1994 LAZ-695N

LAZ-695 "Lviv"- Soviet and Ukrainian city bus of the middle class of the Lviv Bus Plant.

The bus has undergone modernization more than once, mainly with changes in the appearance of the body, but at the same time, the overall dimension and layout of the body and the main units of the bus remained the same. The most significant change relative to the base first generation 695/695B/695E/695Zh was the modernization of the front and rear parts in two stages - first, in the second generation 695M, the rear part was changed (with the replacement of one large "turbine" air intake at the rear of the roof with two side "gills" ) with an almost unchanged front mask, and then the third generation 695N / 695NG / 695D also received a modernized front part (“licked” shape changed to “visor”). In addition, the factory emblems and the headlight space on the front end changed (both from generation to generation, and within generations; for example, in the third - from an aluminum false radiator grille to the same black-plastic one and then its complete removal), headlights and sidelights , front bumpers, wheel covers and more.

There is reason to believe that a small batch of buses was produced with automatic transmission(LAZ-695E).

Not devoid of a number of shortcomings (cramped interior and doors, frequent overheating of the engine of buses of the 2nd and 3rd generations, etc.), the bus was characterized by simplicity of design and unpretentiousness in operation in all categories highways. In the post-Soviet space, both manufactured in the 21st century and 30-year-old LAZ-695 buses are still used. Even without taking into account custom assembly in small batches at DAZ, mass production buses on LAZ went for 50 years. The total number of LAZ-695 buses produced is about 250 thousand cars (only 695M - more than 52 thousand and 695N - about 176 thousand cars).

background

In 1949, the plant began to manufacture car vans, trailers, truck cranes and (pilot batch) electric vehicles. With the development of automotive production at the plant, a design team was formed under the leadership of V.V. Osepchugov. At first, they planned to transfer the production of obsolete ZIS-155 buses from the Moscow Stalin Plant to the plant, but such a prospect did not inspire the young staff of the plant and its design bureau. With the support of the first director of LAZ, B.P. Kashkadamov, Osepchugov literally infected young designers and production workers who had just left the institute's classrooms with a “bus dream”.

The initiative to develop and manufacture a new bus model was supported "at the top" and samples of modern European buses: Magirus, Neoplan, Mercedes. They were carefully studied in terms of design and production technology, as a result of which the Lviv bus first-born was practically developed by the end of 1955. When designing its design, the experience of " Mercedes Benz 321", and the external stylistic solutions were made in the spirit of the Magirus bus.

The construction of the first LAZ-695 was started in 1955.

LAZ-695N (1974-2006)

Having received a new front body panel with higher windshields and a large visor on top, the car became known as LAZ-695N. On this model, the rear and front doors have become the same. The instrument cluster and speedometer have become somewhat smaller in diameter. The first prototypes were demonstrated in 1969.

In 1974, the plant began serial production of the LAZ-695N.

Cars LAZ-695N of the late 70s - early 80s. had small windows on the outside above the doors to the salon with illuminated inscriptions "Enter" and "Exit", they were removed on later cars. Also, late LAZ-695N buses differ from more early cars the shape and location of the front and rear lighting. On early buses, rectangular headlights manufactured by the GDR, the same as those of the Moskvich-412 car, and an aluminum false radiator grille were installed in front. Since the mid 80s. the aluminum grille was abolished, and the headlights became round.

In 1978, on the basis of the LAZ-695N, a special training bus was developed for training drivers, equipped with an additional control kit and a set of fixing equipment (SL-2M speedometer, 010/10 tachograph, mode meter, ZP-15M three-component overload recorder and tape recorder).

For the 1980 Olympics and export, a small number of LAZ-695R modification buses were produced with more comfortable and soft seats and double-leaf doors (which were also previously on LAZ-695N prototypes, but did not go into series). After the Olympics, buses of this modification were used as excursion buses.

Until 1991 in without fail LAZ-695N buses had a large opening hatch in the front wall of the body - in the case of military mobilization, these buses were converted into sanitary ones, and the hatch was intended for loading and unloading stretchers with the wounded (it would be impossible to carry a stretcher through narrow doors). After 1991 this " extra detail' was quickly abolished.

In the first half of the 1990s, a power steering appeared on the LAZ-695N. At the same time, they stopped installing the rear axles of the “Slave” and again, like many years ago, they began to equip the car with a double final drive(without wheel gears).

On the basis of the LAZ-695N bus, the LAZ-697N "Tourist" and LAZ-697R "Tourist" buses were produced.

