LAZ 695, aka “Lvov” - Soviet and then Ukrainian vehicle, which was produced at the Lvov bus plant. It can be safely entered into the Book of Records of Ukraine. The machine was regularly modernized and (attention!) remained on the assembly line for 46 years. This is a unique record of its kind, when the same bus model was produced at a single plant. Production Soviet LAZ cars started immediately after the war, in 1945. Initially, they wanted to produce ZIS model 155 here, but the young team decided to take the initiative. Engineer Osepchugov infected his colleagues with the “bus disease.” The entire LAZ model range.

Appearance

In general, the appearance of the LAZ-695 bus has been improved a couple of times. Mostly they touched the body, although general dimensions and layout remained the same. A significant innovation of the first generation was the pumping of the rear part, and subsequently the front part, when the “sleek” shape was replaced by a visor. From time to time, the emblems of the Lvov plant changed, as well as between the headlights, front bumpers and even wheel caps.

Salon

At first, the LAZ-695 was imperfect. The doors were not wide enough, there was no platform next to them, and the passage between the seats left much to be desired. An interesting feature of the first LAZs was the rapid transformation into ambulance. The seats were dismantled, and a door was placed to the right of the driver for easy loading of the wounded. Considering the realities of the post-war period, such a modification was more than relevant.

Since there were quite a lot of variations of the LAZ-695, we will focus on the most popular model LAZ-695N, which was most often used to transport passengers. The bus had a carriage-shaped body and had three doors. Two four-leaf doors were intended for passengers, and one more for the driver. The seats were located in four rows, and the engine was in the rear. Also in the salon was air system heating system, which used the heat from the cooling system. Well, there were 34 seats, the total passenger capacity reached 67 people.

A large number of instruments, control lights and buttons for controlling doors, lighting and other things were located on a single dashboard directly in front of the driver. The parking brake lever and the gearbox control knob are located on right side from the driver. Immediately next to the front door there is a double chair, which is rotated 90 degrees. Behind the back door, at the end of the bus, there is a large sofa with 5 seats.

Specifications

LAZ-695 has a petrol V-shaped eight-cylinder power unit with a carburetor supply system from ZIL 130YA2, the working volume of which is 6 liters. A gasoline engine is almost the main disadvantage cars, because traditional fuel consumption is as much as 35-40 liters per hundred kilometers, and gasoline itself costs much more than diesel fuel. The maximum speed of the LAZ is 80 km/h.

Among other characteristics, it is necessary to highlight the presence of 34 seats and the driver’s seat, on which springs were installed. This device made it possible to change positions in different planes. The LAZ-695 was equipped with an air heating system, in which thermal cooling systems were used to cool the engine. Already in 1985, the engineering staff of the enterprise were able to design a modification of the 695-NG, which operated on natural gas. Then, this modification enjoyed considerable popularity when it was at its peak fuel crisis.

Mechanical 5 step box gears were equipped with synchronizers at 2nd and 5th speeds. There was also a 2-circuit brake system with pneumatic drive. In addition to all, Russian car it had a dependent suspension - there were shock absorbers and polyelliptic springs in front, and a similar device at the rear, but without shock absorbers. This social car had unpretentious qualities in operation, was durable and distinguished itself by reliability among drivers. The bus has disc wheels, and those, in turn, are side and locking rings. Twin wheels are installed on the rear axle. Tire sizes are as follows: 280-508R. In all wheels the pressure is 0.50 MPa.

Clutch

If we talk about the clutch, it was made in the form of a dry single-disc format with a hydraulic release via four levers that are switched off. There are sixteen pressure springs in the clutch housing socket. IN master cylinder disengaging the clutch is flooded brake fluid. The shift lever is connected to the gearbox by a rod in the form of a pipe. The cardan shaft has two cardans. Of the two axles, the leading one is the rear one. The 1st stage is in the main gearbox, and the 2nd is in the wheel gearbox. The bridge housing is welded and stamped. In the central gearbox, the gears received a spiral cut of teeth.

The connector box accommodated the differential. The wheel gearbox uses standard cylindrical gears with external and internal gearing. The bridge located in front consists of a forged beam with an I-beam section. With the help of springs and springs, a smooth ride is achieved - if the bus is not loaded, the springs function; if the LAZ is traveling under load, the springs also come into force. At the end of the spring there are stamped cups on which there are rubber cushions.

Steering

The 695 has power steering, which is designed to make the driver's work easier and improves driving safety when turning. Involves steering wheel with steering column, gearbox located in the corner. It has a cardan drive and steering gear mechanism. The power steering affects the bipod of the steering device. The steering mechanism includes a worm with a 3-ridge globoidal roller.

Brake system

The brake system is of a dual-circuit type, has a pneumatic drive and a drum mechanism. The parking brake affects the devices rear wheels. Their drive is mechanical. Spare type brake - one of the circuits working system brakes The pressure in the pneumatic brake drive is 6.0 - 7.7 kgf/cm2. It is driven by an air compressor with a pair of cylinders. It has a piston and water cooling. It is also connected by flexible hoses to pneumatic system. The pressure regulator contains ball-type valves. To accumulate air, 5 receivers with pressure sensors are installed. And on one of them there is even a crane for inflating the wheels. IN brake drum contains two brake pads.

