White semitrailer bus

In the 1950s, Portsea Passenger Service ran semitrailer buses.
The last ran in 1965 (over 35 years ago), as a school bus for Rosebud High School. At the end of the year, the bus was declared illegal and retired. The White prime mover was sold; the trailer went to a chook farm in Balnarring to be used as a chook shed.
Bill was at one stage a driver of interstate tour buses, and is now a supervisor with Portsea Passenger Service.
His two photos were taken on the last day of the bus in traffic, in Dec.65.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Ryde Bus Company ( also trading as "Trailer tours" ) had these buses in Parramatta in the 60s.

IIRC, other operators included one over Hornibrook Hwy to Redcliffe Peninsula (Brisbane, Qld), and Murray Valley Coach Line (Vic.). I don't have any documentation available fast.
Somewhere I have photos of examples in South Africa.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

at least the driver wouldn't have to put up with screaming kids

There were one or two operating on the gold coast late 50's too.

I recall very well going on a primary school excursion on one of these semi bus' in the very early '70s from school at Connells Point (Sydney) to the Rotolactor at Menangle.......I remember it well because the semibus even at the time seemed like a vintage relic from a wrecking yard or a museum & the trailer smelt like it been exhumed from a tip - I'm sure I have photo's (old polariods ) somewhere of the excursion with the bus in the background.
The other things that stick in my mind is that it was a hot summer 40c+ day when we climbed aboard this "cattle crate" & the old vintage (presumably White ) prime mover was lethargic, belching exhaust fumes non stop into the open (& from age very clouded )windows of the trailer ....... add copious amounts of warmish milk fed to us at the Rotolactor & the return journey turned into a trip from hell on a very slow moving "vomit comet" ....I reckon the bus company (can't recall who it was, but probably one based around the local Hurstvile area ) reserved this trailer monstrosity solely for school excursions & didn't every clean it hence the nauseating smell in the thing.....

Talk of semi buses got me looking for this one ,a Federal I think 1946 or there abouts of Murray Valley Bus Lines


Would have been a better picture if the footballers were not standing in front of it

Colin

The Scarborough Bus Company had some semi tailer busses over here on the left coast. They disapeared in the early 60s also.
There seems to have been quite a few around Australia - Why were they all scrapped at abut the same time ?? Safety reasons or what ?
Cheers Neil

Mairjimmy, good old photo you posted, pity about all the fellas standing in front of it. The prime mover isn't a Federal, it's a 1940-1941 Ford.-Hamish Petrie

How times have changed? When these old girls were retired people were glad to see the last of them. I suppose there were many reasons for this. Now they would be very popular as curiosities showing how we used to travel around. Make a good motor home too
Billy