Mitsubishi Fuso Canter

The is a line of light-duty commercial vehicles manufactured by Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, part of Daimler Trucks, subsidiary of Daimler AG). The Canter is manufactured since 1963, now in its eighth generation. The Canter is named after the English word describing the gait of a horse, emphasising the 'thoroughbred' nature of Mitsubishi trucks.
Production and sales.
Early export sales began to South East Asia only, but shortly later the series began seeing export to other markets including Australia, New Zealand, the Near East and since the mid-eightys North America. Indonesia (there named “Colt Diesel”) has become the biggest export market since many years ago, followed by the Near East and Taiwan. In total the Canter is marketed to more than 150 countries. Fuso operates its own factories in Japan, Chennai/India and Tramagal/Portugal, further assemblies from CKD kits exist in several countries (see info box). The Tramagal factory supplies to Western Europe (European Union plus Norway and Switzerland) at a local sourcing rate of 50%.
Early after the DaimlerChrysler–Mitsubishi alliance was established the MMC distribution network in Europe was closed and taken over by Daimler. When the alliance failed Daimler already owned the majority in MFTBC and sales rights remained at Daimler.
Product.
At its beginning the Canter was a narrow vehicle with 2 tons of payload. About since the introduction of the fourth generation the line-up of the Canter was increasingly expanded und today the Canter label covers a variety of products. Presumably starting with the fifth generation the JDM Fighter Mignon was sold for Export as "Canter 75", “Canter HD” or “Canter FH”, during the seventh generation a twin rear axle Canter was available and since 2018 the Nissan NV350 is exported to the Near East as a Canter Van. Nowadays there are two line-ups in parallel (Eighth generation and General Export Models) each with narrow or wide variants from 3.5 to 8.5 tons gross weight. In Japan the Canter series include the Canter Guts, a 1.5 ton payload truck specially adopted to the rules for the Japanese class of compact vehicles but the term Guts is not always used. Further adoptions exist to local markets including engines and exhaust gas treatments.
In 2010, still with the seventh generation, at Tramagal new more environmentally friendly power trains were introduced with Iveco F1C diesel engines by Fiat Power Train (FPT) and transmissions from ZF Friedrichshafen. The eighth generation fitted with these “World Engines” is determined to developed countries with strict emission limits, furthermore it is available as EcoHybrid and as an all-electric eCanter. For developing countries a simplified version with Mitsubishi engines is available as General Export Modell.
There are several naming systems depending on time and market. E.g., in Japan a Canter 15 is a truck with 1.5 tons payload while pretty much the same truck in Europe was denominated as Canter 35 because of its 3.5 tons gross weight. In Indonesia model names are based on the chassis codes (F codes, e.g. FE71, FE83) opposed to North America where the numerical part of the model name represents the gross weight in hecto pounds (hlb.), e.g. FE130 is a 13,000 lb. truck. Starting with the seventh generation Fuso introduced a naming system similar to that used by parent company Daimler in Europe, in Australia and New Zealand a similar system had been introduced. This system is preferably used here because of its expressiveness (for details see model box of seventh generation).
History.
First generation (T720).
The very first Canter was the successor of the T710 produced from 1960 through 1963. The T720 Canter had two round single headlights but the facelifted version from 1964 had a set of round twin headlights. At a payload of 2 tons it was equipped either with the KE42 gasoline engine or the 4DQ11A diesel engine.
Second generation (T90).
The second generation Canter appeared in 1968 with a 4DR1 diesel engine at and two gasoline options: the T91's KE42 was known from the first generation Canter, while long wheelbase versions (T93/97) received a 2.3-liter KE47 gasoline engine. The most common diesel version was the T90, available on a short or a long wheelbase. There was also a dual rear wheel version of the long wheelbase model with the T92 chassis code. In July 1970 a 2.7 l 4DR5 diesel option was added.
Third generation (T200).
The T200 series was structured into the diesel engined T200/T210 (4DR5, ) and the T205/215 with the 2,315 cc KE47 gasoline engine, moreover the 1,995 cc KE42 was still available. In January 1975, the gasoline engines were replaced by the 4G52 (1,995 cc; ) and 4G53 (2,384 cc;). The third generation was sold with various wheelbases and bed heights. A 3-ton payload variant was also available.
Fourth generation.
Starting with the fourth generation in Japan the Canter was supplemented by variants with 2- and 3-ton wide cabins. In February 1980, a power steering for the wide vehicles was added as an option, at the end of the same year a narrow 1.5 ton and a wide 3.5 ton followed. New diesel engines 4D30 (indirect injection, naturally aspirated, ) and 4D31 (direct injection naturally asparated or turbo charged, ) were added in November 1982. According to some sources ratings of these engines were slightly higher at and , perhaps due to the use of gross ratings. In December 1983, a "Walk Through Van" with 1.5 tons completed the line-up. All weights mentioned here are payloads.
European sales began in the Benelux countries in the late 1970s. About 200 of the narrow cabined fourth generation Canters had been sold there by 1980, when local assembly of a wide-bodied Canter in Belgium by importer Moorkens N V was begun on a trial basis. The Canter ended up being built in Tramagal, Portugal instead since 1980. Later in October 2004, the factory achieved a production capacity of 15,000 units per year and shift with approximately 430 employees. More than 110,000 vehicles had been produced there since then.
The fourth generation Canter was mostly available with a variety of diesel engines, but a 2555 cc 4G54 petrol inline-four engine producing was fitted to the FC 35 model.
Fifth generation.
The fifth generation Canter appeared in October 1985. Its overall appearance was more square and smoother than the previous model, while larger, single, rectangular headlights replaced the earlier twin round units. Some export markets, such as the United States, kept using twin round headlights to meet local requirements. In the domestic Japanese market, the front "MMC" emblem was changed to the corporate three diamond logo, with an MMC emblem remaining on the passenger door. Because of its cabin originating from the Canter the Fighter Mignon became marketed outside Japan as a 7.5 ton (gross) Canter 75, Canter HD or FH series. Also new was the adoption of front disc brakes on some models, while the shift lever location was changed from the column to the floor and later to the top of the engine cover between the driver's and the centre seat.
In July 1986, a 4WD option was added to the Canter 20 and Canter 30 series. The lightweight Canter 15 changed its name to Canter Guts (a name only used in the domestic Japanese market) in January 1987. Japanese designations like "Canter 15" indicated the payload (1.5 t) while European designations like "Canter 35" are related to the gross weight.
In November 1989, the Canter underwent a facelift, with a reshaped front grill, and was also able to comply with the new 1989 vehicle emissions regulations. In June 1991 ABS brakes became available, a first for the class in the home market. At the same time, power windows became standard equipment across the board.
In the North American market the Canter was available as the Mitsubishi Fuso FE (Class 3), FG (4WD version of the FE), and FH (Class 5). The FE and FG were both powered by a
turbocharged and intercooled four-cylinder diesel engine with while the larger FH had a six-cylinder turbodiesel. A variety of wheelbases from were offered.
Sixth generation.
The sixth generation of the Canter war introduced in Japan in November 1993, in Europe in 1996. In November 1995, the line-up was supplemented with variants in standard (narrow) 3.5 tons and wide 4 tons payload. In October 1997, the all-wheel drive of the Guts in Japan was modified from on-demand with crawler to a permanent system. Starting from 2002 all European Canters were permitted to tow trailers up to 3.5 tons gross weight. With a final make-over in 2004, ABS was added to some variants.
Seventh generation.
The seventh generation of the Canter was introduced in Japan in June 2002, in Europe in 2005. Main goals were a modern vehicle, improved safety (new: disc brakes and Xenon head lights on some models) and comfort, e.g. the wide cabin became 20 mm higher and 100 mm lengthened to the front. For a more spacious cabin the shifting stick moved from between driver's and center seat to the dashboard, a world-first for cab-over trucks.
Until the end of production of the seventh generation the Canter was manufactured and sold in Japan without Selective catalytic reduction. In Europe the engines of the predecessor had been taken over at first, followed by Mitsubishi engines with common rail injection and finally by modern engines based on the F1C engine by FPT. Starting with the eighth generation these “world engines” were also utilized in Japan and around the world for all developed countries with strict exhaust gas limitation, for less developed countries a simplified seventh generation remained in production in parallel as General Export Models.
In connection to the DaimlerChrysler–Mitsubishi alliance Fuso was hived off from MCC and when the alliance failed remained with Daimler (at that time DCX). Additionally continuously new scandals, i.e. concealment of issues on car safety, came up again and again. Perhaps to fence off from this past the appearance of Fuso trucks was changed gradually: The product name changed from “Mitsubishi Canter” to “Mitsubishi Fuso Canter” on the seventh generation and finally to “Fuso Canter” on the eighth generation, the diamond emblem remained but changed from red to silver.
Eighth generation.
The eighth generation was first introduced in Japan in November 2010, sales started in Europe in 2012. At least in Europe this Canter also succeeds the Mercedes-Benz Vario since its discontinuation in 2013.
The line-up includes chassis weighting from 3.5 to 8.55 tons gross with cabins 1.7 (S) or 2.0 (W) metres wide. Canters with 5 tons (gross) or less have front axles with independent suspension, selected variants are available with crew cabin (D = Double cabin). Generally, offerings depend widely on the country where done, i. e. no standard (narrow) cabins in the USA nor the U.K. and no standard (narrow) double cabins in Europe. In Australia a 3S13 (locally called 313 City) with reduced cabin height is available.
Some bodies for the trucks are available ex works (Europe: drop-side and dumper beds, additionally in Japan: D-van, D-wing and reefer boxes, skip and car carriers).
The “world engines” ranging from 96 to 129 kW introduced in Europe with the 7th generation are now utilized worldwide paired to a manual five-speed transmission, the 6-speed Duonic® Dual-clutch transmission is an option for many variants and a PTO is available with both gearboxes. On the Eco-Hybrid a 110 kW diesel engine is combined with a 40 kW electric motor-generator and a 2 kWh lithium-ion battery. Since 2019 the General Export Model is based on the 8th generation, but is fitted with simpler 4V21 engines which are Euro IV compliant only. In late 2017, the first pure electric eCanter was delivered to its customer in New York City. This was the first time the “Canter” designation has been used in North America. Some 500 eCanters were planned for assembly as forerunners to be replaced by mass production starting in 2019.
On October 19, 2020, Fuso introduced a facelifted version of the Canter in Japan. The new line-up includes 1.5 ton payload variants to comply with the Japanese class of compact vehicles/trucks, incorporating the former Canter Guts. Improved engines had already been phased-in in early 2020 offering reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emissions while torque was improved. The engine designation was changed from 4P10 to 4P10+ to underline these innovations.
Derivatives.
All-wheel drive.
Since its fifth generation Fuso offered the Canter with all-wheel drive in Japan and probably some export markets. In Europe all-wheel drive became available to selected customers by Pfau in Springe, Germany (since 2016 insolvent) with the seventh generation as standard (narrow) vehicles with 3.5 to 7.5 tons. For the eighth generation Pfau have also offered standard and wide vehicles with 5.5 to 7 tons GVW with all-wheel drive, despite the official European Canter programme only including a 6.5 tons all-wheel drive vehicle. On the eighth generation standard (narrow) cabins have a permanent all-wheel drive without crawling gear while wide cabin trucks feature a rigid front axle and part-time all-wheel drive with raised frame to improve ground clearance resp. approach angles.
Canter Guts.
Guts was the denomination for a JDM variant of the Canter in Japan from 1987 through 2008 having a standard narrow cabin and slightly more than 3.5 tons gross weight.
In 2008 the Guts based on the 7th generation was discontinued but in January 2013 the same label was reinvented following an agreement in late 2012 between Daimler/Fuso and Renault-Nissan to supply each other with certain products, mainly on the Japanese market.
Nissan markets the Canter with 2 tons payload or more as a Nissan NT450 Atlas (H44), Fusō a heavily revised variant of the Nissan NT400 (F24) as Canter Guts to fit the Japanese class of compact vehicles.
The Canter Guts is powered either by a Nissan ZD30DDTI diesel engine having 81 kW @ 2800 rpm and 276 Nm @ 1260-2800 rpm or by a petrol engine with a manual 5-speed transmission with overdrive and rear-wheel drive. Options include permanent all-wheel drive and a double cabin. As usual with the other smaller trucks it features independent front suspension.
End of 2019 production of the Nissan NT400 (F24) had been ceased, in early 2020 a rebadged Isuzu Elf has been presented as the new Nissan NT400 (F25). On October 19, 2020, Fuso launched the ninth generation Canter in Japan which now includes variants conforming to the class of compact vehicles. But the Guts label appears no to be utilized any more.
General Export Modell.
Continuously stricter exhaust gas limits resulted in raising production cost and complexity, e.g. Common rail injection and exhaust gas aftertreatment. Thus, for less developed countries simplified vehicles with the old Mitsubishi engines and manual 5-speed transmissions (the biggest engine without synchromesh for lowest and reverse gear) were introduced.
These General Export Models base on the seventh generation Canter, engines comply to EURO II and were sold in parallel to the eighth generation til 2019. Since early 2018 they were offered in the Philippines with more modern Mitsubishi engines conforming to Euro IV.
In 2019 these vehicles were replaced once more by simplied variants of the eighth generation again equipped with outfashioned Mitsubishi engines (4V21) conforming to EURO IV instead of EURO VI for the FPT engines utilized on the standart eighth generation.
Eco-Hybrid.
Late 2005, the first generation of the “Canter Eco-Hybrid” based on the seventh generation Canter became commercially available in Japan. With a curb weight of 2.83 tons it featured 2 tons of payload, with 3 tons payload the curb weight was slightly higher at 2.87 tons.
The “Eco-Hybrid” based on the eighth generation is a wide 7.5 ton vehicle equipped with an 110 kW diesel engine with Duonic® automated mechanical transmission, 40 kW motor/generator located between engine and transmission and a 2 kWh lithium-ion battery. This parallel hybrid system facilitates 20% lower fuel consumption.
eCanter.
The fully developed eCanter was launched in New York City in September 2017 and is scheduled for delivery in Japan, Europe and North America.
CanterVan.
In 2014 the co-operation between Fuso and Nissan has been extended, on some markets the Nissan NV350 is marketed by Fusō as CanterVan since then.
Buses.
Several bus conversions exist based on Canter chassis including the factory made Fuso Rosa. In many countries locally made buses are a means to circumvent high import duties. In some cases under licence locally made chassis with outdated engines conforming to lower emission standards allow for even lower prices.
Models and Model codes.
Early models utilized the coeval T coding system to distinguish the different versions of trucks, chassis and buses. Starting with the fourth generation it was replaced by the F codes for the same purpose. Over time this in turn has been adapted to newer developments of the product itself. Furthermore it can easily be confused with some sales denominations in some markets at a given time, e.g. a "FC35" decodes as a 3.5 tons (gross) gasoline Canter and the numerical part of the North American "FE130" decodes as its gross weight in hectopounds.
US & Canada.
In the mid-1980th Fuso (MMC at that time) started selling the Canter in the USA. In certain years there was also a medium-duty (Class 5) FH series available which essentially was a Mitsubishi Fuso Fighter Mignon which because of its cabin was grouped as a Canter for Export. In the 2000th the Canter was also sold by Sterling Trucks with "Sterling 360" badging.
In the United States the 8th generation was offered as FE/FG series (class 3 to 5). Since March 2018, specifically for North America the “Gas Truck” was created featuring the 6.0 Liter GM Vortec V8 small-block engine and an Allison Automatic. It was produced at Freightliner in Gaffney/SC, USA. The all-wheel driven FG series had been discontinued in about 2019, and on May 27, 2020, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America announced to cease sales of the Canter in the US and Canada.
In North America the designation had been used on the pure electric eCanter for the first time starting with the first delivery in New York City End of 2017. Some 500 eCanters were planned for assambly as forerunners to be replaced by mass production starting in 2019.
Europe.
With the fourth generation sales began in the Benelux countries and in 1980 local production started in Portugal on a regular basis. Sales designations and programme vary depending on time and country, e.g. no standard/narrow cabins in the U.K.
Due to declining sales resulting from new European driving licences for cars being restricted to 3.5 tons since 1998 the eighth generation 5 to 6 ton Canters are no more available except the 6.5 ton 4x4 and the 6-tonnner as being the heaviest standard/narrow cabin Canter.
Turkey.
Produced by Temsa. Over 3500 kg GVWR chassis is also basis of Temsa Prestij light midibus.
Pre-Euro models (1986 - 1997):
Euro 2 to Euro 4 models (1998 - 2012):
Euro 5 and Euro 6 models (2012 - ):
Duonic dual clutch transmission is optional for over 3500 kg models unless stated otherwise.
Australia.
All models available with either manual or duonic (dual clutch AMT) transmission, unless stated otherwise.
Indonesia.
In Indonesia, the locally assembled Mitsubishi Fuso Canter is marketed as Colt Diesel.
Iran.
Mayan Foolad is the official distributor of Mitsubishi Fuso in Iran, and has started its activities since 2016. Canter models to be supplied are FEA51, FEB71CL, FEC71GL and FECX1. Units are all supplied from the Tramagal factory in Portugal. All units are to European specifications and are tested and homologated based on Iranian environment, fuel and topography and are exclusively designed for the Iranian market. All units are supplied with Euro V standard and DPF filter is included in all models. Delivery to customers started in January 2016, and the Canter is to be assembled in Iran from 2017.


