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Trams & Buses With much thanks to people in the Star who had done their home work on Trams and Trolley buses. I went through their publications and gained some an understandings on this topic. So their findings done in 2006 have enlightened me and many others. So did have trams and horse Cart in Penang. Also thank you Star for providing the many illustrative pictures In it, as reported that Penang had the first steam trams in the 1880's. There was a sketch map showing the tram line connecting Weld Quay to Ayer Itam settlement. The service was intended for both commercial and industrial purposes. The trams did picked up and dropped off the little passengers, they were mainly used to transport farm produce from the hills to the docks for export. Finally, trolley buses was also phased out by1961. MBPP gradually switched them busses running with diesel engines Let's start of with pictures from the oldest form of transportation. #1 - This could be the oldest electric driven trolley Car Penang joined the big league. Looks more like a vehicle for urban uses.
#2 - Passing through rural Ayer Itam No landmark for me to put a fix on its location. Penang must have prospered with so much of coconut trees around
#3 - This was an updated version Both these trams went out of popularity after 1925. This mode then was updated with trolley buses and with a series of electric mini-cars. Judging from the curves and level of urbanization, I will put this stretch of road to be that between Chung Ling School and Kampong Melayu
#4 - Present day Ayer Itam Road Chosen this point based on the contour of Penang Hills in the back ground, this would be the present day aspect of that same stretch
#5 - Trolley Cars in Datuk Kramat The landmark given on this picture very positive. Right on, the left side of the tram, this is the spot next to the Penang prison showing the junction of Dato Kramat & Western Road
#6 - Present day looks of the place Easy to compare now. That same junction as seen today
#7 - Electric cars on rail tracks The early days they
have buses on tracks. The route of these buses were much
predictable. The schedules with which they operated on was more
flexible and with faster speeds.
#8 - Electric Cars at Magazine Circus This must be the area which later became the Magazine Circus - Goh Pah Teng.
#9 - From Rail to Tires Then came the generation of electric Busses. Could clearly see the 2 electric poles tapping on the supply to operate the vehicle
#10- Newer Version in the 1950's The picture shows the era of the generation of electric Buses that I remembered seeing. The bus broke free of the track and they ran on rubber tires. The vehicles got even greater independence and no more contained by the tracks that the old vehicles needed to be confined to. For reason I could had seen and could not understand now one action, the bus stopped while on journey, the conductors get down from the bus, use another independent pole kept at the roof, to reconnect the conducting pole back to the electric lines. Well, one guess, the bus made sudden changes in direction, the seating of the connecting pole, ran out of alignment. Needed a re-set manually
#11 - Came the stylish double deckers in 1960's Whether it was for increasing volume of passengers or following world trend, busses were switched over with those having double decks. The pictures taken at the busy junction of Datuk Kramat and Perak Road in the late 1950's
#12 - That Present day looks I have again inserted a present day picture of the same junction. Still a busy cross road but reduced in importance If I am not wrong, this light colored building is the same one that had lasted till now.
#13 - Double Decker in heart of Georgetown Standard of picture taking improved in the 1960s. Very stylish vehicles of the black & white photo era of that era
#14 - Ayer Itam memorial junction Now in the mid-1970's, the scene in color. this is picture taken at the foot of Penang Hills.
#15 - Color in the heart of town Nice to go through these old scenes but this time with very good quality pictures. Taken in George town proper and the city council then was known as. G.T. G.T.
Very nice lot of pictures. I have introduced all the Trams cars Trolley cars and electric driven buses, next segment would be those diesel engine driven Buses Bus Terminal @ Maxwell Road This next two pictures showing Maxwell Road and Prangin Lane are the most important archives that I have laid my hands on. The scenes at Maxwell Road. The main terminal for the 3 types of buses. Hin Company, The Penang yellow Bus and the Lim Seng Seng Buses. #16 - Maxwell Road - Pragin Lane
Non-stop activities throughout the
day from early morning till late at night. From Penang Road end - Hin Company then further down after New World Park, the Yellow
Bus and before the end of the Maxwell Road - the Lim Seng Seng buses #17- More realistic picture Not so orderly, when the traffic got moving. Certain times, the buses stopped momentarily just to pick up passengers and on the way again.
Down Memory Lane - Introducing the Buses once more #18 - The Blue buses - Hin Company - Tanjong Bungah We never got the chance to get on to these buses. They were all going to the exotic Tanjong Bungah beach areas
#19 - Variation in the bus's painting layout A Bedford SB chassis with Hin Company own Coachworks. This is the design that we are most familiar with.
#20 - The Yellow buses - Penang Yellow Bus - Jelutong This could be the newest body paint pattern for this company
#21 - The Yellow buses This was the pattern I am most accustomed with. This was a bus using a Bedford VAM 70 chassis
#22 - The Penang Yellow Buses Their own bus depot in Jelutong
#23 - The Penang Yellow Buses A Hino Chassis with Seng Seng Coach works body
#24 - More of the The Penang Yellow Buses Same bus but different location - Ha ha this is the same bus PU 5406
#26 - Again The Penang Yellow Buses This was a Mercedes Benz LP 1113 chassis. Funny looking at it, my customer. The chassis was built by our factory
#27 - The Green buses - Lim Seng Seng - Ayer Itam This model must be from the early 1950's before my time. Pity the first picture of my favorite bus in Black & White
#28 - The Lim Seng Seng Bus An Albion Viking Chasis with a Seng Coachworks Me? Lim Seng Seng Buses. Green Buses. Yes! plenty of memory for me. Once in the morning Ayer Itam to Datuk Kramat Penang prison. Another time late at night from Prangin Road back to Ayer Itam. Daily
#29 - The Lim Seng Seng Bus A Seddon Pennine 4 chassis with Seng Seng Coachwork. I was thinking hard that why we made that decision to use or Lim Seng Seng Buses and not the Municipal buses. Cannot remmeber! Could be the lower price or the freqency Coac #30- The "Government" or Municipal buses This must be in the depot or parking lot at the stadium
#31 - Municipal Buses Another one design that I have not seen. In colour pictures musy be in the 1970's. Oh Yes, newer than that PAL 9670
#32 - Municipal Buses S. B. 5 chassis with body by Seng Seng Coach builder. This bus was older with faded red colour band
#33- M.P. P,P. Bus This is a Leyland Victory J chassis with body built by Bee Hing Coachbuilder
#34 - The smallest Company - Sri Negara A Bedford SB Chassis. This bus company I had no idea at all.
Sb #35 - Sri Negara Transport Service I have no impression of this Company set up after I left Penang
#36 - Sri Negara Transport Service Judging by the registration nimber, this must be the earliest bus design as well as the body work. Time when the buses were introduced
I virtually grew up with the buses. Taking the Lim Seng Seng buses from Ayer Itam to Prangin Lane when I started schooling in Primary 1 in Wellesley School. Then by Standard Three I was allocated Francis Light school in Perak Road Shorter bus travel, but by then I was using the bus unassisted. Continued to use the Lim Seng Seng buses until I was in Four 4. That's when I was old enough to cycle from Ayer Itam to Penang Free School. In all my adult years i missed seeing the scenes of the many buses on Maxwell Road and long to get hold of their pictures to refresh my memories. This time not only did I get pictures of Lim Seng Seng buses but of all buses. Very quickly I had them all assembled in one page and one story.
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