The following article is from the July 1968 Pigeon Fancier Magazine written by Harry Edgecombe (Publicity Officer CCF).  This an important record of a road transport committee from 1965 decided to look at road transport away from the railway liberations.  Committee members were W. Alexandra, T. Boserio, A. Martin, E. Metcalf and Fred Wall. Oversighted by the Federation President Mr. C. Every and Secretary C. Collimore.

CENTRAL CUMBERLAND TAKES TO THE ROAD

During the 1965 racing season the Central Cumberland Racing Pigeon Federation after many years of rail transport became tired of the treat­ment which on occasions was given to our birds and liberators. After much discussion in the various clubs affiliated with this Federation it was decided that steps should be taken to investigate the prospects of Road Transport for our birds.

Delegates conducted inquiries from existing Road Transport organizations and clubs, but it was found that their systems were not suitable to the in­dividual requirements of our Federa­tion which are very exacting. This is brought about by the fact that we fly North, South and West on alternate years and the varying climatic and geographical conditions which are en­countered on each route with ex­tremes of weather conditions from Rockhampton in Queensland to

Mur­ray Bridge in South Australia and we had to cater for the comfort of our birds and the staff accompanying them.

A meeting of the Federation was called and on the vote of delegates a committee consisting of

Mr. W. Alexander, T. Boserio, A. Martin, E. Metcalf and F. Wall oversighted by the Federation President, Mr. C. Every and Secretary C. Collimore was formed. After many hours of work and investigation by these men a blueprint for what we thought would be suitable for our require­ments was decided upon. The firm of Midway Engineering of Larra Street, Yenora, N.S.W. was then consulted and with their engineering knowledge and our enthusiasm, planning pro­ceeded and many of our original ideas were scrapped and many adopted and work eventually commenced. After many days and nights of experiment­ing and frustration, a prototype van commenced to emerge from a heap of aluminium sheeting, angles etc., which on first sight, one would have des­paired on them ever being assembled together.

It is here that we must make a special mention of Mr, Bill Alexander of Bass Hill Club for it is through his untiring effort and keen inventive brain that many of the unique feat­ures incorporated in our transport­ers were invented and these only after many hours of experiment and heart­ breaking repetition in order to per­fect these features. Individual com­partments for each basket of birds was constructed with a lever which is attached to the doors of the basket to give simultaneous liberation to every basket in the unit combined with lightness and utilisation of all available area being the main consid­eration.

Mr. Harold Williams, Wire Basket Manufacturer was consulted and to the specifications of his baskets, each compartment as constructed. A spec­ial type of catch for the doors of the baskets was invented, giving sim­plicity of operation yet security of the baskets.

Special lightweight doors were in­vented for the sides of the units which when closed give every protection to the valuable cargo and when in the open position the bottom half gives the liberator and his assistants ready access to every basket, while the top half gives the birds and staff protec­tion from adverse weather conditions, the top doors being adjustable permit­ting them to be opened a few inches to fully extended. Adjustable ventila­tion louvres have been provided to the front, rear and top of each unit to give an ample circulation of fresh cool air to every basket in the unit. Provision is made for the attend­ants to move freely down the centre of each unit in order to water and feed their charges. Each unit is fitted with internal electric light and city water for the birds is contained in stainless steel tanks which are fitted to each unit, the water being reticu­lated by means of electrically oper­ated pumps.

Thus on the 15th January, 1968 the first truck unit was completed and on inspection by the Federation was found to be acceptable. Two dog trailers were ordered from the firm of L.A.Kennett of Hume Highway, Casula, N.S.W., and excellent units were provided by this firm and it was at this stage that we suffered a further set back when thieves remov­ed the wheels, tyres and tubes from one of the trailers. Midway Engineering were then authorised to con­struct a second truck unit and two units for the dog trailers and with the ground work having been carried out work progressed rapidly. On the 18th March, 1968 this stage of the work was completed. In the mean­ time tenders had been called from various organisations for the supply of two, 5 ton Bedford Diesel Truck Chassis units. The firm of Gilbert and Roach of Homebush was successful in this and on the 28th February 1968 they were duly delivered and the units fitted to each.

On the 30th March,1968 the long-awaited day arrived and Mr C.Every and Mr C.Collimore on behalf of the Federation took delivery of the completed units and the final stage of this operation commenced. Every Club in the Federation was contacted and the delegates on instructions from their clubs then voted for members nominated as a transport manage­ment committee which was then formed. Mr Fred Wall was nominated for president and Mr Jack Elliott was nominated as secretary and duly elec­ted assisted by Bill Alexander, Ted Metcalf and Jack Thenholm. The duties of these men was to take charge of the business operation of the trans­port vehicles, to operate them as a business and to co-ordinate their oper­ation with the Federation race sched­ ule, to employ staff and to arrange the necessary schedules for the collec­tion of the birds from the various clubs to enable the transport of the birds to the various race points and these schedules and costs were event­ually formulated.

