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SHOWBUS AUSTRALIA BUS IMAGE GALLERY
Endeavour Coach Company of Geelong
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Undoubtedly the most interesting vehicle in the fleet, indeed in Australia, is Endeavour's former Standerwick Bristol VRLLH6L new in 1971 for express services between Lancashire and London, pounding up and down the M6 and M1 motorways. The ECW bodied coaches offered hostess services and survived in front line services till displaced by MCW Metroliners in the eighties. Initially Standerwick 66 (OCK66K) was in the cream and Ribble red livery of Standerwick, which was later replaced by National Express white. Standerwick was the express coaching arm of the mighty Ribble Motor Services. When its motorway days were over, it and five others of the original batch of thirty were sold to Tyne & Wear PTE for a shuttle service between Newcastle (UK) city centre and the North Sea Ferry Terminal, where their large luggage holds were very useful. There it was numbered 36.
Picture ref A2730 |
 From Tyne & Wear PTE the Bristol VR headed to Australia and was used by Hamer Bus Tours in Victoria in conjunction with the worldwide Top Deck Travel trecking camper buses, though its interior appears to have been unaltered. The rear door here would normally lead into the luggage compartment, but Endeavour replaced the longitudinal Leyland engine with a transverse one from a former Sydney Buses Leyland Atlantean.
Picture ref A2731 |
These pictures of former Standerwick 66 were all taken at Endeavour's Geelong depot in April 2014 when the company kindly allowed us access to see the vehicle. Its regular carer, Mike, insisted on taking us for a spin in the "old girl" though as she had been moved recently to mow the grass, the batteries had gone flat. This was solved at length by extracting batteries from an old Sydney Buses Leyland Leopard, latterly with Martin's of Albury, which was also on the site.
Picture ref A2732 |
This interior downstairs view shows the luggage rack over the front wheel arch - and battery housing - with the toilet door at the rear of the saloon. The seating looks to be original.
Picture ref A2733 |
Clearly ahead of its time in meeting EU regualtions, the offside emergency exit is a full depth floor level installation. Tyne & Wear PTE cream and yellow paint can be seen on the door edgings.
Picture ref A2735 |
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