History of the Lviv Automobile Plant named after 50th anniversary of the USSR
Tourist bus LAZ-697 E "Tourist" of the USSRThis tourist (passenger) bus was produced by the Lviv bus plant named after the 50th anniversary of the USSR.
LAZ, conceived as an automobile assembly plant, began to produce its first products in the fall of 1951 - AK-32 truck cranes. Since 1957, the car plant has specialized in the production of suburban, tourist and intercity buses with a rear power unit.
In 1964, LAZ produced the first domestic bus with an automatic transmission - LAZ-695ZH. In the same 1964, the LAZ-699A bus with pneumatic bellows in the suspension went into series - the result of several years of experimental work at the plant.
LAZ-699A is also interesting in that it became the first domestic bus with independent front wheel suspension - a rare feature in those years. In 1978, the production of its first model of the city bus LAZ-4202 with a KamAZ diesel engine and a new automatic transmission began.
LAZ also produced trailers for trucks.
Specifications:
The body is of a wagon type, with a supporting base, has two doors, including one for passengers.
Number of seats - 33
Net weight - 6950 kg
Curb weight - 7 300 kg
Full weight - 10 230 kg
Wheel formula - 4x2
Tire size 11.00-25
Base - 4 190 mm
Track - 2,076 mm
Minimum ground clearance 270 mm
Dimensions:
length 9190 mm
width 2500 mm
height 2990 mm
Maximum speed - 75 (87) km / h
Engine - ZIL 130 Y2, 150 hp, carburetor, V-shaped, four-stroke, overhead valve
Cylinders - 8, working volume - 5 966 \u200b\u200bcm3
Compression ratio 6.5
Crankshaft speed - 3 200 rpm
Single-disk clutch, dry, hydraulically driven
Number of gears - 5
The main gear is double: a pair of bevel gears and a pair of cylindrical gears
Steering gear globoid worm and crank with roller
Fuel consumption - 35-40.5 liters per 100 km
Years of issue - 1961-1970
From 1975 to 1978, the modernized LAZ-697N was produced
drawings of the LAZ-697 E "Tourist" bus
Today this bus is still quite difficult to find, there are only a few of them left and are in a deplorable state. A year ago, I saw a couple of such buses in the backyard of one car park, and outwardly they are very well preserved. But now they are no longer there - the owners of the car park "cleaned up" the territory and removed all the "trash" - it is not known where, but it is clear that it is not in the hands of restorers, but to the nearest landfill. Very sorry. The bus was interesting, and with the current surge of interest in the history of domestic technology and in the original design, this model means something!
Illustrations from the magazine "Young Technician" No. 3, 1973
The Legend of "LAZ"
On April 13, 1945, a government decree was adopted on the creation of a car assembly plant in Lviv, and on May 21, measures for its construction were determined. This date is considered the birthday of "LAZ".
For almost ten years, single-axle trailers, vans-trailers for transporting bread, truck shops, etc. were produced here. 3-ton LAZ-690 truck cranes on the ZIS-150 chassis were also assembled (photo in the title below).
Good start
In the mid-50s, at the Moscow Automobile Plant, they were preparing for the release of a new medium-sized city bus ZIL-158, and they wanted to transfer the production of the already obsolete ZIS-155 to the periphery - to the Lviv car assembly plant. However, the team led by Viktor Osepchugov set about developing their own model. In 1956, prototypes of the LAZ-695 bus were tested, and in the next, its serial production began.
It must be said that this machine was superior in all respects not only to the old ZIS-155, but also to the Moscow novelty. The LAZ-695 had an innovative body structure for those times - with a supporting base, which was a spatial truss of rectangular pipes. The body frame was rigidly attached to it. The engine was located in the back, and not in front, like the ZIL-158. This significantly reduced cabin noise and improved the driver's working conditions. And one more thing - thanks to the leaf spring suspension with additional correcting springs, the car had a good ride regardless of the load. It should also be noted that the design was successful and fashionable at that time. The body had a strongly rounded shape and glazed roof slopes.
