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ATLANTEAN AN68/2R |
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On July 1, 1956, an amendment
to the Construction and Use Regulations in Britain saw the maximum length
for double-deckers increased to 30ft. The new regulations permitted Leyland
to review its rear-engine double-decker bus design. The first prototype
Atlantean was exhibited at the 1956 British Commercial Motor Show. Several
problems prevented the prototype being placed on the market, the main
problem being the amount of noise in the lower saloon. This was due to the
fact that the engine was inside the body, with the compartment being used
for seating passengers. Leyland managed to iron out these problems and
announced the first production Atlantean, the PDR1/1, in 1958. Since then,
over 15 000 Atlanteans had been built. In February 1972, Leyland announced the Atlantean AN68 series. AN stood for Atlantean while 68 referred to the Leyland 680 engine which was standard issue. The AN68 were available in 2 lengths; 9.4m (indicated by the no. 1) and 10.2m (indicated by the no. 2). They were also available in right-hand or left-hand drive, as indicated by the initials R and L respectively. The chassis design was simple and the engine was placed in a rear-vertical position. Drive was taken in a straight line through a Leyland Pneumocyclic gearbox. The cooling system consisted of a rear mounted radiator with a large co-axial fan. The fan was driven by the engine providing excellent internal cooling and strong continuous external air flow across the engine. Suspension was in the form of semi-elliptical leaf springs with shock absorbers for the front axle. The overseas version of the AN68 came equipped with power steering. Although Singapore's first double-decker bus, an AEC Regent, appeared in 1958, it was not until 1977 that double-decker buses made an impact on Singapore's transport system. 20 Leyland Atlantean AN68/2R buses were launched on June 13, 1977. They were put on route 86, a semi-express service between Tampines Way - Shenton Way. The buses come with 2 type of bodyworks. 12 buses had a Metal Sections body while the rest had an angular body with shallow roof from British Aluminium Co. (BACo) The launch was a success. Singapore Bus Service (SBS) placed an order for 200 Atlantean chassis in 1978. When the chassis were completed, they were shipped to Singapore to be fitted with a body kit at SBS's Woodlands Assembly Line. Again, 2 types of bodies were fitted. 100 buses had Duple Metsec body and the other 100 had Alexander-L type body. All the buses were deployed in 1980. Yet another shipment of 100 Atlanteans arrived. All the buses were fitted with Alexander-L type body and launched in 1982. By now, SBS's double-decker fleet had reached 320 units. SBS placed an order for another 200 Atlanteans. Leyland was obliged to complete the order despite the dwindling British double-decker bus market in the early 1980s. And so, these buses went down in history as the last Leyland Atlanteans to be built. All the buses received a new Alexander R-type body and were registered between 1984-1986. A new ruling by Singapore's Land Transport Authority states that public buses must not be more than 12 years old. The older Atlanteans were withdrawn completely by the end of 1993. Only the Alexander R-type bodied Atlanteans remained until their own complete dismissal at the end of 1999. |
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| STATISTICS FOR SBS 1984 LEYLAND ATLANTEAN | |||
| Model | Leyland Atlantean AN68/2R | Total Displacement | 11093 cc |
| Body | Walter Alexander R-type | Gearbox | Leyland Pneumocyclic |
| Chassis Origin | United Kingdom | Assembled by | Soon Chow & Defu Plant |
| Length | 10.2 m | Year of Registration | 1984 - 1986 |
| Width | 2.5 m | Seating Capacity (Upper) | 51 |
| Height | 4.42 m | Seating Capacity (Lower) | 32 |
| Gross Weight | 16256 kg | Standing | 12 |
| Engine | Leyland 680 | Total Passenger Capacity | 96 |
| No. of Cylinders | 6 | No. of Buses | 200 |
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SELECT A PICTURE |
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1977 Metsec bodied Atlantean This was one of the pioneer double-decker bus in Singapore. 12 buses with Metal Sections (Metsec) bodywork were at the launch of SBS's first double-decker service on June 13, 1977. |
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1982 Alexander bodied Atlantean This bus was part of the 3rd batch of Atlanteans delivered in 1982. 100 buses with Alexander-L type bodywork were deployed on that year. SBS had 200 such buses altogether. The first 100 were deployed in 1980. |
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1982 Alexander bodied Atlantean Another Alexander-L type bodied Atlantean from 1982. All of the buses were withdrawn in 1993. Some were sold to Hong Kong and China. |
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1984 Alexander bodied Atlantean The last batch of 200 Atlanteans were registered between 1984-1986. All of them had an Alexander R-type bodywork. This one had its whole body painted with an advertisement. |
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1984 Alexander bodied Atlantean An Atlantean making a rare appearance on service 157 in 1997. Only 34 buses remained by that time. |
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1984 Alexander bodied Atlantean An Atlantean leaving Boon Lay Interchange in 1997. All the Atlanteans were withdrawn by the end of 1999. |
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