Leyland Atlantean
Encyclopedia
The Leyland Atlantean is a model of double-decker bus
built by Leyland
(with bodies added by a variety of companies) in the United Kingdom
from 1958 to 1986.
It pioneered the design of rear-engined, front entrance double deck buses in the UK, allowing for the introduction of "one person operated" buses, dispensing with the need for a conductor
.
In 1952, Leyland began experimenting with ideas for a rear-engined double-decker bus. A prototype was built, with a body by SARO
, to the maximum permitted width of 7 in 6 in (2.29 m). It was fitted with a turbocharged version of the Leyland O.350 engine
, which was transversely mounted at the rear of the sub-frame. The chassis was a platform-type frame of steel
and light alloy
with deep stressed side-members. An automatic clutch and self change gearbox
were also fitted. The vehicle, numbered 530001, registered STF90 was designated the PDR1 (R for "Rear-engined").
In 1956, a second prototype, XTC684 (No. 542209) was constructed, this time with a Metro-Cammell body and, again equipped with the O.350 engine fitted across the frame. It had a centrifugal clutch
, pneumatic cyclic gearbox and angle drive. This vehicle was 13 foot in height, with a 16 foot wheelbase and overall length of 29 in 10 in (9.09 m) and had a seating capacity
of 78. Leyland christened this prototype the Lowloader.
Though two prototypes were thoroughly tested, the same problem of a front-engined bus remained — they had rear entrances with the space alongside the driver being wasted.
An amendment to the Construction and Use Regulations in 1956 saw the maximum length for double-deckers increased to 30 feet (9.1 m), allowing a wider entrance to be located ahead of the front axle. This was initially to allow the driver to supervise boarding whilst the conductor collected fares, but quickly it became apparent that the design would allow for one-person-operation. Leyland took advantage of the new regulation to launch the first prototype Atlantean at the 1956 Commercial Motor Show at Earls Court
. Though it featured the front entrance design that would redefine the bus industry, several factors prevented the bus going on the market. The main problem was the high level of engine noise inside the lower saloon, as the engine was still inside the body, with the compartment being used for bench seating.
Mechanically, the prototype Atlantean, 281 ATC, was similar to the Lowloader — an O.600 engine transversely mounted at the rear with a pneumo-cyclic gearbox situated in the rear offside corner providing drive in a straight line from the engine. The Atlantean had a light and strong fabricated frame. Light alloy floor plates were rivetted directly to the framework, fulfilling the dual purpose of reinforcing the frame and providing a foundation for the saloon floor. The platform-type sub-frame concept from the Lowloader was retained for the prototype. A drop-centre rear axle
allowed the flat floor, only one step up from ground level, to continue for the full length of the bus.
The prototype was demonstrated around the country to various operators. It also had an unregistered sister vehicle, which was used as a testbed. Both were subsequently scrapped.
By 1958, Leyland had overcome most of the problems and moved the engine to a rear-mounted compartment outside the main body and the first production Atlantean PDR1/1, with a 16 inch wheelbase, was launched at the 1958 Commercial Motor Show. It had simpler mechanical specification than the prototype, with conventional front and rear axles, leaf springs all round and a channel section frame. Glasgow Corporation, James of Ammanford and Wallasey Corporation each put their first example of the type into service in December 1958.
From 1964, a drop-centre rear axle was available as an option for the Atlantean; the Atlanteans with drop-centre rear axles became known as the Atlantean PDR1/2 and, for the later version, the Atlantean PDR1/3. In 1967, Leyland launched the Atlantean PDR2/1 which could be fitted with 33 feet (10.1 m).
Though some operators initially continued to buy front-engined vehicles for reliability, the Atlantean became very popular. Though the National Bus Company and the Scottish Bus Group
favoured the Bristol VR
and Daimler Fleetline
respectively, the Atlantean proved popular with municipal operators. Aberdeen
, Bournemouth, Glasgow
, Edinburgh
, Newcastle
, Manchester
, Liverpool
, Newport, Nottingham
and Plymouth Corporations purchased large numbers of the type. A number of Atlanteans were exported, including 224 for PTC/UTA (now State Transit Authority) in Sydney
, Australia
.
