Buses, like many things in everyday life, have a deep history of creation, ideas and its implementation. Inventions of this kind have deep roots and are continuously connected with the history of trams, trains and trolleybuses. None of this could have appeared in its modern form without the steam engine, which appeared at the end of the 18th century. The invention of the bus was a huge leap forward in the world of human transportation technology.
First steam powered buses
The main man in the industry of creating vehicles for the period of the beginning of the XIX century was Richard Trevithick. The young technician used the steam engine system already known at that time in his brainchild and improved it to carry a large number of passengers. Of course, today 8 people is too little, but for that time it was something incredible.
The presentation (and the first bus run) took place in December 1801 and made a lot of noise all over the world. Howeverthey were less common even on the territory of the leading world powers. At the time of the first buses, transport was impressive in size and consumed a huge amount of resources, but as a symbol of the industrial revolution, it performed its role perfectly. Such a machine inspired hope in ordinary citizens and inspired new discoveries.
Transition to electricity
The next step in the improvement of the first buses was the concept of transport moving with the help of electricity. This happened in 1885, and the city of London again became the place of creation. The new high-tech bus could reach speeds of up to 12 km/h. In Russia, such a technological miracle has come into use since 1901. The domestic analogue of the Dux brand could accommodate up to 10 passengers and reach speeds of up to 20 km / h for three hours.
The first electric buses were far superior to their prototypes in terms of power, but it was still not enough. Generating such large amounts of current and constantly recharging vehicles was too expensive, although an important advantage over the buses of the past was the low level of environmental pollution.
Buses with combustion engines
Transport capable of carrying a large number of passengers at high speed and without high energy costs was a real dream for the inventors of the XIX century. The first concept of this type was used at the Benz factory in 1895, based on existing engine drawings andimprovements to the first bus. At the initial stages, the device had few advantages over its competitors. It still could accommodate no more than 8 people and reach speeds of only 15 km/h.
In Russia, the time of the first internal combustion buses began in 1903 at the Frese plant. It was a kind of convertible limousine for 10 people. The transport had 10 horsepower and developed all the same 15 km / h.
If we talk about the first bus routes for urban transportation, they appeared in London towards the end of 1903. The Russian analogue started in 1907 in the city of Arkhangelsk. It was developed by German engineers and has been greatly improved. The new bus weighed 6 tons and could accommodate up to 25 people.