Great Mall/Main station

Great Mall/Main station or Great Mall station (formerly known as Great Mall/Main Transit Center) is operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). This station is served by the Orange Line of the VTA Light Rail system. The station is elevated over the intersection of Great Mall Parkway and Main Street in Milpitas, California. A pedestrian bridge connects the Light Rail station to the Great Mall of the Bay Area.
The station was opened on June 24, 2004 as part of the second phase of VTA's Tasman East light rail extension.
This station formerly served as a major transfer point between VTA Light Rail and bus lines. The transit center was closed and the majority of the bus lines moved to the nearby Milpitas station which opened on December 28, 2019.


Standard House

The Standard House is a landmark in the city of Peekskill in Westchester County, New York, built in 1855. It is located at 50 Hudson Avenue between South Water Street and the Metro-North Hudson Line train tracks.
An Italianate brick building, it and the Union Hotel across the street are the only two hotel buildings remaining from the period of Peekskill's industrial height as a center for the manufacture of stoves. It continued to be in use as a hotel after that industry declined, but couldn't survive the decline of the railroad in the mid-20th century. Vacant and neglected through most of the later years of that century, it was restored early in the next. In 2000 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Currently it houses a retail store on the ground floor, and the city's economic development offices.
Building.
The building's small lot is flat, reflecting the nearby Hudson River. The fenced-off tracks are on its west; it shares a party wall with another commercial building to the east. To its north is a vacated section of the former West Street, the only fragment of Peekskill's once yellow-brick paved streets remaining in the city.
The Standard House is a three-story painted brick building, four bays by three, with a shallow-pitched pyramidal roof covered in bitumen roll topped by a central cupola with a flagpole on top. Two brick chimneys rise from the western corners. The south (front) elevation of the first story has two glass storefronts, topped by a wooden cornice. All four windows on both upper stories are round-arched with louvered shutters, brick keystones and a stone sill supported by corbeled brick. "STANDARD HOUSE" is prominently painted on a wooden panel between the second and third stories.
The roofline has a dentilled wooden box cornice, with molding and brackets above a paneled frieze. The cupola has roofing and trim similar to the rest of the building. Some past fire damage is still visible at its southwest corner.
Inside, the first floor has been completely gutted and rebuilt. Only the original wood siding and window framing on the west wall remain. The two upper stories have their original plans intact as well as most of their original finishings.
History.
Built in approximately 1855, it was originally used as a boarding house and tavern, catering to the busy traffic in the industrial area of the city near the New York Central railroad and the Hudson River. The name "Standard House" is not associated with the property until a photo taking during the Blizzard of 1888 shows the name on the facade between the second and third stories as it appears today.
The origins of the name are unclear. Theories that have been advanced suggest a connection to William Jennings Bryan. The first concerns "The Standard", a society newspaper published in New York and London during the 1890s. Issues with articles highlighting Bryan and Chauncey Depew, a Peekskill native, were found in the building during its restoration. At that time, the owner, John Galligan, was a staunch supporter of Bryan and bimetallism A local newspaper photo taken of Bryan campaigning from the railroad station during the 1908 presidential election shows the Standard House prominently in the background. A photo in the same newspaper of William Howard Taft speaking at the same spot two days later was taken from a different angle that does not show the building at all.
Throughout the early 20th century, the Standard House passed through several other owners. At the outset of Prohibition, a man named John Carbone bought it and turned it into a successful restaurant, restoring liquor service after Prohibition's repeal. While the industry around Peekskill's waterfront declined, Carbone's remained successful, but the building was neglected by subsequent ownership, which renamed it the Central Grill. After suffering severe fire damage, the building was boarded up and left to deteriorate further while the city pursued a foreclosure action against its owners for unpaid property taxes.
In 1998, the building was purchased by Kathy and Rick Cerreta, longtime city residents with an interest in historic preservation. They spent heavily on restoring the structure, rebuilding its wooden windows instead of merely replacing them. In 2000 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. They reopened it in March 2001, and shortly thereafter received an Excellence in Historic Preservation Award from the New York State Preservation League. The city has also recognized them for the effort. They have been leasing the space inside to local businesses since then.
In popular culture.
In 2001, the Standard House was used as a police station in the 2002 movie "Unfaithful", however the filmmakers decided to change the ending of the movie, and the scene with "Standard House" was omitted. The building can still be seen in the "deleted scenes" section of the movie's DVD.


