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Obus - IK-280 trolleybuses
Hungarian

The BKV - Ikarus trolleybuses
IK-200 series prototype trolleybuses
GVM - IK-280 trolleybuses
Obus - IK-280 trolleybuses
Foreign IK-280 trolleybuses

The trolleybus 199

The first trolleybus of the Obus Ltd. - or rather its ancestor in 1987 the BKV Experimental Works (BKV = Budapest Transportation Company) was the 199.

The 199 was ready in 1987 (or in 1989). In the ususal IK-280 body a DK 211 type motor (of maximal output 150 kW) was mounted, with different electric regulation as the Budapest ZIU-series. A similar equipment was in the BKV 972 ZIU-9 type trolleybus in its original state. By the acceleration there was no major difference, but by deceleration the exciting-circuit was put on the 24 V battery, while the main circuit was regulated by the starter (in the usual ZIU electrics, the main circuit and the starter do not play a role). This change strengthened the rheostatic brake. However the construction did not operate well: its greatest disadvantage was the increased reaction time, and also somtimes the rehostatic brake blocked the driven axle. Similar equipment was mounted also in the ZIU-9 9-139 of Szeged, there the trolleybus also produced some blockings, which could have caused accidents. Possibly for similar reasons stood more than one year the 972 in the depot after its arrival.

Officially the 199 became the part of the BKV's fleet in 1990. But even after the trolleybus was not in service many times because of the badly working electrics - the drivers simply were not content to take the trolleybus in the traffic. In the end, by 1996 the ZIU-equipment was removed, and a spare set of GVM electronics and motor was mounted. From this time it carries the number 283, but its external look is still different from the series of GVM at some parts.

199 (Örs vezér tere)
Gábor Kelecsényi
199 (Pongrác depot)
The 199 at Örs vezér tere (square) - one of the rare moments, when it was in service.
The 199 in the repair shop of the depot, in 1993.
283 (Pongrác depot)
283 (Egressy tér)
Rebuilt to 283, standing in Pongrác depot, in 1999.
The 283 in 2000, at Egressy tér (square).
The most striking difference from the GVMs is the missing ventillation gap on the left side between the A and B axles. Instead there are two ventillators on the roof above the driver: the second one is connected to the box of the electronics, lead throughi the air behind the driver's cabin.

A 0011 trolleybus of Moscow.

In 1987, two IK-280 prototype trolleybus ran in Moscow, capital of the Sowiet Union. One of them was the 0010, which was actually the demonstrator of the Ganz Elctrical Works. More about this car can be found here.
Also at the same time a second prototype was in service in Moscow, which was ready in the same time as the 199. This was the Moscow 0011 articulated trolleybus. This vehicle was also produced at the ancestor of the Obus Ltd., at BKV Experimental Works. The electric equippment of the trolleybus was similar to the 199 too. In Moscow, the trolleybus ran only for a short time, then it was taken apart. This became the sample specimen of the locally produced IK-280 trolleybuses, which are described here. In the end, the empty body of the trolleybus stood for long time on the estate of the Moscow Autoservice Works.
 
Moscow (0011)
Moscow (0011)
V. Vadim
The 0011 in Moscow, in 1987.
The 0011 in a stop. According to the Russian customaries, the frontal wing of the first door is serving the driver's cabin.

The 400 series trolleybuses of Debrecen (IK-280.T9.90)

The two cities in Hungary operating trolleybus system outside Budapest started to buy articulated trolleybuses from 1991. Because of their lower price, instead of purchasing new chopper-control vehicles, the trollebuses had the used electric equippment of scrapped ZIU-9s.

For Debrecen five such cars were made, they obtained the fleet number 400-404. Amongst them, the first one (400) had the used body of one of the GVM prototypes, and the electric equippment of DKV 9-310 (ZIU-9) trolleybus. More about this vehilce is written here.

The 401-404 trolleybuses had already a brand new articulated body constructed in 1990. The 400-402 were accomplished in Budapest, while 403-404 at the Debrecen trolleybus depot.

