Really Big Neoplan

jbnewman · January 18, 2012, 07:07:11 AM

Was reading Inhabitat today, and ran across this 82' Neoplan. Inhabitat's site isn't working for me at this second (it came to me via RSS feed), but I found this story with video. Although that video is a bit halting.

chev49 · January 18, 2012, 07:21:24 AM

would be a motorhotel for me... just a smart car for bk

Jeremy · January 18, 2012, 07:38:33 AM

"Really Big Neoplan" is just the kind of title to get me interested - but to my mind this isn't really a bus at all, it's a tram with rubber tyres. Although it has it's own power and so in theory could go wherever it wanted to go (unlike a trolley-bus), in reality it surely must have strictly defined routes.

I have seen TV footage of 'guided buses' as a cheap alternative to building a tram or trolley bus system - they were essentially like these Neoplans but with small horizontally-mounted wheels fitted on each corner, and ran in lanes which had big kerbs on both sides, against which the horizontal wheels ran to steer the bus (perhaps the steering geometry was also changed to give more caster angle so the front wheels self-steered).

The guided buses still had a driver for operating the brake and accelerator just as a tram does, but it meant that a long articulated vehicle could be operated safely without tracks in a built-up area without running amok and causing chaos. Perhaps the Chinese are less concerned about that.

Jeremy

jbnewman · January 18, 2012, 09:16:37 AM

Quote from: Jeremy on January 18, 2012, 07:38:33 AM
"Really Big Neoplan" is just the kind of title to get me interested - but to my mind this isn't really a bus at all, it's a tram with rubber tyres. Although it has it's own power and so in theory could go wherever it wanted to go (unlike a trolley-bus), in reality it surely must have strictly defined routes.

One of the sites mentions using it for Bus Rapid Transit, which implies limited routes. Of course, this may be a reporter's conjecture rather than reality. I don't know much about how China uses buses. I do see on the Neoplan page that they say it has a backup camera. I'd love to watch someone back one of these!

CrabbyMilton · January 18, 2012, 09:29:24 AM

I thought it was going to be one of those SKYLINER types that NASA used back in the 1980's. Now those were impressive monsters.

TomC · January 18, 2012, 09:37:22 AM

What I really like are the small coaches. Look at their small buses-really cute. They make a 26, 28, 30ft 102" wides that would make for great weekenders to the national parks! Too bad they are not imported with American drive trains (like Cummins/Allison with American axles). Good Luck, TomC

CrabbyMilton · January 18, 2012, 10:30:48 AM

NEOPLAN USA had the widest selection of buses at the time until they went defunct. That's ashame because they had a model and size for just about any use you can think of and those double deckers were a sight to see. But I guess their quality went down the toilet so much for them.

Iceni John · January 18, 2012, 06:16:04 PM

What really gets one's imagination working overtime is the thought of this monster being driven BY CHINESE, IN CHINA, AMONG OTHER CHINESE ROAD USERS. Now that's truly scary.

The specifications are a hoot. The trubocharged engine in its middle position, the seamless steel pipe that the body work frame is made from, the "anti-punching device" on the doors (just what the heck is that, and why would one need it?), the enigmatic passenger capacity of 242/40-59 (that sounds more like the tire size for some strange military vehicle), a Luxury dashboard (presumably instead of a proletarian socialist dashboard, like what you'd find in a Trabant or GAZ, or worse), and not least how do the passengers board from the front, the side, the rear, and the inner side (I'm guessing simultaneously)? Wonderful!

John, wishing I had an Anti-Punching Device in my bus.

RoyJ · January 18, 2012, 06:20:40 PM

Quote from: TomC on January 18, 2012, 09:37:22 AM
What I really like are the small coaches. Look at their small buses-really cute. They make a 26, 28, 30ft 102" wides that would make for great weekenders to the national parks! Too bad they are not imported with American drive trains (like Cummins/Allison with American axles). Good Luck, TomC

Exactly what I was thinking!

I wish we get more Euro / Asian small coaches over here; they'd be perfect for RV applications. 35' coaches are just about non-existent nowadays, and 40' models are rapidly ageing as well. I'd take a 30 footer with a mild suspension lift if possible, with an ISB/C.

CrabbyMilton · January 19, 2012, 04:13:52 AM

I guess the only option is to wait for one of those VAN-HOOL 3035RE's to be retired. Yeah 40 feet seems to be short nowadays given so many 45 footers out there. MCI has the F3500 but I'm guessing that there was not enough demand for it otherwise it would still be available. As for that long NEOPLAN, something like that may do well as a apron/tarmac bus.

belfert · January 19, 2012, 06:20:37 AM

According to BK a big reason for lack of shorter charter buses is customer demand. Customers are asking for 45 foot buses. It isn't always because they need the space. Customers know they'll usually get a newer bus if they require a 45 foot bus. The oldest 45 foot buses are now around 16 or 17 years old so asking for a 45 foot bus doesn't necessarily mean a newer bus anymore.

Jeremy · January 19, 2012, 06:53:16 AM

And I bet the short versions aren't much cheaper to buy or run either, while not having nearly as much earning potential as the full size ones. My own bus is a shorty, but it took me quite a bit of searching to find. Most, if not all, European manufacturers offer 8m, 10m, 12m and 13m lengths, but you don't often see the short versions on the road. My bus came in three different heights as well incidentally.

Jeremy

CrabbyMilton · January 19, 2012, 07:01:19 AM

Most of the shorter buses here would be used as hotel or rental car shuttles at airports or tourist attractions. Many of these are built on FORD or GM van cutaway chassis. Nothing against them and they seem to do well for that purpose but they won't holdup in an over the road application even though such a configuration is offered. ELDORADO NATIONAL has transit style buses for this too and you can get a premium seating option but I don't see many of them. Bottom line, most charter operators prefer an MCI, PREVOST, VAN-HOOL, or SETRA for curb appeal name recognition and just more more to stretch on long trips.

Jeremy · January 19, 2012, 07:09:52 AM

Quote from: CrabbyMilton on January 19, 2012, 07:01:19 AM
Most of the shorter buses here would be used as hotel or rental car shuttles at airports or tourist attractions. Many of these are built on FORD or GM van cutaway chassis. Nothing against them and they seem to do well for that purpose but they won't holdup in an over the road application even though such a configuration is offered. ELDORADO NATIONAL has transit style buses for this too and you can get a premium seating option but I don't see many of them. Bottom line, most charter operators prefer an MCI, PREVOST, VAN-HOOL, or SETRA for curb appeal name recognition and just more more to stretch on long trips.

The van or light-truck based buses are a different class of vehicle altogether - they're known as 'midi buses' here (the next step up from a minibus). A lot of them are very pretty but the small wheels are always a dead giveaway.

Jeremy

CrabbyMilton · January 19, 2012, 09:39:55 AM

Those are nice looking. There is newer company here called STALLION. They look very smiliar to your pictures. I heard mixed reviews about them and they are built on a FREIGHTLINER chassis as is the VAN-HOOL 3035.