It is no coincidence that in 1958, at the International Exhibition in Brussels, the Lvov car was awarded a gold medal and an honorary diploma.
Click on the photo to enlarge!
Timeless bus ...
The very first LAZ-695 had a small decorative grille on the front panel of the body, although the radiator was at the back. And above it was the inscription "Lviv". Model 695B, which appeared in August 1958, did not have a grill. At the suggestion of the ideologues-"internationalists" the inscription in Ukrainian was also removed. It was replaced by one large letter "L" in the center, which has become the hallmark of Lviv buses for many years.
Since 1961, instead of the in-line "six" ZIL-158 (109 hp), a new V-shaped 8-cylinder ZIL-130 engine was installed. Such machines received the designation LAZ-695E. The maximum speed has increased by 10 km / h - up to 75 km / h. In 1969, the LAZ-695Zh was also produced - with a 2-speed hydromechanical gearbox. Its production, by the way, was established on the territory of the enterprise itself.
In 1969, the LAZ-695M appeared. The stern of the body has become more angular, due to which the doorway at the top has increased. The air intake was removed from the roof, which significantly blocked the view back. Instead, grates were made at the base of the roof pillars.
In 1976, the LAZ-695N was released. Externally, the bus was distinguished by a new front body panel, with a high windshield. The central aisle in the passenger compartment was expanded from 50 to 58 cm. The speed increased to 80 km / h.
… and others
LAZ-695 was originally designed as a suburban bus, but it was widely used as a city bus. In parallel, a tourist version was also produced - LAZ-697. In the cabin there were "sleeping" aircraft-type seats, a radio receiver with a microphone attachment. All fundamental changes in the design of the "695" were carried over to its tourist "brothers".
However, the capacity of the LAZ-697 "Tourist" bus (33 passengers) was often insufficient. And therefore, since 1964, a model extended by 1.4 m - LAZ-699 "Tourist 2", designed to carry 41 people, has been launched. As the vehicle's own weight increased, it received a more powerful, 180-horsepower ZIL-375 engine. The highlight of the bus was the air suspension of all wheels, and at the front it was independent. Unfortunately, it was later abandoned.
In 1979, the construction of the new head building of the plant was completed. Its area was twice as large as all other production areas! This made it possible to launch the production of a new city bus LAZ-4202. Unlike the veteran "695", he had two wide (1.2 m) doors. The cabin had only 25 seats, but there were spacious aisles and storage areas in the front and rear. The suspension was quite comfortable, spring-pneumatic. The engine was still in the back, but, which is very important, it was no longer a carburetor one, as on all other LAZs, but a diesel, 180-horsepower - KAMAZ-7401-5. The transmission was automatic, hydromechanical 3-speed, with a hydraulic retarder. In 1984, to start producing LAZ-42021 - with the usual "KAMAZ" box, cheaper and more reliable.
In the 1980s, LAZ became the largest bus manufacturer in Europe. It could produce up to 15 thousand cars annually.
Difficult years
The beginning of the 90s in Ukraine, as well as in other post-Soviet states, was marked by a transition to the market. In 1994, LAZ was transformed into an open joint stock company. However, the controlling stake (65.14%) was still owned by the state.
Hard times have come for the plant. Solid and regular government orders disappeared like the morning fog, and the new owners - the auto companies - had very little money. Bus production began to fall catastrophically. If in 1989 LAZ produced 14,200 cars, in 1999 - only 234, that is, 60 (!) Times less.
Nevertheless, during these difficult years, the company actively mastered new models and modifications. Already in 1990, the plant launched the production of a fundamentally new intercity bus LAZ-42071 with a diesel engine. In 1991, work began on the large city bus LAZ-52523 and the trolleybus LAZ-52522 based on it. In 1994, both cars went into production. Interesting experimental buses were also built.
