Renault PR 180-2 Articulated Bus
Encyclopedia
The Renault PR180.2 is an articulated bus
chassis produced by Renault Véhicules Industriels (Renault Commercial Vehicles) in Lyon
, France
. The PR180.2 is based on Renault's popular PR100.2 rigid bus, and shares many common components. Once a common sight in many French cities, most PR180.2s are now at the end of their useful lives and reside with small private operators.
The Renault PR180.2 was designed around an interesting and unusual concept. Most articulated buses only have one driving axle - either the centre axle or the rear axle, however, the PR180.2 features two driving axles - centre and rear.
Renault PR180.2s have been very popular in Australia
. Two Australian bus operators - Transperth
in Western Australia
and ACTION
in the Australian Capital Territory
, purchased large numbers of PR180.2s in the late 1980s. In Perth, 65 of these buses were bought in two batches. The first delivery was in 1988, being no. 692 which was painted in a special bicentennial livery. These buses were fitted with state-of-the-art turbocharged and intercooled engines coupled to 4-speed Voith
D864.4SR1 automatic transmissions with integrated hydraulic retarders.
Perth's Renault PR180.2s were numbered 692-738 (first batch), and 739-747 and 875-883 (second batch). The 800-series Renaults in the second batch were later renumbered 748-756.
Articulated bus
An articulated bus is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is usually a single-deck design, and comprises two rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint...
chassis produced by Renault Véhicules Industriels (Renault Commercial Vehicles) in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The PR180.2 is based on Renault's popular PR100.2 rigid bus, and shares many common components. Once a common sight in many French cities, most PR180.2s are now at the end of their useful lives and reside with small private operators.
The Renault PR180.2 was designed around an interesting and unusual concept. Most articulated buses only have one driving axle - either the centre axle or the rear axle, however, the PR180.2 features two driving axles - centre and rear.
Renault PR180.2s have been very popular in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Two Australian bus operators - Transperth
Transperth
Transperth is the brand name of the public transport system in Perth, Western Australia. It is operated by the Public Transport Authority.-History:...
in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and ACTION
ACTION
ACTION is a public bus service operating in Canberra, ACT, Australia. It is operated by the ACT Department of Territory and Municipal Services...
in the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
, purchased large numbers of PR180.2s in the late 1980s. In Perth, 65 of these buses were bought in two batches. The first delivery was in 1988, being no. 692 which was painted in a special bicentennial livery. These buses were fitted with state-of-the-art turbocharged and intercooled engines coupled to 4-speed Voith
Voith
The Voith GmbH, which is headquartered in Germany, is a family-run corporation in the mechanical engineering sector with worldwide operations....
D864.4SR1 automatic transmissions with integrated hydraulic retarders.
Perth's Renault PR180.2s were numbered 692-738 (first batch), and 739-747 and 875-883 (second batch). The 800-series Renaults in the second batch were later renumbered 748-756.
- 692: Formerly carried an all-over advertising scheme celebrating Australia's bi-centenary (1788-1988).
- 693: Delivered in 'CityLink' livery.
- 697: Retrofitted with a ZF 5HP 500 5-speed automatic transmission in 1992.
- 698: Fitted with trial PMC Adelaide doors.
- 705: Fitted with trial SMC doors (these became standard on second batch)
- 722: Fitted with Mobitec LED destination displays.
- 747: Formerly carried an all-over advertising scheme marking it as the 200th Renault bus to be delivered to Perth.