Canberra Transport Museum

01/06/2026

From the archives - The Paint Booth

The Belconnen Workshops Paint Booth didn't do just ACTION vehicles, work was also sourced from outside customers who wanted to use the facilities and expertise of the ACTION team. Here we see a piece of equipment from Canberra Airport, a "Douglas" aircraft tug, being repainted from Australian Airlines white/blue/green/yellow into the Qantas "1984" white/red/gold livery after their merger. Another photo in the collection shows the top of one set of mobile stairs behind buses awaiting repair, indicating the Ford Trader "Mobile Stair" vehicles were also given the same treatment at Belconnen Workshops.

Photo from the RATEC Collection.

29/05/2026

From the archives - Comcar Tarago

The Commonwealth fleet certainly had a varied range of vehicles over the years. Here we see a brand new Toyota Tarago registered on CofA plates as C*193. The two tone Bronze coloured paint and burgundy velour interior just screams 1980s. This vehicle is seen at the depot located on Dairy (Flat) Rd in Fyshwick, now operating as a business park.

25/05/2026

From the archives - Perc and a Regal

Here we see Perc Thurbon and C*541, a AEC Regal with Syd Body which entered service in 1938. The shelter in the background would indicate this photo as being taken on Cowper Street at Cox Street in Ainslie.

Photo from the RATEC Collection.

22/05/2026

From the Archives - SL202 Demonstrator.

Over many years ACTION trialled a number of vehicles prior to making fleet decisions, allowing staff and passengers to be able to experience what may come next to the fleet. BUS-734 is one of two MAN SL202 buses with a body by Ansair (Tullamarine), the other was BUS-735 which was powered by CNG and was allocated to the fleet for a 6 week trial in 1992, whilst 734 was diesel powered and used in service during 1991. The MAN SL202 was never selected for purchase by ACTION (nor were any of the other demonstrators at the time), instead an order for the Renault PR100.3 was placed with Mack Trucks Australia and Austral-Denning (two of those being CNG demonstrator vehicles). 734 is seen here posing for a photo at Chapman Terminus in 1991, showing off a modified ACTION livery. It spent the rest of its life operating in Sydney, finally finishing up with Veolia Transport.

Photo is from the CTM - SBM Collection.

20/05/2026

From the archives - "One Bus Express"

Here we see BUS-974 and BUS-975 (both Renault PR100.2 with Ansair body) at Calwell Centre with advertising for the "One-Bus" Express services to the City. Several buses featured this advertising, with MkI Renault BUS-852 keeping the "TAKE THE STING..." decal on the roofline long after the rest of the advertising decals were removed.

Photo from the CTM - J Culkin Collection.

13/05/2026

One of our page followers is looking for some help to relocate a Mercedes O305 from the Gungahlin area and is looking for someone that can drive it for them, if you're interested and available to help, send us a message and we can pass on your contact details to them.

Send a message to learn more

05/05/2026

Want to visit us but don't drive?

Then why not make a day of it!

Jump on the NSW Trainlink Coach* to Yass, arriving just after we open, come and checkout our buses and the rest of the Yass Railway Museum and then get yourself some lunch and explore the town of Yass before jumping on the coach back to Canberra in the afternoon.

*Requires booking in advance via NSWTrainLink

03/05/2026

Thanks to MJR Auto Glass our Dennis Dart is all fixed up with a nice new window and is once again fully open for you to come and have a look at.

Open every Sunday 10am - 4pm at the Yass Railway Museum.

01/05/2026

From the archives - Dreaming

Seen from Knowles Place is an unknown Canberra Bus Service AEC Swift with a Freighter body passing by the statue "Dreaming" by Milan Vojsk on London Cct at University Ave. The vehicle could possibly be ZIB-221, which was painted into an experimental variant "Yellow Fire" livery in 1974 with a white roofline and windowline instead of arctic green.

Photo is from the RATEC Collection.

27/04/2026

From the archives - Easy Access

Here we see ACTION BUS-127 (Renault PR100.3a with Austral Denning Starliner body) and BUS-132 (Dennis Dart SLF with Wright Crusader body) at City West for a media conference. This media conference was likely held in 1997 just after the arrival of 132 from Northern Ireland, and was most likely to promote the growing fleet of "easy access" vehicles (given that 127 is also present).

Photos is from the CTM J. Culkin Collection.