So, the history of Soviet buses began with a bus based on AMO F-15.
The first AMO bus with a capacity of 14 passengers was created in 1926 on the chassis of a 1.5-ton AMO-F-15 truck. The body was made on a frame of bent wooden profiles and sheathed with metal, the roof was covered with leatherette. There was only one passenger door - in front of the rear wheel arch. Four-cylinder carbureted engine 35 HP allowed the bus to accelerate to 50 km / h. In addition, since 1927, a two-door mail bus was produced (the rear door was behind the rear wheel arch) and an ambulance (without side doors). Third Party Manufacturers they put their own bodies on the AMO-F-15 chassis, for example, an open one with a tarpaulin awning for serving resorts. Photo from a 1983 postcard:

Later appears extended version- AMO 4 (1933). 22 places. Max speed with 6-cylinder 60 hp engine. was 55 km/h. A batch of several dozen cars was produced.

Based on the ZIS-5, or rather its lengthened base from 3.81 to 4.42 m, the ZIS-11 chassis in 1934-1936. a 22-seater (total number of seats 29) ZIS-8 bus was produced. Six-cylinder in-line carburetor motor volume of 5.55 liters with a capacity of 73 hp. allowed ZIS-8 gross weight 6.1 t accelerate to 60 km / h. Only 547 units were produced at ZIS. ZIS-8.

In 1938, the ZiS-8 was replaced on the assembly line by a more advanced ZiS-16 that met the trends of that time. The production of the ZIS-16 bus, which, in accordance with the then automobile fashion, had a streamlined body shape, but was still made on a wooden frame, was deployed from 1938 and continued until August 1941. The bus accommodated up to 34 passengers (with 26 seats). Forced up to 84 hp the ZIS-16 engine accelerated the car with a gross weight of 7.13 tons to 65 km / h.

Release passenger buses was resumed after the war, in 1946.
Then the body was developed, which simultaneously became the MTV-82 tram, the MTB-82 trolleybus and the ZiS-154 bus. ZiS-154 was not just a bus .. In 1946, domestic designers managed to create a hybrid!
The design of this bus was advanced for the domestic auto industry: the first domestic serial all-metal load-bearing body wagon type(by the way, unified with the MTB-82 trolleybus and the MTV-82 tram) with a passenger door in the front overhang and an engine in the rear of the body, pneumatic door actuator, adjustable in three directions driver's seat, diesel and electric transmission with electric generator and electric motor. Forced diesel YaAZ-204D with a power of 112 hp allowed the bus with a gross weight of 12.34 tons to accelerate to 65 km / h. A total of 1164 ZIS-154 buses were produced. However, the diesel engine, which was then just being mastered in production, turned out to be unfinished in terms of exhaust smoke and reliability, therefore the ZIS-154 equipped with it, which also suffered from a whole bunch of "childhood diseases", became the object of serious complaints from the townspeople and operators, which led to a relatively quick removal of the bus from production in 1950. One of them is preserved in the Mosgortrans museum.

The unsuccessful ZIS-154 was replaced by an easier-to-manufacture, but less capacious 8-meter ZIS-155, from the design of which elements of the ZIS-154 body and units of the ZIS-150 truck were used. By the way, it was on the ZIS-155 for the first time in domestic auto industry implemented generator alternating current. The bus could carry 50 passengers (28 seats). Engine ZIS-124 with a power of 90 hp accelerated the car with a gross weight of 9.9 tons to 70 km / h. A total of 21,741 ZIS-155 buses were produced, which remained the main model of the bus fleets of the capital and other large cities of the USSR from the mid-50s to the mid-60s.
Preserved in the Mosgortrans museum, as well as as monuments in some cities and sheds in some collective farms.

In 1955, for the first time in the USSR, an intercity bus was developed (before that, ZiS-155 cars ran along the Moscow-Yalta route, it’s scary to imagine how much and how it was to go in it ..) It turned out to be a huge, luxurious American-style bus.

The bus with the original load-bearing body 10.22 m long could carry 32 passengers, seated in comfortable aircraft-type seats with headrests and adjustable backrests. The power plant consisted of a YaAZ-206D two-stroke diesel engine, located transversely in the rear of the bus with a gearbox and driving the rear axle cardan shaft located at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the bus. In terms of level, design of the body and interior, comfort for passengers and dynamic qualities, the ZIS (ZIL) -127 corresponded to the best foreign analogues and deservedly was the flagship of the domestic automotive industry. However, the overall width of the ZIS-127 is too large, equal to 2.68 m, which exceeded international requirements (the width of the vehicle is not more than 2.5 m) and the emphasis on the development of economic ties with the socialist countries of the CMEA, which was given priority in the production of buses big class(Hungary, Czechoslovakia) decided the fate of a completely competitive model (in fact, the last competitive domestic bus) - in 1960, the production of ZIL-127 was curtailed. In total in 1955-1960. 851 ZIS(ZIL)-127 buses were produced.
Until our days in perfect condition ZiS-127 is preserved in the museum in Tallinn. Even on the territory of the former USSR there are several cars in the state of "a shed in the backyard of the motor depot."