Bus Laz-4202
At a new stage
In October 2001, a controlling stake in LAZ (70.41%) was acquired on a competitive basis by the Ukrainian-Russian OJSC Sil-Auto. The plant went to the winner in a grave condition: the plant stood idle throughout the first quarter. By the end of the year, only 514 cars had been produced, that is, 45% less than in the previous 2000th (969 units). Moreover, the lion's share was made up of "veterans" LAZ-695N, which, due to the low price, were in the highest demand. True, 28% of them were already equipped with diesel engines - Minsk MMZ D-245.9.
Work has begun on updating products. In May 2002, at the Kiev International Motor Show, a family of buses "with improved layout and comfort" was presented: "Liner 9", "Liner 10" and "Liner 12" - lengths of 9, 10 and 12 m, respectively. In the same year, they officially announced the termination of the production of obsolete LAZ-695 and 699 from July. True, their production continued for some time, since there was a demand.
At SIA'2002, a new city bus of an especially large class was shown - a two-section A-291 for 180 passengers. But during rush hours, this "dimensionless" car could hold up to 300 people. A similar experimental model LAZ-6202 in Lviv was built in the early 90s. But then the first pancake came out lumpy - the bus was not reliable enough.
In 2003, a tourist one and a half-story bus with the symbolic name "NeoLAZ" was spotted, which amazed everyone. At the Moscow Motor Show, he was recognized as the best. And in 2004, a fundamentally new "city dweller" of a large class appeared - the "low-floor" LAZ-A183 "City", as well as its airfield "brother" - AX183 "Airport".
The new generation of Lviv cars meets modern European requirements, which is confirmed by a number of certificates. They are distinguished by high comfort and successful design, equipped with units from leading manufacturers (Mercedes and Deutz engines, ZF gearboxes and axles, etc.). The further fate of these machines depends on the development of the Ukrainian and Russian markets. The plant's plan for 2005 is 615 buses.
Leonid Gogolev
Any Soviet bus or truck differs from European technology in two important characteristics. The first is a technique of increased reliability, since all of it is designed in case of war. The second, logically follows from the first: all transport has unified units and mechanisms, which increases its maintainability, facilitates maintenance, and simplifies the study of the machines themselves. In fact, and this has long been known, trucks and buses made in the USSR are designers. Compared to the level of standardization in the USSR, European brands are still babies in this regard: the EU is only 20 years old and the path to total unification and common GOSTs is still ahead of them.
If you accidentally wedge yourself into a conversation between two normal knowledgeable drivers about certain machine units, you will hardly immediately understand which model we are talking about. For example, an engine from a ZIL or MAZ can be installed on at least 5 different cars, this is at best. Mechanics who repair only KAMAZ or ZILs are quite capable of understanding mechanics of other Soviet brands. And this is not because locksmiths are deeply interested in the structural differences of all machines, but because all the units of Soviet technology are simple and similar.
The same fate befell the LAZ-695 N. The machine turned out to be simple and reliable. Its only radical difference, in my opinion, is the seats in the passenger compartment: I have never met such a one in any bus of the Soviet automobile industry. Although the author may be wrong. Now about the technical characteristics of LAZ 695, in more detail.
Motors and transmissions from ZIL
The ZIL-130 engine has been installed on LAZ since 1961. The carburetor V-shaped eight with 6000 "cubes" of working volume was capable of producing up to 150 hp. The installation spins up to 3200 rpm, the maximum torque of 402 Nm is reached at 1800-2000 rpm.
The engine is good because it perfectly perceives two types of fuel: gasoline and gas. Able to accelerate the car to 80 km / h at full weight. The tank is designed for 154 liters for gasoline, or 6 cylinders for 300 liters of gas are installed. The estimated maximum fuel absorption is 41 l / 100 km in gasoline equivalent (A-76, AI-80), and 38 l / 100 km at 60 km / h in the gas version (methane).
