Articulated bus
Description
A bus form factor in which two rigid body sections are joined by a pivoting articulation, letting the vehicle reach 18 m (single-articulated) or 24-27 m (biarticulated) while still negotiating ordinary urban turning circles. The articulation is a propulsion-agnostic body innovation: articulated diesel, trolley, and battery-electric buses all exist. The first articulated bus appeared in Milan, Italy, in 1937; in 1938 Twin Coach built one for Baltimore (a 47-foot, four-axle vehicle articulated only in the vertical plane to handle the city's steep grades). Articulated buses became central to the Bus Rapid Transit model from the 1970s onward — a single articulated vehicle carries 120-160 passengers, and the biarticulated designs used in Curitiba and elsewhere carry up to 270.[1]
Referenced by
Used as a component of
- Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) transit_system:bus_rapid_transit
Enabling components
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Role. The mechanical assembly that makes the form factor possible: a pivoting joint between the two rigid sections, enclosed by flexible bellows and a floor cover plate so passengers can walk through. Joint design has evolved alongside the form (single-pivot in 1937; double-pivot 'biarticulated' from the 1990s).
Key dates
| Year | Event | Type | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | First articulated bus appears in Milan, Italy. | invention | Origin of the articulated-bus form factor.[3] |
| 1938 | Twin Coach builds the first North American articulated bus, for Baltimore. | invention | First US articulated bus; only vertically articulated to manage Baltimore's grades.[4] |
Sources
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[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulated_bus
The first example of the articulated bus appeared in Milan, Italy, in 1937. In 1938, Twin Coach built an articulated bus for the city of Baltimore; this bus, which had four axles on a 47 ft (14.33 m) long body, was only articulated in the vertical direction to accommodate steep grades.
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[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulated_bus
linked by a pivoting joint (articulation) enclosed by protective bellows inside and outside, and a cover plate on the floor
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[3]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulated_bus
The first example of the articulated bus appeared in Milan, Italy, in 1937.
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[4]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulated_bus
In 1938, Twin Coach built an articulated bus for the city of Baltimore; this bus, which had four axles on a 47 ft (14.33 m) long body, was only articulated in the vertical direction to accommodate steep grades.