Bus Stop and Shelter discussion

[route56]

Over the last week I have visited several locations and taken photos for my book (as discussed on the Bus 670 tour) titled 'Bus Stops of Canberra - the Compleat Guide'.

If you know of the best examples of different bus stops in Canberra only, please post the locations here.

I will use this thread to update people on the books progress.

[Kramden]

Perhaps for your cover shot you could use the distinctive brown plastic shelter stop...well, it LOOKS plastic, located on Narrabundah Lane Symonston.  I think it's the first stop after Geoscience Australia on route 80 heading to Woden.  By coincidence I only saw it today for the first time.  Have never seen one like it ANYWHERE!

Happy snapping and good luck with your book.

[Barry Drive]

Just drove a 934 - plenty of notable shelters on that route. Including Canberra Hospital, Parliament House, ANU (each have shelters unique to their location). Also Hughes Shops has a bunker which still has 2 old ACTION logos and a stop on Kent St (also bunker) still has not only the original orange plastic seat, but a seat-back as well.
Scullin Shops has a shelter which I've not seen anywhere else.
Somewhere there's an old bus stop peg with Signal Bus still painted on - I can't remember where it was, but it might be somewhere not regularly serviced.

[King of Buses]

if you don't have pics of the shelters like what was at the city interchange,
There is City West or Kippax.
I also have designed a Ashell Bus Shelter model for your book as you asked, still to do more bus shelters.
Good Luck!

[Snorzac]

Font forget the giant adShels at BCBS.



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[route56]

Thanks for the suggestions folks.

King of Buses - i have made a bunker shelter from a cut down dunny roll centre. Im not sure what scale it is....

I'll be out taking some more photos this week.

I need to make a list of all different types of shelter as well. I will post it in a week or two.

[Barry Drive]

Most common shelter types:
Bunker, Aluminium, blue metal, Adshel, red metal (only in City & Manuka).
Also terminus shelters (a few variations) - such as at Watson, Chapman, Farrer (weatherboard), Narrabundah, Weston, Kippax (just facilities - no seats), Spence.
Don't forget the stops on National Circuit and Langton Av.

Bunker at Marcus Clarke St (which may not be around much longer) has ACTION logos and original seating.

Would be good to try to get a variety of seats as well. Many stops have new metal/plastic seats, but a few concrete/wood slat seats may still remain, just can't think of any locations.

See if you can get permission to photograph the stop at AMC.

[Buzz Killington]

Off the top of my head, there's a few different types of blue metal shelters in Monash (along the 63), Gordon (Lewis Luxton and Knoke) and Conder (Box Hill Av, Tom Roberts Av)

There's an old 'signal bus' peg which I think is along Archdall St (Macgregor?) with a route number on it. There's also the old blue and white school bus pegs which doubled as commuter express stops on some routes - at least three examples of this are in Kambah - Boddington Cr between Drakeford and Bacchus, Livingston Av between Atkins and Sulwood, and finally on McTaggart Crescent.

There used to be a peg on Newcastle St between the lights at McDonalds and the next roundabout - had a blue and red sign on it. Not sure if it is still there or not.

but a few concrete/wood slat seats may still remain, just can't think of any locations.

Used to be a few on Boddington Cres in Kambah from memory. Not sure if they still are.

Langton Av

A rare slip!

[Kramden]

...a stop on Kent St (also bunker) still has not only the original orange plastic seat, but a seat-back as well..

Was just driving (not a bus!) along Osburn Drive MacGregor in a west/south west direction and noticed two more bunkers in a row with orange seat backs.  First one was near the old BP servo.

[Barry Drive]

OK, Langton Cres. That will teach me not to check a map before posting.

[Buzz Killington]

Can see why you'd confuse the names of Langton Cres and Langdon Ave. They are very similar.

[The Love Guru]

Went past 2 ACTION style bunkers in Goulburn on Saturday. One even had the ACTION orange plastic panel below the window. The other had a green one, similar to the current low floor buses.

[Busnerd]

There's plenty of them in Sydney too. Belrose, Wakehurst Parkway in whatever suburb it is in, Woodville Road outside McDonalds Merrylands, no doubt John will remember this one from driving to his marshalling post at Parramatta (except when he stays in a hotel)

[King of Buses]

The Shelter on Corinna St in Phillip is different to the others I've seen around the place.
Also there are some bunkers on Canberra Ave when heading to Queanbeyan.
Oaks Estate has the old Bus Shelter there as well.

