Bus trailer

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A bus train in action
Detail view of the trailer coupling

Busanhänger , Omnibus trailer or bus trailers are trailers behind buses or trolley buses are used. In the case of coaches , these are often luggage tags, including trailers for bicycles or winter sports equipment. Most of them can also be attached to trucks or cars , depending on the towbar used and the permitted towing mass of the towing vehicle.

Trailers that are used exclusively for passenger transport are called passenger trailers (PA) or sidecars . Alternative names for teams from solo bus and passenger trailers are Omnibuszug , bus train or, more recently, Maxitrain or - when used with midi buses - Midi Train or Midibuszug . In Switzerland they call themselves a trailer composition . The trailer's lighting, door control and heating are supplied from the towing vehicle. However, some trailers are also equipped with autonomous air conditioning systems and parking heaters. Modern bus trains offer space for up to 200 passengers, and when used in non-public transport such as at airports or factory premises, up to 250 people can be transported.

The articulated bus is a special form , in which the trailer is designed as a semitrailer . Bus trailers are seldom used, most combinations have been replaced by newer developments such as the articulated bus .

Advantages and disadvantages

economics

Transport companies can gain an economic advantage through bus concepts that can react flexibly to strongly fluctuating passenger volumes, whereby instead of two buses with two drivers, only one bus train with one driver can be used. The advantage of the passenger trailer is that a large number of passengers can be transported with just one driver, but the trailer is detached outside of rush hour and the towing vehicle drives solo with lower fuel consumption . Furthermore, the total capacity of such a combination is higher than that of an articulated bus and comes close to that of a double articulated bus . The towing vehicle must, however, have enough power for the task at hand, and for a long time trailers could only be used to a limited extent on steep inclines / descents - modern, more powerful engines have meanwhile changed the starting position here.

At times, smoking was still allowed in trailers, while it was already forbidden in the towing vehicle. In Solingen, the rounded pendants were therefore called smoking balls.

Workforce load

Compared with the individual vehicle, the driver of a bus train has these additional tasks:

  • Coupling and uncoupling of the trailer including pneumatic, electrical and heating connections
  • Monitor monitoring of trailer doors at bus stops
  • Monitor monitoring of the space between the vehicles every time they start to avoid careless pedestrians dragging along
  • Monitor monitoring of the trailer passenger compartment while driving (vandalism, nuisance, etc.)

In the past, bus trains were often operated by three people: in addition to the driver, a conductor was required for the towing vehicle and trailer. In contrast to this, articulated vehicles could also be operated with two employees using the passenger flow principle, which essentially led to the abolition of many trailers. Some transport companies, on the other hand, only allowed season ticket holders to use the sidecar.

Passenger comfort

The big disadvantage of older bus trailers was the lack of heating, which is why the spaces in the trailers were avoided by passengers in winter. Since there is no transition between the towing vehicle and the trailer with the classic bus trailer, passengers cannot simply switch between the two vehicles while driving, for example to use seats that have become vacant. The not easily possible contact with the driver or conductor in the towing vehicle was also seen as a disadvantage by passengers in the trailer.

Bus trailers in different countries

1910: an early bus train with Daimler coaches
Parked trailer in off-peak hours

Germany

history

In 1905, the Bavarian Post used so-called hanging trolleys on its Kraftpost lines .

Since July 1, 1960, according to the StVZO in the Federal Republic of Germany, the transport of people in trailers has been prohibited in principle; the corresponding law was passed in 1956. Since then, trailers are no longer permitted for passenger transport. With a special permit, personal trailers could still be used until 1962.

As early as July 21, 1955, at the 32nd meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economics, the following was formulated: “Because of their length, buses with trailers for passenger transport repeatedly cause disruptions to the flow of traffic. If there was a further increase in traffic, they could no longer be permitted in the cities. ”( Cabinet Committee for Economics, 32nd meeting on July 21, 1955 )

However, it is still possible to use bus trailers with a special permit, see the section on modern missions . This instrument is used regularly in numerous German transport companies.

In addition, trains with bus trailers may not travel faster than 60 km / h in accordance with Section 18 (5) of the StVO , so that the slow journey would result in further traffic obstructions, particularly on city motorways and expressways. Trailer trains also had to be marked with the so-called trailer triangle in Germany . In Germany, the permitted total length of a bus is currently 18.75 meters. The bus trains, on the other hand, are manufactured with train lengths of 23.05 m or 25.76 m (for use on factory premises).

GDR

GDR: minibus with trailer for tourists 1969
Last bus train from VEB Kraftverkehr Jena in May 1977

In the GDR there were legal restrictions from 1978 onwards. Most of the trailers were "out" before that due to the advanced wear and tear of buses suitable as towing vehicles (Ikarus 601/602 / 630 , IFA H6B , Jelcz 043 ) and trolleybuses ( Škoda 9Tr ); Corresponding new vehicles were not offered by the industry. The last use of bus trailers in public transport in the GDR took place at the beginning of July 1985 at the Eberswalde trolleybus company .

