Old Kwikasair SARs

Here's another little piece of the puzzle. Squeak, you're right on the money. I had a look at some photos of some old Comet pick up and delivery trucks. These show that 8 and 12 tonne vans and tray trucks had the *PD*** numbering. But the smaller 3, 4 and 6 tonne vans had *PP*** numbering. And the more I think about it the Kwikasair fleet had *KD*** and *KP*** numbering as well.

I've had a look over some Comet trailer photos too. The numbering for them is *PV*** for pantechs and *PW*** for tautliners.

And Richie, you are amazing. The Comet jiggers you posted I can remember. Then you put up the TNT W model with trailer 1KV135. I'm positive that I towed this trailer to do a local pick up one day. I was getting loaded with pallets, stacked 2 rows high. The bloke was driving the forklift into the back of the trailer with pallets stacked 2 high. I saw him go in with just one pallet on one of his runs in. I thought he was getting towards the end of the load, so he wasn't double stacking the pallets. Next run in he again has one pallet. Next thing, BANG! He tried to lift that second single pallet on to the top of the first. He put the forklift mast through the roof of the pantech. > Put a decent hole in it, but I was able to get it back to the workshop. I'm positive that is the same trailer. What other surprises have you got for me? Thanks for more memories.

Rene , I am having trouble placing ***428 into the time scale as the last of the LTL's where around the 33* no's and the first of the series 60 powered LTS was 1pa413.
I drove this truck for some time on SYD DUBBO SYD each night when new as the linehaul manager had little faith in new technology, whilst no problem reading number at 200% it just does not add up.

Young Fella , have photo,s of first b double going to Canberra from SYD but having trouble locating.was 1pa360 I think and I have just seen photo in other post (manure happens) of slight bending of metal and fiberglass.

Richie , great photo's of the old change station, looks like sat arvo change overs.

squeak

Squeak, I think the NQX LTL's were new to NQX's fleet not hand me downs from the rest of TNT. If you look you will see they are the standard wheelbase, not the short wheelbase Comet had.

Howdy , great bit of info on TNT fleet numbers there fellars . My old Autocar spent some time in TNT colours with St Peters NSW and later ferryden pk SA on the door . The fleet no. on the bonnet is 5NA 340 . I would certainly appreciate any info regarding this truck . Rob

Rene , I am having trouble placing ***428 into the time scale as the last of the LTL's where around the 33* no's and the first of the series 60 powered LTS was 1pa413.
squeak

Hey Squeak I've got numbers in my list for LTLs going right up to 408 so far

Was 1PA360 a T600 KW??? I'm trying to get a fleet list together with make and model ...... if possible

Also if K was for KAA why are most TNT coloured trucks *KT***.......and If A is for artic is T for Truck as in Rigid? ... If so why do most TNT coloured trucks use T as the second letter

was the numbering system similar but different for the "Grey Ghost" era seems like they were all *KT*** whether they were KAA, Comet, etc.


Thanks Young Fella for the PUD prefixes

Thanks Rene for the prefix ....never seen that before
Also sorry I con't scan the photos of 3SA343 and 3SA431 at the moment as my scanner is acting up and wont save to my computer for some reason...... > >

Thanks young fella and squeak.Yeah good to bring back memories for all.Id love to see more tnt/comet/kwikasair photos .I still remember as a kid lookin out my grandmas window each night watchin the trucks do changeovers in Mururrundi.I became good friends over the years with the caretaker there.His name was I think Mike Orman.

Yeah squeak they were the Saturday arvo changeovers.It was usually after lunch the sydney runs changed over.

squeak,the picture of the NQX prime mover come from a Carpentaria document dating back from the early eighties.So I got a more powerful magnifying glass and looking again after the original photo,I finally got the complete digits which are 4QA718.The document includes another photo this time of a Ford LNT (short front end) showing the digits 4QA709.The prime mover is pulling a tipping trailer for the transport of bulk commodities.

bigcam,looking back to my TNT documentation I finally find a NQX unit showing the letter C in its digits.The truck is a three tonne pantek japaneese vehicle operating from the Townsville terminal showing the following digits 4CD408.The picture is dating back from 1995.

PS: Have you a picture of your prime mover pulling a NQX trailer?

I never thought there would be so much interest in the TNT fleet numbers. But it's great.

Werkhorse, 1PA360 was absolutely, positively a KW T600. And I'm pretty sure that 407 and 408 were the very last 2 LTL's in the Comet fleet. They were 425 'electornic' CAT's with 15 speed RR's. I'm pretty sure 407 did the Melb/Canberra with 382, and 408 pulled the big 45 ft. drop-deck adjustable floor pantech (can't remember the fleet number) on Melb/Syd.

Squeak, I remember 413. The very first Comet LTS. Series 60 with 18 speed on air. It was a longer wheelbase than later LTS's 421, 422, 423 and 424 (which ended up doing the b-doubles). Everyone wanted to have a crack at it because of the 18 speed, it was a bit of a novelty. But I much preferred the old 350 CAT LTL's. Would I be right in saying that 413 spent a lot of time pulled the big drop-deck tautliner 1PW113 between Melb/Syd?

Keep it comin' fellas!