Interestingly, on the basis of ZIL-127 in 1959, NAMI created and tested the Turbo-NAMI-053 gas turbine bus, which reached a speed of 160 km / h or more. GTE mounted in the rear of the cabin developed 350 hp. and was twice as light as the base YaMZ-206D diesel engine. However, such a machine did not go into series because of the complexity in production and operation.

ZIL-158, ZIL-158V - city bus. Produced from 1957 to 1959 at ZIL and from 1959 to 1970 at LiAZ. ZIL-158 was the main bus model in urban bus fleets Soviet Union in the 1960s and early 1970s. It was a further modernization of the ZIS-155 bus. It was distinguished by a body lengthened by 770 mm with an increased capacity of up to 60 people. nominal passenger capacity (32 seats), redesigned front and rear masks, modified side windows, as well as an engine with a 9% increase in power. The first ZIL-158 had windows in the ventilation hatches in the roof, as well as windows in the corners on the rear roof slopes.
A front-engine layout was used, which subsequently migrated to the LiAZ-677 and PAZ-652.
Sometimes there are buses like this...

At the same time, the production of buses was started in Lvov, at a plant that used to produce truck cranes and trailers.

LAZ-695. I think he needs no introduction. Initially, he looked like this. Huge windows in the ceiling (at the far, earlier - tinted), an interesting air intake on the back of the roof. Rear-engine layout, ZiLovsky engine. It began to be produced back in 1956, since then it has been simplified and transformed many times.

There were quite a few changes to the hodovka during the entire production period.

And in the end, 695 turned into such a dear and familiar worker to all of us commuter routes, which was produced right up to 2002 (and in fact - until 2010 !!!) of the year.

In the late 50s, LAZ began developing intercity buses. There were dozens interesting options, units went into the series. For example, LAZ-697

In 1961, the LAZ-Ukraine bus was created. Remember "Queen of the Gas Station". Learned?

In 1967, a bus was created that made a real world breakthrough.

In the spring of 1967, this bus took part in the international bus competition in Nice (XVIII International Bus Week), where it received the following awards:
- Prize of the President of France, two Grand Prizes of Distinction and a Special Prize of the Organizing Committee - for participation in the rally.
- Silver medal for bodybuilders - for the competition of bodies.
- Big prize and Organizing Committee Cup - for technical tests.
- Big Cup - for the absolute first place in driving skills (driver - test engineer S. Borim).
Here she is, "Ukraine-67"

Let's go back to LiAZ, which in 1962 started producing the legend. LiAZ-677. Warm, gurgling and swaying to an incredible amplitude, it is familiar to almost everyone and needs no introduction .. In some places they still run, but in most cities they have long been melted down "into pots".

There were many variations. e.g. for the far north.

Meanwhile, Ukravtobusprom engineers prepared a surprise.

1970 The world's first low-floor bus. LAZ-360. Collected two copies. The first one is LAZ360EM. In 1970, when creating the LAZ-360EM (in some sources LAZ-360E), the main task of the designers was to lower the floor level in the bus to 360 mm above the road level (hence the bus index - "360"). It was possible to make the bus low-floor only by abandoning cardan gears, therefore, the transmission on the LAZ-360EM is electromechanical. The bus engine (170 hp / 132 kW), together with the electric generator, was located in front (most likely behind the driver's seat), and the drive wheels were rear, connected to traction motors. A feature of the bus was a four-axle chassis with small diameter tires. Two front axles are steered, two rear axles are driven. The body with an unusual artistic solution was also interesting - bent in a vertical plane windshields and trapezoidal side windows. The length of the bus was 11.000mm.

Some time later, it became clear that the chosen four-bridge scheme with electric transmission did not justify itself, and then the design of the bus was thoroughly revised and practically developed anew. For the updated version, a biaxial scheme was chosen, with the usual mechanical transmission, but with front-wheel drive and steered wheels - in this way it became possible to make a flat low floor for almost the entire length of the bus. The engine of the new bus also changed its position in the cabin - now it was right side from the driver. The number and arrangement of entrance doors has also changed. The modernized bus received the name LAZ-360 (that is, with low level floor, but without electromechanical transmission).