Cottle station

Cottle is a light rail station operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). The station is served by the Blue Line of the VTA Light Rail system. It was part of the original "Guadalupe Line", the first segment of light rail from Santa Teresa to Tasman.
Location.
Cottle station is located in the median of State Route 85, near Cottle Road in the southern part of San Jose, California. It is located very close (one mile) to Caltrain's Blossom Hill station, and is even closer to the local hospital and to the Hitachi Global Storage Technologies campus in South San Jose. Since the Caltrain only serves this area in rush hours on weekdays, the light rail service may be used in other hours, although it is slower.


Colectivo

Colectivo (English: collective bus) is the name given in Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Paraguay to a type of public transportation vehicle, especially those of Argentina's capital city, Buenos Aires. The name comes from "vehículos de transporte colectivo" ("vehicles for collective transport"), reflecting their origin as shared taxis.
When they first appeared in the 1920s, "colectivos" were small buses built out of smaller vehicle chassis (cars, vans, etc.) and, later, out of truck chassis (1950–1990, by Mercedes-Benz Argentina), not specifically designed for the transportation of people, and were decorated with unique hand-painted drawings ("fileteado") that gave each unit a distinct flavor.
They steadily evolved and grew larger, but kept their picturesque style until the 1990s, when the urban fleet was modernized with standard rear-engined bus units.
During most of their history, tickets were sold by the driver, who would drive off as soon as all passengers had boarded, selling tickets while driving.
History.
1928–1950.
Taxi-bus, Chevrolet Double Phaeton, creation of the "líneas"
In the 1900s Argentina was the "Granary of the World", one of the largest world food producers and exporters, and a wealthy country. The streets of prosperous Buenos Aires (with 2 million inhabitants) soon filled with cars.
Commercial relations with the United Kingdom (mainly trade in meat and grain), also brought a myriad of investors and enterprises in the early years of the century, including Latin America's first metro system, cars, trains, tramways, taxis and public buses.
On 24 September 1928, the first taxi-bus ran through Buenos Aires. Later called "colectivo", it was based on an Argentine-manufactured longer-wheelbase Chevrolet Superior K-series Double Phaeton called "Especial Argentino". It provided public transportation throughout Buenos Aires on pre-defined itineraries and stops, charging a low price for each passenger.
Chevrolet started manufacturing a truck chassis adaptable to passenger transport. By the 1930s the size of the colectivo had increased from five to up to a dozen seats, and the Chevrolet line had become widely used, with bodies made by local companies. This style was kept until the 1970s and 1980s, by which time the units had twenty seats plus cramped room for many standing passengers.
During its heyday, drivers deliberately challenged the "real" public buses and electric tramways, parking near them at the busiest stations and driving close to them during the day to pick up their passengers. Soon people started to prefer these "colectivos", which displaced the original buses and trams.
With time the routes were formalized, and owners of "colectivos" joined together into lines that operated standard routes, distinguished by numbers displayed on the "colectivos". Since several lines often traversed the same roads, companies began to adopt different colors to distinguish their units more clearly than by the number alone. Line 60, a particularly well-known line with a long route, had its beginnings in this era.
1950–1990.
Mercedes-Benz truck and buses
After World War II and during the 1950s Argentine industry started to develop again, but the country's public transport system was inadequate for the new era: practically no modernization had taken place since the early years, and the suburban railway system was not sufficient to meet the rising demands of the population.
Mercedes-Benz moved into the "colectivo" market: in 1951 the then Daimler-Benz AG set up in Argentina its first factories outside Germany: one in the town of San Martín, near Buenos Aires, and another in González Catán.
Mercedes released updated local colectivo chassis, a modified L 3500 truck chassis – LO 3500, OP 3500, LO 311, LO 312, LO 911 (the [O] stands for Omnibus) – with a separately manufactured body fitted later by different coachbuilders. In less than a decade the output was 6,500 units a year. In 1963 Mercedes built the 10,000nd colectivo (model LO 312), and continued with other models, such as L 1112 (120 HP), LA 1112 (all-wheel traction) and the L 1114. The Mercedes-Benz colectivos had truck powerplants, a diesel engine with power transmitted to the rear axle by a five-speed constant-mesh gearbox.
All the lines progressively adopted these units and, from 1950 to 1990, all colectivos were eventually Mercedes-Benz models.
1990s to the present.
Omnibus. Blurring of the tradition of the colectivo
In 1987 El Detalle, one of the bus body suppliers of Mercedes-Benz, started competing with its former chassis provider, investing in low price and modern urban buses, with cheaper Deutz engines. That same year model El Detalle OA-101 was launched. This model was rear-engined and had pneumatic suspension, providing smoother rides and more inside space.
Mercedes-Benz responded the following year with the rear-engined OH-1314, but that was considered "the death of the Colectivo", certainly the end of an era.
In 1989 the last truck-based colectivos, on the classic Mercedes-Benz chassis LO-1114, were assembled. Production had been discontinued the previous year.
During the 1990s some companies found it cheaper to switch to single-colored units, and a flurry of mergers and foldings changed the appearance of colectivos.
Nowadays, only the three-digit numbering and some of the routes survive from the traditional "líneas", "fileteado" is rarely seen, the "filigranas" were lost, and some of the classic big details, such as the panoramic mirrors close to the driver's head, disappeared.
After 1995 automatic ticket machines made journeys safer, since drivers did not have to sell tickets and drive at the same time.
In 2005 Mercedes-Benz units accounted for about half of the buses in the city of Buenos Aires and its surroundings, with units built in Buenos Aires (La Favorita, Eivar, Italbus, Bimet-Corwin, Galicia, CND, CEAP, Ugarte, etc.) and in Brazil (Marcopolo, CAIO and others). The other half were El Detalle units and others such as Scania, Volvo, Dimex, Zanello and very few Ferroni.
Most older units have been retired from service in Buenos Aires, as they are considered too dangerous and noisy for use in the fast-paced city. They were disposed of, or sent to smaller cities all over the country. Colectivos are usually retired only when they are too damaged to be repaired; some of them have “resuscitated” as fine motorhomes.
Description of the "colectivo".
The Mercedes units were more sophisticated than the original "taxi-bus" but the body kept its artistic touches, preserving the original style of the "colectivo". This style was not influenced by the social class of the districts through which the "colectivos" journeyed. All the units of all the "líneas" shared these characteristics until the 1990s:
Multi-colored units.
Decorators used many colorful combinations over the units' external body, helping identify each one of the "líneas". These eventually evolved into "corporate colors": when one company ran several lines, they painted buses on all lines in the same colors. Until the 1990s the "fileteado", individual to each bus, was maintained.
"Fileteados".
"Fileteado" has been defined as: "art on wheels": full of colored ornaments and symmetries completed with poetic phrases, sayings and aphorisms, both humorous or roguish, emotional or philosophical".
The colectivos were where this art found its best canvas. Long, wide mirrors placed around the driver seat often had winding drawings and motifs that usually portrayed the driver's preferences in football, religion and tango.
The outside of the units was also painted with "fileteado" details, flower motifs, national flags, and football team banners. It was also very common to see phrases written down in complex fonts, usually at the back. These phrases were often ingenious puns or rhymes and became part of Argentine folklore. A simple example of a very common phrase is: "Lo mejor que hizo la vieja es el pibe que maneja" (loosely "The best thing my mum did was this bus-driving kid").
Other details.
The units with a larger budget had more details added around the driver's seat. These usually came in the form of lights of exotic colors or seat covers with wool and fringes or even leather. It was very common to see the gear-stick full of hanging knickknacks and the casing where the tickets and coins were stored covered with motifs.
Before 1995 tickets were sold by the "colectivero" (driver) as he drove; they were colored strips of paper with a 5-digit number. Palindromic numbers (such as "10301") were called "capicuas" (from Catalan "cap i cua", "head and tail") and sometimes collected.
Usage in Buenos Aires.
The colectivo bus operations of Buenos Aires provide a widespread and frequent bus service that attracts exceptionally high ridership with virtually no public financial support beyond subsidized petrol to keep fares low.
With low ticket prices, very frequent services, and extensive routes, with many places within 400m of a route, the colectivo is a very widely used mode of transportation around the city. "Porteños" (Autonomous City of Buenos Aires' residents) have a love-hate relationship with the colectivo: on the one hand, they are usually very crowded in rush hour and plagued with pickpockets, petty thieves, beggars and hawkers (itinerant salesmen), though more controlled nowadays. On the other hand, they are a necessity in the city, and a convenient and cheap way to get around. Most colectivos in the big cities of Argentina do not have a fixed timetable, but run at least four, and often many more, services per hour, depending on the bus line and time of day. During night-time, all colectivos in Buenos Aires city run through their stops at least twice an hour.
Fares.
Most buses share a basic distance-dependent fare system. the "universal" fare in pesos was:
Section boundaries are fixed at about 3 km from each other (less so near the city center), so that a 4-kilometer ride may sometimes require to pay the second rate.
Fares are valid for one bus ride, with no transfer facility.
Some lines operate a number of "diferencial" (premium) buses, with no need to stand and with other amenities, for example curtains, at a higher price.


