HCVA - 2023

Vehicle Background:
Soon after the end of World War II, a total of 845 double deck bus chassis were ordered by the Department of Road and Tramways from manufacturers in the United Kingdom. Albion Motors Limited of Glasgow, Scotland, supplied 143 Albion Venturer SPCX19W's chassis, making it one of the largest customers of this Scottish firm. The Sydney fleet also had the distinction of being the second largest group of this type of vehicle in the world. Only Glasgow in Scotland had a greater number of vehicles. Prior to this order, the Department had only purchased 47 double deck chassis from the Co. This order was the last purchase of Albions as the Company was taken over by Leylands in 1951. The fleet of Albions were all built as 73 passenger vehicles (59 seated, 14 standing), by both Clyde Engineering Co. of Granville and Commonwealth Engineering Co. of Granville in the 1947 to 1949 period. All but four were converted to 61 seaters in the early 1960's by the removal of the canvas front door and the fitting of an additional double seat.

Albion double deckers became synonymous with the Warringah area. The major proportion of them being allocated to Manly depot from 1947. The new depot at nearby Brookvale was completed in 1952 and all its vehicles were then transferred to these facilities. Manly depot which had been a converted tram depot was then closed. Other new Albions were introduced into service at the North Sydney depot from 1947. When Willoughby depot was commissioned in 1958, a sizeable allocation was based at this installation to operate bus services on lower north shore routes.

The first withdrawal took place in 1964 following an accident involving a low bridge, while the final demise of the type occurred in December 1970. In 1963, towards the end of their careers a major re-organisation of services took place. A large number of Albions were transferred from Brookvale and other Northern depots to Pagewood in the South Eastern suburbs. This movement was required in connection with the introduction of driver only operated buses on many Northside services.

No 2023 was built by Clyde and went into service in August 1948 The bus worked its entire government career in the Warringah area. The bus was withdrawn in 1968 and sold the same year to Liddell Coaches of Muswellbrook, N.S.W. The vehicle was used with others of its type to transport workers from that town to the construction site of the Liddell Power Station. It was registered MO-5215. After the contract expired the bus was sold to Cliff Dorahy, a bus operator at Narrabri, whereupon it was again reregistered as MO-5917.

The bus was acquired by a member in 1980. In 1995 the bus was sold to another member who did more restoration work on the body, the engine and other running units. The Association acquired 2023 in 1997 and it is now one of the active running fleet of vintage double deck buses.

ENGINE: Six cylinder O.H.V. 9.08 litre Albion Diesel Type EN 242. 120 bhp. @ 1700 RPM

TRANSMISSION: Four speed Albion constant mesh gearbox with a worm drive differential.