If you really want to go searching for a bunker in the middle of nowhere, somewhere on the way to Captains flat there is a bunker (unsure of whether it is Ex-ACTION or other) seems to be utilised by coaches...

I've done an Adshel model, and I'm now working on the blue shelters and Bunkers.

Good Luck once again!

[lukeo25]

And there is a bunker near maitland rail station

[King of Buses]

You may want to use pics of the bunkers painted in different things. The ones I know of are in Bruce CIT and down near Alfred Deakin High School. There are others though. Also, if the book is only about shelters, oughtn't the title be  Bus Shelters of Canberra as buyers may think it includes bus stops signs/other infrastructure?
Good Luck!

[Buzz Killington]

A few in Barton on Kings Ave and from memory Ainsworth St had a few painted shelters too.

[route56]

In the 80's or 90's local schools took ownership of bunker shelters and decorated them. Is there a list of these anywhere, and per chance photographs ?

[belcodriver]

In the 80's or 90's local schools took ownership of bunker shelters and decorated them. Is there a list of these anywhere, and per chance photographs ?

Can't remember where or when I saw this but one of the shelters had a plaque on it saying something like "This shelter was painted as part of the Duratone shelter painting competition in 1988" but the shelter had since been whitewashed so some wit grafittied next to the plaque "minimalism eh?"

[Barry Drive]

It was "Montone Paint and Wallpaper".

This comes from the ACT Bus History section:

Bus Shelter Painting Competition
When is grafitti not grafitti? When it's part of the ACTION/Montone Paints and Wallpaper Bus Shelter Painting Competition! The second year of the competition in 1988 saw another 50 shelters come alive and more schools and community groups collect great prizes! Lyneham High School won the overall prize for its shelter in Archibald St, Lyneham. They won the $1,000 cheque from Montone Paints and Wallpaper and $300 worth of bus travel.

Three other prizes of $300 worth of bus travel were awarded to the winners of the three categories. The pre/primary school sction was won by Rosary Demonstration School in Watson with its shelter in Knox Street, Watson. Dickson College won the Secondary School College division with its shelter in Antill Street Dickson (opposite Cadell Street). The Open/Community Groups section was won by Bruce Hostel for the intellectually disabled. Their shelter is the second stop on Haydon Drive opposite Calvary Hospital.

Entries were judged by Senior Lecturer of the Australian National Gallery Education Centre, Barbara Brinton, who in each section carefully considered the subject chosen. the use of the shape of the shelter in the design. the use of colour and interesting paint application, whether the design was appropriate for the surroundings and the impact and "talking points"

[Irisbus Rider]

There's plenty of them in Sydney too. Belrose, Wakehurst Parkway in whatever suburb it is in, Woodville Road outside McDonalds Merrylands, no doubt John will remember this one from driving to his marshalling post at Parramatta (except when he stays in a hotel)

I never take the Ken-recommended route of Woodville Rd, but yes, I know the shelter you're talking about.

This sounds like a good idea, 'route56'. I'm anticipating the outcome of this shelter-related book, which no doubt will include 'paper shelters' for self assembly. Heck, it could even include fold out shelters in the book

[Sir Pompously]

See, the difference with the Bus Shelter painting comp is that it was local art, done by ordinary people or groups in a local sense, and was fun for all involved. The crap $300,000 artworks we see around Canberra at the moment are just not worth it, we have a crap wind thing, some metal dumped in the ground, a penis on a wooden stand..... The best thing we have is "The Parcel". I say bring back the the bunker shelter painting comp, give out real prizes and it will be a much cheaper way of encouraging public artworks in the ACT!

And remember all, there is a bunker shelter at Tallong, which may have come from Bredbo station (Which had a bunker waiting shelter there).

Also, Complete is Complete, not compleat (Sorry, but that was bugging me). Good luck with the book.

[Buzz Killington]

Also, Complete is Complete, not compleat (Sorry, but that was bugging me). Good luck with the book.

I figured it was a subtle nod to the works of Shaun Micallef.

