Leyland OPS2 2599

During a decline in patronage in the early 1950s, the Department of Road Transport & Tramways designed a small single deck bus, to be driver-only operated, used on lightly trafficked routes and to replace the last of the pre-war single deck half-cab buses and war-time Austerity buses still in service.

These buses carried 54 people - 23 standing and 31 seated and were dubbed the ‘31-seaters’. All were bodied by Commonwealth Engineering, Granville.

Between 1951 and 1954, 120 31-seaters were built on Leyland OPS2/1, AEC Regal III and Daimler CVG6 chassis. 2599 is one of the batch of 50 bodied on Leyland OPS2/1 chassis (of the remaining 70, 50 were AEC Regal IIIs and 20 were Daimler CVG6s).

The Leyland order was particularly unusual as the specifications required the chassis be delivered with pre-selector transmissions and air brakes - these were not standard Leyland offerings for their front-engine vehicles. 2599 entered service on 19th September 1952 and spent its working life at Kingsgrove and Burwood depots. It was retired in October 1975 having covered 480,793 miles and acquired for preservation soon after. It has been restored to 1950s condition including 44 inch wide destination boxes at the front and rear.

Bus 2599 was the recipient of a Transport Heritage NSW grant for overhaul and rebuilt of the engine. Concurrently, Museum volunteers also overhauled and rebuilt the front axle of the bus. It is presently having body work / restoration completed before reentering service again.

Specifications:

Engine: Six cylinder Leyland 0.600, bore 4.8", stroke 5.5", developing 125 brake horsepower.

Transmission: Four speed Wilson pre-selector gearbox to a worm drive differential.

Brakes: Air operated footbrake and a mechanical hand brake to the rear wheels.

Body: Commonwealth Engineering

Status:

Undergoing overhaul at Leichhardt.