Seventy six trucks took part in the 2016 Sylvia’s Gap Road Run during a weekend of activities which raised about $30,000 for the proposed Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre. Tamara Whitsed chats to Jim Morton as she travels in his 1963 J3 Bedford
Taking place over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, the second Sylvia’s Gap Road Run saw 76 trucks travel the picturesque section of the old Hume Highway as part of a fundraising activity for the Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre (ARTHC).
While much of the road is now on private property, landowners generously opened their gates for the event, allowing trucks to travel through Sylvia’s cutting and over Hannah’s Pinch.
The oldest trucks dated back to the 1920s. The newest were working trucks from as far away as Brisbane.
Richard Cant from Sydney drove the 1997 Kenworth T401 he drives for his family’s business, Allalong Tasmanian Searoad.
He pulled a trailer owned by Kurt Rouse Transport of Myrtleford with ‘On the Road to Gundagai’ written on its curtains. The trailer was originally owned by Graham Rose of Gundagai and was recognised by many locals.
Another popular trailer was Alby Twyford’s recently restored 1960 Dairy Farmers refrigerated van which he towed behind his 1970 Bedford KMR.
Alby has been driving interstate for 41 years and has spent the past 12 years with McColl’s Transport.
He passed Sylvia’s Gap regularly for about eight years before the highway was deviated in 1983. Alby says the old section of road has hardly changed.
“Those Grey Ghosts used to cut into there flat out,” he says, referring to the Kenworth K125 CRs. “You used to be keeping your eye out for them coming at you because it was just an absolutely dangerous piece of road.”
In the early 1980s Alby was driving a Ford Louisville on the Hume.
“Everything was getting faster but the road couldn’t handle it.”
The road run brought back many memories. “It just takes you back in time. It was absolutely fantastic. I saw a lot of people I hadn’t seen for so long.”
Owner//Driver travelled part of the return journey with Jim Morton, in his J3 Bedford which towed a 1924 Chevrolet.
See the July issue of Owner//Driver for a pictorial report on the Gundagai Truck Show, Hume Highway Reunion and Sylvia’s Gap Road Run.
Video: Tamara Whitsed