The modern analogue is the updated ZIL-130 engine (508.10) It is fully suitable for replacing power plants that have exhausted their resource and is offered by the manufacturer in 4 versions, which differ in the completeness of the equipment (the presence or absence of a number of components and assemblies: gearbox, starter, compressor, filter, etc.).
A mechanical gearbox ZIL-158V is installed on the bus. Gears - 5, with synchronizers in 2nd and 5th gears, single disc clutch with peripheral springs. Disconnection of the clutch is hydraulic. The main gear is double spaced (bevel and planetary). The cardan transmission is represented by one integral shaft.
Steering and brakes
The control scheme was also inherited from ZIL. Initially, the ZIL-124 system was installed, without GIR, since 1991, the LAZ-695N are equipped with a ZIL-4331 steering unit with a hydraulic booster.
The main brake system is organized in 2 circuits, pneumatic, the executive bodies are brake drums, one of the circuits is used as a backup system. The parking brake is mechanically operated to the rear wheel drum pads.
Dimensions. Suspension
Length / width / height - 9190x2500x3120 mm. The mass of the equipped bus is 6800 kg, the gross weight is 11200 kg. The front and rear suspensions are spring-spring, the front is equipped with two shock absorbers. The ground clearance is 320mm.
Body and interior
The body is of a wagon type with a supporting base. Number of doors 3: two passenger hinged 4-wing doors and a driver's door. The width of the passenger door opening is 830 mm. Ventilation is natural. The heating system is calorifier from the engine cooling system.
The number of seats is 34, the total capacity is 60 people. The seats are arranged in 4 rows, the last 5 seats are combined into one sofa, consisting of 3 sections (two 2-seater and one single). In cars of various years of manufacture, there is also 1 service place near the rear door.
The driver's seat is movable in 3 directions. Controls and instruments are arranged organically, control instruments with large dials are very informative.
The price of LAZ is varied
Sellers estimate the minimum cost of a LAZ 695 bus with an index of "complete trash" at $ 2.5-3.3 thousand. These are very old cars, but the engines on them, as a rule, are installed new, according to the assurances of sellers with a mileage of 30-50 thousand . km. A lot of problems with the body, which rests only on the Soviet reserves of strength. Further prices rise, depending on the condition of the bus. The average price for a LAZ 695 N 15-20 years ago, in a satisfactory condition, $ 4.5-6 thousand. Conventionally new cars aged 10-15 years in a really good condition with a mileage of 150-200 thousand km can be purchased for $ 8-11 thousand ...
Historical primer based on LAZ-695
1. Just LAZ
The first serial LAZ-695 "Lviv" rolled off the assembly line in 1956. The machine was designed after studying a number of foreign analogues: Magirus, Neoplan, Mercedes. At LAZ, for the first time in the history of the Soviet bus industry, the rear engine was used. The power plant was the ZIL-124 engine. The transmission (5-speed gearbox with a two-disc clutch) was inherited from the ZIL-158, the most common bus at that time.
The LAZ body was also an innovation for the USSR: all loads were distributed to a power frame welded from rectangular pipes, and all body elements were rigidly connected to it. For the manufacture of the cladding, duralumin was used, which was fastened by welding. Also introduced was a spring-spring suspension, unusual for those times. The combined version provided the necessary characteristics: rigidity increased with increasing load, the car did not shake, it coped well with any vibrations.
To service urban passenger routes, LAZ-695 was inconvenient: there was no wide area at the entrance, narrow passages and doors, designed for one person. For long-distance and suburban transportation, the car was quite suitable: 65 km / h plus comfortable seats, always delighted passengers. On the basis of the 695, two models of enhanced comfort for long-distance travel were built: LAZ-697 and LAZ-699.
The revolutionary design of LAZ did not leave anyone indifferent: thin elegant window pillars and radial roof glazing gave the bus a modern look. Streamlined hull details added speed and visual dynamism to the car.