Mitsubishi Fuso Aero Star

The Mitsubishi Fuso Aero Star (kana:三菱ふそう・エアロスター) is a heavy-duty single-decker bus produced by the Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Fuso since 1984. The range was available as either a public bus or a coach. Its principal competitors are the Isuzu Erga, the Nissan Diesel Space Runner RA and the Hino Blue Ribbon.
Aero Star (second series, 1996-present).
Between 2007 and 2011, some Aero Star has been sold as UD Trucks Space Runner A (old name: Nissan Diesel Space Runner A).
Aero Star-S.
The Aero Star-S is the rebadged UD Trucks Space Runner RA (old name: Nissan Diesel Space Runner RA). It has a double-curvature windscreen, rounded roof dome (more rounded than the 1996–present Aero Star) with a separately mounted destination blind.
Transport electrification.
The Eco Hybrid (diesel-electric bus) is now setting new standards in practical trials in Japan. It can reduce fuel consumption by as much as 30 percent. The Mitsubishi Fuso Aero Star Eco Hybrid operates with a series hybrid drive, in which the diesel engine does not drive wheels directly but instead is used solely to drive an electrical generator to recharge lithium-ion batteries, connected to the two electric motors (with a combined output of 158 kW), which propel the vehicle. Series hybrids are efficient on vehicles like urban buses with low shares of constant or high speed within their driving profile. On trucks like the Mitsubishi Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid Daimler Trucks utilizes - opposed to buses - a parallel hybrid system with an electric Motor-generator on the transmission input shaft. This system maintains better efficiency gains at higher speeds.
Range is 300 km (almost 200 miles).


C-class Melbourne tram

The C-class Melbourne tram is a fleet of three-section Alstom Citadis 202 trams built in La Rochelle, France that operate on the Melbourne tram network. They were the first low-floor trams in Melbourne, being delivered in 2001-2002.
History.
To meet a franchise commitment to introduce new trams to replace Z-class trams, 36 three-section Alstom Citadis 202 low-floor trams were purchased by Yarra Trams. They were the first low-floor trams in Melbourne, and the first tram imported for the Melbourne tram system since the 1920s.
The design was adapted by Alstom for local conditions, with the first four trams arriving at Webb Dock on 10 August 2001. Following fit-out and testing at Preston Workshops, they entered service on 12 October 2001. The last arrived on 25 June 2002 and entered service on 30 August 2002. All C1-class trams initially operated on route 109.
Criticisms.
The Citadis trams have been criticised by the Australian Rail Tram & Bus Industry Union (RTBU), who claim they have operational problems, including injuries to the drivers relating to design. There were concerns raised in 2011 regarding the rear-vision cameras fitted to the trams. Despite Yarra Trams replacing the cameras a number of times, there were visibility problems at night and in high glare situations. These had been solved by July 2012.
The trams have also been described by the RTBU as "cheap as chips", following allegations that swaying and lateral forces at "speeds above 25 km/h" were causing driver injuries. Yarra Trams responded by stating that they were offering drivers lumbar support, and that track renewal had improved ride quality, reducing sway, while the driver's controls had been changed to avoid wrist injuries.
Tram number 3011 has derailed three times, most recently on Sunday 6 October 2019. Each derailment occurred after a collision with a car. The Australian Rail Tram & Bus Industry Union (RTBU) has again said the model should be taken off the road.
Operation.
C-class trams operate on the following routes:


Trolleybuses in Launceston, Tasmania

The Hobart trolleybus system operated in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia from 1951 until 1968.
History.
After a protracted conversion with multiple delays in delivery of buses and other infrastructure, the Launceston trolleybus system opened on 24 December 1951 from the Launceston city centre to Quarantine Road via Wellington Street replacing a tram service. A second line opened to Mowbray Heights on 13 September 1952, being extended to Newnham Park on 21 November 1952. On 1 July 1955, operation of the network passed from the Launceston City Council to the Metropolitan Transport Trust.
Further lines opened to Basin Road and Quarantine Road via Talbot Road, both on 24 February 1957 to form a cross-city service, followed by Norwood on 27 November 1961. The network closed in stages in 1968.
Services.
Launceston's trolleybus routes were as follows:
Fleet.
The fleet comprised 30 BUT RETB/1s. These were bodied in Adelaide by JA Lawnton & Sons, each being trialled on the Adelaide network before being sent to Launceston. In 1964, five were sold for further use on the Hobart system.
Depot.
The Howick Street tram depot was doubled in size to accommodate the trolleybus fleet.


Private railroad car

A private railroad car, private railway coach, private car or private varnish is a railroad passenger car which was either originally built or later converted for service as a business car for private individuals. A private car could be added to the make-up of a train or pulled by a private locomotive, providing splendid upholstered privacy for its passengers. They were used by railroad officials and dignitaries as business cars, and wealthy individuals for travel and entertainment, especially in the United States. They were sometimes used by politicians in "whistle stop campaigns". Pay cars with less opulent sleeping and dining facilities were used by a paymaster and assistants to transport and disburse cash wages to railway employees in remote locations without banking facilities.
History.
The first private railroad car was provided by P. T. Barnum for the soprano Jenny Lind during her 1850-1852 American tour. In the late 19th century Gilded Age, wealthy individuals had finely appointed private cars custom-built to their specifications. Additionally many cars built by Pullman, Budd, and other companies that were originally used in common carrier service as passenger cars were later converted for use as business and private cars. There are various configurations, but the cars generally have an observation platform, a full kitchen, dining room, state rooms, secretary's room, an observation room, and often servant's quarters.
Railroad barons including Leland Stanford had their private cars. Abraham Lincoln disliked the ornate railroad car supplied for his service as president: he rode in it only in his coffin. Private cars were more common in the heyday of passenger rail service and during the pre-Amtrak era (before 1971). At its peak in the early 20th century, an estimated 2,000 private cars were in use. Such carriages were extremely rare in the United Kingdom, although a notable example was the Duke of Sutherland's saloon, which is preserved at the National Railway Museum in York. In the 3rd millennium, some private cars have survived the decades and some are used for tour rides, leasing for private events, etc. Others are on static display. A small number of private cars (along with other types of passenger cars), have been upgraded to meet current Amtrak regulations, and may be chartered by their owners for private travel attached to Amtrak trains.
Dedicated railroad buffs rescued some private varnish cars from scrapping. Chartering of these formerly private cars has become a sideline in the upscale travel industry, with its own niche magazine "Private Varnish", which ceased publication in 2019. Amtrak regulations require head-end power and train control wiring, though some cars generate their own power and can run on freight lines as well. Most restored private cars have been rebuilt to newer specifications.
In the 21st century private coaches are very rarely used anywhere in the world, though in some countries a coach of this kind can be chartered for vacations, business meetings or other such occasions needing the privacy of a dedicated coach. As the capacity of rail transport is large, it takes special operations to include a private coach in an otherwise public train. A railcar might be better suited for this kind of luxury, but the timetables of normal operations limit the accessibility of locations along the tracks. Amtrak has increasingly-stringent regulations on allowing private cars on its trains, and reserves the right to refuse any movement.
Other specific examples.
Lucius Beebe and his life partner Charles Clegg owned two private railroad cars, the "Gold Coast" and the "Virginia City". Beebe's book "Mansions on Rails: The Folklore of the Private Railway Car" (Berkeley, California: Howell-North, 1959) presented the first history of the private railroad car in the U.S. The "Gold Coast" is now in the collection of the California State Railroad Museum. The "Virginia City" and the Redwood Empire are available for private charter.
"The Survivor" was a private railroad car built by the American Car and Foundry Company in 1926 for Jesse Woolworth, the heiress to F.W. Woolworth. The car was used by the Woolworth family from 1926 through 1939, transporting the family to French Lick, Pinehurst, the Greenbrier and Palm Beach. The car is reputed to have been the courtship car of Mrs. Donahue's niece, Barbara Hutton, and Cary Grant. The current owner Dante Stephensen purchased the car in 1982 and has progressively restored it, renaming it "The Survivor". It is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Private cars.
Randleigh (FEC Railway)
Azelia (FEC Raiway)