Prices and options

The LAZ-695N vehicle was produced in the period 1976-2002. During this time, more than 160 thousand buses were produced. Now the Dneprodzerzhinsk plant is engaged in their production. Buses have been produced there since 2003. You can even buy a LAZ on the secondary market for $5,000 - it all depends on the year of manufacture and configuration.

Let's sum it up

There is probably no person in our country who has never driven a LAZ-695N in his life. The model became legendary and symbolic for the entire Soviet Union. Particularly popular this bus used on flights up to 100 km. And even though it is no longer produced, in some villages and small towns you can still see the good old “Laziks”.

LAZ-695 photo

Full title:	CJSC "Lvovsky Bus Factory»
Other names:	"Plant of Municipal Transport" (ZKT), CJSC "Lviv Automobile Plant"
Existence:	1945 - present day
Location:	(USSR), Ukraine, Lvov, st. Stryiskaya, 45
Key figures:	Churkin Igor Anatolyevich - top manager
Products:	Buses, trolleybuses
The lineup:	 692: 695: LAZ-695 "Lviv" LAZ-695D "Dana" LAZ-695D11 "Tanya" 42xx: ; LAZ Liner 10 52xx: ;

History of the LAZ enterprise.

The resolution on the creation of a car assembly plant in Lviv was adopted on April 3, 1945. Literally a month and a half later, on May 21, the main issues for its construction were identified.

By a resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers in 1949, the still unfinished plant was ordered to master the production of buses and electric vehicles, while the plant itself received the name “Lviv Bus Plant named after the 50th anniversary of the USSR.” Then, even before the end construction work, the process of manufacturing spare parts for truck cranes is being established.

LAZ took pride of place in the USSR as a manufacturer of buses intended for tourist, intercity and suburban transportation. The plant became the leader in bus production throughout the Soviet Union.

Some time later, the Council of People's Commissars decided to begin manufacturing the defense industry, which is why the LAZ program was radically changed. The new task looked like this: per year the plant must produce truck cranes AK-32 in the amount of 3,000 and weighing three tons each (their production was transferred to the plant from Dnepropetrovsk), ZIS-155 buses in the amount of 2,000, as well as 1,000 electric vehicles.

The plant begins to master the production of ZIS-150 truck cranes.

A few years later, the plant was entrusted with the production of new vans. This was the result of a government decree in 1953: “O further development Soviet trade". The plant was supposed to start producing LAZ-150F - vans, as well as LAZ-729; LAZ-742B; LAZ-712; 1-APM-3 – groups of trailers, and set up the release of trailers-bench shops. By 1955, the range of products produced by the Lviv Automobile Plant had expanded significantly. Although the bulk of production remained in cranes (production of which doubled in just 5 years of operation of the plant), the plant also began making grain trailers, spare parts and chassis for trailers, different types trailers

On August 17, 1955, an extended meeting of the plant’s technical council was held. At the meeting, a new technical policy plant, and also developed a type of future Lviv buses that will have to meet the needs National economy. New policy provided for the production of medium-capacity buses, which were maximally adapted for Soviet operating conditions.

At the same time, a new, young design team was being organized, the leadership of which was taken over by V.V. Osepchugov (at that time a new plant was being built). Initially, they planned to produce the ZIS-155 bus at the Lviv Bus Plant. This prospect did not suit the young team of the design bureau. The new leader Osepchugov “infected” the young designers, who had recently graduated from a higher educational institution, with the “bus disease”, which he himself successfully suffered from.

A group of young designers created their own bus model and sent it to the “tops” for consideration. This model proved successful and was approved. For LAZ we purchased samples of the most modern buses Europe: Magirus, Neoplan, Mercedes. These samples were studied, tested, examined. The result of these tests and studies was a new design of the Lviv “first-born bus”, “born” by the end of 1955. The design of the Mercedes Benz 321 was taken as the basis for the bus, and the external style was taken from the West German Magirus bus.

For the first time in the USSR, a layout with a longitudinal rear engine and a load-bearing base was used on a bus produced in Lvov: the LAZ-695 body had a load-bearing base, presented in the form of a spatial truss made of rectangular pipes. Also new was dependent suspension spring-type wheels. The suspension was developed jointly with specialists from NAMI. As the load increased, the stiffness of the suspension increased, which ensured comfortable conditions in the cabin. Especially while driving. Thanks to this, LAZ cars have won high praise from consumers.

At LAZ in 1967, GSKB was created - the Main Union Design Bureau.

In the same year, one of the Lviv cars won the “Best European Bus” nomination in Brussels. Two years later, LAZ products received another Grand Prix in Nice. At the same festival in the same year, LAZ received gold medal for the most better design bus body, the driver of this bus, S. Borim, test engineer, received gold for the best driving performance presented at the competition. In addition to those mentioned, LAZ received prizes from the President of France, as well as two Grand Prizes of Distinction.