By 1972, over 6,000 Atlanteans had entered service.
In February 1972, Leyland announced the AN68 series to replace the PDR1/PDR2. The new chassis provided a wider entrance and several new safety features were included. An audible and visible alarm discouraged engine overheating by giving the driver due warning. A fail-safe parking brake
was introduced, while the steering
box and brake controls were protected against damage from severe head-on collision and stainless steel air-piping gave greater resistance to corrosion.
Two models were offered: AN68/1R (9.4m in length) and AN68/2R (10.2m in length). Power assisted steering
was standard on the AN68/2R and optional on the AN68/1R. The steering pump was power driven, which replaced the early belt driven system, while the only available engine was the new Leyland O.680. A wide variety of body styles from various manufacturers continued to be offered, allowing the Atlantean to be tailor made to requirements from operators ranging from the small independent to the large city corporation.
In 1978, Leyland started to offer the AN69 with Leyland O.690 (a turbocharged
variant of the O.680) engine which was mainly built for export.
The Atlantean continued to sell in large numbers, with many operators proving loyal to it. London Transport
(LT), however, notably chose the Daimler
(later Leyland) Fleetline
over the AN68 for its first large rear-engined double-deck order. Though over 2,000 Fleetlines would be purchased by LT, reliability problems and LT's rigid maintenance system caused their very premature withdrawal.
The creation of British Leyland in 1968 saw rivals Daimler and Bristol
merged with Leyland, bringing the two competing rear-engined chassis (Daimler Fleetline and Bristol VR
) together with the Atlantean. Though the Bristol brand was retained, Daimler was dropped and products were re-badged as Leylands. After the re-organisation, Leyland set out to develop a new rear-engined double-deck bus for the London market to replace the troublesome Fleetlines. This new vehicle, the Titan B15
spawned a simpler, non-integral offshoot, the Olympian
, which debuted in 1980. Though the Olympian was meant as a direct replacement for the VR, Fleetline and Atlantean, the venerable AN68 continued in production alongside the Olympian until 1986. The last Atlantean for the domestic market rolled off the production line in 1984, the last of a batch for Merseyside PTE
, while the export version remained in production for a further two years, with deliveries to the city operator in Baghdad
, the capital city of Iraq
.
By the end of production, over 15,000 Atlanteans had been built. Greater Manchester PTE (and its predecessors) was the largest operator of the Atlantean with 'Greater Manchester Standard' bodies from Northern Counties and, to a lesser extent, Park Royal
. Second was Glasgow Corporation/Greater Glasgow PTE most of which were bodied by Walter Alexander
. Third was Merseyside PTE
who took approximately 800 Atlanteans mostly bodied by Walter Alexander
and East Lancs
although there were smaller batches with MCW
and Willowbrook bodies. Notably, the fourth largest was Singapore Bus Service
from Singapore
; it had received 520 Leyland Atlantean AN68/2Rs in 1977–86 in three batches with the bodywork provided by Metal Sections/Duple Metsec
, British Aluminium Company and Walter Alexander
. The Singapore-based Leyland Atlanteans were withdrawn between 1993 and 2001.
The Bristol was favoured by the state-owned National Bus Company, several of whose predecessors had standardised on Bristol vehicles. Several early examples were also purchased by NBC's Scottish sister company, the Scottish Bus Group, where the front-engined Bristol Lodekka
had proved popular. However, the Scottish customers did not share the same enthusiasm for the VR and the vehicles purchased were swapped for ex-NBC Lodekkas. The Scottish Bus Group then standardised on the Daimler Fleetline for its double-deck needs.
