Transporting bus chassies

After looking at Swishies "Wotsit".Made me think if how they used to transport bus chassis up and down the highways.Just a seat behind the instriment panel.No windscreen,out in the cold ,rugged up in leather coats,leather helmets and goggles.Looked like they had fallen out of a tigermoth.Would love to see any photos of these tough men.Rain hail or shine they would go up or down the highways.I hav'nt seen this done since the early 1960s.I don't think semi trailers were long enough in those days to fit on.Even remember seeing them wrapped in plastic sheets for protection

Wouldn't it have been an experience drivin one of those rockets in 'Happy Hour' !
I remember their hats in particular, as you say, like an Ol Pilot..

Good topic mate..

chocs

steveb, As chocs' said ....Good topic...

There was still the odd Bus chassis Transported this way right up to the Early 90's..

I have VIVID memories of being Northbound in the Cullerin Range, Pi$$ing Rain, & as I approached the Top Bridge.
A bus chassis coming around the Bend across the Top bridge SIDEWAYS

The whites of his Eyes were as Big a Saucers

When I worked at Volvo at Wacol in the mid 70's I used to see the blokes heading out perched on their seat atop a bus chassis, bag tied to the chassis rails, regardless of the weather. Used to wonder how they got on driving in the storms that came through late in the year.

:'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(.....it's blokes like you swishy who took the fun out of all of it :'( :'( :'( :'(

........tally ho Biggles !!!

A lot of private operators would by ex government buses and take the body off at their depot then drive the chassis away for a new body. This was halted around 1993? when the law changed. Prior to this if a bus had a new body fitted it could be re-registered as a new bus {ie a 1960 chassis could be reborn as a new 1986 bus} which effectively gave you a new fleet of vehicles cheap.

I have seen a photo of a mechanic from Newcastle driving a chassis to Sydney on a fold up chair wearing a crash helmet. Will try and get hold of it to post

Well known thing - that's how they transported Royal Tiger chassis in Israel from the port or assembly plant to the coachbuilders...

MTT's first Mercedes Benz O305G in '79. Images courtesy of perthbus.info:

http://perthbus.info/quickimage.php?image=20130302222391
http://perthbus.info/quickimage.php?image=132914B396F4


Cheers!

I like old mate in the tie, adds a touch of class to the outfit.