ACTION’s 1983 Fleet

Details of ACTION’s fleet as of 30 September 1983.

Delivery and Withdrawal Dates
“Delivered” means the year in which a vehicle was handed over to the Department of Territories and Local Government (or one of its predecessor departments) by the contractor,

“Withdrawn” means the year in which a vehicle either was transferred to the Department of Administrative Services for disposal or was otherwise written off.

Engine Types
All buses in the ACTION fleet are powered by six cylinder diesel engines. The following table lists relevant particulars about each of the nine engine types in use

207 Class

Notes: First Volvo citybuses in Australia.

229 Class

Note: 331 is stored unregistered at Kingston pending transfer to the Department of Administrative Services for disposal.

236 Class

Notes

• The following vehicles were registered with non-matching registration plates from the time of their delivery until July 1975: 350 (ZIB 322), 351 (ZIB 323), 352 (ZIB 324) and 353 (ZIB 228).

• 359 is in all-over advertising livery for Esanda

251 Class

Note: Equipped with rear underfloor mounted Kiki air-conditioning unit, which is powered by an Isuzu diesel.

256 Class

Notes

• These were the first Leyland Nationals (other than the Leyland demonstrator) to enter service in Australia (from December 1974)

• Bodies constructed by the Leyland National Company were fitted out by Leyland Australia. The Leyland Australia bodies were assembled by c.k.d. kits supplied by the Leyland National Company

• 256-257, 259-262 and 270-271 have the long roof pod housing heating equipment. All others have the later model, shorter and higher, roof pod.

• 292 was written off as the result of accident damage, suffered in August 1978. The remains of the body shell are being wrecked for spare parts at Belconnen depot.

• 304 was fitted with STC electronic destination indicators during April 1983.

• 320 is currently being fitted with Gardner 6 HKX7 engine for evaluation purposes.

• The following vehicles are in all-over advertising livery: 257 (The Rug Doctor), 260 (Aussie Bonds), 261 (Canberra Building Society), 262 (Hodgkinson Real Estate), 263 (If…Menswear), 268 (Aussie Bonds), 269 (ABC Radio Station 2CN)

410 Class

Notes

• Buses in the 410 and 516 sub classes were imported from MAN Munich in framed condition. Skin, floor and internal fixtures were fitted by the bodybuilder

• Buses in the 553 subclass were imported from MAN Munich with frame completed to waist-rail height. The rest of the frame, skin, floor and internal fixtures were fitted by the bodybuilder.

• The chassis for buses in the 569 subclass were imported from MAN Munich. The bodybuilder constructed the frame and fitted the skin, floor and internal fixtures.

• The following external features of buses in the 516 subclass distinguish them from buses of the 410 subclass: Two roof hatches are fitted and two rotating ventilators are fitted

• The following external features of buses in the 553 and 569 subclasses distinguish them from buses in the 516 subclass: Air cleaner intake relocated to roof level and rear bumper fitted.

• 410 was the first bus in Australia built to the West German VOV design

• 442 is out of service at Belconnen Workshops following major accident damage

• 500 and 512 have single skin paneling fitted by MAN Munich

• 520 is an ex-MAN demonstrator new in 1977

• 553 is fitted with a Firestone ‘HELP’ energy absorbing bumper – the first bus in Australia to be so equpped.

• 558 was fitted with Gulton electronic destination indicators during August 1982.

• Construction of 580-582 was commenced by Smithfield Bus and Coach Works Pty Ltd and completed by Custom Coaches (Sales) Pty Ltd following the latter company’s acquisition of Smithfield’s plant and equipment with effect from 1 May 1981.

450 Class

Notes

• 450 was the first European-type articulated bus to enter service in Australia (in September 1976)

• 510 is an ex-MAN stock model new in 1978

585 Class

Notes

• Thirty nine O.305’s are on order for delivery in 1983 and 1984

• The chassis for the 29th unit of the initial order was diverted from Ansair to PMC Adelaide to become the prototype O-Bahn bus with ABS braking. A replacement chassis with ABS braking was bodied by Ansair during 1983 and delivered as 618, the first bus equipped with ABS braking to enter public service in Australia.

• 624 and 625 ae fitted with Public Address and Clarion sound systems

614 Class

Notes

• 614 was the first bus to be delivered, leaving 613 as the last number of an order of twenty-nine O.305’s. However, the 29th O.305 was delayed by the non-availability of a chassis with ABS braking and the fleet number reserved for it was filled by the third 0.305G to be built.

• 616 has not operated in Canberra. From March 1983 til June, prior to delivery to ACTION, it was used by Mercedes Benz (Australia) Pty Ltd for a demonstration tour of New Zealand. Since July 1983 it has been on hire from ACTION to the Brisbane City Council, operating as 998 (740.OSL) in that fleet.

Buses retained in the historic fleet

Notes

1. This vehicle was sold to Ron Prior, Batemans Bay, in 1959. Subsequently, Prior sold the vehicle to Colin Gray, a private restorer at Schofield, from whom the vehicle was purchased in June 1979.

2. The Regal III is believed to have been originally registered in the series C.59351-C.69362, and, upon completion of the restoration, it is planned to fit registration plates “C.59351”

3. Last bus built by Syd Wood. It was originally supplied by JH Bowden, Waverly (as Thornycroft agent) to JJ King, Kempsey in 1962. It was repurchased by Bowden in March 1974 before being sold to the (then) Department of Capital Territory on 14 June 1974, along with the other nine vehicles in the Bowden fleet, to assist the Canberra Omnibus Service (as ACTION was then known) overcome its 1974 vehicle shortage.

Buses in the historic fleet are painted in the liveries in foce at the time they were acquired”

• 050 is in all-over “Canberra Fawn” with a “Yellow-Gold” band-edged red below the windows. The AEC Regal Mk III will also be repainted in this livery.

• 112 and 156 are “Coffee” below the windows with “Arctic Green” window surrounds and roof separated by a “Carnation Red” band edged with white reflective tape (on 112 the edge was originally painted white)

• 240 is in the current colour scheme

Buses retained in the service fleet

Notes:

• Used as a mobile control room and for driver’s clothing issues. It was removed from the bus fleet in November 1975 and was re-registered ZID 460, in June 1976. It received its current registration number in July 1982.

Source
This information taken from “Bus Fleets: ACTION Canberra ACT”, compiled by L J Pascoe and published by Railmac Publications, Elizabeth SA.

See Also:

This page was last updated on 7 May 2022