After the re-organisation of British Leyland, both VR and Fleetline became Leyland offerings and, when production of both ceased in 1981, over 6,400 VRs and 11,500 Fleetlines had been built. Frustrated at the lack of competition to Leyland, some operators turned to other manufacturers, who began to offer alternatives to the state-owned manufacturer. Supply problems at Leyland did not help matters and products such as the Scania Metropolitan
and Dennis Dominator
began to make small inroads into the rear-engined market, while the Volvo
-backed Ailsa
reintroduced a front-engined double-deck chassis, with a front entrance, with some success. The Scania/Metro Cammell Weymann partnership, which produced the Metropolitan, ended in the late 1970s and forced MCW to introduce its own rear-engined product, available as an integral or chassis, the Metrobus
. The success of the Metrobus, particularly with West Midlands PTE
and London Transport, would spur Leyland on to develop a new heavy-duty rear-engined bus, sealing the eventual withdrawal of the Atlantean from the market.
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
built by Leyland
Leyland Motors Ltd
Leyland Motors Limited was a British vehicle manufacturer of lorries, buses and trolleybuses. It gave its name to the British Leyland Motor Corporation formed when it merged with British Motor Holdings, later to become British Leyland after being nationalised...
(with bodies added by a variety of companies) in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
from 1958 to 1986.
It pioneered the design of rear-engined, front entrance double deck buses in the UK, allowing for the introduction of "one person operated" buses, dispensing with the need for a conductor
Conductor (transportation)
A conductor is a member of a railway train's crew that is responsible for operational and safety duties that do not involve the actual operation of the train. The title of conductor is most associated with railway operations in North America, but the role of conductor is common to railways...
.
The prototypes
In the years immediately following the Second World War, bus operators in the UK faced a downturn in the numbers of passengers carried and manufacturers began looking at ways to economise. A few experimental rear-engined buses had been produced before the war but none successfully made it beyond the prototype stage. The need to minimise the intrusion of the engine into passenger carrying space was a priority, leading to several underfloor-engined single-deck designs. However, such designs raised the height of the floor of the vehicle, forcing additional steps at the entrance. On double decker buses, these problems were amplified, causing either an increase in the overall height of the vehicle or an inadequate interior height.In 1952, Leyland began experimenting with ideas for a rear-engined double-decker bus. A prototype was built, with a body by SARO
Saunders-Roe
Saunders-Roe Limited was a British aero- and marine-engineering company based at Columbine Works East Cowes, Isle of Wight.-History:The name was adopted in 1929 after Alliot Verdon Roe and John Lord took a controlling interest in the boat-builders S.E. Saunders...
, to the maximum permitted width of 7 in 6 in (2.29 m). It was fitted with a turbocharged version of the Leyland O.350 engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
, which was transversely mounted at the rear of the sub-frame. The chassis was a platform-type frame of steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
and light alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
with deep stressed side-members. An automatic clutch and self change gearbox
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
were also fitted. The vehicle, numbered 530001, registered STF90 was designated the PDR1 (R for "Rear-engined").
In 1956, a second prototype, XTC684 (No. 542209) was constructed, this time with a Metro-Cammell body and, again equipped with the O.350 engine fitted across the frame. It had a centrifugal clutch
Clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device which provides for the transmission of power from one component to another...
, pneumatic cyclic gearbox and angle drive. This vehicle was 13 foot in height, with a 16 foot wheelbase and overall length of 29 in 10 in (9.09 m) and had a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 78. Leyland christened this prototype the Lowloader.
Though two prototypes were thoroughly tested, the same problem of a front-engined bus remained — they had rear entrances with the space alongside the driver being wasted.
PDR1/PDR2
Earls Court
Earls Court is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It is an inner-city district centred on Earl's Court Road and surrounding streets, located 3.1 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. It borders the sub-districts of South Kensington to the East, West...
. Though it featured the front entrance design that would redefine the bus industry, several factors prevented the bus going on the market. The main problem was the high level of engine noise inside the lower saloon, as the engine was still inside the body, with the compartment being used for bench seating.
