What do we all remember when we hear the word Ikarus? Of course, Hungarian buses that plied the expanses of almost all cities of the former USSR. However, in addition to the production of buses, rail buses were also produced at the Ikarus factories.
Let's start with a short excursion. In 1967, Ikarus introduced the Ikarus 250 intercity bus, which opened a new chapter in the history of the plant. Over the next few years, urban articulated and short buses were introduced to the world. The main innovation was that body parts on models for various purposes were unified.
Ikarus 255.70. Intercity model
Ikarus 280.33O. Articulated city bus
Ikarus-263.10. City bus
The resulting models became very successful and were permanently installed in many fleets from Siberia to the Tropics. However, few people know that due to the appearance and affordable prices of the 200 series bodies, the components of this mass series were also used for the production of railway rolling stock.
In the early 80s, Ikarus entered into a cooperation agreement with Ganz-M?VAG, a Hungarian company that had many years of experience in the production of locomotives and multi-unit rolling stock (MURR). The purpose of the agreement was to create a rail bus, which was intended for the Hungarian and Far Eastern markets. The body was to be built by Ikarus, the fittings were made by Ganz. The resulting Ikarus 725.00, the designation given to the railbus, was introduced in 1983. Subsequently, he entered testing at M?V and received number 601 (sections were called 601/1 and 601/2, respectively). A total of two prototypes were built
Ikarus 725.00, 1983.
Each section was 12 meters long, the entire length of the entire bus from bumper to bumper was 25.2 meters. One of the sections was equipped with a Cummins diesel engine. The main parts of the body structure were identical to the 200 series, the ends and the driver's cabin were strengthened in accordance with railway standards.
Bus diagram.
Door demonstration. Advertising booklet.
Appearance. Advertising booklet.
Salon.
Driver's cabin.
Part of a trolley.
In 1987, Ganz-M?VAG successfully introduced a prototype two-unit train in Malaysia, with a subsequent order for five three-car trains and five five-car trains thereafter. In the construction of the car bodies, components and parts of the bodies of the 200th series of Ikarus buses were used. The head cars were identical and equipped with Cummins diesel engines. The model was designated Ikarus 725.01.
Ikarus 725.01, 1987.
Body production at the Ikarus plant.
The third section, located in the middle of the train, also had a diesel engine, but was deprived of a control cabin. It was designated Ikarus 723.01. The non-motorized cars that were part of the five-car and three-car trains were designated Ikarus 722.01. The built MVPS were sold to the Malayan Railway Company KTMB, the bodies for them were built at the small series plant in Budapest.
Five-car diesel train Ikarus. Supposedly filmed in Hungary.
One of the five-car trains in Malaysia.
Currently, they are apparently not in use and have been looted. Some of them have been converted into something incomprehensible.
A looted two-car train.
Later, Ganz ordered two more Ikarus 725.01 bodies for a new two-car rail bus, which was subsequently sold along with the prototype to Singapore in 1992.
A few years later, in 1994, Ikarus General Kft. converted several Ikarus 260 destined for Russia into rail buses.
Converted Ikarus 260.
The resulting cars did not fully meet railway requirements, and also did not have a second control cabin, meaning they could only travel in one direction. After several trial runs, the trains were converted back into buses and sold to the Hungarian company Tisza Vol?n Rt. in 1996. The designed body of the Ikarus 386 rail bus was never built.
Instead of an epilogue, a few photographs from Asia.
Rafting of two-car buses. Singapore.
Singapore, VET or PM.
Malaysia, March 21, 1989. Five-car diesel train.
Malaysia, March 21, 1989. Two-car rail bus.
Malaysia, March 21, 1989. Five-car diesel train.
