SRF116: 1987 NORTH SYDNEY & WILLOUGHBY BUS DEPOTS

Video taken during a visit to a number of Sydney bus depots back in December 1987.
Leyland Leopards
Mercedes Mk2s
Old Bus Advertising
Depot Buildings
Coming Soon: Ryde Depot and North & Western.
How it all used to be.
Notes outline what is known to have become of some of the buses and are from the fantastic, and much recommended, Bus Australia website).
It was a long time ago and the quality is far from fantastic. However, it is some incredible eye candy for the Bunzels in our society.
Enjoy..............Or hate. Whatever works best for you.
Semi Retired Foamer
alcogoodwin.blo...

[@timothysparks3062]

at 6.57 my late father in law, Roy McDonald hoves into view to speak to a driver. Roy was the union delegate for Willoughby Depot.

[@rongeremy6970]

Wow,, this was fantastic to see,,, thank you very much for sharing.. yes it does bring back great memories for me. We had the leopard and the Atlanteans in primary school. What a great piece of history, I thought they were ahead of there time with the pneumatic gear shifters nd gearbox , I was always amazed on how it all worked. It's a shame we don't have them in Queensland anymore, very lucky to see one every 10 yrs or so ,, well I'm lucky enough to , I restore and remake some parts of the pneumatic gear shifters off these old buses, great little hobby.. if you get a chance I've posted a few videos of them, still in the process just need more time to complete., thanks again.

[@NeathSpadge]

Thank you very much for your comments and I shall be checking out your videos. Brad

[@jeffestrada6857]

Awesome video seeing the old buses 🚎 Thanks 👍

[@ashleymalone1445]

I can’t deny it, that was cool.

[@NeathSpadge]

Many thanks

[@SR-xk8cd]

I didn’t know that the NSW Government were still running the old Leyland buses well into the 1980’s.

[@DoctorBrodski]

We still had the Leopard and Atlantean double-deckers in Cessnock into the 90s.

[@jamesfrench7299]

Withdrawn at the end of 89.

[@DKS225]

But despite the coincidence Brad another fantastic clip and i look forward to seeing the next ones

[@NeathSpadge]

Many thanks mate. Consider it a very late 7th birthday gift :-)

[@burgobusdriver1]

As an ex Gov driver getting the wipers on a mark 2 to work was a talent too fast or too slow was the usual result as they were air operated .

[@NeathSpadge]

Part of their charm? :-)

[@jamesfrench7299]

That was PHENOMENAL!! Do you have footage from the leopard's last year 1989?

[@NeathSpadge]

Thanks mate. To be honest I have no idea wgmhat I have. Much has deteriorated badly, while some keeps coming in from a friend I did copies for back in the 90s. Hoping to find more Leopard stuff

[@timothysparks3062]

I was the last driving instructor on the Leopards. 1510 I think was the last machine to go through the Dangar ST Driving School.

[@jamesfrench7299]

@@timothysparks3062 you'd know Mr Conyard then.

[@timothysparks3062]

@@jamesfrench7299 I left the driving school in 1991 so the name Conyard isn't familiar to me

[@jamesfrench7299]

@@timothysparks3062 He mentioned how he went through the Dangar St facility during his training in mid 89.

[@jeanjunkkari]

I remember an homeless man and a little dog sleeping rough down the vacant section of North Sydney depo during the 70s , I felt sorry for them so I gave him about $5000 , I was only 7 years old and it was monopoly money

[@jeanjunkkari]

I operated out of Willougby depo from the nineties, my sister was a conductor in the 70s , I left in the 2001 , I may write a book , trials and tribulations of a bus driver.

[@NeathSpadge]

I was stunned at the $5000. Then read the rest :-)

[@NeathSpadge]

Sounds like something I would read.

[@russtorque2993]

Sonny, what kind of camera 🎥 were u using to shoot this in '87?

[@NeathSpadge]

Can't remember if it was the horribly unreliable Hitachi one, or the significantly better Panasonic M7

[@NeathSpadge]

Hard to believe we used to lug these things everywhere. Now you can get footage with something that fits in your pocket. maltapark.com/item/details/9103077

[@russtorque2993]

@@NeathSpadge I see. It's nothing compared to my Samsung camcorder HMX-Q10 with 30X zoom, full HD 1920 x 1080, BSI Sensor with OIS Duo.

[@HaiderHaider-kk1dz]

Leyland best

[@DKS225]

You do realise although this is more or less Coincidence that you filmed this clip on the day that was my 7th Birthday Brad

[@charleyfarley9366]

I was just thinking when I saw the date at the beginning that this was recorded 3 days after my 7th birthday.

[@jamesfrench7299]

Leyland Leopard take offs. 3:29, 3:45, 7:27 & 8:15.