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 6
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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