2.B
LAZ-695B - the first modification of the model, produced in the period 1958-1964. The main differences: the body was reinforced at the base, a pneumatic drive appeared on the doors (before that there was a mechanical one), an "aerospace" air intake was installed on the roof. The transmission was also subjected to experiments: at first there was a two-disc clutch and a gearbox with direct fourth gear and fifth acceleration, but then it was replaced by a single-plate clutch and a gearbox with direct fifth gear
The roof of the car also changed radically. Now it became opaque, then the glazing was returned: this is how the designers fought for the rigidity of the element and for its beauty in different periods. Radial glazing will soon disappear, but the proprietary LAZ visor over the windshield, which appeared as a result of many reworkings, will remain for a long time on the following modifications.
Many more minor modifications were made to the model, some of them related to the design. Over the years, almost 17 thousand cars have been released from the assembly line.
3. E
In 1961, a new ZIL-130 engine appeared. The motor was implemented on existing models, which were renamed LAZ 695 E. The car went into production in 1963 and lasted 7 years on the conveyor. On the LAZ-695 E, new front and rear axle hubs were also installed. The set also includes new disks with ZIL-158.
In 1969, the first electropneumatic door drive was installed, and as a result, the control valve was replaced with two toggle switches, which were transformed over time into neat buttons. In the same year, LAZ received the rear axles "Rab" from Hungary.
4. F
The experimental model LAZ-695Zh existed in the amount of 40 pieces. It was distinguished by the fact that an experimental hydromechanical transmission was installed on the machine. However, after two years of testing (1963-1965) the program was stopped: functionally LAZ-695 never reached the level of a full-fledged city bus. All the remaining experimental transmissions were transferred to the LiAZ near Moscow. With the advent of LiAZ-677, LAZs finally occupied the niche of suburban and intercity transportation.
5.M
Massive design innovations that took place in 1969 smoothly led the plant to create a new model - LAZ-695 M. The machine was produced in the period from 1969 to 1976. The design updates were completed with a logical external reincarnation. The 695th with the index "M" was finally deprived of the radius glass of the roof, changing the design of the body frame. But the side windows became taller, which gave the interior space, and made the car visually higher. The branded central roof air intake was removed, transferring the air intake to the rear bonnet, and later, the inlet pipes were again moved to the side pillar area, making elegant grilles on the cladding.
In 1973, new wheels were installed (for 4 segments), in 1974 two mufflers were combined into one. The length of the vehicle has decreased and the curb weight has increased. In total, more than 52 thousand vehicles were built in the LAZ-695 M series.
6.H
LAZ 695 N went into production in 1976 and was produced for 26 years! They began to prepare the car in 1973, the main changes concerned the design. The main external difference concerned the front facing. The bus was given square, fashionable at that time, headlights from Moskvich-412. We placed a plastic grille on the hood (then changed it to an aluminum one), and left the branded visor over the windshield. In the 80s, the false grille was abandoned, and the headlights were made round.
The design changes were not dramatic. In the early 90s, we began to install GIRs. At the same time, they abandoned the Hungarian bridges, and again returned to the double main gear.
A distinctive feature of absolutely all cars, until 1991, was the front door-hood. In case of war, the LAZ-695 N could be converted into an ambulance: the seats were dismantled, and the hatch was used to load the wounded.
7.P
LAZ 695 R is an interesting, but limited version with swing 2-wing doors and comfortable seats. It began to be released from the assembly line in 1980 for the Olympics and for export. According to a number of information, he had to change cars with an index N. There were few differences in this series, but the bus was made safer and more comfortable. New safety seats were installed on the LAZ 695 R, a solenoid valve for limiting the fuel supply was introduced, steps and footboards were made of notched aluminum sheet. They also improved noise insulation, strengthened the body at the points of attachment to the frame. The overall effect of the implementations was an increase in the resource by 100 thousand km more than for the 695N Since 1980, LAZ 695 R and LAZ 695 N were produced at the plant at the same time, but in the end, R-ku was removed from the assembly line: due to "difficulties in production."
