Railbus Facts for Kids

A rail bus is a special kind of train. It's like a mix between a bus and a train! These vehicles use parts from a regular bus, like its body and engine. But instead of driving on roads, they are placed on a train's chassis (the frame and wheels). This lets them run on railway tracks.

Rail buses were created to meet a demand for more train services. At the same time, they offered a way to save money. Their design was much cheaper than building traditional trains.

In the United Kingdom, these trains were sometimes called "pacers" or "cooker trains." This was because they often made loud noises. Also, the air inside them could get quite hot!

Images for kids

Hilding Carlsson diesel in Sweden
Calabro Lucane Raylway (FCL) railbus Emmina M1c.82 in Italy
A modern-day railbus built by Ferrostaal. It was rebuilt in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
A ČD railbus in Prague, 2011.
A two-engined Uerdingen railbus from Deutsche Bundesbahn.
A VT 2.09 railbus from Deutsche Reichsbahn.
An Árpád railbus in 1937.
A railbus near Bangarpet in Karnataka, India.
The Batara Kresna Railbus.
A Great Northern Railway railbus at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, 2014.
A Nanbu Jūkan Railbus Kiha102Th.
A railbus on the Ferrocarril Santa Ana near Machu Picchu.
A railbus at Punani railway station, Sri Lanka.
A preserved (British Rail) railbus built by Waggon und Maschinenbau.
A Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose railbus. It was built on a luxury car chassis.
A Uerdingen railbus in Germany.
A two-axle British Rail Railbus in York, England.
An Argentine TecnoTren railbus.
A Deutsche Bundesbahn railroad speeder or railbus. It is based on the Volkswagen Type 2.
A Dm7 railbus, known as "lättähattu" in Finland.

Railbus facts for kids

Images for kids

See also