Leyland Royal Tiger PSU

The Leyland Royal Tiger PSU was an underfloor-engined bus and coach chassis manufactured by Leyland between 1950 and 1954.
Description.
The Leyland Royal Tiger was an underfloor-engined heavyweight single deck bus or coach chassis, and sold well in the United Kingdom and overseas from launch. "Overseas" versions differed greatly from home market models. Upon launch in 1950 this was the fourth new marque of post-war Leyland single deck bus chassis since 1945. It used the same units as the Leyland-MCW Olympic but with a substantial steel ladder-frame chassis generally straight in elevation but with an up-sweep over the rear axle, to which operators could fit a coach-built body of their choice with the passenger floor about above the road surface. The flexibly-mounted Leyland 0.600H horizontal engine was mounted in the middle of the chassis frame, driving back through a unit mounted single-plate clutch and four-speed gearbox with synchromesh on second, third, and top, or later only on third and top, to a spiral-bevel rear axle. Steering was unassisted Marles cam and double roller, all component assemblies (save for some special export orders) were built by Leyland and were proven, having been previously used in the Tiger PS2 and/or Olympic.
The last Royal Tigers were completed in 1956, by which time 6,500 had been built. In the home market it had been supplanted by the lighter Tiger Cub which was in series production by 1953 and rapidly overtook the Royal Tiger in popularity with British operators. Whilst export markets demanded even more ruggedness and power, so from 1954 the Worldmaster came on-stream to satisfy them.
Most notably the Royal Tiger was also the first post-war Leyland bus to feature a pictorial badge: a die cast bright metal item with a plated finish featuring a central shield carrying a coloured image of a charging open-mouthed Tiger on a black ground, this surmounted by ‘LEYLAND’ in inset red lettering, with ‘ROYAL’ and ‘TIGER’ on the left and right wings coming from the shield. Later bus models including the Tiger Cub, Worldmaster, Atlantean, Leopard, Lion (PSR1), Royal Tiger Cub, Panther and Panther Cub also featured this style of badge, some Leyland goods models also used the shield badge, including models with the LAD and early Ergomatic cabs and notably the sole Leyland/Thompson Brothers' Dromedary rear-engined fuel tanker.
The home range.
The Royal Tiger PSU1 was originally planned over eight variants PSU1/1 to PSU1/8 with a wheelbase of to suit the then UK maximum length of , width was allowed from 1948 but only on officially-approved routes until 1950. Unlike the AEC Regal IV, no Royal Tigers were built to the initially-planned length, because 30 ft length was made legal in the UK during 1950. The long Royal Tiger PSU1 as produced covered another nine variants with the same wheelbase but longer rear overhang. In tabular summary, these were as follows:
Unlike the home market Olympic, launch orders were impressive, Ribble Motor Services indented for 120, Ulster Transport Authority requiring 111, Red & White Services 52, Wallace Arnold 22 and Associated Motorways (Black & White) 15. Wallace Arnold and Black & White exclusively required coaches, the rest required a mixture of bus and coach bodies, Ribble Motor Services, whose headquarters were in Preston, chose Leyland bodies also. As well as the option of a drop-frame aft of the rear axle, coaches also had as standard a higher final-drive ratio. Leyland demonstrators at the 1950 Earls Court Commercial Motor Show were a Brush-bodied bus MTC757 and an all-Leyland coach MTD235. The PSU1 was produced until 1954 but the last to be bodied on a new home market chassis went to Wigan Corporation in 1956. This Northern Counties bodied bus is preserved.
A large number of coachbuilders produced bodies for the Royal Tiger, most of them were standard buses or coaches, at the time underfloor engined single-deck buses with up to 45 seats generally had a single front entrance opposite the driver on the front overhang, often secured with a power-operated folding door; industry-standard coaches a central entrance in mid-wheelbase, generally with a manual sliding door, 41 seats was the general coach maximum, that said, there was a much greater variety of body styles and builders than today. Buses were built on Royal Tiger PSU1 by Brush, Crossley, Duple, East Lancashire Coachbuilders, Eastern Coach Works, Heaver, Metro Cammell Weymann, Massey Brothers, Northern Counties, Park Royal, Roe and others, whilst coaches were built by (among others) Alexander, Associated Coach Builders, Beccols, Bellhouse-Hartwell, Duple, Eastern Coach Works, Harrington, Metalcraft (who bodied the first two production coaches with 43 seat centre-entrance bodies for Don Everall of Wolverhampton), Mann, Egerton & Co., Plaxton, Samlesbury Engineering, Trans-United, Willowbrook and Windover. Perhaps the most famous body on the Royal Tiger coach was the Burlingham Seagull, but Dinky Toys chose the Duple Roadmaster body for their contemporary version, a style that was considerably rarer in full size than were 1:76 scale die cast metal models of it on railway layouts and in toy cupboards. Leyland’s own 44-seat bus and 41-seat coach bodies were built on a large number of Royal Tigers until Leyland's in-house coachbuilders were locked-out at the conclusion of an unofficial industrial dispute in 1954 bringing Leyland bus and coach bodies to an end. Although the 8 ft width was the majority choice most operators chose the vacuum-servo braking system, which was at its limits coping with a fully laden vehicle with an eight-ton unladen weight.
The export range.
Export Royal Tigers were different. Suffix numbers varied more than home market versions as an option for overseas variants was an AEC fluid coupling and air-actuated preselector gearbox combination as on the rival AEC Regal IV. Air brakes were generally offered, vacuum brakes and narrow track were rare options and an air-servo to the Leyland clutch and synchromesh gearbox was offered as standard on all air-braked layshaft-gearbox variants. Omitting suffixes the OPSU series can be tabulated thus:
O stood for overseas and left-hand drive variants had an L prefix to the type code, Hence for example LOPSU2. Customers for the Royal Tiger were found on every populated continent, sales were however particularly high in Europe, the Middle East, South America and Australasia. All overseas markets took the OPSU series save Ireland. In the UK-administered six counties of Northern Ireland the Ulster Transport Authority constructed its own bus and coach bodies on 176 examples whilst cross-border operators Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway, The Lough Erne Railway and the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) all took Saunders-Roe bodied PSU1 Royal Tigers, all to the rarer width: CIÉ, the Irish Republic's government transport undertaking, after evaluating the coach demonstrator, took wide PSU1 Royal Tigers with their own bodies, bus and coach, these forming the 200-strong U-class. The Irish Army also bought a single example, to transport regimental bands, this was also Saunders-Roe bodied it has a centre entrance is wide, registered ZU5000 and delivered in 1953; it has recently been found by preservationists and is now stored awaiting restoration. The Lough Swilly operation still had their first Royal Tiger in revenue-earning service in 1979
The largest single Dollar-denominated order ever taken by a British manufacturer by that time was taken in 1950 by Leyland from Autobus Modernos SA of Havana, Cuba, who ordered 620 Saunders Roe B43D bodied LOPSU1/1s to replace Havana's trams. Buenos Aires, Argentina ordered 450 Royal Tigers and 300 Olympics at a Pound Sterling-denominated record for a UK vehicle builder of £4 million, by 1953 Brazilian operators had over 460 Royal Tigers in operation. Other early territories to take large numbers of overseas Royal Tigers were Australia, Egypt, Finland, India, Iran, Israel, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, The Netherlands, and Uruguay. Denmark, Greece, Jamaica, Nigeria, Norway, Venezuela and Yugoslavia among others were later added to the list of territories taking the OPSU.
Succession.
In most of the rest of the world Leyland customers liked the Royal Tiger, but some found it insufficiently strong and some regarded it as underpowered. As a result, Leyland produced its most successful bus model, the Royal Tiger Worldmaster. In the UK, conversely, the Royal Tiger had an unladen weight often exceeding eight tons, more than that of double-deckers with up to twenty more seats, and as the gross vehicle weight was twelve tons in 1950, a full complement of luggage and passengers would take the coaches in particular close to the legal laden limit. Thus in 1952 Leyland launched a bus to the concept of the Royal Tiger but with a lighter-weight frame and units standardised with the Comet 90 medium-weight lorry. This was the Leyland Tiger Cub.
Rebodies and other alterations.
The durability of the heavy PSU chassis was often well in excess of the bodies it carried, several operators had their Royal Tigers fitted with new bodies, Harper Brothers of Heath Hayes, built their own bus bodies on some of theirs in the late 1950s, using Metal Sections frames. The only other operator-bodied Royal Tiger was McLennan of Spittalfield, Perthshire's EES468 a 1952 front-entrance 43 seat coach. Many other independent operators chose newer Plaxton bodies for their Royal Tigers from the early to late 1960s.
The most notable example though was the commercial lengthening and rebodying operation ran by Audlem, Cheshire based dealer Les Gleave Ltd. Between 1961 and 1964 they converted at least 20 Royal Tiger chassis to the full-length allowed by a recent change in the law, for a cost of £200 for the conversion work; these all received new registrations and a stretch in the wheelbase to 18 ft 6in, Gleave then sent the coach chassis to Scarborough for new 36 ft Plaxton Panorama bodies (one for Harrison of Morecambe, was shown at the 1962 Blackpool Coach Rally with the apt dealer re-registration 2048LG)(Audlem was covered by the Cheshire county vehicle licensing office whose index marks included LG).
Candidate chassis were initially only the air-braked PSU1/16 variant but some PSU1/15 were also lengthened and at the same time converted to air brakes, all the converted vehicles were coded PSU1/16/LG. Blue Bird coaches of Weymouth, Dorset lengthened their own HMR444 and also extended the original Plaxton body by nearly 3 ft. later Munden of Bristol re-bodied the extended chassis and re-registered it EHY111K This bus is still extant with third registration PJY2
As well as total rebodying, some operators in the late 1950s and early 1960s took mid-life central-entrance Royal Tiger coaches and modified them to dual-purpose (i.e. buses adapted for longer-distance service routes which could also serve as private hire coaches) by converting them to front from centre entrance. Single deckers by that time could legally be worked driver-only, which by halving staff costs saved some rural routes from abandonment. Harper Brothers of Heath Hayes mentioned above fitted very utilitarian fronts to some Burlingham Seagull bodied Royal Tigers for the purpose whilst Walter Alexander & Sons converted some of its Royal Tiger coach fleet in-house (those with Alexander bodies) and had two of its Leyland-bodied examples refitted with the contemporary (late 1950s) Walter Alexander Coachbuilders front end assemblies which produced incongruous-looking but doubtless useful service coaches.
In service.
The Royal Tiger on the home market was among the most powerful and quiet Public Service Vehicles yet encountered and very smooth-riding but vacuum brakes were not as efficient or as responsive as drivers desired from the outset: Wallace Arnold for one converted its vacuum braked Royal Tigers after a season or less in service, Southdown Motor Services did the same with their first batch of touring coaches, subsequently standardising on air brakes for all new buses and coaches regardless of builder. The home market Royal Tiger also lacked the air-servo assistance to the clutch or gearchange that the OPSU had and as a result clutch pressures were heavy and gear-lever throws were rather long, un-assisted steering was hard to move at low road-speeds, interviews with drivers of the Royal Tiger show they regarded the type as hard work to drive, but rewarding. Some operators swore by the Royal Tiger, but others swore at it. Barton Transport who had solely taken Leyland for all its full size bus and coach needs since the end of World War II bought five Leyland Royal Tigers with Burlingham bodies for its ‘Coach Cruise’ fleet in 1951 but the poor fuel consumption saw them sold three years later by which time Leyland's major rival AEC were getting their first orders from Barton since one Regal coach in the mid-1930s. However (see rebodies above) some operators found the near indestructible build of the Royal Tiger an asset and OK Motor Services of Bishop Auckland had a Plaxton rebodied Royal Tiger on regular service well into the 1980s.
Preservation.
A number of Royal Tigers are preserved, both bus and coach, in the southern hemisphere as well as the UK, at least one Les Gleave ‘stretched’ example among them, but the oddest preserved Royal Tiger might be JVB908, new to Homeland Tours of Croydon which carries a Mann Egerton body to Crellin-Duplex patent ‘Half-deck’ pattern; this carries 50 coach seats in facing pairs interlaced above and below a central gangway, it has recently been restored for its private owner by the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum.
Scale models.
The only contemporary model was the Dinky Toys Duple Roadmaster. Corgi Toys have since produced the Burlingham Seagull to 1/50 and 1/76 scales. Oxford Diecast now also offer a 1/76 scale model of the all-Leyland Royal Tiger coach and have recently announced a 1/76 Duple Roadmaster.