The buses produced by the Lvov plant were rated simply and succinctly - “The best in the USSR.” The machines were reliable in operation, unpretentious in maintenance, had high cross-country ability. And not only that, they were comfortable! LAZ products could be seen in any part of the Former Union.

From 1969 to 1973, the plant produced several samples of two bus models - LAZ-696 and LAZ-698. The producers were hopeful. That 1974 would be the year the first industrial batch was released, but this did not happen. Despite the fact that samples of new bus models were in many ways superior to the existing LAZ-695: they were more suitable for passenger transportation in large cities, but they are still mass production never got there. The main products of LAZ did not change - LAZ-695 buses. The main reason for the refusal to release new models was the purchase of Hungarian Ikarus. Due to the presence of a number of obligations to the countries of the socialist camp Soviet Union stopped its design development of buses with increased capacity.

The construction of the new main building of the plant was completed in 1979. The area of ​​the hull exceeded all production area at least doubled. Such a scale made it possible to launch the production of new LAZ-4202 city buses at the plant.

The 80s were “golden” for LAZ - the plant became the largest European manufacturer buses. Up to 15 thousand cars were produced here every year.

In 1981, the plant celebrated its 200,000th bus.

1984 – the plant produces the 250,000th bus. In the same year, production of the LAZ-42021 medium-sized commuter bus, equipped with a diesel engine, began.

The year 1986 was marked for the plant by the start of production of LAZ-695NG buses, which use gas fuel.

In 1988, a record number of buses was produced for USSR factories - 14,646 units.

In 1991, production of LAZ-42071-new intercity buses.

Due to the collapse of the USSR after 1991, Lvov plant Production volumes were greatly reduced. Over the 10 years of its operation (from 1989 to 1999), the plant began to produce 60 times more fewer cars. During the entire period of the crisis, the plant made countless attempts at new versions of basic buses.

1992 – serial production of LAZ-5252 began.

The current state of affairs.

In 1994, OJSC Lviv Bus Plant was created on the basis of an existing enterprise.

October 2001 was marked by a change in ownership - a controlling stake in LAZ, which included 70.41%, was put up for auction and acquired on a competitive basis by the Ukrainian-Russian JSC Sil-Avto. It is worth noting. That the buyer received the plant at a very difficult time - for the entire first quarter of the year the plant was completely idle. By the end of 2001, the plant produced only 514 cars, which is 45% less than what was produced in the previous year.

With the new owners, the life of the plant began to change: the products were updated, the obsolete models of LAZ-699 and LAZ-695 buses were discontinued. In May 2002, the plant took part in the Kiev International Motor Show, where it presented a family of updated buses. Since that time, the company has completely retrained to produce standardized buses of different lengths: 9, 10 and 12 meters. The result was the buses: “Liner-9” (9 meters long), “Liner-10” (10 meters long) and “Liner-12” (12 meters long). These buses were mostly supplied to Kazakhstan and Russia. The company also produced the A-291 articulated bus, which was successfully tested.

At the end of 2002, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine signed a resolution on possible creation JSC LAZ company. The main specialization of the newly created enterprise is the production of trolleybuses, buses, as well as special vehicles and trucks.

It is worth noting that in December of the same year, LAZ CJSC received a UkrSEPRO certificate and an international TUV CERT certificate.

In May of the following year, two types of urban transport were presented: “Airport” - an apron LAZ-AX183 and “City” - a low-floor bus LAZ-A183.

In 2006, on June 7, LAZ CJSC was renamed the “Plant of Municipal Transport.” This year became even more significant. Because it was then that the plant first used licensed packages for three-dimensional modeling “3-D” during the development and construction of buses. In the same 2006, for the first time, technological processes at the plant were updated, production equipment was updated not after the creation of a new model. As was customary to do before, but before its creation.

Today, the Lviv Bus Plant has retained its status as a leader in the production of passenger airliners, which covers the entire territory of the former USSR.

Nowadays, LAZ is a large enterprise that occupies more than 70 hectares. The total area of ​​the plant buildings reaches 280 thousand sq.m., 188 thousand sq.m. of which are direct production areas. The company employs 4,800 pieces of equipment (both domestic and imported), which makes it possible to create up to 8 thousand buses and trolleybuses (of all sizes and for any purpose) per year.

LAZ is trying to meet the requirements modern world. One of the innovations that has long been used in European countries was the introduction into operation of the plant new technology for body assembly: previously assembly was carried out by welding, today welding has been replaced by gluing. In addition, most of the processes have been mechanized; from now on, priming, sanding, and applying glue are performed by modern machines. It is worth noting that adhesive mixtures, mastics and sealants used when installing glass and panels are also additional elements noise protection. Also present at the plant laser systems that cut metal. Thanks to the availability of precise programs, the entire process occurs as accurately and economically as possible. The body frame is phosphated, which significantly increases the level of corrosion resistance of the metal. The plant provides a ten-year warranty on its buses.

The company also operates more than a dozen mechanical flow lines, hundreds of units of semi-automatic and automatic equipment, and various CNC machines. The total length of the production conveyor reached 6000 m. Each bus, before release, is tested at a unique diagnostic station.

