Some buses are very long.
They have a middle part that bends. This helps them turn corners. They can carry many people. This helps us all travel. Do you like big buses?
Some buses are very long.
They have two parts. A middle joint lets them bend. This helps them turn corners.
These buses carry many people. They can hold over 90 people. This is more than a normal bus.
They can also be even longer. Some have two extra parts. These can carry 200 people.
They use many doors. This helps people get on and off fast.
These big buses help many people travel together.
An articulated bus is a very long vehicle.
It is made of two or more rigid parts. These parts are joined by a pivoting joint. This joint is called an articulation. A protective cover, called bellows, hides the joint.
This design lets the bus carry many people. A single bus can hold 94 to 120 passengers. Some even have two extra parts. These are called bi-articulated buses. They can carry about 200 people.
These buses have many benefits. They have more doors for people to use. This lets passengers get on and off quickly. They also have a low floor. This makes it easy for elderly people to board.
However, these buses can be tricky. They are hard to drive in tight spots. In some cities, they had more accidents with people on bikes. They also struggle in snow or ice. This happens because the rear axle provides the power. This can cause the bus to jackknife. A jackknife is when the bus bends sharply in the middle.
An articulated bus is a very long vehicle used for public transport.
People often call them "slinky buses" or "bendy buses." They are made of two or more rigid sections. These sections are linked by a pivoting joint called an articulation.
A protective cover called bellows hides the joint. A cover plate also protects the floor inside. This design allows the bus to be much longer than a standard bus. Because they are longer, they can carry between 94 and 120 passengers. Some special versions are called bi-articulated buses. These have two extra trailer sections. They can carry around 200 people on busy routes.
These buses work in a special way to move many people. Most have a front section with two axles. The rear section has a single axle. The engine usually powers the axle on either the front or the rear. Some buses even have a steering system on the very last axle. This helps the long vehicle make tight turns in cities.
This is similar to how some fire trucks turn. These buses are great for bus rapid transit systems. They can use electric power or even mechanical guidance. They also have a low floor. This makes it much easier for elderly people to board. More doors also help passengers get on and off very quickly.
History shows us how these buses first began. The very first articulated bus appeared in Milan, Italy, in 1937. Later, in 1938, a company called Twin Coach built one for Baltimore. That bus was different because it bent in a vertical direction. It did this to help it drive on very steep hills. In 1948, fifteen "Super Twin" buses were built. These could carry 120 total passengers. In 1961, the city of Budapest showed prototypes of the Ikarus 180. This bus was named for its 180-passenger capacity. It went into serial production in 1966.
Many different places around the world use these buses. In the mid-1960s, AC Transit in California used a coach called the XMC 77.
Passengers even got special souvenir tickets for its first run in 1966. In the United States, many buses were imported from Europe in the 1970s. This happened because cities wanted to carry more people with fewer drivers. In the United Kingdom, the first modern "bendy buses" appeared in Sheffield during the 1980s. New Flyer Industries later introduced the D60 in 1989. This was a diesel bus with a high floor. Later, they made the D60 LF, which was the first low-floor version in North America.
While these buses are helpful, they can also be difficult. They are long and can be hard to drive. Drivers often need special training to handle them. They can also struggle in snowy or icy weather. This happens because the rear axle provides the power. This can cause the bus to "jackknife," which means it bends sharply in the middle.
In London, these buses were used from 2001 until 2011. However, they were eventually replaced by double-decker buses. Some statistics showed they were involved in more accidents with pedestrians and cyclists. In Malta, some buses were taken out of service due to engine fires. Today, you might see them at airports as shuttles for travelers.
An articulated bus is a high-capacity vehicle used for public transportation.
These vehicles are often called "slinky buses," "bendy buses," or "accordion buses." They consist of two or more rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint. This joint is known as an articulation. To keep the connection safe, the joint is enclosed by protective bellows. Inside the vehicle, a cover plate protects the floor. This design allows the bus to reach a longer legal length than standard rigid buses. Consequently, they can carry between 94 and 120 passengers.
The mechanism of an articulated bus allows for efficient movement and high capacity. Most common arrangements feature a forward section with two axles. The rear section typically has a single axle. The driving axle can be mounted on either the front or the rear section. Some models even include a steering arrangement on the rearmost axle. This axle turns slightly in opposition to the front steering axle. This feature helps the vehicle negotiate tighter turns in urban environments. It works similarly to how hook-and-ladder fire trucks operate in cities.
There are different types of articulated vehicles based on their size and structure. A standard articulated bus has one pivoting joint. A less common variant is the bi-articulated bus. This vehicle uses two trailer sections instead of just one. Bi-articulated buses are much longer and can carry around 200 people. Because of this massive size, they are used almost exclusively on high-frequency arterial routes. They are also a key part of bus rapid transit schemes. These systems may even include mechanical guidance or electric power.
The history of these vehicles began in the early 20th century. The first articulated bus appeared in Milan, Italy, in 1937. In 1938, the Twin Coach company built a bus for Baltimore. This specific model was articulated in the vertical direction. It was designed this way to accommodate steep road grades. By 1948, fifteen "Super Twin" buses were built. These could carry 120 total passengers. Later, in 1961, Budapest showed prototypes of the Ikarus 180. This bus was named for its 180-passenger capacity. It entered serial production in 1966 and was replaced by the Ikarus 280 in 1973.
In the United States, articulated buses saw significant use during specific eras. In the mid-1960s, AC Transit in California operated the "XMC 77."
This coach was nicknamed the "Freeway Train." It featured an observation lounge with a card table for passengers. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, many U.S. cities began importing buses from Europe. This was driven by rising operating costs. Transit systems wanted to transport more passengers using fewer drivers. In 1989, New Flyer Industries introduced the D60, a high-floor diesel model. They later developed the D60 LF, the first low-floor articulated bus in North America.
Articulated buses offer several engineering advantages over double-decker buses. They provide rapid boarding and disembarkation through more and larger doors. They also have a lower center of gravity, which increases stability. Because they have a smaller frontal area, they face less air resistance. This makes them more fuel-efficient than double-decker models. They can also pass under low bridges more easily. However, they do have disadvantages. In narrow streets, they may be involved in more accidents. In London, statistics showed they were involved in 20% of bus-related deaths.
This led to their replacement by double-deckers in 2011.
Operating these vehicles requires specific care and skill. Drivers often need special training to maneuver the long body. Reversing can be particularly difficult. The buses can also struggle in snowy or icy conditions. This is because the rear axle often delivers the power. If the bus tries to climb a hill in snow, it can "jackknife." This means the vehicle bends sharply at the middle joint.
Despite these challenges, they remain successful in many places. In Budapest, the BKV company has operated over 1,000 of them daily since the early 1970s.
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