Trolleybuses in Lugano

The Lugano trolleybus system () was a trolleybus system that formed part of the public transport network of Lugano, in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland, for nearly half a century. Opened in 1954, the system had progressively replaced the Lugano tramway network by 1959, and was significantly expanded between 1975 and 1981. However, it was closed in 2001, and the overhead wires had been completely removed by the summer of 2002.
At its height, the system consisted of four lines. From its opening until the end of 1999, it was operated by "Azienda Comunale dei Trasporti della Città di Lugano" (ACT) (which was called the "Azienda Comunale del Traffico" (also ACT) until 1969). "Trasporti Pubblici Luganesi S.A." (TPL) took over on 1 January 2000.
History and routes.
The Lugano trolleybus system was one of the last trolleybus systems to be opened in Switzerland. Only the Montreux/Vevey system (1957) and the Schaffhausen system (1966) were opened later.
Initially, the Lugano system was made up only of routes converted from tramway lines. The first trolleybus route, opened on 25 April 1954, ran from the centre of Lugano to Cinque Vie, which is located in a hilly area. Another trolleybus route was put into operation in the autumn of 1959, between central Lugano and Castagnola. At the end of that year, a route to Paradiso was opened (its turning loop was put into operation a year later). Also in 1959, a route was opened to Cornareda, at which a trolleybus depot was built. Not until 1963, with the opening of the Massagno–Crocifisso route (later extended to Vezia), did the system expand to include a route that had not previously been powered by overhead wires.
Following a reorganisation of the system in 1972, the system's network, consisting of three routes with a cumulative length of , was:
In 1975, ACT built an extension from Cinque Vie to Breganzona. A year later another new section was opened: the route to Cornareda was extended to the new quarter of Pregassona, which is located on a hill above the city. In 1980, a new trolleybus depot was built, and connected to this extension. The old depot became the local workshops of a transport company. The last new trolleybus route to be opened in Lugano was an extension of the Crocifisso route to Vezia.
Until 1993, each route was assigned two different numbers, one of which was displayed by vehicles running in one direction, the other by vehicles travelling in the opposite direction. In 1993, this relatively uncommon practice was discontinued. Thereafter, the trolleybus routes were as follows:
In 2000, the new operator, TPL, decided to close the system. The last day of trolleybus operation was Thursday, 28 June 2001, with trolleybuses running on routes 3 and 5 on the final day. Route 1's trolleybuses had been replaced by motorbuses a few weeks earlier, due to road construction. Use of trolleybuses on route 4 had ended some time earlier.
One of the main reasons given for the decision to close the system was its worn-out fleet. The other was the system's high voltage (see section below), given that few or no manufacturers were interested in supplying new trolleybuses capable of operating at such a high voltage. The same problem had also been cited several years earlier, and by at least 1995 ACT had begun considering closure of the system. Another reason for the closure is that maintenance of the system's vehicles and infrastructure had been run down in the 1990s. As a result, the Federal Office of Transport had started to grant only temporary operating authorizations, and continued operation would have been subject to various conditions.
After the closure of the system, trolleybuses 201 and 203–209 were sold to a dealer of used buses and trolleybuses in Romania, who in turn sold them to the city of Brașov in Romania, where some of them are still in service. Nos. 101, 112, 124 and 126 were acquired by the "Trolleybusverein Schweiz" (Swiss Trolleybus Society) (TVS) for preservation, as was the FIAT catenary maintenance truck no. 67, built in 1963.
Fleet.
The following 36 trolleybuses were procured for the Lugano trolleybus system over the course of its life:
Unusual voltage.
An unusual feature of the system was that it was energised at an unusually high 1,000 V DC, the voltage previously used by the tramway network. In both cases, the reason for the higher than usual voltage was that it avoided voltage problems at crossing points with three railways, the Lugano–Tesserete railway, the Lugano–Cadro–Dino railway and the Lugano–Ponte Tresa railway.
Trolleybuses are normally built to run at voltages of 600 V or 750 V, and Lugano's high voltage was very non-standard. It was one of only three Swiss systems to use 1,000 V or higher – the others being the rural Altstätten–Berneck system, which closed in 1977, and the 1,100 V (STI), which closed in 1982 – and Lugano's was the last trolleybus system anywhere to use that voltage.


Trolleybuses in Baku

The Baku trolleybus system was a system of trolleybuses forming part of the public transport arrangements in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, for about 65 years from 1941.
History.
The system's first line was opened on 5 December 1941. It was long, and was operated by 15 trolleybuses. Most of the system's development took place in the 1960s and 1970s; by the first half of the latter decade, the system had 10 lines.
In the late 1988s, the system reached its maximum length of , with 32 routes. It also encompassed some neighbouring localities. In 1991, it still had 32 routes, and of overhead wires.
Despite the fact that the system was intensively developed up to 1990, it lost popularity among the population, due to its lower quality of service compared with road transport, the Baku Metro and even the Baku tramway network. In particular, the system experienced frequent power outages and trolley pole dewirings. Most of the trolleybus lines were unprofitable due to weak demand; only 6 of the 32 routes were busy and profitable.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the trolleybus system was not given a chance to adapt to a market economy and become profitable. The last operating route, no 16, was closed on 1 July 2006, and dismantled soon afterwards.
Fleet.
The first trolleybus models used on the system are not known. The first known models were MTB-82s. In the 1960s, a number of Baku-built BTL-62 vehicles joined the fleet.
From the late 1960s, the system was operated by Škoda 9Trs, from 1979 there were Škoda 9TrHs, and from 1982, Škoda 14Trs.
During the 1980s, the fleet was also augmented by Soviet-built ZiU-9s.
Depots.
The system had two depots. The original depot was at Darnagul (Дарнагюле), and a second one was opened in about 1987, when the original depot became unable to accommodate the system's growing fleet.


Hiroden Streetcar Route 3

Hiroden Streetcar route #3 (Hiroden-nishi-hiroshima – Hiroshima Port Route) runs between Hiroden-nishi-hiroshima Station and Hiroshima Port.
Lines.
Horoden Streetcar route #3 is made up with next two lines, and both lines are linked up with each other at Kamiya-cho-nishi Station. The train goes straight through from each side.


Hotel Arthur

Hotel Arthur, also commonly known as the Traction Terminal Building, is a historic, six-story building in Aurora, Illinois. It was originally designed as a hotel to service travelers on the Fox River. The Aurora, Elgin and Chicago Railroad relocated their headquarters here in 1915, and the building became the final station on the Aurora branch.
History.
The Renaissance Revival building was constructed in 1905 and initially functioned as a hotel. John Knell, Sr., a beer wholesaler who immigrated from Germany, commissioned the building in 1904. Upon completion, Hotel Arthur was the tallest building in Aurora, surpassed in 1917 by Hotel Aurora. It was the only hotel on the east side of the Fox River. The hotel was designed by Eugene Malmer and named after Arthur Knell, the brother of the owner.
In 1915, the Aurora, Elgin and Chicago Railroad leased the building serve as their headquarters. Renamed the Traction Terminal Building, the first floor was converted into a waiting station and diner. Other professional entities, such as health care practices and insurance offices, also moved into the building on upper levels. Later that year, the building passed to John Knell, Jr. Like his father, Knell was a successful businessman and was president of the All-Steel Equipment Company for forty years. The twenty-year lease to the railroad ended in 1935, but the Traction Terminal name stuck with the building. It continued to house small businesses on the ground floor and practices on upper floors. Storefront windows were installed in 1937.
The building prospered through the 1950s, until new highways diminished the demand for rail traffic. With decreased usage of the Aurora train system, the downtown area fell into disrepair. The upper floors were abandoned in the 1960s and the last business moved out of the ground floor in 2003. The building is currently being converted into a condominium complex. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 15, 2005.
Architecture.
The exterior is pressed red brick with Indiana Limestone courses above and below the second floor and above the fifth floor. Windows on the other floors have limestone sills. The southern (Galena Blvd.) elevation has ten windows per floor while the eastern (Broadway Ave.) elevation has four windows per floor. The east side originally had eight windows, but the 1906 and 1912 additions to the west side of the structure provided an additional two. Most floors have wood-framed double hung windows, while the sixth floor has arched windows. A decorative cornice adorns the top of the building with a dentil course. The cornice is mostly limestone, except for the area above the additions which is metal. A metal fire escape runs along two of the windows on the Galena Blvd. facade. The first floor was originally rusticated limestone before it was replaced with glass storefronts in 1937. The northern facade is blocked by an adjacent building on the first three floors. The remaining floors are undetailed brick, but do have double-hung windows matching the southern facade. There is also a faded paint advertisement on this side. Similarly, the western facade is blocked on the first two floors with windows and a faded painted sign. The ground floor was remodeled in 1966 to become a restaurant. The upper floors, which have hardwood floors, are accessed through a door on Broadway.