[Kramden]

...When is grafitti not grafitti? When it's part of the ACTION/Montone Paints and Wallpaper Bus Shelter Painting Competition! The second year of the competition in 1988 saw another 50 shelters come alive and more schools and community groups collect great prizes! Lyneham High School won the overall prize for its shelter in Archibald St, Lyneham. They won the $1,000 cheque from Montone Paints and Wallpaper and $300 worth of bus travel...

I pulled up at the bunker on Liversidge St (ANU) northbound to swap drivers while doing route training yesterday.  I noticed not only has the '80s graffiti/artwork survived intact in this bunker, but according to the blue plaque the work was the creation of someone named 'Klaus Pinker'.   The similarity of the artist's name and that of TWU official Klaus Pinkas was not lost on me.  Could be a curiousity item for the intended book.  One could also speculate that both Klauses are infact one in the same and that the plaque might contain a typo.  Worth checking out perhaps.

[King of Buses]

there is also the shelters in Duntroon which are different to others...

[ajw373]

I really like the old wooden shelters found in the older suburbs. Good to see some have survived.

Just one thing though, how about calling your book "The Complete Guide". Compleat is a real word but the meaning doesn't make sense in the context of your book, so you wouldn't want a spelling mistake in the title!

[Bus 400]

Two different shelters are at ADFA & at Jamison Shops.

[smitho]

Last Shelter on Carruthers St, Curtin northbound B4 left turn into Throssel St is a 'one off' as far as I know.

[route56]

Can anyone tell me when bus stop signs moved from wooden pegs, to steel poles with a sign on them?

When was this first done?
Where?
Are any wooden pegs still use?
Where they always painted yellow?

[King of Buses]

I don't really know that much about the pegs/poles, but some wooden pegs are still in use around the older suburbs. e.g. Kambah, Curtin, Hackett, Mitchell and some Belconnen. there are lots more of places where they are used.
If you are looking for a good quality peg, there is a nice one on Drakeford Dr when heading northbound. (1st stop of Woden bound 60 on drakeford dr. I pass it daily.

[ajw373]

Can anyone tell me when bus stop signs moved from wooden pegs, to steel poles with a sign on them?

When was this first done?
Where?
Are any wooden pegs still use?
Where they always painted yellow?

In relation to the colour, the answer is no. There were some that were in different colours. Cannot recall the exact colours and uses, but for example there were stops that were school services only and I think weekend only and peak hour only stops too, which were a different colour. Blue and white and red and white comes to mind.

[Barry Drive]

There are still a few blue and white pegs to be found. Try Ashkanasy Cr, Evatt or Bingley Cr, Fraser. Not sure whether any Red and White ones survive.

The first non-wooden Bus Stop sign were similar to street signs (in size). Those are the ones which have the street name and a stop number on them. There are still many of these to be found. (Try Spofforth St, Holt.)  Some stops also had an additional "Commuter Express" stop blade for the days when Express services only serviced every second stop. This may also help date when these signs were first used.

As for colour, I have to disagree with my learned friend ajw373. Although none remain now, there used to be an alternative to the black/orange Bus Stop peg (orange peg with black band and writing): the Section peg. They would have ceased being used in the 70's (?) when the sectional fares were replaced by flat fares - it was like a Signal Bus peg, except that the black band was red and it read Section (in red) instead of Signal Bus. It might have also been a different base colour (more yellow than orange). I think it doubled as a Bus Stop peg, but I'm not certain about that.

[ajw373]

As for colour, I have to disagree with my learned friend ajw373. Although none remain now, there used to be an alternative to the black/orange Bus Stop peg (orange peg with black band and writing): the Section peg. They would have ceased being used in the 70's (?) when the sectional fares were replaced by flat fares - it was like a Signal Bus peg, except that the black band was red and it read Section (in red) instead of Signal Bus. It might have also been a different base colour (more yellow than orange). I think it doubled as a Bus Stop peg, but I'm not certain about that.

Disagree with what? The question was asked if they were always painted yellow. To which I said NO, meaning of course there were other colours!

[Busnerd]

Generally speaking, SECTION signs/pegs are generally bus stops too, it is just telling the driver mainly where the section starts/finishes

[smitho]

National Botanic Gardens shelter is certainly unique; probably has the greatest seating capacity of any shelter on the ACTION network. Although ACTION services through here are pretty limited, this shelter is also serviced by plenty of tourist / charter services.