LAZ 695N:

On the territory of the USSR, these were the most common buses, which from 1976 to 2002 were produced by Lvov car factory. Despite the outdated design and design features and are still in use today. LAZ 695N is distinguished by a wagon-type body with a supporting base. Among other characteristics, it should be noted the presence of 34 seats, as well as a driver's seat equipped with springs, whose design allows you to change the position in several planes. The bus is equipped air system interior heating, in which for engine cooling are used thermal systems cooling. In 1985, the plant's specialists designed the 695NG model, which worked on natural gas. Later, during the fuel crisis, this particular model was very popular in the CIS countries. Technical characteristics of LAZ 695N buses are distinguished by power unit up to 150 hp, borrowed from the ZIL 130, a five-speed manual gearbox, equipped with synchronizers in 2nd and 5th gears, and a 2-circuit brake system with pneumatic drive. In addition, the LAZ 695N bus has a dependent wheel suspension: on the front wheels - semi-elliptical springs and shock absorbers, on the rear - the same design, only without shock absorbers. This is an unpretentious in operation, hardy and reliable vehicle.

LAZ-695- urban bus middle class of the Lviv Bus Plant.

Bus has undergone modernization more than once, mainly with changes in the appearance of the body, but at the same time the overall dimension and layout of the body and the main units bus remained the same. The most significant change from the basic first generation 695/695B/ 695E/695Ж was the modernization of the front and rear in two stages - first in the second generation 695M the rear part was changed (with the replacement of one large “turbine” air intake at the rear of the roof with two side “gills”) with an almost unchanged front mask, and then the third generation 695N / 695NG / 695D also received a modernized front part (“licked” form changed to "visor"). In addition, the factory emblems and the headlight space on the front end changed (both from generation to generation, and within generations. For example, in the third - from an aluminum false radiator grille to the same black-plastic and then its complete removal), headlights and sidelights, front bumpers, wheel covers and more.

Not without a number of shortcomings (cramped interior and doors, frequent overheating of the engine of buses of the 2nd and 3rd generations, etc.), bus characterized by simplicity of design and unpretentiousness in operation in all categories automotive roads. In the post-Soviet space, both produced in the 21st century and 30-year-old buses are still used LAZ-695. Even without taking into account the ongoing custom assembly in small batches at DAZ, the mass production of buses at LAZ went on for 46 years. The total number of produced buses LAZ-695 is about 115-120 thousand cars.

background

LAZ-695 was the first by bus Lviv Automobile Plant, the construction of which began in 1945. In 1949, the plant began to manufacture automotive vans, trailers, truck cranes and (experimental batch) electric vehicles. With development automotive production at the plant, a design team was formed under the leadership of V.V. Osepchugov. At first, they planned to transfer the production of obsolete ZIS-155 buses from the Moscow Stalin Plant to the plant, but such a prospect did not inspire the young staff of the plant and its design bureau. With the support of the first director of LAZ, B.P. Kashkadamov, Osepchugov literally infected young designers and production workers who had just left the institute's classrooms with a “bus dream”.

Initiative for the development and production of a new model bus was supported "at the top" and samples of modern European buses were purchased for LAZ: Magirus, Neoplan, Mercedes. They were carefully studied in terms of design and production technology, as a result of which the first Lviv bus was practically developed by the end of 1955. When designing its design, the experience of Mercedes Benz 321 was most of all taken into account, and external stylistic decisions were made in the spirit of the bus " Magirus."

LAZ-695

In the summer of 1956, the team of designers of the LAZ plant manufactured the first prototypes of the bus LAZ-695 with a rear-mounted ZIL-124 engine. A similar layout with the engine in the rear overhang bus was used for the first time in the USSR. Frame LAZ-695 also had absolutely new design. All loads were perceived by the power base, which was a spatial truss of rectangular pipes. The body frame is rigidly connected to this base. External cladding bus was made of duralumin sheets, which were attached to the body frame with "electric rivets" (spot welding).

A double-disk clutch and a five-speed gearbox were borrowed from the ZIL-158 bus. An interesting innovation was the dependent spring-spring suspension of the wheels bus developed jointly with NAMI specialists. Additionally, corrective springs provided the whole suspension non-linear characteristic- its rigidity increased with increasing load, as a result, regardless of the load, comfortable conditions were created for passengers. This circumstance has won a high reputation for machines LAZ.

