CMP buses in Australia

Keith Webb · #1 12-01-13, 10:15

We've seen the famous CMP based bus fleet in Burma, and also the occasional pic of one in Europe, and there is one in Sydney, but although there must have been quite a few, there don't seem to be many photographs of CMPs converted as buses here in Australia.
I just came across this potential blitz bus, but the wheels aren't right.

Source

Keith Webb · #2 12-01-13, 10:20

This is fun finding new pics!

Keith Webb · #3 12-01-13, 10:21

Quite a good thread here.

Keith Webb · #4 12-01-13, 10:22

Yet another

Private_collector · #5 12-01-13, 11:33

Keith, that first photo of yours has to be one of the greatest concentrations of ugly I have ever seen in one place, (and i've seen recent photos of Donatella Versace) so that's saying something.
p8.jpg p10.jpg p11.jpg
Do these qualify? Mostly disintegrated now, but once these vehicles were operating as tour vehicles, on Fraser Island, in Queensland. likely retired in late 1970s, they would have carried up to a couple of dozen tourists each, in........er......comfort?? No comfort about it. If my memory serves me correctly, I recall seeing at least one of these at work, when my family visited the island in late 60s or early 70s. Constant exposure and driving through salt water & sand didn't bode well on them.

On the island, there was a location that we stopped at where WWII commandos were trained. Certain features were still visible then, including a rotting jetty, concrete pads for ???, and a pit which was supposed to be used for some training activity. Maybe they were training to climb out of a latrine! Wouldn't have been the biggest s__t pile they operated in, thats for sure.

I tried to slip away to snoop around, but was spotted. Guess there's virtually nothing left there now. Tour guide told us it was a secret commando base, and I remember thinking it wasn't much of a secret by then.

The owner and tour operator was a friend of mine, who passed away in October. I expect these vehicles and a number of other CMPs, will have been scrapped by now.

motto · #6 12-01-13, 13:33

I went over to Fraser Is and with Ross Prince some years ago not that long after the logging was stopped. He showed me the remains of some Studebaker US6s that had been used by a tour operator and were going the same way as the Blitzs in the photos. In one area there was a line up of trucks abandoned by the loggers that included a couple of International 2-1/2 ton 6x6s also showing the ravages of their job and the environment.

We had a look around the commando training area but there wasn't a lot to see.There was a large cylindrical object that may have been a boiler down on the shore line that they had been attaching explosive charges to as part of their training.

Another leftover was a V8 side valve engine laying on the ground with the heads off. Taking a close look at it I noticed what appeared to be some poly-rope in the water jacket - And then it moved! A snake had taken up residence and I bet the b*****d was of the poisonous variety as well. We didn't contest ownership.

David