Mobile test bed advances bus design
Page 42
Page 43
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
by Bill Godwin
When Neoplan, the German bus and coach specialist, last year opened its branch factory at Pilsting, 350km east of Stuttgart, the need arose for a regular inter-plant link to carry urgent tools, components and specialist staff. The idea was born to build a 'vehicle not only to fulfil the requirements of a load carrier, but at the same time double as a test-bed for new materials, mechanical units, transmissions, etc.
In typical Auwarter style the idea was quickly translated into practice and the futuristic looking three-axle vehicle is already putting in at least two round trips of 700 km per week. Styling of the test bus combines a striking appearance with a number of functional requirements such as the ease of conversion from maximum cargo space to test or workshop facilities. Initially, a Daimler Benz OM 401 V-6 engine was fitted in the rear underfloor compartment. In the clearly defined test programme — currently making out a strong case for introduction by the State of higher speed limits for psv operation — a power unit to be fitted shortly will be a Daimler Benz V-I2 of 316 kW (430 hp) driving through an Allison transmission with integral retarder. For the programmed highspeed tests the vehicle will be operated at the legal maximum of 22 tonnes, giving a power/weight ratio of 14.35 kw/t.
The rear portion of the roof is designed to slide forward to enable large items to be crane loaded. This facility has also already been used to carry a small car after use by a delivery driver. The cargo space is horizontally divided between the wheelbase with underfloor lockers arranged to hold wheeled bins holding seat frames for a complete bus.
Axles and other parts manufactured or assembled at Stuttgart for use in Pilsting are also carried in the 12m-long vehicle. Passenger accommodation behind the driving cab is confined to a raised compartment in which the eight seats can be converted into sleeper berths for night travel.
Forty years of French piggyback
Much publicity has been given in recent years to various road-rail systems in which vehicles or trailers are carried by train for the trunk sector of their journey. But little or nothing has been said about one of the pioneers in this field — the UFR Union Fer Route) method employed in France since 1934. And it was long after that date before even the US piggyback operation became common.
In 1957 revised legislation governing road rail operations in France gave users of approved UFR equipment a subsidy but required surrender of long-distance licences for each trailer in use. UFR is based on the use of specially built small lowfloor semi-trailer vans or tankers with flanged guide discs bolted to the road wheels and requiring complementary platform-bodied rail rolling stock with lateral alignment rails.
The system has now been overtaken by the success of the internationally accepted Kangorou equipment in which maximum C and U size semi-trailers offer improved operating economics. The rapid decline of UFR is accompanied by the steady withdrawal of outworn trailers and ancillary equipment. From a post-war peak of 2,640 UFR semi-trailers in 1966 the number has now dropped to under 1,600.
Conversely, the appeal of Kangorou operation under the Novatrans regime has resulted in the addition of 505 new trailers in France alone last year bringing the total registered in that country to 2,440. There has also been a slight increase (to 65) of MC 22 semi-trailers in use for French domestic routes; it may be recalled that MC 22 is a European derivative of the US Flexivan system in which the running gear remains at the loading point to be replaced by another bogie at the arrival terminal.
As more and friore stations become crane-equipped l the original and laborious ro/ ro method of loading Kangorou trains is giving way to a lift-on/lift-off technique which has the additional advantage of allowing single trailers to be "plucked offthe train at intermediate stations.
There are now 106 stations in France with facilities to handle one or more of the piggyback systems. In 1972 (latest available figures) the total of Kangorou traffic was 1,160,000 tonnes — a 9.8 per cent increase over the previous year — as against 569,000 tonnes of UFR traffic, a decline of 24 per cent over ,1971. The Kangorou tonnage is exclusive of traffic carried in international services between France, Italy and Benelux which accounted for 19,197 units totalling 416,765 tonnes.
Russia backs road haulage
The recent statement by Soviet Minister of Transport, Yevgeny Trubitsin, that Russia's international haulage is to be "standardized" by 1976 leaves a good deal to the imagination. Nevertheless there are signs that the planned expansion of road services will make Russia a formidable competitor to Western operators.
When production of the Soviet Union's first really modern tractive unit gets under way in the Kama works heavy dependence on foreign vehicle suppliers or use of out-dated equipment will decrease drastically. Already Sovtransauto maintains regular services to Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. The ancient-looking M AZ artics are no strangers in the UK and negotiations are now in progress with Norway to open up new road links with the Soviet Union.
A significant point in the Minister's statement emphasizes that the use of containers in road transport is to be increased considerably to offer better security and to reduce the risk of damage. One reason why Russia is backing road transport has also been advanced as the main argument for the switch of East German international freight traffic from rail to road. By letting the State-owned haulage organization handle international consignments through to the destination, the expenditure of hard currency on sectors over Western railways is practically eliminated. At the same time pressure on the internal rail network is relieved while there is little likelihood of incurring objections on environmental grounds in the carefully controlled political climate.