Double-Decker Bus Sydney

Double-Decker Bus Sydney has two storeys or decks. Double-decker buses are used for mass transport in the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and many former European possessions an iconic example being the red London bus. Double-decker buses are also used in many other cities around the world.

Early double-deckers put the driver in a separate cab. Passenger access was via an open platform at the rear, and a conductor would collect fares. Modern double-deckers have a main entrance door at the front, and the driver takes fares, thus halving the number of bus workers aboard, but slowing the boarding process. The rear open platform, popular with passengers, was abandoned for safety reasons, as there was a risk of passengers falling when running and jumping onto the bus.Double-deckers are primarily for commuter transport but open-top models are used as sight-seeing buses for tourists. William Gladstone, speaking of London's double-deck horse drawn omnibuses, once observed, "...the best way to see London is from the top of a bus".

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of the Newcastle tramways, where it operated from Hamilton depot.It returned to Burwood depot in April 1969, and was withdrawn from there in September 1971, after covering 584,500 miles in service.In December 1971 2186 was sold to Hawkins Bus Service, Gunnedah. 1973 saw the bus sold to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.