But as an urban bus LAZ-695 was imperfect: there was no storage area at the front door, the passage between the seats and the doors were not wide enough. Bus could be most successfully used for suburban communication, tourist and intercity trips. Therefore, 2 more models were immediately included in the unified series: tourist LAZ-697 And intercity LAZ-699.

Despite certain shortcomings, LAZ-695 stood out among other domestic buses. Thin window pillars with sliding vents built into the radius roof slopes curved glass gave bus light, "airy" look. Large radii roundings on the edges and corners of the body created the visual effect of a streamlined car.

If we compare LAZ-695 with the mass city bus of that time ZIS-155, the first one could accommodate 4 passengers more, was 1040 mm longer, but 90 kg lighter and developed the same top speed- 65 km/h.

Buses LAZ-695 had interesting feature in construction. If necessary, the bus could be easily converted into an ambulance. To do this, it was enough just to dismantle the seats in the cabin. In front of the bus, under the windshield to the right of the driver's workplace, an additional door was provided in the back for loading the wounded. Such an innovation was fully justified at the time when this bus was created.

LAZ-695B

Very soon, at the end of 1957, the car was modernized for the first time: the base of the body was strengthened, a pneumatic drive for opening doors was introduced instead of a mechanical one. Moreover, since 1958, instead of side air intakes, the one displayed on back the roof is a wide "turbine" bell. Through it, air containing noticeably less dust entered the engine compartment. Changes have also been made between the headlights of the front end, the brake system, the heating of the bus, the way the passenger seats have been installed, the tilt of the driver's steering column, and much, much more. Serially modernized buses, which received the name LAZ-695B began to be produced from May 1958 and in total by 1964 produced 16718 complete buses of the first generation LAZ-695B, as well as on its basis 10 fully complete LAZ-695T trolleybuses and 551 bodies for trolleybuses of the OdAZ and KZET plants.

Serial first LAZ-695B retained a very large area of ​​glazing on the roof slopes, but the operators constantly complained to the plant about the weakness of the entire upper body of the buses. As a result, the glazed front corners of the roof slopes first disappeared from the buses (autumn 1958), and later the glazing of the rear slopes was significantly reduced. Interestingly, as an experiment in 1959, a copy of the bus was made LAZ-695B completely without glazing the roof slopes, but, apparently, such a radical approach to increasing the rigidity of the roof then seemed to someone too simplistic, and on serial machines the glazing of the slopes was left, only slightly reduced.

Later, by the autumn of 1959, on buses LAZ-695B the design of the roof was slightly changed in front, as a result of which the first small visor - “cap” appeared above the windshield of the bus.

LAZ-695E

As soon as ZIL began production of the ZIL-130 V-shaped eight-cylinder engine, a single-plate clutch and a new five-speed gearbox gears, the question arose about equipping LAZ buses with them. Experienced copies of the bus under the index LAZ-695E were made in 1961.

serial production LAZ-695E began in 1963, but in a year they produced a total of 394 copies, and only from April 1964 did the plant completely switch to the production of the "E" model. In total, until 1969, 37916 buses were manufactured LAZ-695E, including 1346 for export.

Buses LAZ-695E 1963 releases outwardly did not differ from the buses produced at the same time LAZ-695B, but since 1964 all buses LAZ received new - rounded - wheel arches, along which LAZ-695E and became recognizable externally.

LAZ-695Zh

In the same years, together with the laboratory of automatic transmissions of NAMI, the plant began the development of a hydromechanical transmission for a city bus. Already in 1963, the first industrial batch of buses with such a transmission was assembled at LAZ. These buses are named LAZ-695Zh.

However, in the two years from 1963 to 1965. collected only 40 buses LAZ-695Zh, after which their production was discontinued. The fact is that buses of the LAZ-695 type were mainly used on commuter lines, and for busy urban routes they were not suitable enough, therefore, especially for large cities in the mid-60s. created the LiAZ-677 bus, for which all sets of hydromechanical transmissions produced at LAZ were transferred.

Buses LAZ-695Zh outwardly no different from similar buses with manual transmission the same period of manufacture.

LAZ-695M

A set of innovations implemented in 1969 made it possible to seriously improve the appearance of the basic model, which became known as LAZ-695M. It provided for the installation of higher window panes on the car with the removal of glazing of the roof slopes and corresponding changes in the design of the body frame, and the proprietary LAZ "turbine" central air intake at the rear was replaced with small slots - "gills" on the sidewalls.

The bus also received a power steering, rear axle "Raba" (Hungary) c planetary gears in the wheel hubs. The car has become 100 mm shorter, and its curb weight is greater.

