MAN SG 280H 199
Ex- SouthLink 2370/R370, Ex- SERCo 199, Ex- TransAdelaide/State Transport Authority 1978
As the 1988 Australian Bicentenary approached, the Federal Government sponsored projects around Australia to benefit the Australian Citizens. One of these was the Bus Acquisition Project. In Adelaide, the Federal Government funded 40 articulated MAN buses, bodied locally at PMCSA Royal Park. In late 1986, production began and the first MAN SG 280H rolled off the assembly line. By the end of Q1 1988, all 40 had entered service with the State Transport Authority.
This bus was the 3rd- last SG 280H and was originally numbered 1978. Delivered to Morphettville it operated there until 1996, two years after the STA was disbanded into TransAdelaide (operator) and the Passenger Transport Board (regulator).
In 1996, privatisation of the bus network began, with two new companies winning contracts to operate services. TransAdelaide kept some of its areas; the Hills were awarded to a new contractor, Hills Transit (who were partly owned by TransAdelaide). The other new contractor, SERCo, was awarded the Outer North East (including O-Bahn) and the Outer North. Many buses were transferred to SERCo, one of them being 1978, which they renumbered to 199.
Having been transferred to Elizabeth Depot, 199 operated routes in the Northern Suburbs until Serco ceased operations in 2005. It was transferred to SouthLink (the new operator of the Outer North) and renumbered to 2370.
In 2012, 2370 was retired from service and moved to the “rail replacement fleet”. Made up of SG 280Hs and Mercedes-Benz O 305/O 305Gs, the fleet existed for the purpose of replacing trains during the Noarlunga Line Electrification Project during 2013. After entering the Rail Fleet, it was given its last number, R370/370.
In December 2016, R370 was bought for preservation. It has since changed ownership twice, and we look forward to many more years of preservation of this SG 280H.
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