Redline Case Study

This arrangement allowed Redline for the first time to cater to its own package tour clients in Sydney, plus additional locally sourced clientele to ensure the stand alone profitability of this licensed day-tour operation. There were two licenses, one operating to the Blue Mountains, Katoomba and Echo Point with a fare of $3.25, and the other to the Hawkesbury River and Bobbin Head including a river cruise, with a fare of $3.00. This business was to continue under the Tourist Service of NSW banner, and Jim’s original sales office at Kings Cross was also retained, to become Redline’s first company owned Sydney sales and bookings office and passenger terminal.
Rex would eventually acquire another three ‘TV’ (Tourist Vehicle) day tour licenses, putting Redline in company with the oldest and biggest Sydney day tour operators such as Pykes and Pioneer.

It was on such an occasion in 1959 when the previously mentioned Gerry O’Brien was rostered to transfer on No 14 to Sydney.
He had departed the Coorparoo depot in the late afternoon and set off via the New England Highway, however, later that night Rex received a phone call to advise there had been a little trouble!
This trouble had appeared out of the gloom in Gerry’s headlights in the form of a very large yet hard to see flock of sheep that had somehow engulfed the highway, not far south of Warwick, right in Gerry’s path.
He could not stop as he was virtually right on top of the nearest sheep before he saw