What about a conversion with this?

[pipopak]

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z72/Mazooma1/neat%20and%20old/montreal-mtco800-crmw.jpg

[Brassman]

That thing looks more like a locomotive than a bus.

[Bus Busted]

So it's a Dual Fuel or a hybrid?

[pipopak]

That thing looks more like a locomotive than a bus.

Can you imagine the size of the chassis pieces?. Probably modern diesel locomotives don't come even close!.

[RnMAdventures]

It looks like a locamotive frame.

[buswarrior]

One of the early Prevost, perhaps?

It does say Montreal...

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[TomC]

This is why on highway trucks and buses do not use Diesel/electric propulsion like trains do.  Not only do you have a generator that is as heavy as a transmission, but you double that weight with the electric motor.  And, any electric motor propulsion is never as direct and efficient as a direct drive transmission.  With Allison's torque converter lockup and new programming, even Allison transmissions are coming close to manual transmission efficiency.  This will be even more evident when Allison brings out their new 10spd double countershaft torque converter equipped automatic next year.  Think double clutch technology.  Good Luck, TomC

[Jeremy]

I'd be fairly certain that this vehicle is only a very short step away from it's tramcar predecessors, which doubtless accounts for it's size, configuration and use of electricity. I wouldn't be at all surprised if 'gas' actually meant gas as well, not gasoline.

Diesel-electric traction isn't used in road vehicles for the simple reason that there is no need - this configuration in trains and ships is a consequence of the vast weight of those vehicles and the limitations of conventional clutches or torque converters. Having said that, the new Jaguar C-X75 is effectively a diesel-electric...

Jeremy

PS. Came across a photo the other day showing quad-axle buses operating in Britain in the 1940s. Pretty cool.

PPS. A road vehicle that looks like a train, and one that once was:

[Lee Bradley]

The upper photo is a LeTourneau Land Train built to supply the DEW (Distant Early Warning) stations across northern Alaska, Canada and Greenland. It was diesel/electric (standard LeTourneau design) with all wheels driven including the trailers. Probably a V12-71 or V16-71 in the power unit. There is a Big Foot monster truck using a set of those wheels and tires.