Mechanically, the prototype Atlantean, 281 ATC, was similar to the Lowloader — an O.600 engine transversely mounted at the rear with a pneumo-cyclic gearbox situated in the rear offside corner providing drive in a straight line from the engine. The Atlantean had a light and strong fabricated frame. Light alloy floor plates were rivetted directly to the framework, fulfilling the dual purpose of reinforcing the frame and providing a foundation for the saloon floor. The platform-type sub-frame concept from the Lowloader was retained for the prototype. A drop-centre rear axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
allowed the flat floor, only one step up from ground level, to continue for the full length of the bus.
The prototype was demonstrated around the country to various operators. It also had an unregistered sister vehicle, which was used as a testbed. Both were subsequently scrapped.
By 1958, Leyland had overcome most of the problems and moved the engine to a rear-mounted compartment outside the main body and the first production Atlantean PDR1/1, with a 16 inch wheelbase, was launched at the 1958 Commercial Motor Show. It had simpler mechanical specification than the prototype, with conventional front and rear axles, leaf springs all round and a channel section frame. Glasgow Corporation, James of Ammanford and Wallasey Corporation each put their first example of the type into service in December 1958.
From 1964, a drop-centre rear axle was available as an option for the Atlantean; the Atlanteans with drop-centre rear axles became known as the Atlantean PDR1/2 and, for the later version, the Atlantean PDR1/3. In 1967, Leyland launched the Atlantean PDR2/1 which could be fitted with 33 feet (10.1 m).
Though some operators initially continued to buy front-engined vehicles for reliability, the Atlantean became very popular. Though the National Bus Company and the Scottish Bus Group
Scottish Bus Group
The Scottish Bus Group was a state-owned Scottish holding company that included a number of bus operators covering the whole of Scotland. The group was formed in 1961 as Scottish Omnibuses Group Ltd, to take control of the British Transport Commission's bus operating subsidiaries in Scotland...
favoured the Bristol VR
Bristol VR
The Bristol VR was Bristol's rear-engined bus chassis, designed as a competitor to the Leyland Atlantean and Daimler Fleetline.-Development:...
and Daimler Fleetline
Daimler Fleetline
The Daimler Fleetline is a rear-engined double-decker bus chassis built between 1960 and 1973 in Coventry, Warwickshire, England, and from 1973 until 1980 in Farington, Lancashire, England. However, the last complete vehicle did not enter service until 1983...
respectively, the Atlantean proved popular with municipal operators. Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, Bournemouth, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Newport, Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
and Plymouth Corporations purchased large numbers of the type. A number of Atlanteans were exported, including 224 for PTC/UTA (now State Transit Authority) in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
By 1972, over 6,000 Atlanteans had entered service.
AN68/AN69
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
was introduced, while the steering
Steering
Steering is the term applied to the collection of components, linkages, etc. which will allow a vessel or vehicle to follow the desired course...
box and brake controls were protected against damage from severe head-on collision and stainless steel air-piping gave greater resistance to corrosion.
Two models were offered: AN68/1R (9.4m in length) and AN68/2R (10.2m in length). Power assisted steering
Power steering
Power steering helps drivers steer vehicles by augmenting steering effort of the steering wheel.Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver needs to provide only modest effort regardless of conditions. Power steering helps considerably when a...
was standard on the AN68/2R and optional on the AN68/1R. The steering pump was power driven, which replaced the early belt driven system, while the only available engine was the new Leyland O.680. A wide variety of body styles from various manufacturers continued to be offered, allowing the Atlantean to be tailor made to requirements from operators ranging from the small independent to the large city corporation.
In 1978, Leyland started to offer the AN69 with Leyland O.690 (a turbocharged
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
variant of the O.680) engine which was mainly built for export.
London Transport Board
The London Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1963-1969. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.-History:The...
(LT), however, notably chose the Daimler
Daimler Motor Company
The Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...