It is worth noting the modern method of applying paint, which is used at the factory. This is a powder method that not only provides high quality and the brightness of the colors, but also their durability.

In any case, it can be argued that Lviv bus manufacturers have made a considerable leap forward: very short terms plant workers developed and launched new bus models.

Only last years Seven completely new and unique models rolled off the factory assembly line: the suburban Liner-10 and the tourist Liner-12, the articulated city bus A-291, the LAZ-5252J - a large city bus, the one-and-a-half-story city bus NeoLAZ, the airport LAZ SkyBus and the large low-floor CityLAZ.

Since its foundation, the plant has produced more than 364 thousand buses. Of this amount, 39 thousand cars were created and sold over the past two decades. Every year LAZ develops more and more and again becomes the main flagship of the bus industry. A considerable part of its products already satisfies not only the Ukrainian market, but is also exported to the Russian market.

History of the Lviv Automobile Plant named after. 50th anniversary of the USSR

Tourist bus LAZ-697 E "Tourist" USSR This tourist (passenger) bus was produced by the Lviv Bus Plant named after the 50th anniversary of the USSR.

LAZ, conceived as a car assembly plant, began producing its first products in the fall of 1951 - AK-32 truck cranes. Since 1957, the automobile plant has specialized in the production of suburban, tourist and intercity buses with a rear-mounted 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 air springs in the suspension went into production - the result of several years of experimental work at the plant.

LAZ-699A is also interesting because it became the first domestic bus with independent suspension front wheels - a rare feature in those years. In 1978, production began of its first model of the LAZ-4202 city bus with a KamAZ diesel engine and a new automatic transmission.

LAZ also produced trailers for trucks.

Specifications:

Body - carriage type, with a load-bearing base, has two doors, including one for passengers.

Number of seats - 33

Own weight - 6950 kg

Curb weight - 7,300 kg

Total 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, displacement - 5,966 cm3

Compression ratio 6.5

Crankshaft speed - 3,200 rpm

Single-plate clutch, dry, hydraulically driven

Number of gears - 5

Double main gear: a pair of bevel gears and a pair of spur gears

Steering gear: globoid worm and crank with roller

Fuel consumption - 35-40.5 liters per 100 km

Years of production - 1961-1970

From 1975 to 1978, the modernized LAZ-697N was produced

drawings of the LAZ-697 E "Tourist" bus

Today this bus is quite difficult to find; there are only a few of them left and they are in deplorable condition. A year ago, I saw a couple of these buses in the backyard of one of the bus depots, and they looked very well preserved. But now they are no longer there - the owners of the vehicle fleet “cleaned up” the territory and removed all the “trash” - to unknown destination, but it is clear that not into the hands of restorers, but to the nearest landfill. It's a pity. The bus was interesting, and with the current surge of interest in history domestic technology and to 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, van-trailers for transporting bread, auto shops, etc. were also produced here. 3-ton LAZ-690 truck cranes on the ZIS-150 chassis were also assembled (photo in the header below).

A good start

In the mid-50s, the Moscow Automobile Plant was preparing to produce a new medium-sized city bus ZIL-158, and they wanted to transfer the production of the already outdated ZIS-155 to the periphery - to the Lvov automobile assembly plant. However, the team led by Viktor Osepchugov began developing their own model. In 1956, prototypes of the LAZ-695 bus were tested, and the next year its mass 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 new Moscow model. LAZ-695 had a body design that was innovative at that time - with a load-bearing base, which was a spatial truss made of rectangular pipes. The body frame was rigidly attached to it. The engine was located at the rear, and not at the front, like the ZIL-158. This significantly reduced noise in the cabin and improved the driver’s working conditions. And one more thing - thanks to the spring suspension with additional correction springs, the car had a good smooth ride regardless of the load. It should be noted that the design was successful and fashionable at the time. The body had highly rounded shapes and glazed roof slopes.

It is no coincidence that in 1958 International exhibition In Brussels, the Lviv car was awarded a gold medal and an honorary diploma.

Click on the photo to enlarge!

The ageless bus...

The very first LAZ-695 had a small decorative grille on the front panel of the body, although the radiator was located at the rear. And above it was the inscription “Lviv”. The 695B model, which appeared in August 1958, did not have a grille. At the behest of the “internationalist” ideologists, the inscription in Ukrainian was also removed. It was replaced with one large letter “L” in the center, which became the hallmark of Lviv buses for many years.

Since 1961, instead of the in-line six ZIL-158 (109 hp), they began to install a new V-shaped 8-cylinder engine ZIL-130. Such vehicles were designated LAZ-695E. The maximum speed increased by 10 km/h to 75 km/h. In 1969, they also began producing the LAZ-695Zh - with a 2-speed hydromechanical gearbox. By the way, its production was established on the territory of the enterprise itself.

In 1969, the LAZ-695M appeared. The rear of the body has become more angular, due to which the doorway in the upper part has increased. The air intake, which significantly blocked the view to the rear, was removed from the roof. Instead, they made grilles at the base of the roof pillars.