Some technical data:
length: 16500 mm motor type: DK-210A-3
width: 2500 mm output: 110 kW
height (with trolleys): 3460 mm max. rev: 3990 /min
axle distance: 5400/6200 mm seats/standing places: 35/78
weight: 11280 kg width of the doors: (4x) 1300 mm
max. weight on the axles: A: 6200 kg.
B: 9340 kg
C: 6090 kg
max. deceleration: pneumatic brake: 5 m/s2
rheostatic brake: 1.2 m/s2
securing brake 2.5 m/s2
A detailed technical description of this trolleybus type can be found on the homepage of DKV (Debrecen Transportation Company).

There is already one scrapped vehicle: the 400, in 2000.

List of the Obus trolleybuses

DKV 402
DKV 403
The trolleybus 402, on the line 2, in 2002.
The DKV 403 trolleybus.
DKV 404
DKV 403 (passenger room)
The DKV 404 in 2001, at Debrecen trolleybus depot.
The passenger room of the 403, which is very similar to the GVMs.
It is strinking, that although it is not a freshly refurbished car, the furniture is in a very good general condition. Such a standrad became unfortunately unknown in Budapest, by the '90s.

The 500 series trolleybuses of Szeged

Szeged purchased similar trolleybuses to the earlier mentioned in Debrecen in 1991-93, alltogether six pieces. These obtained the fleet number 500-505. The assembly of these vehicles were all finished in Szeged, though some pre-construction works were made before, in Budapest.

The electric equipment was similar to the Debrecen articulated trolleybuses: the components were from ZIU-9 trolleybuses, only some contactors were replaced by polish made ones (regulating the compressor). Similar polish parts were already used in the BKV 199.

In 2001, the 502 was refurbished in Budapest. Its body was strengthened at the Volánbusz's workshops, while a brand new three-phase electronics was fitted in by Ganz-Transelektro. This electronics was the debut of the Ganz's asyinchronic motor system, which also was soon installed to the polish Neoplan-Solaris articulated trolleybuses ordered by Tallin. About the design of the 502 one can read on the non-official site of the company's engeneers (in Hungarian only).

List of the Obus trolleybuses

SZKT 502
József Kisl
SZKT 501
Péter Müller
The SzKT (Szeged Transport Asc.) 502 trolleybus, before refurbishing.
The 501 with a full size advertisment. Interesting to spot on the photo, that the driver did not succeed to operate the point, the result are the distracted trolleys in different ways.
SZKT 503
Péter Müller
SZKT 503
The rear of the 503. The advertisments even infested the rear windscreen. There was also fitted the usual trolley pulling devices, but these were soon out of use in Szegedi (because sometimes the overtaking lorries entangled in the rope, when the poles were not straight above the trolleybus).
The 503, after some years in the depot of Szeged.
When the trolleybus is out of service, the compressor does not work also, and the pneumatic springs deflate too. This explains the sunken appearance of the non-used trolleybuses in the depots.
SZKT 502 (Budapest)
SZKT 502
The trial run of the renewed 502 in Budapest, with three-phase asynchronic motor.
The 502 already in Szeged, at the depot in 2001. Though the trial runs were in 2001, the official examination was held only in February of 2002.

The 0049 Moscow trolleybus

In 1999, a new Ikarus articulated trolleybus was taken in the fleet in Moscow, with the number 0049. The vehicle was made in 1997, the designer was the Obus Ltd., the pre-construction was at the Hungarian Ikarus factory, but the final assembly was done by the TMZ (Tusinsky Mashinostroityelny Zavod - Tusno Machine Factory). Originally they wanted to make a series of IK-280 trolleybuses assembled in Moscow (at the time the TMZ was producing Ikarus autobuses from Hungarian parts); however the plans were not realized after the factory went bankrupt.
The trolleybus made its first runis in the summer of 1997. From outside it is resembling to the Budapest GVMs, but this impression just comes from the colour and the resistor-box on the roof. The vehicle has a Russian 150 kW motor and starter similar to the BKV 199.

Some description of the 0049 can be found here - in Russian.

Moscow 0049
Moscow 0049
The 0049 trolleybus in 1999.
The left side of 0049, in 2000.
The cehicle has a great resemblance to the Budapest types, especially the dark-red colour gives this impression, which is not common in Moscow.

Every comment, observation and revision is welcomed!
Written by: Zoltán Ádám Németh

The author would like to thank László Jakab and Mattis Schindler for the help.

Fleer data are from the homepage of Bálint Hajtó
The homepage of Obus Elektrik
The homepage of the DKV
Trolleybuses of Moscow