We must here say thanks to that gentleman of pigeon racing, Mr. Fred Wall of Ku-ring-gai Club for the fin­ancial backing given by him to the Federation which helped us over a tight pinch which greatly assisted us until suitable finance could be arrang­ed through the assistance of the Man­ager of the Cabramatta Branch of the A.N.Z. Bank which bank is now hand­ling all banking transactions of the Federation.

The vehicles were registered and made operational, staff hired and given into the custody of our Federa­tion Liberator, Mr J. Wheeler and on the night of the 30th March, 1968 the roads of Sydney were graced by a magnificent new sight as our units moved out from their garage and commenced their first round of the various clubs in our Federation. This operation progressed smoothly and on the morning of the 31st March, 1968 the first organised Federation tosses were carried out. This was a very successful venture with a few very minor difficulties being quickly ironed out. On the 7th April, 1968 and the 14th April, 1968 very successful toss­es from Bargo were carried out with good returns reported by most mem­bers.

The commencement of our racing series then dawned and on the Friday night the 19th April, 1968 the two truck units did their rounds of the clubs, collected the birds and depart­ ed for the race point of Marulan where the birds were liberated at 12 mid-day into a strong Westerly wind. The birds cleared the point very quickly on liberation and fairly fast times were reported by all clubs.

The sport of pigeon racing within the Central Cumberland Federation now enters a new era. Birds are basketed ta their respective clubs, placed in the transport units in which they are housed, fed and watered in every comfort for both them and the liberators and they have not to be moved until their arrival at their destination and the doors released for their liberation. The sport will be forever indebted to the men

con­nected with this operation, both the men whom I have mentioned in this article and the others who quietly assisted in their own little way, for without the personal sacrifices made by these men both in time, physical exertion and financial contribution these unit would have just remained a topic for discussion, and we take our hats off to you.

The truck units powered by the Bedford units each have a capacity of 108 baskets and the trailer units each have a basket capacity of 96 giving us a total capacity of 408 baskets. The Federation now has ready comfortable transportation of 10,200 birds at an average basket capacity of 25 birds per basket to any point in Australia that we may pick to fly our birds from. Owing to the design of our units, as the distance of competition races increases and the number of birds sent to the point decreases, we are able to drop off units and thus maintain our trans­porters at peak efficiency.

At the conclusion of the opening series of five races, the main series commences from Marulan on the 25th May, 1968, and it is expected that a capacity load will be liberated on this date. To all flyers this season the Federation extends its best wishes and hope you win them all with good times and good returns and support our new venture as it will support you and your chosen sport.

A central Lost Pigeon reporting station has been established through the co-operation of all Sydney Federa­tions and the Pigeon Union and in order that the members of the public will be able to contact some respon­sible person when pigeons come into their possession. Mr. Ted Metcalfe of Liverpool Club has accepted this position, and he requests all club secretarys to forward to him the ring secretary's. name, address and phone number together with the club ring prefixes. This applies not only to Sydney clubs but interstate clubs who may be flying the Sydney route. His address is Nuwarra Road, Moorebank, 2170, phone 602-5608.

2nd Breadalbane, 12.5.68

 170 bas­kets left Liverpool in a truck and trailer unit at 10.45 pm on Friday

night the 10th May,196 and the night was very overcast ·and raining, and a night of difficulty was encountered. A generator on our truck was not functioning correctly and we did not reach Breadalbane until 7.45 am, with visibility between half and one mile with continued rain. It was dry in the trucks and the temperature in­ side 62 degrees. Further difficulties were encountered when the trailer became bogged, and a tractor had to be called on to get it out. Owing to the conditions at the point and on checking with Sydney, it was decided to hold the birds over to the Sunday and this was done, the birds being liberated at 12 mid-day on the 12th and fair returns were reported.

Merrylands: Burton 1169.78, Moody 1169.47, Sell 1154

Fairfield: Dalloway 1231, Woodbridge 1210, Wolfenden 1207

Wentworthville: Hilton 1209, Car­rington 1185, Mangold. 1161

Liverpool: Williams & Pullinger 1220, Pickering 1219, Kennedy Bros 1218

Eastwood: Smith & Son 1171.8, Walker 1171, Shesher 1144

Regents Park: Farthing 1225, Forbes 1213, Begley 1183

BIacktown: Woods 1186, Stead 1184, Gosling 1175

Yass Combine, 18-5-68

Central Cumberland Combine race was held from Yass on the 18th May, 1968, 64 baskets of birds left Gran­ville at 8.35 p.m. on Friday, night the 17th May, 1968. During the trip south misty rain was encountered at Bargo and it continued through the night and on arrival at Yass the out­ side temperature was 45 degrees and inside the vans 56 degrees. At 10.45

am, the rain ceased, and a very strong westerly wind was blowing. The birds were liberated on time and fair re­turns reported. Members of the

Liverpool Club were well represented in the results as follows:

R.Hams, Liverpool, 1412.30; C.Page, Liverpool, 1412.25, R. Solomon