Articulated bus

An articulated bus, also referred to as a bendy bus, tandem bus, stretch bus, or an accordion bus, (either a motor bus or trolleybus) is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is usually a single-decker, and comprises two or more rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint (articulation) enclosed by protective bellows inside and outside and a cover plate on the floor. This allows a longer legal length than rigid-bodied buses, and hence a higher passenger capacity, while still allowing the bus to maneuver adequately.
Due to their high passenger capacity, articulated buses are often used as part of bus rapid transit schemes, and can include mechanical guidance. Articulated buses are typically long, in contrast to standard rigid buses at long. The common arrangement of an articulated bus is to have a forward section with two axles leading a rear section with a single axle, with the driving axle mounted on either the front or the rear section. Some articulated buses have a steering arrangement on the rearmost axle which turns slightly in opposition to the front steering axle, allowing the vehicle to negotiate tighter turns, similar to hook-and-ladder fire trucks operating in city environments. A less common variant of the articulated bus is the bi-articulated bus, where the vehicle has two trailer sections rather than one. Such vehicles have a capacity of around 200 people, and a length of about ; as such, they are used almost exclusively on high-capacity, high-frequency arterial routes and on bus rapid transit services.
History.
Early examples of the articulated bus appeared in Europe in the 1920s. In 1938, Twin Coach built an articulated bus for the city of Baltimore; this bus, which had four axles on a long body, was only articulated in the vertical direction to accommodate steep grades. 15 examples of the "Super Twin" were built in 1948, but it was not developed further. According to contemporary coverage, the Super Twin had a capacity of 58 seated and 120 total, with a weight of .
In Budapest, the first prototypes of the (named for its 180-passenger capacity) were shown in 1961. There is an ongoing exhibition in Budapest at the Hungarian Technical and Transportation Museum in 2010 with the title "The articulated bus is 50 years old." The Ikarus 180 went into limited production in 1963, and entered serial production in 1966; the Ikarus 180 was discontinued in 1973 when its successor, the Ikarus 280 was released.
In the mid-1960s, AC Transit in California pioneered the American use of a modern articulated bus, operating the experimental commuter coach "XMC 77" (based on Continental Trailways' Bus & Car Co. Super Golden Eagle model) on some of its transbay lines. The XMC-77, which AC Transit dubbed the "Freeway Train", was originally built in 1958, purchased by the District in October 1965, and made its debut run for Line N on March 14, 1966; passengers on the inaugural run were presented with special souvenir tickets. XMC-77 was later exhibited to the public at various locations in the East Bay and the Transbay Terminal. It offered seats for 77 passengers (finished in brown and orange) and an observation lounge, complete with a card table to seat a quartet. The long coach stood high and was powered by a Cummins engine with an output of . Engineering for the XMC-77 was carried out by the local firm of DeLeuw Cather & Co.
In the United States, articulated buses were imported from Europe and deployed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. During this time, rising operating costs led to public takeovers of transit systems, and the pressure to reduce labor (driver) costs in turn meant transporting more passengers in a single vehicle. King County Metro and Caltrans led a Pooled Purchase Consortium, formed in 1976, which later awarded a contract to the AM General/MAN joint venture responsible for assembling MAN SG 220 (from Germany) articulated buses in America. Contemporaneously, Crown entered an agreement with Ikarus to produce the Crown-Ikarus 286, coupling American-made powertrains with the Hungarian Ikarus 280 chassis.
Articulated buses have also been used in Australia, Austria (Gräf & Stift), Italy, Germany (Gaubschat, Emmelmann, Göppel, Duewag, Vetter), Canada (LFS Articulated), Hungary (Ikarus), Poland (Jelcz AP02), Romania (DAC 117 UD). The first modern British "bendy buses" (as they are referred to in the UK and Canada) were built by Leyland-DAB and used in the city of Sheffield in the 1980s. They were subsequently withdrawn from service because they proved to be expensive to maintain.
Advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages.
The main benefits of an articulated bus over the double-decker bus are rapid simultaneous boarding and disembarkation through more and larger doors, somewhat larger passenger capacity (94–120 versus 80−90), increased stability arising from a lower centre of gravity, smaller frontal area giving less air resistance than double decker buses thus better fuel efficiency, often a smaller turning radius, higher maximum service speed, the ability to pass under low bridges, and improved accessibility for people with disabilities and the elderly.
Disadvantages.
In some circumstances of urban operation (such as in areas with narrow streets and tight turns), articulated buses may also be involved in significantly more accidents than conventional buses. Estimates for London's articulated buses put their involvement in accidents involving pedestrians at over five times the rate of all other buses, and over twice as high for accidents involving cyclists. In a period when articulated buses made up approximately 5% of the London bus fleet, they were involved in 20% of all bus-related deaths, statistics which eventually led to their replacement. However, these safety statistics may be partly skewed due to the buses having been used on the busiest routes in the most crowded areas of the city, making them look worse than the buses they were being compared with.
Use.
An articulated bus is a long vehicle and usually requires a specially trained driver, as maneuvering (particularly reversing) can be difficult. The trailer section of a "puller" bus can be subject to unusual centripetal forces, which many people can find uncomfortable, although this is not an issue with "pushers". Nonetheless, the articulated bus is highly successful in Budapest, Hungary, where the BKV city transit company has been operating more than 1000 of them every day since the early 1970s. The Hungarian company Volán also runs hundreds of articulated buses on intercity lines.
Europe.
Articulated buses have been used in most European countries for many years. Articulated buses became popular in mainland Europe due to their increased capacity compared with regular buses. In many cities, lower railway bridge clearances have precluded the use of double-deck vehicles, which have never achieved great popularity there. Overhead wires for trams, trolleybuses, etc. are not really relevant issues, as the minimum normal clearance above road level is standard across the EU and is well in excess of the height of a double-deck vehicle—otherwise, many freight vehicles would encounter severe problems in the course of normal operation.
Malta.
From 3 July 2011 to 28 August 2013, articulated Mercedes Citaro buses purchased from London were used in Malta by the company Arriva on a number of routes across the country. A number of serious engine fires resulted in their withdrawal from service, and they have also been responsible for causing an increase in traffic congestion and accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists.
United Kingdom.
Until 1980, articulated buses were illegal on the UK's roads. A 1979 experiment by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive with buses manufactured by MAN and Leyland-DAB led to a change in the law, but the experiment was abandoned in 1981 because double-decker buses were generally considered less expensive both to purchase and to operate. The cost and weight of the strengthened deck framing and staircase of a double-decker was lower than the cost and weight of the additional axle(s) and coupling mechanism of an articulated bus. Modern technology has reduced the weight disadvantage, and the benefits of a continuous low floor allowing easier access plus additional entrance doors for smoother loading have led to reconsideration of the use of articulated buses in the UK.
In London, articulated buses were used on some routes from 2001 until 2011, but they were not a success. Boris Johnson, former Mayor of London, promised in the run-up to the mayoral election of 2008 to rid the city of the controversial buses and replaced them with double deckers.
Elsewhere in the UK, they are generally operated on particular routes in order to increase passenger numbers, rather than across entire networks. With unsupervised “open boarding” through three doors and the requirement for pre-purchase of tickets, levels of fare-dodging on the new vehicles were found to be at least three times higher than on conventional buses where entry of passengers is monitored by the driver or conductor. The only way of checking for free riders was to use large teams of ticket inspectors to swamp the bus and inspect all tickets while keeping the doors closed, meanwhile delaying the further progress of the bus. Since the articulated buses were tending to serve areas of relative deprivation it is suspected that this was a contributory factor in Transport for London (TfL) turning against the concept.
Many of the articulated buses from London went on to serve with regional operators. Aside from limited use in regional cities, articulated buses may now be found at airports as park and ride shuttles.
In 2020, twenty one brand new Mercedes Benz Citaros entered service at Stansted Airport; the Mercedes Benz Citaro is probably the only articulated bus available in the United Kingdom at present.
Asia.
China.
In Asia, many major Chinese cities had fleets of articulated buses prior to the late 1990s. Some of these fleets have since been replaced by single-section units except in a few cities, namely Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou. While in the 2000s a surge in BRT construction has reintroduced or re-purposed the articulated bus fleets for rapid transit usage in cities like Changzhou, Chengdu, Dalian, Guangzhou, Jinan, Kunming, Xiamen, Yancheng, Zaozhuang, and Zhengzhou.
Indonesia.
Transjakarta operates one of the longest BRT systems in the world, has been using articulated buses manufactured by Scania for some of their busiest routes since 2015. Prior to Scania buses introduction, there were Chinese-made Huanghai, Zhong Tong, Yutong, Ankai, and local-made INKA Inobus and AAI Komodo buses already in-service for several years.
Israel.
In Israel, the use of articulated buses—commonly called "accordion bus, אוטובוס אקורדיון"—is widespread, particularly in Gush Dan and Jerusalem, the two great urban centers of the country. The long buses are considered reliable and useful, and have been in service in Israel since the mid-1970s. During the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, such buses were often targeted by Palestinians and suicide bombers during rush hours, since a crowded long bus can contain more than 100 passengers. Due to the al-Aqsa Intifada wave of mass bombings, security measures were enforced and today many long buses in Israel were accompanied by a security guard.
Macau.
In Macau, Transmac – Transportes Urbanos de Macau S.A.R.L. imported an 18-meter articulated bus model, and put it into operation on January 6, 2018 following multiple tests and adjustments. The bus operated on route 51 during peak hours.
Singapore.
In Singapore, articulated buses were first introduced in 1996 by Trans-Island Bus Services (now SMRT Buses) with the Mercedes-Benz O405G buses (bodied in Hispano Carrocera (MK1/MK2), Hispano Habit and Volgren CR221). In 2015, SMRT introduced 40 MAN NG363F A24 buses to replace the first batch of O405Gs, while the subsequent batches were replaced by double deck buses issued by the Land Transport Authority. All Hispano Habit-bodied O405Gs have been retired from service as of December 2020 as part of Land Transport Authority's policy of a 100% wheelchair-accessible bus fleet.
Singapore Bus Services (SBS, present-day SBS Transit) introduced one Duple Metsec-bodied Volvo B10MA and one Volgren-bodied Mercedes Benz O405G in 1996 and 1997 respectively to evaluate the suitability of articulated buses for high-capacity single deck bus operations. The trial was however unsuccessful and SBS stuck to the use of 12-metre double deck “Superbuses”. The two articulated buses were eventually sold off to Bayes Coachlines of Dairy Flat, Auckland in New Zealand in March 2006. SBS Transit would only operate articulated buses again in March 2018 when ten ex-SMRT MAN A24 buses were transferred to SBS Transit in batches by the Land Transport Authority as part of the Seletar Bus Package under the Bus Contracting Model.
Taiwan.
Articulated buses were legalized in Taiwan in February 2012, and construction of Taichung BRT blue line started in November 2013. The line opened for the public on July 27, 2014.
Vietnam.
In Vietnam, articulated bus was first introduced and operated on October 16, 2010, by Transerco in Hanoi. It was added to the route 07 from My Dinh Bus Station to Noi Bai Airport as a test run. The bus was part of Hanoi Ecotrans project subsidized by EU and Ile de France. It was a Mercedes Euro II Galaxy which first manufactured in December 2003 by Mercedes-Benz Vietnam and was previously used for SEA Games in Hanoi. The bus was painted yellow instead of traditional white-yellow-red (from top to bottom) and had two ticket sellers on-board instead of one. The bus received positive reviews from passengers but the bus no longer operated in Hanoi, route 07 is now occupied by Thaco Huyndai buses and Daewoo BC212MA buses.
North America.
United States.
Articulated buses are commonplace in such US urban centers as Akron, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, Minneapolis-St.Paul, Miami, Orlando, Waterbury, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Rutgers University, New York City, Orange County (California), Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Phoenix, the Quad Cities, Rochester (New York), Rochester (Minnesota), San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Disney World, Orlando, FL. and Washington, D.C.. In Eugene, Lane Transit District uses articulated buses on some high-traffic routes, as well as on their Emerald Express (EmX) Bus Rapid Transit Service. In Vancouver, Washington, C-Tran (Washington) uses articulated buses on their BRT service, The Vine (bus rapid transit).
Canada.
In Canada, they are used in Brampton, Calgary, Durham Region, Edmonton, Gatineau, Halifax, Hamilton, London, Longueuil, Mississauga, Montreal, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Quebec City, Saskatoon, Toronto, York Region, Metro Vancouver and Winnipeg.
Mexico.
Articulated buses in Mexico are usually used on BRT lines, such as Mexico City's Metrobús, Guadalajara's Macrobús, Monterrey's Ecovía and León's Optibús.
South America.
In South America, they are used in Quito, São Paulo, Curitiba, Santiago, Barranquilla, Cali, Bucaramanga, Pereira, Cartagena and Bogotá.
Oceania.
Australia.
In Adelaide, Australia, articulated buses are used on the O-Bahn Busway, reaching speeds of 100 km/h. The first articulated buses to use it were the Mercedes-Benz O305G buses; however, three MAN SG280H buses are also equipped for O-Bahn use. In recent years, it has proven problematic to find suitable low-floor articulated buses to replace the 1984-manufactured Mercedes buses, because the design of the O-Bahn track unfortunately precludes the use of most modern articulated buses. Sydney, Australia has seen the operation of articulated buses for many years. Currently it operates a fleet of various models with eighty Volvo B12BLEA buses joining the Sydney Buses fleet in 2005 and 2006, increasing capacity along many of the busy corridors. A number of prototype vehicles were delivered in 2008 & 2009 to operate on Sydney Buses' first Metrobus route, the M10 from Leichhardt to Kingsford and Maroubra Junction. The buses feature different chassis, body types, and internal layouts. The articulated Volvo B12BLEA buses are fully wheelchair-accessible, air-conditioned, and have visual and audible next-stop passenger information systems installed. The buses feature air-conditioning, large electronic destination displays and cloth seating. Additionally, each bus features a stepless entry, which will assist less-mobile passengers. Flip-up seats in the front part of the bus allow easy accommodation for passengers in wheelchairs and with strollers and prams. In 2009-2010 150 new Volvo B12BLEA articulated buses have been introduced into the Sydney Buses fleet, many of these part of the expanded Metrobus program.
Types.
Articulated buses can be of "pusher" or "puller" configuration. Very few companies specialise in manufacturing the articulated section for the buses. One that does is "ATG Autotechnik GmbH" in Siek near Hamburg.
Puller.
In most puller articulated buses, the engine is mounted under the floor between the front and middle axles, and only the middle axle is powered. Some consider this an outdated design, as it prohibits floor levels lower than approximately , and can produce passenger discomfort due to high noise and vibration levels. On the other hand, they can be used in very narrow or severely potholed streets. This type of bus also performs better in snowy or icy conditions, as the thrust from the driving wheels does not cause the vehicle to jackknife. Newer models such as the Van Hool AG300 feature low floors while maintaining the puller design by placing the engine block off-center opposite to the second door. Also, the unpowered rear axle is much simpler and carries no engine weight, facilitating the installation of counter-steering mechanisms to further decrease the turning radius.
A typical puller model is the Hungarian-made Ikarus 280, the articulated version of the Ikarus 260, of which 60,993 buses were manufactured between 1973 and 2002, mostly for Soviet bloc customers. (This type accounted for two-thirds of the articulated buses built in the 1970s.) Puller-type articulated buses are built in less numbers, but are still available in Scandinavia and South America. Examples being the Volvo B9S and Volvo B12M.
Pusher.
The pusher bus needs a damping system in the joint to reduce the risk of jack-knifing and fishtailing. This was developed by the FFG Fahrzeugwerkstätten Falkenried in Germany. The production cost of the pusher bus was lower than that of a puller bus. The puller bus was a completely different construction compared to a solo bus which was often fabricated by external body construction firms due to the lower production numbers compared to solo buses. The pusher concept enabled the bus manufacturer to simply join a forward and a rear part of a solo bus and build the articulated bus completely in-house. This reduced the production cost.
In pusher buses, only the rear axle is powered by a rear-mounted internal combustion engine, and the longitudinal stability of the vehicle is maintained by active hydraulics mounted under the turntable. This modern system makes it possible to build buses without steps and having low floors along their entire length, which simplifies access for passengers with limited mobility.
Modern low-floor pusher articulated buses also tend to suffer from suspension problems because their wheels lack sufficient travel to enable them to absorb typical road surface unevenness. This also leads to passenger discomfort and relatively rapid disintegration of the vehicle's superstructure.
Makers of pusher-type articulated buses include Mercedes-Benz, New Flyer Industries, MAN, Volvo and Scania. The Renault PR 180 and PR 180.2 (articulated versions of the PR 100 and PR 100.2) were a special variation of the pusher design in which both the middle and the rear axles were driven, with a driveshaft passing through the turntable between the two driving axles.
Alternative power.
Although the majority of articulated buses utilise diesel engines for their motive power, a number of operators (primarily outside North America and by LACMTA) have adopted compressed natural gas (CNG) power in order to reduce pollution. Many other transit authorities in the United States and Canada are adopting articulated buses that are diesel-electric hybrids, such as the New Flyer DE60LF. There are also articulated trolleybuses, which use catenary cables to power electric traction motors.
Super-articulated buses.
Super articulated bus are similar to the normal articulated buses. But they
have an extra axle In the back of the third axle,
they have a capacity of 200 Peoples, And have a length of 23 Metres.
Type: Mercedes Benz Citaro Capacity, Man Lion City A43, Mercedes-Benz O500 DA, BYD D11, Scania K IA
Bi-articulated buses.
Since the late 1980s, the concept of the articulated bus has been extended further with the addition of a second trailer section that extends the bus almost to tram length and capacity, to create a bi-articulated bus, also called a triple bus. The Chinese manufacturer Zhejiang Youngman (Jinhua Neoplan) has developed the JNP6280G bi-articulated bus, deemed the "world's largest", which will be used in Beijing.
Bi-articulated buses are still rare, having been trialled and rejected in some places. Because of their length they have a role on very high-capacity routes, or as a component of a bus rapid transit scheme. Major examples of bi-articulated buses playing a major role in bus rapid transit can be found in Curitiba, Bogota, Mexico City, Quito, etc. Volvo is a major supplier of puller-type bi-articulated buses in these markets. In the Netherlands, bi-articulated buses came into service in Utrecht (2002) and Groningen (2014) on busy routes.
Double-decker articulated buses.
A few attempts have been made to design a double-decker articulated bus. NEOPLAN Bus GmbH built a handful of Neoplan Jumbocruisers between 1975 and 1992. In these models, only the upper deck allows movement between the two sections, so each section has its own doors and set of stairs.
Driver licensing.
In some countries of the European Union, as well as in Canada, an articulated bus can be driven with the same license used to drive a rigid bus (D in Europe), while a bus towing a normal trailer requires a bus + trailer (D+E) license.
There is some confusion as to how the U.S. treats articulated buses, but the general agreement in professional circles seems to be that they're treated as combination vehicles, and therefore requires that drivers hold a Class A commercial driver license (CDL) with a passenger (P) endorsement, which requires the passage of both a written and driven exam. The driven exam must be completed in the highest class of vehicle the driver wishes to operate, else restrictions are issued on the driver's license disallowing them to operate higher classes of vehicles than they tested on (e.g. a driver with a Class A CDL performs their P endorsement test on a class B bus, resulting in their license bearing the "no class A passenger vehicle" restriction, which is notated with an 'M', in addition to their P endorsement). These restrictions can be removed through further testing at a later date.
In the UK it is only necessary to hold a D licence on articulated buses where the driven axle is in the rear section.
As the front cannot be driven without the rear, for licensing purposes they are not considered to have a trailer necessitating the E entitlement. However, special training is needed for bi-articulated buses.
In popular culture.
In a campaign associated with the "" film, a 2014 Transformers character was created using parts from an articulated bus with the actual vehicle as its intended alternate form and dubbed "Bendy-Bus Prime."