In 1976, the LAZ-695N was released. Externally, the bus featured a new front body panel with a high windshield. The central passage in the cabin was expanded from 50 to 58 cm. The speed increased to 80 km/h.

… and others

LAZ-695 was originally designed as shuttle bus, however, it was widely used as an urban one. At the same time, a tourist version was also produced - LAZ-697. The cabin had airplane-type “sleeping” chairs and a radio with a microphone attachment. All fundamental changes in the design of the “695” were transferred to its tourist “brothers”.

However, the capacity of the LAZ-697 Tourist bus (33 passengers) was often insufficient. And therefore, in 1964, they began producing a model extended by 1.4 m - LAZ-699 “Tourist 2”, designed to carry 41 people. Since the vehicle's own weight increased, it received a more powerful, 180-horsepower ZIL-375 engine. The highlight of the bus was air suspension all wheels, and the front ones were independent. Unfortunately, it was later abandoned.

In 1979, the construction of the new main building of the plant was completed. Its area was twice as large as all other production areas! This made it possible to launch production of the new city bus LAZ-4202. Unlike the veteran "695", it 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 at the rear, but, very importantly, it was no longer carburetor, as on all other LAZs, but a diesel engine, 180 horsepower - KAMAZ-7401-5. The gearbox used was an automatic, hydromechanical 3-speed, with a hydraulic retarder. In 1984, they began producing LAZ-42021 - with a regular KAMAZ gearbox, cheaper and more reliable.

In the 80s, LAZ became the most major manufacturer buses in Europe. Up to 15 thousand cars could be produced here annually.

Difficult years

The beginning of the 90s in Ukraine, 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%) still remained in state ownership.

Hard times have come for the plant. Solid and regular government orders disappeared like the morning fog, and the new owners - car fleets - had very little money. Bus production began to fall catastrophically. If in 1989 LAZ produced 14,200 cars, then in 1999 - only 234, that is, 60 (!) times less.

However, during these difficult years, the company was actively developing 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-Avto. The winner received the plant in a difficult condition: the enterprise stood idle throughout the first quarter. By the end of the year, only 514 cars were produced - that is, 45% less than in the previous year, 2000 (969 units). Moreover, the lion's share was made up of the “veterans” LAZ-695N, which, due to their 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 to update the product. 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” - with a length of 9, 10 and 12 m, respectively. In the same year, they officially announced the cessation of production of the obsolete LAZ-695 and 699 from July. True, their production continued for some time, fortunately there was 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 accommodate up to 300 people. A similar experimental model LAZ-6202 was built in Lviv back in the early 90s. But then the first pancake came out lumpy - the bus turned out to be not reliable enough.

In 2003, a one-and-a-half-decker tourist bus with the symbolic name “NeoLAZ” was revealed, 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” - the AX183 “Airport”.

The new generation of Lviv cars corresponds to 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 engines and Deutz, ZF gearboxes and axles, etc.). The further fate of these machines depends on the development of Ukrainian and Russian markets. The plant's plan for 2005 is 615 buses.

Leonid Gogolev

Modifications of LAZ 695N

LAZ 695N 6.0 MT

Odnoklassniki LAZ 695N price

Unfortunately, this model has no classmates...

Reviews from LAZ 695N owners

LAZ 695N, 1990

So, a training LAZ 695N from 1995, external condition: 5, white with a green stripe. When I sat behind the wheel for the first time, I noticed the extremely uncomfortable seat (not my original one, by the way) and excellent visibility in the mirrors. Engine from ZIL 150 hp. For the city, it’s a perfectly acceptable option, even at today’s speeds. Well, the consumption is of course a little over 40, but what do you want from this design. The pedals are soft, but informative, and in general, despite its age and proletarian origin, everything in the LAZ 695N works properly, without extraneous noise and creaks, except for the scenes, which constantly steamed the brains of the students. The fact is that the gears are controlled through cables that stretch across the entire body. As the instructor said, “there is 5 mm of play in each connection, so 10 cm reaches you.” This means that sometimes stick next transmission It was not easy, sometimes it took several minutes to find the back one. In addition, I will say that when training on a regular 130 ZIL, the box worked incredibly well, like a brand new car, despite the fact that the ZIL was older than the bus. So, it started with a button, the starter groaned and the bus started up. The LAZ 695N is soft on the move. He swallowed the holes without knocking and, one might say, “swimmed” through them. What was confusing is that 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 use. That's why I always braked with the gear in gear. Driving on a bus must always be in gear; driving in neutral is unacceptable. Another thing about the brakes - I would never have thought that on a hill a 20-year-old handbrake would hold like a glove, releasing the handle on the climb, it would only swing once and stand rooted to the spot. After wandering around the site, you quickly get used to the dimensions of the LAZ 695N. Despite its age, it is in good condition.

Advantages : reliable. Maneuverable.

Flaws : You need to brake carefully.

The LAZ-695 bus can be safely included in the Guinness Book of Records. This model, constantly being modernized, lasted on the factory assembly line for 46 years, thereby delivering absolute record by the duration of production of one bus model at one plant!

