Leyland Hippo

On our recent 3 week trip around the place we found this old bugga on display at HARS Air Museum in Albion Park Rail. IT is an old Leyland Hippo and when I looked inside they have an alloy steering wheel which must be because of possible no power steering other than 'Armstrong' style. This also must have been a big benefit in the cold climate areas when it snows and the allow would get a bit cool to touch with bare naked hands.

I will have a look through the pics as I get them sorted for other treasures that may interest you lot. Have planned the next trip but will depend on the weather clearing up.

The Poms never quite nailed the look of most the trucks they produced, not been biased or anything but when compared to a lot of Yanky built stuff of a similar era the Yanks new how to build trucks that looked tough even if they werent

This is a pretty good example of a Pommy truck looks wise

Paul

Bobby Addison had one of these bought from the airforce...thing had about 1500 miles on it .............Unfortunately he cut it up when he went senile ......graet pity ,it was very original...think its a 22H Hippo of about 1950

Nice looking tanker cobbadog.
Cute chrome eyebrows too! :dry:
Cheers
Pierre

Cobbadog There is a car museum at Albion Park Rail as well.

I was planning to see the HARS Museum a few years ago when I was there but is was closed for renovation or something.

Pierre, I was thinking eye brows and mostache but they are upside down.
We also want to see the car museum next time we are that way. A few years back we went to the railway museum which is close by. What a wonderful experience that was for us both. Got the royal tour with nothing off limits as we walked in on a maintenance day and when they saw the look on our faces when they said it was closed for maintenance (mid week) they said come on in anyway and have a good look around. We were taken to every building went down in the pitts and through the machine shops then told to go back anywhere we want to and take more pics.
They also had a plan back then but now knocked on the head to run a rail track connecting all 3 museums. That would be no good for us as it takes us a full day just to do one of the museums. We did notice at the HARS museum that people and Families visit and leave in under an hour. Impossible to take it in, in that short time.

I appreciate this is somewhat off track from the Hippo, which I think is a fabulous bit of gear, and never considered them as eyebrows until now. My comment is related to time spent in museums . . .

At the Heritage Centre I volunteer at in Crystal Brook it takes approximately an hour and a half to two hours to walk around what was a shop, underground bakery, and house, with additional sheds full of interesting items from around the area. It does not look very big initially, but people are often surprised how much is actually there.

Conducting these tours I feel that there is so much more that could be pointed out to visitors, but the interest level of customers has to be considered and the limited times that we are open simply doesn't permit much more.

Morris wrote:

Cobbadog There is a car museum at Albion Park Rail as well.

I was planning to see the HARS Museum a few years ago when I was there but is was closed for renovation or something.

The Dapto Motorlife Museum , 5 minutes drive north of HARS has opened up again this week on Wednesdays and Sundays. Check with the museum if you are planning a visit as opening days may change.

This style of Leyland cab was introduced in 1949 with then new 600 and later the 680 motors. As time went on more embellishments were added making this one mid 50's. This cab was superseded by the 'Vistavue' cab otherwise known as the LAD.

No idea how it came about, but the old Hippo was here in Geelong for a while. She still runs, we drove it up on the trailer- no brakes though!
Some local goombie got the job of taking it up to the HARS museaum, complete with the first ever drive (for me) down the Maquarie Pass. An "interesting" piece of road in a semi, thats for sure.
The HARS museum was terrific, the fellows were happy to show me around all the interesting displays. Definitely worth a look if you can!
Cheers
Rich