The shelters outside the Senate and Reps wings of Parliament House and those on Federation Mall are certainly unique in design and the fact that they were built by the Parliament House Construction Authority.

[route56]

What sort of Bus Stop is located at the prison? Is it a custom bus stop or just an ordinary one ? I want to know if its worth the drive and the potential for hassle when i take photos.

[smitho]

What sort of Bus Stop is located at the prison? Is it a custom bus stop or just an ordinary one ? I want to know if its worth the drive and the potential for hassle when i take photos.

It is a one-off design as I recall; bus has to go through some kind of remote controlled barrier gate to get access to the bus stop area...

[Kramden]

Given the hysteria which often goes along with taking photos near 'official' areas, e.g. *government buildings, have you considered capturing the prison bus stop using a sketch artist?

Yeah OK, I'm being silly.  Seriously, I can just imagine you whipping out the Canon, the Nikkon, or whatever and a guard with a bad attitude tells you to 'move on'.

*It does happen.  I was once shooting some video in Mort St (getting some exterior building shots) for a departmental production when up pops an over zealous rent-a-cop telling me I can't do it.  I flashed my employee pass and told him that I actually work there and what it was for.  Didn't seem to count for much.  Despite my charm he still wrote it up and I had to front the Head of Security for a please explain.  Funny thing was there was a section in the final video related to failures in security systems linked to the master electrical supply to the department's buildings in Mort St and Civic West.  I failed that guy.  Some days you gotta laugh eh.

[particleman]

Perhaps for your cover shot you could use the distinctive brown plastic shelter stop...well, it LOOKS plastic, located on Narrabundah Lane Symonston.

There's also one of those on Wanganeen Avenue Ngunnawal (totally suited to the location) http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=ngunnawal+shops&hl=en&ll=-35.174291,149.108543&spn=0.000566,0.000476&sll=-25.335448,135.745076&sspn=40.321106,31.201172&vpsrc=6&t=h&fll=-35.174262,149.10852&fspn=0.000566,0.000476&z=20&layer=c&cbll=-35.174367,149.108509&panoid=WZVhg34DKHbHIcFlTsNtuA&cbp=12,342.08,,0,2.28.

I remember a blue bunker in Sydney a while ago, somewhere between Macquarie Park and the Warringah Expressway.

[Kramden]

Spotted an odd-one-out that would worthy of inclusion in your book.  It's an olden days wooden style stop located city bound on Stuart St Griffith.  A sign for Strzelecki Cres is attached to this top of the structure.  Perhaps this proves that they once moved the wooden stops around in the same way that bunkers have been in more recent times.

I must say I love the old wooden shelters.  It reminds of a bygone era when bus driving was a bit more hard arsed than it's become.  An era of crash box machines, no power steering, seats like rocks, no seat belts, hard suspension, no air cond...

[Bus 400]

Spotted an odd-one-out that would worthy of inclusion in your book.  It's an olden days wooden style stop located city bound on Stuart St Griffith.  A sign for Strzelecki Cres is attached to this top of the structure.  Perhaps this proves that they once moved the wooden stops around in the same way that bunkers have been in more recent times.

I suspect the shelter has that name board on it as the next cross street to that shelter is Strzelecki Crescent. It is the same at the old shelter on Empire Circuit, where the next cross street is Melbourne Avenue, so the shelter is called Melbourne Avenue.

This would of been the old style of naming bus stops, with the other known style being the street name & wether it is the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc (I.e. Summerland 2). Now stops are named as Summerland Cct after Gallagher, which is similar to the old ways.


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[Kramden]

Yeah, I noticed the cross street of Stuart/Strzelecki yesterday.  A 'fail' on my part.  Still, it's a great looking old shelter and I hope it makes it in the book.

[smitho]

Anyone guess where there is a bus waiting shelter in the ACT with functioning toilets attached?

Hint: It is no longer serviced by scheduled bus services....seating capacity of the shelter is somewhat more than the large one at the Botanical Gardens..