LAZ-695 became the first-born of the Lviv Bus Plant, the construction of which began in 1945. Since 1949, the plant began to produce car vans, trailers, truck cranes, a pilot batch of electric vehicles was also produced. In parallel with the construction of a new plant and the development of automobile production there, a design team was organized under the leadership of V.V. Osepchugova. Initially, the plant planned to produce ZIS-155 buses from the Moscow Stalin Plant, but such a prospect did not suit the young design bureau team. According to the memoirs of the first director of LAZ B.P. Kashkadamova, Osepchugov literally infected young designers who had just left the institute classrooms with his “bus disease.”

The initiative to create its own bus model at LAZ was supported “at the top” and samples of the most modern European buses were purchased for LAZ: Magirus, Neoplan, Mercedes. They were studied, tested, considered from the point of view of production technologies at LAZ, as a result of which the design of the Lviv first-born was practically developed by the end of 1955. The starting point for its design was the design of the Mercedes Benz 321 bus, and the external stylistic solutions were taken from the Magirus bus.

The first LAZ-695 buses

In February 1956, the design team of the LAZ plant built the first prototypes of the LAZ-695 bus with a ZIL-124 engine located at the rear. A similar arrangement with a longitudinal engine in the rear overhang of the bus was used for the first time in the USSR. The LAZ-695 body also had a completely new design. All loads were carried by a power base, which was a spatial truss made of rectangular pipes. The body frame is rigidly connected to this base. The outer cladding of the bus was made of duralumin sheets, which were attached to the body frame with “electric rivets” (spot welding). The double-disc clutch and five-speed gearbox were taken from the ZIL-158 bus.

An interesting innovation was the dependent spring-spring suspension of the bus wheels, developed jointly with NAMI specialists. Additionally, correction springs provided the overall suspension with a nonlinear characteristic - its rigidity increased with increasing load, resulting in comfortable conditions for passengers regardless of the load. This circumstance has won a high reputation for LAZ vehicles. But as a city bus, the LAZ-695 was imperfect: there was no storage area at front door, the passage between the seats and the doors were not wide enough. The bus could most successfully be used for suburban transport, tourist and intercity trips. Therefore, 2 more models were immediately included in the unified series: the tourist LAZ-697 and the intercity LAZ-699.

Despite certain disadvantages, the LAZ-695 stood out among other domestic buses. Thin body window pillars with sliding windows and curved glass built into the radius roof slopes gave the bus a light, “airy” look. Large radii of roundings on the edges and corners of the body created the visual effect of a streamlined car. If we compare the LAZ-695 with the popular city bus of that time ZIS-155, then the first one could accommodate 4 more passengers, was 1040 mm longer, but 90 kg lighter and developed the same highest speed- 65 km/h.


(ZIS-155)
It should be noted that LAZ-695 buses had an interesting design feature. If necessary, the bus could easily be converted into an ambulance. To do this, it was enough just to dismantle the seats in the cabin. In the front part of the bus, under the windshield to the right of the driver’s workplace, an additional door was provided in the body for loading the wounded. Such an “innovation” was completely justified at the time when this bus was created.

LAZ-695B

Since the end of 1957, the car was modernized: the base of the body was strengthened, a pneumatic door opening drive was introduced instead of a mechanical one. Moreover, since 1958, instead of side air intakes, a wide flare leading to the rear of the roof has been used. Through it, air containing noticeably less dust entered the engine compartment. The brake system, the heating of the bus have also undergone changes, the way the passenger seats are installed, the tilt of the driver's steering column and much, much more have changed. Serially modernized buses, named LAZ-695B, began to be produced in May 1958 and in total, until 1964, 16,718 complete LAZ-695B buses were produced, as well as 551 bodies for trolleybuses (for OdAZ and KZET) and 10 completely complete trolleybuses LAZ-695T for their base.

Initially, the serial LAZ-695B retained a very large glazing area on the roof slopes, but operators constantly complained to the plant about the weakness of the entire upper part of the body of LAZ buses. As a result, the glazed front corners of the roof slopes first disappeared from buses (autumn 1958), and later the glazing of the rear slopes was significantly reduced. It is interesting that as an experiment in 1959, a copy of the LAZ-695B bus was made without any glazing on the roof slopes, but, apparently, such a bold approach to increasing the rigidity of the roof seemed too radical to someone and serial cars The glazing of the slopes was left, only slightly reduced. Later, by the autumn of 1959, the front roof design of the LAZ-695B buses was slightly changed, as a result of which a “cap” visor appeared above the windshields of the buses.

LAZ-695E

As soon as ZIL began production of the V-shaped eight-cylinder ZIL-130 engine, single-disc clutch and new five-speed gearbox gears, the question arose about equipping LAZ buses with them. Prototypes of the bus under the designation LAZ-695E were manufactured in 1961. Serial release LAZ-695E began in 1963, but in a year only 394 copies were produced, and only in April 1964 the plant completely switched to the production of the “E” model. In total, until 1969, 37,916 LAZ-695E buses were produced, including 1,346 for export.