Nostalgic vehicles

Some transport companies still have trailer trains from the 1950s and 1960s as traditional vehicles in their inventory, but they are not allowed to transport passengers in the trailer. An exception is the historic bus train of the Halleschen Straßenbahnfreunde eV in Halle (Saale). For their H6B / L + W701 combination, an exemption for the transport of people in trailers was granted.

Modern operations with special permits

Egenberger bus train between Niederschönenfeld and Rain am Lech
Miditrain
The "Plus-Bus" fleet (Maxi-Trains) of the Osnabrücker Stadtwerke (2011)

An increasing number of transport companies have been using bus trains in Germany again since the turn of the millennium, initially preferentially for school transport, but now more and more frequently for normal passenger transport. This is only possible with an exemption from § 32a StVZO in accordance with § 70 StVZO. It can be issued by the responsible transport ministry of the respective federal state. Depending on the model, a permit according to § 29 StVO may be required due to the total length of the trailer . As of June 2016, there were a total of 100 trailers in use in Germany, they operate for the following companies, among others:

The use of such bus trains was tested for a month in 2014 in Kiel in the KVG's regular service.

Austria

Bus trailers were common in Austria until the 1960s, but were not banned after that, but more or less went out of fashion and were generally replaced by articulated buses . However, for some years now, bus trailers have been used again by some transport companies, especially during rush hour . It has been shown here that bus trailers are cheaper to buy than articulated buses.

In 2007 Postbus operates six bus trains with “ Carrosserie Hess ” bus trailers in Innsbruck and two bus trailers in Salzburg . Examination operations began in 2003; the legislature was adapted in 2005.

The Graz Lines test until October 19, 2018 a Munich Bus Train on multiple articulated lines. If this proves itself, the purchase of own bus trains is planned to increase the capacity in the future.

Switzerland

Zugerland Verkehrsbetriebe trailer train

In Switzerland , buses with a passenger trailer run in the canton of Zug on lines 1 (Zug – Unterägeri – Oberägeri) and 2 (Zug – Menzingen). From 1953 to 1989 the bus trains in Zug also carried an AGP 3 two-axle baggage trailer in some cases ; there were three pieces. Nowadays, a single-axle bicycle trailer is sometimes coupled to the bus trailer. The eleven air-conditioned low-floor trailers in use today (Hess 2010–2012) represent the fourth generation of ZVB trailers; the last third generation vehicles (10 from Lanz & Marti / Hess 1993–1996) were still in use until May 1, 2012 . From 1953/1955, the trailer trains replaced the narrow-gauge railway that had been running to Oberägeri and Menzingen since 1913 . First seven trailers (Moser / Ramseier & Jenzer 1953–55) APE 4.80 came into operation, which were scrapped from 1974–1986. In 1961 and 65, seven more trailers were added for the valley lines, which had somewhat more modern bodies; they were used from 1975 behind newly delivered FBW buses in the orange VST paint to Oberägeri and Menzingen and scrapped from 1994–1997. The first two series still had a partition in the middle of the car to separate the smoking and non-smoking compartments.

Since January 14, 2013, PostBus Switzerland has been using a passenger trailer again, initially on a trial basis, on the 20.121 Laupen – Düdingen line. At the beginning of 2014, this trailer train was tested on the Urnäsch – Schwägalp route, with a view to the upcoming replacement of the double-decker buses.

Since the timetable change on December 9, 2018, the St. Gallen public transport company has been using five bus trains mainly on lines 3 and 4. These offer space for 159 people. There are 28 seats and 53 standing places in the trailer. The St. Gallen transport company now has a total of nine towing vehicles (MAN Lion's City) and five passenger transport trailers (Hess APM5.6-13).

In Lausanne, trailers are also used behind trolleybuses. In contrast, trailer operation in Lucerne ended in October 2017. The 16 trailers put into operation from 1998 to 2005 were resold, two of them to PostBus. They have been in use on the line between Lauterbrunnen and Stechelberg since September 2016.

In the 20th century, personal trailers were used in numerous Swiss cities, sometimes behind buses or trolley buses. They were also used on various overland routes, for example in the Sernftal , Thun – Beatenbucht – Interlaken , between Schaffhausen and Schleitheim or on the Nesslau – Wildhaus – Buchs post bus lines, and most recently until 1987 Urnäsch – Schwägalp.

The only remaining Swiss manufacturer of bus trailers for passenger transport is today the Hess bodywork .

Albania

Numerous Skoda 706 RTO buses with trailers ran in Albania until the 1990s.