[743]

A belated contribution from me if it helps: start at Dickson Shops and spiral out along all the routes that go from there. Some interesting finds are:

Pegs

Plenty of pegs through Lyneham, Hackett, Ainslie and Braddon. One yellow/black one still has SIGNAL BUS painted on, it's in Ainslie on Officer Cr between the two intersections with Hannan Cr. Hackett is full of blue/white SCHOOL SERVICES ONLY pegs on Mackenzie, Maitland and (southern) Rivett Sts - there are a couple in Watson too. One of the ones on Mackenzie St, near Hull Pl, is wearing away a bit to reveal that it actually started life as a red/white peg. There's also a peg on Phillip Ave opposite Dickson College which has been inserted upside-down so that AL BUS is the only thing sticking upwards out of the ground, although whether it started life out this way is debatable!

Bunkers

Watson - Antill St, south side, north-east of Knox St - this bunker still has a sign on it saying Route 383 stops there between certain hours between Monday and Saturday.

Hackett - Madigan St opp the southern intersection with Maitland St - has one of the painting competition signs saying it was painted by Hackett Primary - not overly remarkable but this school no longer exists so it's a record of educational history if you will.

Hackett - Phillip Ave near Stott St - the inside is painted (and was done by the Young Quakers in 1993 I think) with the "Windows of Peace", a series of extra windows the same size as the two standard bunker ones looking out onto, well, peace.

Ainslie - Majura Ave near Officer Cr - another internally painted one. This one even has a SIGNAL BUS peg painted on!

There are a couple of other painted bunkers along Cowper St between Dickson and Braddon, including one with fairly good artwork of that local church that used to be a railway station.

Ainslie - Officer Cr - from memory there are a couple here with seat-backs. Also the one opposite Dickson Shops on Cowper St has one.

Lyneham/O'Connor - Miller St, eastern side - there are three bunkers in a row with seat-backs, then a fourth that has a metal 'grille' type seat, like what school fences used to be made out of.

Other shelters

There are two wooden hut style shelters along Route 2/936 in Ainslie, one on Officer Cr near Hawdon St and the other on Campbell St near Leslie St. There's also a big'un on Cowper St west-ish of the shops.

Somewhere on Boldrewood or Miller Sts near the O'Connor/Turner border there is a blue shelter which kind of looks like a cross-section of an open umbrella if you look at it from the side, I can't recall seeing too many of those around, although I could be mistaken as there are still some suburbs I've never been through 20 months after moving here. A smaller version of this shelter in a cream colour is at the National Zoo and Aquarium.

Too many signs

From memory, one of the stops at Chisholm Shops has about seven different bus stop signs or variants thereof, all for the one location!

[Kramden]

Noticed an interesting, possibly one-off type stop, on Antill - left after Phillip Ave when coming from Dickson College.

The stop is a normal bunker but alongside is an orange seat made from what looks like the same material as used in the original bunker seats.  I've not seen this combination anywhere else.

And a question about bunkers while I have your attention.  Did they orginally have windows or some sort of plastic screening fitted in them? The frame where the hole is on the side looks like it was made to have optional 'glass' put in.  Obviously not actual glass but some kind of tough plastic-based compound, think: Perspex?? (spelling) may have been used back in the day.   Just curious.

Hope the book is going well.

[Buzz Killington]

And a question about bunkers while I have your attention.  Did they orginally have windows or some sort of plastic screening fitted in them. The frame where the hole is on the side looks like it was made to have optional 'glass' put in.  Obviously not actual glass but some kind of tough plastic-based compound, think: Perspex?? (spelling) may have been used back in the day.   Just curious.

There's still some bunkers around the place with perspex 'windows' in them. Generally pretty filthy and not much good for looking through.

[route56]

Thanks for the tip Kramden, i will go and check it out.

The bunkers originally came with windows. i'd love to see a photo of one new, in colour. When i print off my first draft im going to go through the ratec material and see what they have. ideally i want to use my own photos first, then gap fill with historical photos.

If anyone knows of one with the perspex intact please let me know. If it has the old logo as well... i'll name you in the credits!

[route56]

Which reminds me, can someone post a really good photo of the Floriade bus stop sign - im not gonna have time to get out there and photograph it.

Has this sign changed over the years or is this the first year they have printed a special floriade one ?

[King of Buses]

A painted bunker is at the Holder Shops. Not much, but it is okay.

[Buzz Killington]

Which reminds me, can someone post a really good photo of the Floriade bus stop sign - im not gonna have time to get out there and photograph it.

Has this sign changed over the years or is this the first year they have printed a special floriade one ?

According to the metadata, this photo was taken on 14 September 2007.