The LAZ-695E buses produced in 1963 were no different in appearance from the LAZ-695B buses produced at the same time, but since 1964 all LAZ buses received new - rounded - wheel arches, by which the LAZ-695E is instantly recognized.

LAZ-695Zh


At the same time, LAZ, together with the laboratory automatic transmissions NAMI began developing 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 were named LAZ-695Zh. But in two years, from 1963 to 1965, only 40 LAZ-695Zh buses were assembled, after which their production was discontinued. The fact is that buses of the LAZ-695 type were mainly used on suburban lines, and they were not suitable for busy city routes, so the LiAZ-677 bus was created specifically for large cities in the mid-60s. That's what he got hydromechanical transmission produced at LAZ. LAZ-695Zh buses were no different in appearance from similar buses with a manual transmission of the same manufacturing period.

LAZ-695M


A set of innovations implemented in 1969 made it possible to seriously improve basic model, which became known as LAZ-695M. It provided for the installation of higher window glass on the car with corresponding changes in the design of the body frame. The bus had power steering, rear axle"Raba" (Hungary) with planetary gearboxes in the wheel hubs, the proprietary LAZ central air intake was replaced with slots on the sidewalls. The car has become 100 mm shorter, and its curb weight is greater. Production of the LAZ-695M lasted seven years and during this time 52,077 copies were produced, including 164 for export.

LAZ-695N

Having received a new front body panel with higher windshields in 1973, the car began to be called LAZ-695N.

However, this model went into production only in 1976; before that, the previous modification was produced. LAZ-695N cars of the late 70s - early 80s had small windows on the outside above the doors to the cabin for illuminated "Entrance" and "Exit" signs; on later cars they were abolished. Also, early LAZ-695N buses differ from newer vehicles in the shape and location of the rear lighting equipment.

LAZ-695NG

In 1986, specialists from the All-Union Design and Experimental Institute "Avtobusprom" adapted the LAZ-695N bus to run 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 supplied through pipelines to a reducer, which reduced the pressure. The gas-air mixture from the gearbox entered the engine. By placing cylinders on the roof of the bus, methane, which is lighter than air, emergency situation It evaporates instantly without having time to catch fire.

In the 90s, LAZ-695NG buses became quite common due to the fuel crisis in our country. In addition, fleets began to independently convert many LAZ-695N buses to methane, which is cheaper than gasoline.

LAZ-695D, LAZ-695D11

In 1993, at LAZ, on an experimental basis, they tried to install on the LAZ-695 bus diesel engines D-6112 from the T-150 tactor and diesel 494L from military equipment. Both diesel engines are made in Kharkov. In the same 1993, the Dnepropetrovsk association "DneproLAZavtoservice" began to equip LAZ-695N buses with diesel engines of the Kharkov plant "Sickle and Hammer" SMD-2307. But the most effective were the efforts of the Interstate Automotive Trade Association. According to their order, LAZ developed and began mass production since 1995 diesel modification bus - LAZ-695D, which received the proper name "Dana". This bus was equipped with a D-245.9 diesel engine from the Minsk Motor Plant. This modification of the bus was mass-produced at the Lviv Bus Plant until 2002 and since 2003 it has been produced at the Dneprodzerzhinsk Automobile Plant (DAZ).

In 1996 the project diesel bus was significantly redesigned, resulting in the appearance of the LAZ-695D11 "Tanya" bus. This project was coordinated by the Simaz company, part of the Interstate Automotive Trade Association. From previous diesel model The Tanya bus was distinguished by hinged doors in the front and rear overhangs and installed soft seats in the cabin. By and large, it was a return to a long-out-of-production intercity bus LAZ-697 in a new quality and under a new name. The modification LAZ-695D11 "Tanya" was produced serially in small batches.

LAZ-695 today

In 2002, a controlling stake in the Lviv Bus Plant was acquired by Russian businessmen. From that moment on, the plant experienced Big changes- all old models were discontinued and consumers were offered buses created according to modern technologies. But the production of LAZ-695N buses was never stopped. All technological documentation was transferred to the Dneprodzerzhinsk Automobile Plant, where small-scale assembly of LAZ-695N buses continues to this day. Dneprodzerzhinsk LAZ-695N buses differ from Lviv ones in the absence of a driver's door, seamless sides without molding and yellow handrails in the cabin.

Trolleybuses LAZ-695

The rapid development of trolleybus systems in many cities of the USSR in the early 60s and the lack of rolling stock for them forced the production of trolleybus cars with bus bodies to begin. A trolleybus based on the LAZ-695B bus was first manufactured in Baku in 1962 and received the name BT-62. It was converted from a 1959 bus (without the “cap” visor and with rear glazing).

In the summer of 1963, a trolleybus based on the LAZ-695B bus body was manufactured directly at LAZ. Some factory documentation indicated the basic body of the LAZ-695E bus, but, in fact, at that moment these buses differed only in the model of the installed internal combustion engine, which was not on the trolleybus, so the model of the basic body for the trolleybus is not important. However, one should assume that in 1963 the main bus at LAZ was the LAZ-695B, and only in 1964 the plant completely switched to production of the LAZ-695E.

