Shuttles and Relays

I'm sure I remember reading that there was a changeover depot, some sort of house, at Kyemba, on the Hume too.
A bloke sent me some pics and a nice letter many years ago, said he used to stay there in a bunk type arrangement. (And I lost his details, which I've always felt guilty about!) I've always wondered where, as obviously the highway doesn't go there any more, and I've seen no sign of houses or any thing remotely resembling accomodation..

There was an accommodation house/inn at the old junction of the Hume and Tumbarumba Rd that was demolished in 1993. A bit south of the junction there had been a service station built in 1943 that was sold to Colliers in 1949 and used as a half-way station.

It's last incarnation was as a Shell service station and it was burnt down in 1955. I haven't found any information to suggest anything replaced it.

And in that same year the general freight operations of Colliers were bought by a consortium led by Wally Shapowloff - the start of the business that became Kwikasair in 1958!

The Colliers Liquid Transport businees was not sold off then but was aquired by Mayne Nickless in 1956 and I have seen information which suggested they continued to use the half-way station until 1960 so there may have been accommodation separate to the service station.

The photo was found in a book about the history of the Kyeamba area.

These two photos taken at Tumblong around 1960

Great photos.

Forgot about parking areas with the rocks left by blokes changing tyres.

We certainly had low standards in those days. How many truck stops had those crappy dirt surrounds? The operators did not even bother going out with a shovel occasionally to fill in the holes. I can remember some busy places that were like a motor cross course with puddles 6 inches deep.

Mentioned before about trucking yards that were nothing more than s....heaps. Some things in the good old days were not so good - and so easily fixed.

Lang

Lang wrote: I can remember some busy places that were like a motor cross course with puddles 6 inches deep
Lang

Lang, your description reminds me of B&M changeovers behind the Ampol in Nhill!

Couple of great old photos by Overnight of early days Tumblong.Single drive Seddon with single axle trailer, lurking behind , one of Chadwicks Leylands?? Newcastle truck?? One of Maynes own Atkinsons pulling little dog tanker, after Antill Ranger BUT pre Fluid Freight???

Dave_64 wrote: Couple of great old photos by Overnight of early days Tumblong.Single drive Seddon with single axle trailer, lurking behind , one of Chadwicks Leylands?? Newcastle truck?? One of Maynes own Atkinsons pulling little dog tanker, after Antill Ranger BUT pre Fluid Freight???

The Seddon has the word “Orminoid” above the windscreen. I think they were a bitumen coating company.

Ormonoid has been a specialist manufacturer and supplier of traditional bituminous membranes for highly technical applications, including roofing and tanking systems, since 1912. Ormonoid, who along with Davco is part of Sika

Looks like he might have been one of those lucky subbies with a permanent contract with one company. He probably still had to hunt for a back load unless he was on day work.

Lang

Our local service station is exactly as you picture it above, mostly dirt and plenty of pot hles. Just add colour and your here in Coopernook.

Dad drove for Ansett Freight Express mid seventies often doing Nambucca changeovers but usually stayed at my grandmother’s house where he grew up.
That’s how I came to know a few of the Ansett coach drivers as a kid and many years later worked with a few including John Allen that I still work with.
Dad returned to living in Nambucca about 25yrs ago working for Pell’s before buying his own coach. A couple other Ansett driver’s that he was still in touch with had already moved to live there but not sure if any are still alive. Dad has told me a few stories about the Ansett changeover house but can’t remember much unfortunately