Deals On Wheels Australia - May 2018

SYLVIA’S GAP

The ARTHC has chosen ‘Express Freight of

Yesteryear’ for this year’s theme. All ARTHC

supporters are invited to attend the weekend’s

activities, but former express drivers will be

especially welcome. It doesn’t matter which

company they worked for or what truck they

drove. The weekend will include a fundraising

dinner on Saturday, June 9, and the Sylvia’s Gap

Road Run on June 10.

Colin knows of a couple of Grey Ghosts which

are under restoration, and it is likely they will

be finished in time for the ARTHC Gundagai

weekend.

He plans to wear his old Kwikasair tie to the

ARTHC dinner on the Saturday night, and he

hopes to see plenty of other express freight

drivers there. The dinner will include a guest

speaker and an auction to raise funds for a larger,

permanent truck museum at Gundagai. (Bookings

are essential.)

On Sunday June 10, old and new trucks and

cars will leave the showgrounds for Sylvia’s Gap

Road Run. The convoy will travel parts of the old

Hume Highway which were bypassed in 1983.

Sylvia’s cutting is now on private property, but the

owners will open the gates for the run.

If the Grey Ghost restorations are finished in

time, seeing them drive through Sylvia’s Cutting

will be a highlight of this year’s Sylvia’s Gap Road

Run.

For more information about the ARTHC

Gundagai weekend visit http://www.arthc.com.au or

the Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre,

Gundagai – ARTHC Facebook Page.

JEALOUSY’

“Some people hated us, but I think it was mostly

jealousy because of the pay rate. We were getting

pretty well paid and there was no physical work.

When you got into the depot, you just got out of

your truck,” Colin says.

The drivers he overtook all night worked harder

for their money and spent more time away from

their families.

“They would spend all night driving and half

the day unloading and the other half of the day

loading.”

There were no CBs in the trucks when Colin

started working at Kwikasair. “All your signals

were done by cab light or hand signals or

blinkers – and everyone knew what they were.

But nowadays nobody seems to have a clue.”

Communication improved in the mid-1970s

when CBs were installed in the Kwikasair Grey

Ghosts. “Nine-Three was my call sign, and they’d

know your voice.”

Occasionally Colin drove the Yass-Melbourne

leg. He says the notorious section of highway

near Tumblong, NSW, known as Sylvia’s Gap, was

much more dangerous than the Cullerins.

“The Sylvia’s are pretty up and down and high

elevation and rocking and rolling.”

Colin enjoys reminiscing with other former

express drivers on Facebook. And occasionally

he’ll bump into one or two of them at a truck

show or reunion. He has circled June 9 and 10

on his calendar and looks forward to the long

weekend activities being organised at Gundagai

by the Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre

(ARTHC).

TRUCKING HISTORY

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5.Chris Nicholes with his WWII
Ford Jailbar at the ARTHC’s
temporary museum. The
ARTHC is raising funds for a
larger, permanent museum

6.ARTHC volunteers at

Sylvia’s Gap during last

year’s road run

7.Old and new trucks of all
sizes took part in last year’s
Sylvia’s Gap Road Run on a
section of the old Hume
Highway which is now
private property