The Lviv trolleybus received the name LAZ-695T and was manufactured at the plant in quantities of only 10 pieces. All Lviv trolleybuses remained in operation in their home city, and for other cities the production of trolleybuses was launched at the Kiev Electric Transport Plant (KZET), where it received the name Kyiv-5LA. For the production of Kyiv-5, ready-made bodies of Lviv buses were supplied to KZET, and electrical equipment of its own production was only installed at the electric transport plant. In total, 75 Kyiv-5LA trolleybuses were assembled at KZET in 1963-1964.

However, the capacity of the Kyiv plant was not enough to satisfy the rapidly developing trolleybus in the USSR, and the Odessa plant joined the production of LAZ-695T (in the same 1963). car assembly plant(ODAZ). By that time, the Odessa plant had transferred the production of its dump trucks to Saransk and was actually left without a production facility. In Odessa, the trolleybus received the name OdAZ-695T. Bus bodies with chassis elements arrived from Lvov to OdAZ, and all electrical equipment came from Kyiv. The trolleybuses assembled at OdAZ were mainly intended for trolleybus fleets of nearby regional centers with trolleybus traffic. In total, 476 OdAZ-695T trolleybuses were assembled in Odessa over three years (1963-1965).

On trolleybuses of the LAZ-695T type (as well as Kyiv-5LA and OdAZ-695T) an electric motor with a power of 78 kW was installed, and the trolleybus itself was capable of reaching a speed of 50 km/h. Compared to the most common trolleybus of that time, MTB-82, the Lviv trolleybus turned out to be much lighter and, with comparable engine power, was naturally more dynamic and economical. And at the same time, it was short-lived (service life 7-8 years) and small in capacity (part of the electrical equipment was located in the cabin), with narrow passages between seats and narrow doorways, but the production of these machines to some extent made it possible to reduce the shortage in trolleybus vehicles composition of the country.

Buses LAZ-695 in Kharkov

The LAZ-695 appeared in Kharkov almost immediately after its production began - in the late 50s. For more than forty years, all modifications of this car, without exception, drove along the streets of our city. In the 60s, LAZs operated on the most “prestigious” and exemplary routes, such as 34 (Pavlovo Pole - KhTZ), 44 (Station - Pavlovo Pole), 41 (Station - KhTZ). This was due to the fact that at that time there were no large-capacity buses, and the main rolling stock of the city’s fleets were our heroes as well as ZIL-155 and ZIL-158. With the advent of more spacious LiAZs and Ikarus in the early 70s, the LAZ-695 began to lose its position. Gradually, LAZs began to serve short routes with relatively small passenger flows, as well as most suburban routes. However, at the latter, significant competition came from a suburban modification of the Hungarian Ikarus-260.

By the beginning of the 80s, the LAZ-695 buses of the first modifications, produced in the 60s, were written off. LAZ-695E has been driving through the streets of our city for much longer. Last buses This modification was used on route 17 back in 1993. At the end of the 80s, LAZ-695 buses operated mainly on routes serving individual development areas, such as Nemyshlya, Osnova, Danilovka. They also completed one of the most intense routes at that time - No. 17 (Forest Park - Heroes of Labor), which was due to the complex profile of the route (it passed along the Gilardi descent). LAZ-695 formed the basis of the ATP-16331 rolling stock, which specialized in suburban routes. In addition, many LAZs operated in service and custom mode.

After the crisis in road transportation that occurred in the early 90s, with the advent of commercial road carriers, the number of routes served by LAZs increased significantly. Large class buses - "Ikarus" - turned out to be too expensive for operation in the new conditions - the fuel crisis, as well as the lack of spare parts for the "Hungarians", had an impact. At the same time, LAZs have established themselves as one of the most unpretentious buses. Therefore, by the end of the 90s, the history of the Kharkov bus was thrown back 30 years. As in the distant 60s, the main by passenger bus LAZ-695 has become on the streets of our city. But unlike the 60s, at the end of the 20th century it became hopelessly outdated. In addition, most of the LAZ vehicles were in rather poor technical condition.

However, in 2004-2005, the number of LAZ-695 buses on the city streets decreased noticeably. At the request of city authorities, carriers are required to replace rolling stock on city routes with newer vehicles. Therefore, LAZs are giving way to new PAZs, Bogdans and Etalons. Nowadays in Kharkov we mainly see the latest modification - LAZ-695N. Some LAZ vehicles run on gas fuel, as evidenced by the gas cylinders on the roof, shifted to the side rear overhang. LAZ-695 can be found more often on suburban routes than on city routes, although just a couple of years ago the opposite situation was observed. Many LAZs are also used as service vehicles.

There is also a real museum exhibit in Kharkov - a LAZ-695M bus manufactured in 1974, owned by the FED Machine-Building Plant. In 1986 he passed major renovation at the Kharkov Aviation Plant. In the summer, this car is often found on the “dacha” route connecting the “Geroev Truda” metro station with the Murom Reservoir.
Photo by the author