BCSV: Bus and Coach Society of Victoria

06/06/2026

Come see the buses & ride the trains! 🚍🚂
If you're coming to Museum of Vehicle Evolution - MOVE in Shepparton & Goulburn Valley tomorrow, make sure to find time for Emerald Bank Train Rides too, literally next door!

Miniature trains operate on the first Sunday each month (excluding January) from 10am till 2pm, departing from nearby the large windmill.

This Sunday at the moment is looking like a fine (but cloudy) day so it would be a good chance to get out with the kids.

$3 per ride.

Two trains will be operating - The Jumbuck and The Boss. Driver Charlie and his team from Euroa Miniature Railway are looking forward to seeing you all.

All part of the Emerald Bank experience! 👌

05/06/2026

MYKI Contactless 'TAP & GO' Payments coming to a train station near you! 📲💳

FROM 15 MARCH: Craigieburn, Upfield, Ballarat and Seymour lines

FROM 7 JUNE: Sunbury, Pakenham, Cranbourne, Metro Tunnel, Werribee, Williamstown, Sandringham, Frankston, Stony Point, Bendigo, Gippsland and Geelong lines

FROM 14 JUNE: Mernda, Hurstbridge, Lilydale, Belgrave, Alamein and Glen Waverley lines

LATER: Buses, Trams, paper/eTicket sections of the V/Line network, non-myki town buses

CONCESSION HOLDERS, seniors and those under 18 should continue using their concession or free Youth myki for now.

MORE: https://transport.vic.gov.au/news-and-resources/campaigns/tap-and-go

05/06/2026

Roaring into the long weekend like...🚍😍

Enjoy this virtual ride onboard restored Dermpav ex MMTB #560 (AEC Regal Mk3, Martin & King) from 1953, back on the road after a 12-year restoration journey

Terrific video from Tyson Tran 👏

https://youtu.be/kv-yIwkkYfA?si=JYQd9AwC_FsfZE6L

05/06/2026

Shepparton bus memories from the Keith Kings collection 🚍

Come visit our new Classic Bus Pavilion at Museum of Vehicle Evolution - MOVE in Shepp over the long weekend & catch the Out & About shuttle - https://sheppandgv.com.au/events/special-events/out-and-about

04/06/2026

HISTORY OF THE AEC MK3 BUS in MELBOURNE 🚍
135 AEC Regal Mark 3 buses were delivered to the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board over the 3 year period 1/1951 to 12/1953.

They were built a body design by the MMTB with the bus having a length of 33 feet 7½ inches (10.5m) and being 8 feet 2 inches (2.49m) wide seating 41 passengers. It has a 9.6 litre engine with pre-selective gearbox.

The first 65 were bodied by Commonwealth Engineering (Comeng) in Sydney (Buses #346 - #363; 432 - #449; & #501 - #529), one was bodied by Ansair (Bus #530) in 3/52 and the remaining 69 were bodied by Martin & King in Melbourne at their High Street Armadale premises (Buses #531 - #599).

Seventy were built with the front door half a window from the bulkhead (see first photo of Bus #351) while the other 65 were built with the door one and half windows away (see photo of Bus #439).

The MMTB designated the first type as either one-man (driver only) or two-man (driver and conductor) buses, and the second type as two-man buses.

The union objected to the first type being operated by a driver only and an Arbitration Commission decision in the mid-50s resulted in buses longer than 30 feet (9.1m) in length being required to have a conductor as well as a driver.

The MMTB eventually decided to reduce the length of their “one-man” buses to 30 feet and also removed the rear door. It reduced seating to 32.

Sixty such alterations were done in batches in the period 1961 to 1972. Some were undertaken at the MMTB Workshops, and others at Ansair, R V Piper (at Ventura’s Centre Road depot), Bailey Motors of Brunswick, Austral Repairs in Carlton, Cheetham & Borwick in Carlton and Melstub Bodyworks (location unknown):

SUNDAY'S TOUR BUSES 🚍
Bus #560 was new in August 1953 and was withdrawn from service in 1978. It was purchased by Colin Hirst and used by him until he passed away. The bus was transferred to Gary Davey who then sold it to Dee Decker Tours where it went into storage until purchased by DERMPAV and transferred to Newport on the 28th April 2012.

