Early Deepdene to Mont Park
By August 1950 Route 49a had very good service frequencies:
Monday to Friday: 7:00 am-9:00 am 15 minutes, 9:00 am-1:00 pm 20 minutes, 1:00 pm-6:00 pm 15 minutes, 6:00 pm-12:00 am 20 minutes.
Saturday: 6:30 am-6:00 pm 15 minutes, 6:00 pm-12:00 am 20 minutes.
Sunday: A single morning service extended to Camberwell Station then 1:00 pm-4:00 pm 10 minutes, 4:00 pm-6:00 pm 15 minutes, 6:00 pm-12:00 am 20 minutes. Sunday afternoon was the busiest period with all the hospital visitors.
Bell Street January 1955 waiting for Sunday afternoon
These frequencies required 10 buses to service the route.
photo at Camberwell Station with driver Charles Craig 1946 in the traditional bus driver’s dustcoat, driving the 1946 International KS 9 with Symons and Fowler body)
In 1952 the bus company was owned by Claude Moriarty and Bill Molan – all of the bus maintenance was done ‘in house’ with great speed and skill to ensure there was minimal service inconvenience. Passengers transferred to a waiting bus at the depot and the repaired bus was back on the road in 20 minutes.
Bus outside M&M Motors
bus ZA281 1952 Vulcan-Bedford _Symons and Fowler
1957 bus – GRH795
bus KGV 359 Bedford VAM70_Comair in 1975
bus PC1001 Volgreen bodied Dennis F Dart SLF 1998
Acknowledgements go to Alan Greenhill for information gleaned from his article on the Ivanhoe Bus Service in the Australian Bus Panorama Vol 21 Special Edition December 2005 .
Thanks also to Paul Kennelly of The Bus and Coach Society of Victoria Incorporated for provision of the photos of the earlier buses and Graham Goeby for collating the information and photos and his review of the evolution of buses on the Mont Park to Cotham Road route (49a)
See related posts: History of the Mont Park and Gresswell bus service