8. NG, P, NE, NT, D, D11, Soyuz
The gas version of the LAZ 695 NG has been produced since 1985. In the early 90s. buses marked NG have become especially popular. Many owners converted the existing LAZ fleet to methane on their own. There are also factory models LAZ 695P, in which propane is used as fuel.
There were also gasoline export versions. LAZ 695 NE went to countries with a temperate climate, and LAZ 695 NT were specially prepared for dry and humid latitudes.
There are also diesel versions of the 695, they are produced in limited quantities. The first diesel engines were presented more than 20 years ago with the LAZ-695D Dana model and were equipped with SMD-2307 and D-245.9 engines of the Minsk Motor Plant. In 1996, D-shku was radically revised and given the index D11 "Tanya". The LAZ-695 SOYUZ with the YaMZ 5340 engine became the last diesel version with a completely updated design and one-leaf sliding doors. It is still being produced today!
Lviv (LAZ) was founded in May 1945. For ten years, the company has been producing truck cranes and car trailers. Then the production capacity of the plant was expanded. In 1956, the LAZ-695 brand rolled off the assembly line, a photo of which is presented on the page. He topped a long list of models in subsequent releases. Each new modification improved technical parameters and became more comfortable in comparison with the previous one.
"Magirus" and "Mercedes"
The German "Magirus" bought 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 in 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 the "Magirus", and the chassis, chassis and power plant with transmission were taken from the German bus "Mercedes-Benz 321". German cars were inexpensive for the Soviet government, 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 all the buses were in excellent condition.
Start of production
The LAZ-695 bus, the technical characteristics of which 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 interior 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, the LAZ-695, the technical characteristics of which did not need revision, were serviced by the Cosmonaut Training Center in Baikonur.
The technical requirements for the bus were somewhat specific. The cosmonauts had to move from one module to another, following the pre-flight training program, so the cabin was half-freed from the regular seats, and in their place were aircraft-type seats on which one could lie.
In addition, the bus interior was easily re-equipped for the needs of an ambulance. Apparatus for monitoring the general state of the human body were installed in it: electrocardiographs, a tonometer for measuring pressure, equipment for a simple blood test, and much more. Such transport was serviced by a medical team of three people (modeled on an ordinary city car).
Lvovsky continued to produce the model in various modifications until 2006. The car was constantly being improved, and the demand for it was kept at a fairly high level. Bus prices during the Soviet era 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 the equipment was made by bank transfer, and subsequent operation, maintenance and repair at the expense of the car company.
The USSR assumed a phased development of the automotive industry, and city buses were at that time the first on the list in demand in the national economy. Certain hopes were pinned on the Lviv models. However, the car with a five-speed transmission and solid rows of seats did not fit into the dynamic traffic mode. City buses needed a specially equipped cabin, as well as a power plant adapted to frequent braking and stopping. A normal engine would tend to overheat. The height of the produced model also did not fully comply with the traffic regulations in urban areas.
Attempts at reconstruction
New buses coming off the assembly line of the Lviv plant repeated the parameters of the base 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 "from scratch" than to change the technical characteristics of an existing model. Thus, all new buses produced in Lviv were sent mainly to service suburban lines. And on the city routes, trolleybuses ran, which were produced at the Lviv Automobile Plant since 1963 (based on the bus body).
First modifications
In December 1957, the LAZ-695B bus, an upgraded version of the previous model, was launched into production. 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 engine located at the rear have been abolished. The central air intake in the form of a bell was placed on the roof. Thus, the cooling efficiency is increased, and the dust entering the engine compartment is much less. Changes have also been made to the exterior at the front, the space between the headlights has become more modern. In the cabin, the driver's cab partition was improved, it was raised to the ceiling, a door appeared to enter the cabin. Serial production of this model continued until 1964. A total of 16,718 vehicles were produced.
