BusTalk

[sandmann4u]

Hi folks,

a'm from (eastern) germany and a little bit interested in Ikarus-busses/coaches. So i found out that a large number of busses were delivered in parts to USA/Canada and were there completed with parts of national manufacturers. I know a few about the "big Red" (prototyp build completely in hungary) and thats all. now i search material for our german friends of this bustype, datas, facts, driving plates, VIN's, where they were used and especially pictures.
Is anything still in production or used for newer technologies? Ikarus get insolvency in 2007.

If you are interested i can show you pictures of german ikarus-busses, or other vehicles of the production"behind the iron curtain".

Greetz

Sebastian

[Mr. Linsky]

sandmann4u,

(here I go again - with pleasure though!);

As an unofficial welcoming committee here at BusTalk, let me do just that and say that we certainly look forward to exchanges with our European counterparts - welcome aboard!.

If the 'Big Red' that you refer to with roots in Hungary is a product of North American Bus Industries (NABI) then we have plenty of them especially here in Los Angeles as can be seen in the photo below of a 60 BRT.

Because of U.S. law any buses sold here must be at least partly built here so NABI fabricates the parts in Hungary and then ships them here for assembly.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[ripta42]

[ripta42]

This 1980 Crown-Ikarus demonstrator, serial number AB100016, ran for Queens Transit in 1981. It was eventually sold to Milwaukee County Transit System as a parts source for their fleet of 39 similar buses, built in 1984.

Anyone have more info/memories of this unit?

[ripta42]

[sandmann4u]

Hi,

i didn't expect, that there is the same name for totally different busses.
The bus i mean is this one:



Only this were build completely in hungary, the other were assembled at crown coach corp and orion.

These busses shall be delivered:
> Louisville (15),
> Portland (87),
> Albany (8 ),
> Jacksonville (10),
> Honolulu (8 ),
> Houston (50),
> San Mateo County (10),
> Santa Clara County (15) und
> Milwaukee (40 Fahrzeuge)

(the bus of queens transit isn't included, maybe anyone has a driving plate nr. of this one).

But it's right too, Ikarus were involved in foundation of NABI 1992, but I don't know more details.

[ripta42]

Just came across this on Flickr; appears to be the Hungarian-built demo:

SCRTD 6900

[tovinman]

The Ikarus 286 articulated was assembled in the US by Crown Coach and in canada by Ontario Bus Industries.

The OBI units numbered 255 units split between Ottawa and Toronto. The Ottawa units had a long run there but Toronto retired 60 of their 90 units after six years; ironically Ottawa bought a few of them, repaired them, and ran them for a few years more.

The TTC discovered that a number of welds were bad, and the steel used to construct the frames was of inferior quality to that used in North America, where road salt eats buses alive. Still, the number of Toronto units dwindled down to 13, which recieved a third rebuild and finally expired after 16 years
of service.

These units would be pretty strange to the Europeans; while the Ottawa units had a common NTHHC Cummins "pancake"engine, the Toronto units used the 6L71TA and a ZF HP590 transmission. They were a sight to behold, particularly at Finch Station where the drivers used to whip them around a 180-degree turn at Finch subway station. I'm sure this 180 wasn't really good for them, but it sure was fun to watch. Most Toronto historians will say that
they miss those Ikaruses.

[tovinman]

Ikarus, as noted, began with cooperative assembly of the 286 by Crown Coach and Ontario Bus Industries. They later started Ikarus USA, which went bankrupt and was reorganized as North American Bus Industries. NABI
is pretty far removed from Ikarus ownership-wise, though the CompoBus
continues to be imported for assembly in Anniston. The BRT bus is also
a NABI design