Bus trailer

Bus trailer, trailer coach or bus trailer is a designation for followers that are behind buses or trolleybuses. For coaches, these are often luggage tag, which also includes trailers for bicycles and ski equipment. Most of them can also attach to trucks or passenger cars, depending on the used trailer hitch and authorized towable mass of the towing vehicle.

Trailers, used exclusively for the carriage of passengers, people are followers (PA ), or called sidecar. Alternative names for teams from solo bus and people are Omnibuszug trailer, bus train or, more recently, Maxitrain or - when used with midi buses - Midi Train or Midibuszug. In Switzerland, it is called a pendant composition. Lighting, door control and heating of the trailer are supplied by the towing vehicle. Modern Buszüge can accommodate up to 200 passengers, the use of the restricted traffic areas such as airports or factory premises up to 250 persons are being transported.

A special form is the tractor bus, in this trailer is designed as a trailer. Bus trailer are now rarely encountered, most teams were replaced by newer developments such as the articulated bus.

  • 2.1 Germany 2.1.1 history
  • 2.1.2 DDR
  • 2.1.3 nostalgia vehicles
  • 2.1.4 Latter-day operations with exemptions

Pros and Cons

Economy

Transport companies can gain an economic advantage by bus concepts that can react to severely fluctuating passenger volume flexibility, which takes two buses with two drivers only one bus train can be used with a driver. The advantage of the people trailer, therefore, is that a large number of passengers with only one driver can be conveyed, is outside the rush hours of the trailer and the towing vehicle drives but hung with lower fuel consumption solo. Furthermore, the overall capacity of such a vehicle combination is higher than an articulated bus, ranging anywhere near a double-articulated. The towing vehicle must have enough power according to the task, are also trailers on steep climbs / descents not be used.

At times, smoking was still allowed in trailers, as it was already banned in the towing vehicle. In Solingen, the rounded followers were therefore called Smoking ball.

Staff stress

Compared with the single vehicle, the driver of a Buszuges these additional functions shall include:

  • Coupling and uncoupling the trailer, including pneumatic, electric and heiztechnischer compounds
  • Monitor monitoring the trailer doors at stops
  • The tracking of space between the vehicles at every start-up, to avoid dragging, and shearing of careless pedestrians
  • The tracking of trailer passenger compartment while driving ( vandalism, harassment, etc.)

Sooner coach trains were often operated in the three-man operation: Except for the driver, a conductor for the tractor and trailer was ever required. In contrast, articulated cars could be operated with the help of passenger flow principle with two employees, which resulted in significantly to the abolition of many trailers. Some transport companies, however, allowed only season tickets holders the use of the sidecar.

Busan hangers in various countries

Germany

History

The Bavarian postal continued in 1905 on their power lines so-called post- suspension carriage a.

Since July 1, 1960, prohibits accordance with traffic regulations in the Federal Republic of Germany the transport of passengers in the trailer, the relevant law was adopted in 1956. Since that time, trailers are no longer permitted to carry passengers. Already on July 21, 1955 was found in the 32th meeting in the Cabinet Committee on Economic, that

  • Cause buses with trailers for the transport of persons by their length repeatedly interference of traffic flow. In a further increase in traffic they could no longer be allowed in the cities.

In addition, trains are allowed with Omnibus followers according to § 18 paragraph 5 of the Highway Code does not exceed 60 km / h, so that would be expected from the slow drive more traffic problems, especially on city highways and expressways ways. Even semi-trucks had to be marked in Germany with the so-called triangle pendant. In Germany, the total allowable length of a bus is now regularly 18.75 meters. The Buszüge other hand, are made ​​with train length of 23.05 m and 25.76 m (for use on factory premises ).

GDR

In the GDR there was no comparable statutory limitations; Semi-trucks were still after 1975, partly to the reunification in 1990, isolated in operation ( for example, in the VEB haulage Jena). There came the "off" for these trains through the advanced wear the appropriate towing vehicles buses; corresponding new vehicles were not offered by the industry.

Heritage vehicles

Some carriers do not have semi-trucks as tradition cars in stock, but may not carry passengers in the trailer from the 1950s and 1960s. An exception is the historic bus train the Halle Tram friends eV in Halle ( Saale). For their H6B / L W701 - team an exemption for passenger transport in the trailer was granted.