(later Leyland) Fleetline
Daimler Fleetline
The Daimler Fleetline is a rear-engined double-decker bus chassis built between 1960 and 1973 in Coventry, Warwickshire, England, and from 1973 until 1980 in Farington, Lancashire, England. However, the last complete vehicle did not enter service until 1983...
over the AN68 for its first large rear-engined double-deck order. Though over 2,000 Fleetlines would be purchased by LT, reliability problems and LT's rigid maintenance system caused their very premature withdrawal.
The creation of British Leyland in 1968 saw rivals Daimler and Bristol
Bristol Commercial Vehicles
Bristol Commercial Vehicles was a vehicle manufacturer of in Bristol, England. Most production was of buses but trucks and railbus chassis were also built....
merged with Leyland, bringing the two competing rear-engined chassis (Daimler Fleetline and Bristol VR
Bristol VR
The Bristol VR was Bristol's rear-engined bus chassis, designed as a competitor to the Leyland Atlantean and Daimler Fleetline.-Development:...
) together with the Atlantean. Though the Bristol brand was retained, Daimler was dropped and products were re-badged as Leylands. After the re-organisation, Leyland set out to develop a new rear-engined double-deck bus for the London market to replace the troublesome Fleetlines. This new vehicle, the Titan B15
Leyland Titan (B15)
The Leyland Titan was a model of double-decker bus produced by the Leyland Truck & Bus division of British Leyland from 1977 until 1984, almost exclusively for London Transport.-Development:...
spawned a simpler, non-integral offshoot, the Olympian
Leyland Olympian
The Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production before the demise of Leyland Bus.-Construction:...
, which debuted in 1980. Though the Olympian was meant as a direct replacement for the VR, Fleetline and Atlantean, the venerable AN68 continued in production alongside the Olympian until 1986. The last Atlantean for the domestic market rolled off the production line in 1984, the last of a batch for Merseyside PTE
Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive
The Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England...
, while the export version remained in production for a further two years, with deliveries to the city operator in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, the capital city of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
By the end of production, over 15,000 Atlanteans had been built. Greater Manchester PTE (and its predecessors) was the largest operator of the Atlantean with 'Greater Manchester Standard' bodies from Northern Counties and, to a lesser extent, Park Royal
Park Royal Vehicles
Dating its origins back to 1889, Park Royal Vehicles along with its Leeds-based subsidiary Charles H. Roe was one of Britain's leading coachbuilders and bus manufacturers based at Park Royal, west London, UK.-Associated Commercial Vehicles:...
. Second was Glasgow Corporation/Greater Glasgow PTE most of which were bodied by Walter Alexander
Walter Alexander Coachbuilders
Walter Alexander Coachbuilders was a Scottish bus coachbuilder and operater based in Falkirk.-History:Walter Alexander, notice a lack expasion by the Falkirk and District Tramways Company's especially in to Grangemouth which never hdd a tram line. In 1913 Alexander's Motor Service was created to...
. Third was Merseyside PTE
Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive
The Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England...
who took approximately 800 Atlanteans mostly bodied by Walter Alexander
Walter Alexander Coachbuilders
Walter Alexander Coachbuilders was a Scottish bus coachbuilder and operater based in Falkirk.-History:Walter Alexander, notice a lack expasion by the Falkirk and District Tramways Company's especially in to Grangemouth which never hdd a tram line. In 1913 Alexander's Motor Service was created to...
and East Lancs
East Lancashire Coachbuilders
East Lancashire Coachbuilders Limited was a manufacturer of bus bodies and carriages founded in 1934 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England.In 1994 the company expanded in to new premises and commenced a programme of development that resulted in a range of single and double deck buses which was the...
although there were smaller batches with MCW
Metro Cammell Weymann
Metro Cammell Weymann was once a major player in transportation manufacturing in the UK and Europe. It was formed in 1932 by Weymann Motor Bodies Ltd and Metro Cammell's bus bodybuilding division to produce bus bodies....
and Willowbrook bodies. Notably, the fourth largest was Singapore Bus Service
Singapore Bus Service
Singapore Bus Services was a public bus operator in Singapore formed in 1973 with the merger of three private bus companies, namely the Amalgamated Bus Company Limited, the Associated Bus Services Limited and the United Bus Limited...
from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
; it had received 520 Leyland Atlantean AN68/2Rs in 1977–86 in three batches with the bodywork provided by Metal Sections/Duple Metsec
Duple Metsec
Duple Metsec is a former bus bodywork builder based in West Midlands of the United Kingdom, which usually supplied body kits for assembly overseas....