Bus #592 was new in November 1953 and, like #560, was delivered in the bus green with silver roof livery. It was purchased at auction after withdrawal by David Oaten in 1980 and then on sold to John Phillips later that year. John remains the current owner.
It had been shortened or “bobtailed” in 1961/62 by R V Piper and placed in a new MMTB livery for buses, being a lighter “tram” green with cream windows and roof and it remains in that livery.

Photos from Keith Kings (via State Library Victoria) and MMTB official photos

Notes prepared by BCSV Secretary & Archives Officer Paul Kennelly

04/06/2026

Considering a day trip to Shepparton over the long weekend to visit our Classic Bus Pavilion at MOVE?

Hop on the 9:16 train & be met by the FREE Shepparton & Goulburn Valley Out & About Dysons shuttle bus running for the long weekend 🚍 Cheap half-price V/Line fares just $4 return on weekends ($2 concession)!

Stop at Sam Shepparton Art Museum for their Degas to Picasso exhibition as well 🎨

O&A timetable - https://sheppandgv.com.au/events/special-events/out-and-about

03/06/2026

More highlights from Sunday's BCSV + DERMPAV TOUR: AEC Regal Mk3 afternoon (SOLD OUT) onboard two classic 1953 Tramways buses from the MMTB 🚍

Dermpav have done an amazing job with the restoration of #560 back to it's orginial condition & livery 😍👌

John Phillips also deserves high praise for maintaining #592 in fine order, especially in private ownership 🌟👍

Future tours, inculding for the general public, will be held with #560 once accreditation is obtained by Dermpav.

Colin, Elvis and the team will discuss the 12-year restoration journey at our November social meeting (rescheduled)

Thanks to Craig Halsall for his coverage 🚍

03/06/2026

ICYMI... 🚍🤗🎉

The well-known operator is today marking two decades to the day since it opened its innovative head depot in Melbourne’s north

02/06/2026

Despite the impending sale to Kinetic, a big milestone for Dysons today - 20 years at their modern Bundoora depot 🚍🎉

The depot & head office was built on built on the site of a former quarry about 1km west of the 1982 Bundoora depot also located on McKimmies Rd (near RMIT).

It allowed consolidation of the original depot on Plenty Rd, East Preston (Reservoir), last used to house runs ex Reid's & selected school runs (but closed in 2003/2004), along the old Cobb & Co Tullamarine depot and provided space for future growth and was built to accommodate the entire fleet of 235 buses based in Melbourne at the time.

Future expansion would include the takeover of Northern Bus Lines in 2008, new routes in Wollert and Mernda, more school charter routes and involvement with the SmartBus orbitals from 2010 to 2013 (under the East-West banner).

The site set a new benchmark for bus depots in Victoria, featuring numerous state-of-the-art facilities and modern administration offices. There's even a display room beside reception to show off one of the Dysons heritage buses on a rotating basis.

2006 was a busy year for Dysons with the Commonwealth Games, the purchase of Kyneton Bus Lines and the launch of their new corporate livery.

The state government also began their minimum standards rollout in the second half of 2006, with expanded hours & Sunday services introduced on most Dysons routes over the following 18 months.

Since July 2025 Bundoora depot has become the base for their MZF contract and upgrade works will see it house up to 188 electric buses by 2035, with charter operations largely moved to more humble ex-Reservoir Bus Company depot.

(Credit to Dysons for the photos)

02/06/2026

ELECTRIC DREAMS 🚍⚡️
Recent delivery for Christian's Bacchus Marsh - #836 (Volvo BZL, GBV), seen wearing a rather clinical version of an electric bus promotional livery, the first electric bus with the new Transport Victoria branding

This supersedes the prominent & colourful decals featured on the electric buses delivered in PTV livery