Latter-day operations with exemptions

Some German transport company set since the turn of the millennium Buszüge one, preferably in the student movement. This is only possible with an exemption from § 32a traffic regulations pursuant to § 70 traffic regulations. You may be granted by the competent Ministry of Transport of the federal state. Depending on the model, a license under § 29 Highway Code is due to the overall length of the vehicle combination if necessary also required. As of December 2013 were in Germany together 73 trailers in use, they circulate among other things, for the following companies:

  • Fritz Behrendt OHG in Lehnin, since 2003
  • Pinneberger transport company, since 2003
  • Infra Fürth, since 2004
  • Voyages Emile Weber, since 2006 (cross-border from Luxembourg to Trier)
  • Straw bus traffic GmbH, since 2008
  • RegioBus means Sachsen GmbH (then RegioBus Mittweida ), since 2007
  • Ludwigsburg traffic lines, since 2008
  • Stadtwerke Osnabrück, since 2009
  • Mecklenburg Public Transportation GmbH, since 2009
  • Egenberger travel, since 2009
  • Regional traffic Main-Kinzig GmbH, since 2009
  • Munich Transport Company, since 2011
  • Green Ingersoll company in Heidenheim, since 2011
  • RegioBus Hannover GmbH, since 2012
  • City bus Rottweil, Since 2013
  • Wolfsburg traffic GmbH
  • Reutlinger municipal transport authority
  • Schefenacker travel and traffic GmbH & Co. KG

Austria

In Austria bus trailer were up in the 1960s usual, but were then not forbidden, but were more or less out of fashion and were replaced usually by articulated buses. For several years, bus trailer are used by some transport companies, however, reinstated, especially in rush hour. Here it has been shown that bus trailer are cheaper to purchase than articulated buses.

Postbus operates six Buszüge with bus trailer " body shop Hess " in Innsbruck and two bus trailer in Salzburg in 2007. The test operation began in 2003, the legislature was adapted in 2005.

Switzerland

In Switzerland buses take people trailer in Canton train on lines 1 ( train - Unterägeri - Oberägeri ) and 2 ( train - Menzingen ). 1953-1989 led the Buszüge in train part additionally a biaxial luggage tag with; there were three of them. At the present time a uniaxial bicycle trailer is coupled to the bus trailer partially. The eleven air-conditioned low-floor trailer used today (Hess 2010-2012 ) the fourth generation of followers ZVB ask instead, the last vehicles of the third generation ( 10 pieces of Lanz & Marti / Hess 1993-96 ) were until 1 May 2012 at the use. The trailer trains replaced from 1953/55 the circulating since 1913 after Oberägeri and Menzingen narrow gauge railway. First seven followers came ( Moser / Ramseier & Jenzer 1953-55 ) in operation that were scrapped 1974-86. 1961 and 65 were used for the valley lines seven more followers to have the more modern structures; they were used from 1975 behind newly delivered FBW buses in VST orange paint of Oberägeri and Menzingen 1994-97 and scrapped. The first two series still shown on a partition in the middle of the car to separate smoking and Non smoking compartment.

In the 20th century people trailers were used in many Swiss towns, partly optional behind buses or trolley buses. Also on various overland lines they were in use, for example in Sernftal, Thun -Interlaken - Beatenbucht or on the mail car lines Nesslau wild house - book, and last until 1987 Urnäsch - Schwägalp.

Since January 14, 2013 sets Postbus Switzerland, for the time being for testing purposes, again a personal adornment, and indeed on the line 20,121 Laupen - Duedingen. Initially, this Towing 2014 has been tested on the track Urnäsch - Schwägalp, this in view of the upcoming replacement of the double-decker buses. The only Swiss manufacturer of bus trailer for passenger transport is now the body shop Hess.

Next come in Lucerne and Lausanne trailer behind trolleybuses used.

Albania

In Albania to operate until the 1990s, numerous buses of the Skoda 760RTO with trailers.

Estonia

From the end of 1999 ran on the transport services of the Estonian capital Tallinn (TAK, since July 2012 TLT) a total of 20 trailers teams consisting of Scania buses and modern low-floor trailers in a matching style. The two-door trailer had the car numbers 301-320; they were a few years partly umgenummert the initial digits 1 and 2 instead of 3 One of these teams was borrowed temporarily for testing purposes to the transport authority of Oberhausen ( STOAG ).

Former Czechoslovakia

In Czechoslovakia bus trailer were common in the 1960s.

In the Czech Republic and Slovakia bus trailer are now prohibited.

Use behind trolleybuses

Used Some transport companies early adherent flexible times behind trolleybuses and times in a diesel buses, such as the Berlin Transport Authority, the Krefeld traffic AG, Stadtwerke Osnabrück, the Municipal Transport Company of Bern, the transport authority of St. Gallen, transport companies STI or Wiener Stadtwerke - transport services.

Coach (bus) East Germany Trolleybuses in Lucerne Trolleybuses in Lausanne Karosa Wiener Linien
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