Production LAZ-695M the second generation lasted seven years and during this time 52,077 copies were made, including 164 for export.

LAZ-695N

Having received in 1973 a new front body panel with higher windshields and a large visor on top, the car became known as LAZ-695N. However, this third-generation model went into series only in 1976, before that the previous modification continued to be produced.

Cars LAZ-695N the late seventies and early eighties had small windows on the outside above the doors to the salon with illuminated inscriptions "Enter" and "Exit", they were removed on later cars. Also late buses LAZ-695N differ from earlier cars in the shape and location of the front and rear lighting. On early buses, rectangular headlights from the Moskvich-412 car and an aluminum false radiator grille were installed in front. Since the mid-eighties, the aluminum grille has been eliminated, and the headlights have become round.

For the 1980 Olympics and export, a small number of modification buses were produced LAZ-695R with more comfortable and soft seats and double doors (which were also previously on prototypes LAZ-695N, but did not go into the series). After the Olympics, buses of this modification were used as excursion buses.

LAZ-695NG

In 1985, specialists from the All-Union Design and Experimental Institute "Avtobusprom" adapted the modification bus LAZ-695N for operation on natural gas. Cylinders with methane compressed to 200 atmospheres were placed on the roof of the bus in a special casing. From there, the gas was fed through pipelines to a pressure reducer. The gas-air mixture from the gearbox entered the engine. Due to the placement of cylinders on the roof of the bus, methane, which is lighter than air, emergency instantly weathered, not having time to start fire or explode.

In the 90s. buses LAZ-695NG have become quite common especially in Ukraine due to the fuel crisis. In addition, many buses LAZ-695N fleets independently began to transfer to methane, which is cheaper compared to gasoline.

LAZ-695D

In 1993, at LAZ, on an experimental basis, they tried to install on a bus LAZ-695 diesel engines D-6112 from the tractor T-150 and 494L from military equipment. Both diesel engines are of Kharkov production. In the same 1993, the Dnepropetrovsk association "DniproLAZavtoservis" buses LAZ-695N began to be equipped with diesel engines of the Kharkov plant "Hammer and Sickle" SMD-2307.

But the efforts of the International Automobile Trade Association (MAO) of Ukraine turned out to be the most effective. By his order, LAZ developed and began mass-producing since 1995 a diesel modification bus - LAZ-695D, which received the proper name "Dana". This bus was equipped with a diesel engine D-245.9 Minsky engine plant. This modification bus was mass-produced at LAZ until 2002 and since 2003 it was produced at Dneprodzerzhinsky Dneprovsky bus factory (DAZ).

In 1996, a diesel engine project bus was significantly redesigned, resulting in a bus LAZ-695D11"Tanya". This project was coordinated by the Simaz company, which is part of the MAO. From previous diesel model the bus "Tanya" was distinguished by hinged doors in the front and rear overhang and installed soft seats in the cabin. By by and large, this was a return to the long-discontinued medium-sized intercity bus LAZ-697 in a new capacity and under a new name. Modification LAZ-695D11"Tanya" was mass-produced in small batches.

Lvovsky (LAZ) was founded in May 1945. For ten years, the company has been producing truck cranes and car trailers. Then production capacity factories have been expanded. In 1956, the LAZ-695 brand rolled off the assembly line, a photo of which is presented on the page. It topped a long list of models for subsequent releases. Each new modification improved technical parameters and became more comfortable compared to the previous one.

Magirus and Mercedes

The German Magirus purchased abroad was used as a prototype for the construction of the LAZ-695. The car was studied throughout 1955, the design was considered from the point of view of technological application for conveyor assembly in the conditions of the limited capabilities of the Soviet Avtoprom. In the process of preparing the LAZ-695 bus for serial production, the exterior and all external data were borrowed from Magirus, and the chassis, chassis and power plant with transmission were taken from the German Mercedes-Benz 321 bus. German cars cost Soviet government inexpensive, because in the west, automotive equipment is written off early, replaced with a new one. "Magirus", "Neoplan" and "Mercedes-Benz" were bought for a third of the price, and at the same time all the buses were in excellent condition.

Start of production

The LAZ-695 bus, whose technical characteristics were found to be quite reliable, was produced for two years, from 1956 to 1958. Initially, the car was used on urban routes, but it soon became clear that its interior did not meet the requirements of intensive passenger traffic The cabin was uncomfortable and cramped. The LAZ-695 bus began to run on suburban routes, this time having established itself as a comfortable and fast carrier. Its technical data fully met the tasks of operation. In addition, tourist groups rented the bus with pleasure, the car moved smoothly, the ZIL-124 engine worked almost silently. Later, LAZ-695, the technical characteristics of which did not need to be improved, served the Cosmonaut Training Center in Baikonur.