Trolleybuses in Sumgait

The Sumqayit trolleybus system was a system of trolleybuses forming part of the public transport service in Sumqayit (alternatively transliterated as Sumgait), the third most populous city in Azerbaijan, for most of the second half of the 20th century.
History.
The system was opened on 28 April 1961. At its height, it consisted of eight lines. The only remaining line was closed on 31 December 2005 (i.e., with effect from 1 January 2006).
Services.
The line operating immediately before closure of the system was:
6. Торговый центр (Shopping Centre) - Микрорайоны (Neighbourhoods)
Fleet.
The Sumqayit trolleybus fleet in the period leading up to the system's closure was made up of 13 vehicles of type ZiU-9.
Previously, the system had used trolleybus vehicles of the following types:


Convention District station

Convention District is a light rail station in Houston, Texas on the METRORail system. It is served by the Green and Purple lines and is located on Capitol and Rusk streets near the Avenida De La Americas. The station is named for the nearby George R. Brown Convention Center; it is also adjacent to Minute Maid Park, the home venue of the MLB team the Houston Astros.
Convention District station opened on May 23, 2015.


The Edwin

The Edwin is a three-storey building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada operated by WoodGreen Community Services to provide community housing. It incorporates the former New Edwin Hotel, built in 1905 to serve as a hotel for railway passengers coming from a now closed railway station at the foot of the Don Valley. It is located at the intersection of Queen Street East and Carroll Street, east of the Don River, in the Riverside subdistrict of South Riverdale.
In 2010 it reopened to provide transitional housing for homeless senior men for a project called "First Step to Home", and was renamed "The Edwin".
History.
The once dignified hotel for several decades was a seedy home for rent with daily and weekly rates. A portion of the lower floor was a nightclub.
On April 1, 2008, it was purchased by WoodGreen Community Services for housing, and in March 2010 their non-profit housing program "First Steps To Home" opened. As a housing-first model, this housing was designed specifically to provide accommodation for street-involved and homeless men aged 55+. It has 28 self-contained units that provide "transitional housing" to fill the gap between a homeless shelter and permanent social housing. Residents also receive support through a life-transition program to economic self-sufficiency by gaining new skills, training, and jobs through partnerships with other social service agencies and a number of major corporations.


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