above - showing the dark blue and the white line - which seems to of been painted on, whereas the blue line seems to be vinyl...
I'm thinking I should make a mark in the centre of the front desto glass as a reference point since these two spots may well get obliterated during painting preparation...
On the back - there was mandarin blue under both....
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Some pictures and a discovery.....
As promised ages ago, I've taken some photos of 2413 as she is now, unfortunately with a dead lifter pump, she's not going anywhere right now. So the pics aren't necessarily the best in terms of setting. A bit of background, on Good Friday there was some reorganising of the storage yard, with 1930 running and with "my two" always seeming to be seperated by a bus or lined up one behind the other, I thought bugger it, I'll put them side by side. Meaning 1930 was placed beside 2413 under a tree on the southern side of the yard...
To start off, John Bottle managed to dig up a shot of 2413 in service just after being painted into corporate back in mid 1997
http://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=30697
The rear of both 1930 and 2413, further across leyland leopard ex MO 0305 and ex
3521 AEC Reliance, aka "Mrs Whippy"
The nearside ad free!
2413's offside - note how most of the blue paint on the upsweep has come off over the years as ad's have been changed - the red line has stubbornly remained
2413's rear - again the blue paint's come away after years of ad swapping - note the latter hella style lights - it seemed to be a common done thing at Kingsgrove moreso than other depots
Hopefully soon I will get some better posed shots
To start off, John Bottle managed to dig up a shot of 2413 in service just after being painted into corporate back in mid 1997
http://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=30697
The rear of both 1930 and 2413, further across leyland leopard ex MO 0305 and ex
3521 AEC Reliance, aka "Mrs Whippy"
The nearside ad free!
2413's offside - note how most of the blue paint on the upsweep has come off over the years as ad's have been changed - the red line has stubbornly remained
2413's rear - again the blue paint's come away after years of ad swapping - note the latter hella style lights - it seemed to be a common done thing at Kingsgrove moreso than other depotsHopefully soon I will get some better posed shots
Friday, March 14, 2008
Updates...
Well there has not been much progress lately, especially with 2413. There's some kind of problem with it's fuel pump - both buses had run low of diesel, not sure if the pump's failed or if there is crap (for want of a better word) on the bottom of the tank and it's clogged the pump. Anyway with uni on and work as well, I'm not sure when I'll be able to get in and sort out the problem (uni break maybe?).
With 1930, it's in the process of being registered on club plates - the headlights decided not to come to the party at inspection, although the globes have since been replaced. Also the back bumper mysteriously got pushed in, mr nobody having backed it right up against the mound in the yard. That's to be fixed as well as a few other details.
Finally with the weather of the past summer, it hasn't been kind to the seats in both, mould/mildew has set in, both need a good thorough clean out. Hopefully a solution to storage problems comes through and the stuff in 2413 can be taken out....
With 1930, it's in the process of being registered on club plates - the headlights decided not to come to the party at inspection, although the globes have since been replaced. Also the back bumper mysteriously got pushed in, mr nobody having backed it right up against the mound in the yard. That's to be fixed as well as a few other details.
Finally with the weather of the past summer, it hasn't been kind to the seats in both, mould/mildew has set in, both need a good thorough clean out. Hopefully a solution to storage problems comes through and the stuff in 2413 can be taken out....
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
January Progress
Over the month I have been able to achieve the following.
With 2413 I have peeled off the advertisements - the paint under for the most part is in very good condition, especially the white sections. Not much came off with the ad film where it's white. However the blue parts seem less hardy, when I ripped the offside ad off it seems that the previous ads had taken most of the blue upsweep with them, the red line remains. The back ad panel comes off with little encouragement. Once the bottom comes away, the top part just falls off the back window with no hassle. Thankfully no evidence of rust, except for whats obvious over the rear nearside axle, which is present where there was no ad it seems to be surface rust only. Also one side of the offside ad boarder had come away from the panel, myself and RC, curious as to what actually holds them on, start to pull it off. Surprise surprise (to me anyway) they are held there with a silica like goo. Until then I'd thought they had been attached more solidly - rivets or welds, but no just this goo, so once we started, we kept pulling and pulling. The metal eventually curled up.
The next day I was at the yard (about two weeks later) I decided to see how easy or hard it was to get one of these boarders off. I tried in the section near the nearside rear axle with a flat head screwdriver. Once I got the screwdriver under about 10 centimetres, enough to grab in my hand, it peeled off rather easily. Needing some flathead encouragement now and again. Although, it seemed to come straight off on the offside upsweep.
Next job, the red line! I'll need to borrow dads heat gun for that. Ironically a bosch one (20 years old) Also I need to take care of the silica like goo as well
With 1930, she now has new batteries! Starts up first go :) Although it seems there are a few wiring issues within the dash or electrical relay problems. Hopefully they can be sorted out soon by SW when the speedo related stuff goes in.
With 2413 I have peeled off the advertisements - the paint under for the most part is in very good condition, especially the white sections. Not much came off with the ad film where it's white. However the blue parts seem less hardy, when I ripped the offside ad off it seems that the previous ads had taken most of the blue upsweep with them, the red line remains. The back ad panel comes off with little encouragement. Once the bottom comes away, the top part just falls off the back window with no hassle. Thankfully no evidence of rust, except for whats obvious over the rear nearside axle, which is present where there was no ad it seems to be surface rust only. Also one side of the offside ad boarder had come away from the panel, myself and RC, curious as to what actually holds them on, start to pull it off. Surprise surprise (to me anyway) they are held there with a silica like goo. Until then I'd thought they had been attached more solidly - rivets or welds, but no just this goo, so once we started, we kept pulling and pulling. The metal eventually curled up.
The next day I was at the yard (about two weeks later) I decided to see how easy or hard it was to get one of these boarders off. I tried in the section near the nearside rear axle with a flat head screwdriver. Once I got the screwdriver under about 10 centimetres, enough to grab in my hand, it peeled off rather easily. Needing some flathead encouragement now and again. Although, it seemed to come straight off on the offside upsweep.
Next job, the red line! I'll need to borrow dads heat gun for that. Ironically a bosch one (20 years old) Also I need to take care of the silica like goo as well
With 1930, she now has new batteries! Starts up first go :) Although it seems there are a few wiring issues within the dash or electrical relay problems. Hopefully they can be sorted out soon by SW when the speedo related stuff goes in.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Happy 2008
Just a quick post, I hope the xmas and new year period went well for you. Yes I know I haven't posted anything since late November, fear not, the picture post is coming. I just need to get up to where the buses are stored and to be honest, I've not got there as much as I would like since the last post.
It will happen though, also my priority is to get the mkI on the road. She needs a new set of batteries and the speedo along with the sender need some attention. Also a new windscreen on the nearside (funnily enough RC's mkI needs a new one on the offside). Hopefully she'll be ready for Australia Day 2008.
New year, new blog theme, you'll notice that the text in last year's posts is rather large.
It will happen though, also my priority is to get the mkI on the road. She needs a new set of batteries and the speedo along with the sender need some attention. Also a new windscreen on the nearside (funnily enough RC's mkI needs a new one on the offside). Hopefully she'll be ready for Australia Day 2008.
New year, new blog theme, you'll notice that the text in last year's posts is rather large.
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