Simultaneously with the release of the 695B modification, the 695E model was being developed with a new eight-cylinder ZIL-130 engine. Several prototypes were assembled in 1961, but the bus went into production in 1963, while only 394 copies were produced. From April 1964, the conveyor was fully operational and by the end of 1969, 38,415 695E buses were assembled, of which 1,346 were exported.
External changes in the 695E version affected the wheel arches, which have acquired a rounded shape. The hubs of the front and rear axles were borrowed from the ZIL-158 bus along with brake drums. For the first time on the 695E, electropneumatics were used to control doors. The LAZ "Tourist" bus was produced on the basis of version 695E. This car was ideal for long journeys.
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 NAMI, namely with the research center of automatic transmissions. In the same year, the production of buses with an automatic transmission was launched. However, over the next two years, it was possible to assemble only 40 such units of the LAZ-695, after which the release of the experimental model was discontinued.
The development of an automatic transmission was subsequently useful 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 the buses of the Lviv Automobile Plant continued, and in 1969 the LAZ-695M rolled off the assembly line. The car differed from the previous models by the windows of modern shape and style. Glasses were built into the window opening without intermediate aluminum frames. The branded roof air intake was abolished, instead of it, vertical slots appeared on the sides of the engine compartment. Since 1973, modernized rims of a lightweight configuration have been installed on the bus. The changes affected the exhaust system - two mufflers were combined into one. The body of the bus has become shorter by 100 mm, and the curb weight has increased.
Serial production of LAZ-695M lasted 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 695H, which was distinguished by wide windshields and an upper visor, fully unified front and rear doors, as well as a new instrument panel with a more compact speedometer and gauges. Prototypes were presented in 1969, but this model went into mass production only in 1976. The bus was produced for thirty years, until 2006.
Later versions of 695Н differ from 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 event of military mobilization, the buses were supposed to be used as ambulances. In parallel with the 695Н version, a small number of 695Р buses were produced, which were distinguished by 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, withstanding pressures up to 200 atmospheres, were placed in a row on the roof, in the rear. The gas entered pressure, then mixed with air and sucked into the engine as a mixture. Buses under the 695NG index gained popularity in the 90s, when a fuel crisis broke out on the territory of the former USSR. The LAZ plant also suffered from a lack of fuel. Ukraine as a whole also felt a shortage of fuel, so many transport companies in the country switched their buses to gas, which was much cheaper than gasoline.
LAZ and Chernobyl
In the spring of 1986, after in the shops of the Lviv Automobile Plant, a special bus LAZ-692 was urgently created in the amount of several dozen copies. The vehicle was used to evacuate people from the contaminated zone and deliver specialists there. The bus was protected with lead sheets around the entire perimeter, the windows were also covered with lead two-thirds. 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 pollution.
Diesel Engines
In 1993, at the Lviv Automobile Plant, as an experiment, they tried to install a diesel engine D-6112 from an energy-rich tracked tractor T-150 on a LAZ-695 bus. The results were generally good, but the more suitable engine running on diesel fuel was SMD-2307 (Kharkov plant "Serp and Hammer"). Nevertheless, the experiments continued, and in 1995 the LAZ-695D bus, equipped with the D-245 diesel engine of the Minsk Motor Plant, was launched into mass production.
Dneprovsky plant
A year later, the project was radically redesigned, and as a result version 695D11 appeared, which was named "Tanya".
The modification was produced in small series until 2002, and since 2003 the bus assembly was transferred to the plant in Dneprodzerzhinsk. It was not possible to immediately establish production at the new location, since the technological processes at the two, at first glance, specialized industries were significantly different. Oversized bodies of LAZ buses did not always fit into the framework of Dneprovets' welding units, and this created certain difficulties. There was even a slight rise in the price 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.