The technical requirements for the bus were somewhat specific. The astronauts had to move from one module to another, following a pre-flight training program, so the cabin was half empty of regular seats, and in their place were aircraft-type chairs on which one could lie.

In addition, the interior of the bus was easily converted for the needs of an ambulance. medical care. It was equipped with control devices. general condition of the human body: electrocardiographs, blood pressure monitors, equipment for simple blood tests and much more. Such transport was serviced by a medical team of three people (modeled on ordinary car urban type).

Lvovsky continued to produce a model in various modifications until 2006. The machine was constantly improved, and the demand for it kept on enough high level. Bus prices in Soviet times were constant, and this suited consumers. Until 1991, the so-called distribution orders were distributed in the USSR, according to which vehicles, including buses, were centrally distributed. Payment for equipment was made by bank transfer, and subsequent operation, maintenance and repair at the expense of the auto enterprise.

The USSR assumed a phased development automotive industry, and city buses were at that time the first in the list in terms of demand in the national economy. Certain hopes were also pinned on Lviv models. However, a car with a five-speed transmission and continuous rows of seats did not fit into the dynamic mode of street traffic. City buses needed a specially equipped cabin, as well as power plant adapted to frequent braking and stopping. conventional engine usually overheated. The height of the produced model also did not quite correspond to traffic standards in the city.

Reconstruction attempts

New buses coming off the assembly line Lviv plant, repeated the parameters of the basic model, and radical design changes were impossible. The LAZ design bureau made several attempts to change the interior, but it turned out to be easier to create a car "with clean slate"than to change the technical characteristics of an existing model. Thus, all new buses produced in Lviv were sent mainly to serve suburban lines. And trolleybuses that were produced at the Lviv Automobile Plant since 1963 (based on a bus body) ran on city routes.

First modifications

In December 1957, the LAZ-695B bus was put into production, upgraded version previous model. First of all, a pneumatic drive was installed on the machine instead of a mechanical one (for opening doors). The side air intakes for cooling the rear engine were abolished. The central air intake in the form of a bell was placed on the roof. Thus, the cooling efficiency has increased, and the dust entering the engine compartment has become much less. The changes also affected the exterior in the front, the space between the headlights has become more modern. In the cabin, the partition of the driver's cabin was improved, it was raised to the ceiling, a door appeared for access to the cabin. Serial production of this model continued until 1964. A total of 16,718 cars were produced.

Simultaneously with the release of the 695B modification, the development of the 695E model with a new eight-cylinder ZIL-130 engine was underway. Some experimental machines assembled in 1961, but the bus went into series in 1963, while only 394 copies were produced. Since April 1964, the conveyor has been operating in full force and by the end of 1969, 38,415 695E buses were assembled, of which 1346 were exported.

External changes in version 695E affected wheel arches which have acquired a rounded shape. From the ZIL-158 bus, the hubs of the front and rear axle together with brake drums. On the model 695E, for the first time, electropneumatics were used to control the doors. On the basis of version 695E, the LAZ "Tourist" bus was produced. This car was perfect for long trips.

Experiments on the introduction of automatic transmission

In 1963, the LAZ plant released another modification - 695Zh. The work was carried out in close cooperation with US, namely with the research center for automatic transmissions. In the same year, the production of buses was launched with automatic transmission gears. However, over the next two years, only 40 such LAZ-695 units were assembled, after which the production of the experimental model was discontinued.

Developments automatic transmission subsequently came in handy for city-type buses, the LiAZ brand, produced in the city of Likino-Dulyovo, Moscow Region.

Modernization of existing models

The creation of new modifications of buses of the Lviv Automobile Plant continued, and in 1969 LAZ-695M rolled off the assembly line. The car differed from previous models with windows of modern shape and style. Glass was built into the window opening without intermediate aluminum frames. The branded air intake on the roof was abolished, instead on the sidewalls engine compartment vertical slits appear. Since 1973, modernized wheel disks lightweight configuration. The changes affected the exhaust system - two mufflers were combined into one. The bus body has become shorter by 100 mm, and the curb weight has increased.

Serial production of LAZ-695M continued for seven years, and during this time more than 52 thousand buses were produced, 164 of which were exported.