Estonia

From the end of 1999, the transport company of the Estonian capital Tallinn (TAK, since July 2012 TLT) operated a total of 20 trailer combinations , consisting of Scania omnibuses and modern low-floor trailers in a matching design. The two-door trailers had the road numbers 301-320; After a few years, they were partially renumbered with the initial numbers 1 and 2 instead of 3. One of these teams was temporarily loaned to the Oberhausen public transport company (STOAG) for trial purposes.

Czech bus trailer Karosa B 40 in Brno

Former Czechoslovakia

In Czechoslovakia Busanhänger were common in the 1960s.

Bus trailers are prohibited in the Czech Republic and Slovakia .

Use behind trolleybuses

Some transport companies used to use trailers flexibly, sometimes behind trolleybuses and sometimes behind diesel buses, such as the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe , the Krefelder Verkehrs-AG , the Stadtwerke Osnabrück , the Städtische Verkehrsbetriebe Bern , the Verkehrsbetriebe der Stadt St. Gallen , the Verkehrsbetriebe STI or the Wiener Stadtwerke - transport companies .

A special form of trailer operation that was common in the former Soviet Union and its successor states was the double trolleybus traction, in which the following car was also powered.

Web links

Commons : Bus trailer  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Maxi- and Miditrain are brand names of the Göppel Bus company from Augsburg
  2. ↑ Obus-Museum Solingen eV - Project "Orion Person Tag" ( Memento of the original from December 16, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.obus-museum-solingen.de
  3. ↑ History of the bus trailer on www.omnibusarchiv.de
  4. ↑ http://www.bundesarchiv.de/cocoon/barch/1000/x/x1954e/kap1_2/kap2_33/para3_1.html
  5. ↑ http://www.verkehrsportal.de/stvo/stvo_18.php
  6. ↑ so the omnibus archive in a representation of current omnibus trailers of the Schweizer Carrosserie HESS AG . Bus trains (e.g. MVG ) can be significantly longer than the permitted 18.75 m train length
  7. ↑ Overview of bus trailers in Germany on stadtbus.de
  8. ↑ http://www.fuerther-nachrichten.de/artikel.asp?art=1156678&kat=12  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.fuerther-nachrichten.de  
  9. ↑ MVG: Our vehicles
  10. ↑ https://www.op-marburg.de/Marburg/Neuer-Buszug-rollt-schon-im-Dezember
  11. ↑ Bicycle bus from Aachen to the Eifel. (PDF) (No longer available online.) Aachener Verkehrsverbund GmbH, 2015, archived from the original on March 19, 2018 ; Retrieved April 6, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / avv.de
  12. ↑ Bicycle and leisure bus in the Heinsberg district. (PDF) (No longer available online.) Aachener Verkehrsverbund GmbH, 2016, archived from the original on March 19, 2018 ; Retrieved April 6, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / avv.de
  13. ↑ Julian Kaiser: VWS buys seven bus trains to optimize operations. In: WAZ. Retrieved August 20, 2016 .
  14. ↑ New vehicles from the Gründau regional transport service. March 16, 2016, accessed June 30, 2016 .
  15. ↑ Südkurier Medienhaus: Konstanz: Space for 190 passengers over 23 meters: The new bus trains are here | SÜDKURIER Online . In: SÜDKURIER Online . ( suedkurier.de [accessed on December 2, 2016]).
  16. ↑ Sven Janssen: This way more people fit into the bus. KN , September 10, 2014, accessed on June 6, 2016 (fee required).
  17. ↑ Bus and trailer - current in Innsbruck (en) / Autobus s vlekem - v Innsbrucku opět běžná praxe (cz) , BUSportal.cz, January 24, 2007
  18. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/128415380557634/posts/2108922372506915/
  19. ↑ Tram N ° 106 / 05. – 07.2011, ISSN  1422-5344 , page 15 and Tram N ° 107 / 08. – 10.2011, ISSN  1422-5344 , page 29
  20. ↑ Tram N ° 111 / 08. – 10.2012, ISSN  1422-5344 , page 19
  21. ^ Gerhard Oswald: It began with a pioneering act, 100 years of public transport in the canton of Zug. Editor: Zugerland Verkehrsbetriebe AG, Zug 2004, ISBN 3-909287-32-8 , page 237
  22. ↑ PAG press release of January 12, 2013, accessed on January 14, 2013 ( Memento of January 28, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  23. ↑ With the XXL Postbus to Schwägalp. In: Appenzeller Zeitung , January 6, 2014.
  24. ↑ City of St. Gallen: Commissioning of the new bus trains , accessed on February 19, 2019
  25. ↑ Tram magazine No. 132 / 11.2017, ISSN 1422-5344
  26. ↑ Bus trains in the Valley of the Waterfalls at www.tir-transnews.ch, accessed on February 19, 2019
  27. ↑ Ordinance 341/2002 Coll., O schvalování technické způsobilosti ao technických podmínkách provozu vozidel na pozemních komunikacích, § 14, paragraph 11: "Trailers may not be used for passenger transport."