Finding a one-stop 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, attempts were made several times to create universal LAZs that could be operated both in the city and on international routes. However, the specifics of passenger traffic did not allow this. On long-haul flights, people need comfort and a special soothing atmosphere in the bus. On city routes, passengers enter and exit; several hundred people visit the car per day. Therefore, it was not possible to bring the two opposite operating modes 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 Lviv plant of almost all modifications. A good repair base throughout the entire production period, starting from 1955, made it possible to keep many cars in good condition. Some LAZ models are obsolete and are used as an auxiliary transport in various industries.
Many disassembled bodies are derelict - with the engines removed and the chassis worn out. These are the costs of the automotive industry of the Soviet period, when buses were written off in the car fleet, 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 the automotive technology produced in the USSR was quite long, this "second life" can also be long.
Lviv Bus Plant is going through hard times today, the main conveyor was 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 a difficult situation are rather pessimistic. The stability of the political situation in Ukraine is of great importance for the successful reanimation of enterprises, but this stability is not there.
LAZ 695N:
On the territory of the USSR, these were the most common buses, which were produced by the Lvov Automobile Plant from 1976 to 2002. Despite the outdated design and design features, they continue to be exploited today. LAZ 695N is distinguished by a wagon-type body with a supporting base. Other characteristics include the presence of 34 seats, as well as a spring-loaded driver's seat, whose design allows you to change position in several planes. The bus is equipped with an air heating system for the passenger compartment, which uses thermal cooling systems to cool the engine. In 1985, the plant's specialists designed a model 695NG, which operated on natural gas. Later, during the fuel crisis, this particular model was very popular in the CIS countries. The technical characteristics of LAZ 695N buses are distinguished by a power unit with a capacity of up to 150 hp, borrowed from the ZIL 130, a five-speed manual gearbox equipped with synchronizers in the 2nd and 5th gears, and a 2-circuit pneumatic brake system. In addition, the LAZ 695N bus has dependent wheel suspension: on the front wheels - semi-elliptical springs and shock absorbers, on the rear wheels - the same design, only without shock absorbers. It is an unpretentious, durable and reliable vehicle.
LAZ 695N modifications
LAZ 695N 6.0 MT
Classmates LAZ 695N by price
Unfortunately, this model has no classmates ...
Reviews of the owners of LAZ 695N
LAZ 695N, 1990
So, the training LAZ 695N 1995, the external state is 5, white with a green stripe. Sitting behind the wheel for the first time noted an extremely uncomfortable seat (not native, by the way) and an excellent view of the mirrors. Engine from ZIL 150 hp For the city, it is a perfectly acceptable option even at today's speeds. Well, the consumption is of course a little over 40, but what did you want from this design. The pedals are soft, but informative, and in general, despite its age and proletarian origin, in LAZ 695N everything works properly, without extraneous noises and creaks, except for the backstage, which constantly hovered the brains of the students. The fact is that the gears are controlled through cables that stretch through the entire body. As the instructor said, "there is a 5 mm play in each joint, so you get 10 cm." This is to the fact that sometimes it was not easy to stick in the next gear, sometimes they looked for the back one for several minutes. In addition, I will say that while studying on the usual 130th ZIL, the box worked incredibly well, like a brand new car, despite the fact that the ZIL was older than the bus. So, he started from the button, the starter groaned and the bus started. On the move, LAZ 695N is soft. I swallowed the pits without knocking and, one might say, “floated” over them. What was embarrassing - it is almost impossible to immediately stop such a colossus in neutral, even at low speed. The pedal only gently floats down, but there is almost no sense. So I always braked with the gear engaged. Driving the bus must always be in gear; driving in neutral is not allowed. More about the brakes - I would never have thought that on a hill a 20-year-old handbrake would hold like a glove, letting go of the handle on the rise, it would only swing once and stood rooted to the spot. Having shaken around on the site, you quickly get used to the dimensions of the LAZ 695N. Despite its age, it is in good condition.
Advantages : reliable. Maneuverable.
disadvantages : you need to slow down carefully.