"Patriarch" in the LAZ family with thirty years of experience

The next modification of the base model was the bus with the index 695Н, which was distinguished by wide windshields and an upper visor, completely unified front and rear doors, as well as new dashboard with a more compact speedometer and gauges. Prototypes were presented in 1969, but in mass production this model went only in 1976. The bus was produced for thirty years, until 2006.

Later versions of the 695H differ from the earlier ones in a set of lighting equipment, headlights, turn signals, brake lights and other lighting devices. The model was equipped with a large hatch in the front of the body; in the case of military mobilization, the buses were supposed to be used as ambulances. In parallel with the 695H version, a small number of 695R buses were produced, which differed increased comfort, softer seats and silent double doors.

gas version

In 1985, the Lviv Bus Plant produced a modification of the LAZ-695NG, which ran on natural gas. Metal cylinders that can withstand pressures up to 200 atmospheres were placed in a row on the roof, in the rear. The gas entered the pressure, then mixed with air and in the form of a mixture was sucked into the engine. Buses under the symbol 695NG gained popularity in the 90s, when in the territory former USSR broke out fuel crisis. The LAZ plant also suffered from a shortage of fuel. Ukraine as a whole also felt a shortage of fuel, so many transport companies in the country they switched their buses to gas, which was much cheaper than gasoline.

LAZ and Chernobyl

In the spring of 1986, after the workshops of the Lviv Automobile Plant, a special bus LAZ-692 was urgently created in the amount of several dozen copies. The car was used to evacuate people from the infection zone and deliver specialists there. The bus was protected with lead sheets around the entire perimeter, two-thirds of the windows were also covered with lead. Special hatches were made in the roof for the access of purified air. Subsequently, all the machines that participated in the liquidation of the accident at the nuclear power plant were disposed of, since they were unsuitable for operation under normal conditions due to radiation contamination.

Diesel engines

In 1993, at the Lviv Automobile Plant, as an experiment, they tried to install on the LAZ-695 bus diesel engine D-6112 from energy-rich caterpillar tractor T-150. The results were generally good, but more suitable motor working on diesel fuel, was recognized as SMD-2307 (Kharkov plant "Hammer and Sickle"). Nevertheless, the experiments continued, and in 1995 the LAZ-695D bus equipped with the D-245 diesel engine of the Minsk Motor Plant was put into mass production.

Dneprovsky plant

A year later, the project was radically redesigned, and as a result, the 695D11 version appeared, which was called "Tanya".

The modification was produced in small batches until 2002, and since 2003, the assembly of buses was transferred to a plant in Dneprodzerzhinsk. It was not possible to immediately establish production at a new location, since technological processes at two specialized, at first glance, productions differed significantly. The large-sized bodies of LAZ buses did not always fit into the framework of the Dneprovets welding units, and this created certain difficulties. There was even some increase in the cost of LAZ buses, which were assembled in Dneprodzerzhinsk, although the build quality was in most cases impeccable. As a result, the balance of price and quality leveled off, and the production of cars began to gain momentum.

The search for a universal solution

The design bureau of the Lviv Automobile Plant was looking for options for new developments. Over the entire period of production at the Lviv Bus Plant, several attempts were made to create universal LAZs that could be operated both in the city and on international routes. However, the specifics of passenger transportation did not allow this. On long-haul flights, people need comfort and a special soothing atmosphere in the cabin of the bus. On urban routes, passengers enter and exit, several hundred people visit the car per day. Therefore, it was not possible to bring two opposite modes of operation closer together, and the plant continued to produce several modifications at the same time.

LAZ today

Currently, on the roads of the former Soviet Union, you can find buses of the Lvov plant of almost all modifications. Good repair base throughout the entire period of production, starting in 1955, allowed many machines to be kept in good condition. Some LAZ models are obsolete and are used as auxiliary vehicles in various industries.

Many dismantled bodies are ownerless - with removed engines and fallen into disrepair undercarriage. This is the cost of the automotive industry. Soviet period, when the buses in the fleets were decommissioned, and no one was interested in their further fate. The market economy dictates its own rules, decommissioned cars increasingly fall into the hands of private owners and get a second life. And since the resource of automotive equipment produced in the USSR was quite long, this "second life" can also be long.

Lviv bus factory today is not going through better times, the main conveyor stopped in 2013, many subsidiaries and related companies are going through bankruptcy proceedings. The existence of CJSC LAZ will depend on the results. The prospects for a successful resolution of the difficult situation are rather pessimistic. Of great importance for the successful resuscitation of enterprises is the stability of the political situation in Ukraine, but this stability is not.