, British Aluminium Company and Walter Alexander
Walter Alexander Coachbuilders
Walter Alexander Coachbuilders was a Scottish bus coachbuilder and operater based in Falkirk.-History:Walter Alexander, notice a lack expasion by the Falkirk and District Tramways Company's especially in to Grangemouth which never hdd a tram line. In 1913 Alexander's Motor Service was created to...
. The Singapore-based Leyland Atlanteans were withdrawn between 1993 and 2001.
Competitors
Though the Atlantean was the first high-volume rear-engined double-decker on the market, Daimler was quick to catch up with its Fleetline model. Bristol followed several years later with its VRT.The Bristol was favoured by the state-owned National Bus Company, several of whose predecessors had standardised on Bristol vehicles. Several early examples were also purchased by NBC's Scottish sister company, the Scottish Bus Group, where the front-engined Bristol Lodekka
Bristol Lodekka
The Bristol Lodekka was a low-height double-decker bus built by Bristol Commercial Vehicles in England.Bristol manufactured over 5,200 Lodekkas from 1949 to 1968, as a standard double-deck vehicle for the UK state-owned bus sector. With all examples bodied by Eastern Coach Works in Lowestoft, they...
had proved popular. However, the Scottish customers did not share the same enthusiasm for the VR and the vehicles purchased were swapped for ex-NBC Lodekkas. The Scottish Bus Group then standardised on the Daimler Fleetline for its double-deck needs.
After the re-organisation of British Leyland, both VR and Fleetline became Leyland offerings and, when production of both ceased in 1981, over 6,400 VRs and 11,500 Fleetlines had been built. Frustrated at the lack of competition to Leyland, some operators turned to other manufacturers, who began to offer alternatives to the state-owned manufacturer. Supply problems at Leyland did not help matters and products such as the Scania Metropolitan
Scania Metropolitan
The Scania Metropolitan was the first double decker bus model built jointly by MCW and Scania division of Saab-Scania. It was built between 1973 and 1978.It was also the second bus model jointly built by these two companies...
and Dennis Dominator
Dennis Dominator
The Dennis Dominator was Dennis's first rear-engined double-decker bus chassis, it was launched in 1977. Dennis had been absent from the bus manufacturing market since the last Lolines were produced in 1967. The Dominator was described as bespoke, with numerous options...
began to make small inroads into the rear-engined market, while the Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
-backed Ailsa
Volvo Ailsa B55
The Volvo Ailsa B55 was a front-engined double-decker bus chassis built in Scotland by Ailsa, Volvo's British commercial vehicle agency. It was in production from 1973 to 1985, and was a relatively successful alternative to the ubiquitous rear-engined Bristol VR, Leyland Atlantean and...
reintroduced a front-engined double-deck chassis, with a front entrance, with some success. The Scania/Metro Cammell Weymann partnership, which produced the Metropolitan, ended in the late 1970s and forced MCW to introduce its own rear-engined product, available as an integral or chassis, the Metrobus
MCW Metrobus
The MCW Metrobus is a double decker bus model manufactured by MCW from 1977 until 1989, with over 4,000 examples built. The original MkI model was superseded by the MkII model in 1981/1982, although production of the original MkI continued for London Transport until 1985...
. The success of the Metrobus, particularly with West Midlands PTE
West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive
The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive , sometimes known as Centro, is a local government organisation responsible for certain transport services in the West Midlands county in England....
and London Transport, would spur Leyland on to develop a new heavy-duty rear-engined bus, sealing the eventual withdrawal of the Atlantean from the market.