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Leyland Titan OPD2/1 - 2186
Engine
9.8 litre six cylinder Leyland 0.600 diesel engine, bore 4.8", stroke 5.5", 125 BHP @ 1800 RPM.
Transmission
Four speed synchromesh gearbox (crash on first) to a worm drive differential.
Brakes:
Vacuum operated foot brake and a mechanical park brake to the rear wheels.
After World War II, Leyland Motors secured orders for several batches of double decker bus chassis. Of these, 203 were of the OPD2/1 type, equipped with synchromesh gearboxes. They were nicknamed the 'Synchros'.
2186 was bodied by Commonwealth Engineering of Granville, entering service from Burwood depot in April 1949, and was transferred to Kingsgrove in November 1949. 2186 was then sent north to Newcastle in 1950 for the conversion of the Newcastle tramways, where it operated from Hamilton depot.
It returned to Burwood depot in April 1969, and was withdrawn from there in September 1971, after covering 584,500 miles in service.
In December 1971 2186 was sold to Hawkins Bus Service, Gunnedah. 1973 saw the bus sold to Hopes Bus Service, again in Gunnedah, where it operated as MO 035 until 1990 when it was deregistered and sold to the Sydney Bus Museum.
After a period of storage at Tempe, the bus was sold back to the State Transit Authority of NSW, who had 2186 and sister Leyland 2033 refurbished by Pressed Metal Corp in 1991 to operate a special charter service, starting from January 1993. This service ceased in 1998, and the bus was made available to the Museum on a permanent loan.
2186 is rare in that it retained a 44" wide front destination box right up until withdrawal in 1971, despite overhauled buses having 33" destination boxes fitted from 1958 onwards.
