NABI SFW

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NABI 416 / NABI 436

Top: 416
Bottom: 436
Overview
Manufacturer
  • Ikarus USA (1989–92)
  • American Ikarus (1992–97)
  • NABI (1997–2013)
Also called
  • Ikarus 416
  • Ikarus 436
  • NABI 40-SFW
  • NABI 60-SFW
Production
  • 1989–2013 (416)
  • 1991–2002 (436)
Body and chassis
ClassTransit bus
Body styleMonocoque
LayoutRR
Powertrain
Engine
Transmission
Dimensions
Wheelbase
  • 264 in (6.71 m) (416)[1][2]
  • F:264 in (6.71 m) / R:232 in (5.89 m) (436)[3]
Lengthover bumpers:
  • 40 ft 9 in (12.4 m) (416)[2]
  • 59 ft 6 in (18.1 m) (436)[3]
Width102 in (2.59 m)[1][3]
Height118 in (3.00 m)[1][3]
Curb weight
  • 28,900 to 31,715 lb (13,100 to 14,400 kg) (416)[4][5][6]
  • 41,900 to 42,600 lb (19,000 to 19,300 kg) (436)[7][8]
Chronology
Predecessor
SuccessorNABI LFW

The NABI SFW series is a line of high-floor transit buses that was produced by American Ikarus and North American Bus Industries (NABI) from 1989 until 2013. It included two variants - the rigid 40' 416 and the 60' articulated 436 - which were sold with conventional diesel and CNG combustion engines and diesel-electric hybrid powertrains.

NABI introduced the low-floor LFW line in 1997 to supplement the older SFW line; both of the NABI bus product lines featured similar styling, with the LFW having comparatively taller side windows over the low-floor portion of the bus.

History

Like the preceding Crown-Ikarus 286 and Orion-Ikarus 286 articulated buses sold in the 1980s, rolling shells for the SFW series were assembled by the Ikarus Bus company in Hungary and finished in the United States to meet Buy America requirements for federally-subsidized transit vehicles.[9][10]: 7–9  After its partnership with Crown Coach dissolved in 1986, Ikarus entered a joint venture with Union City Body Company (UCBC) of Union City, Indiana to sell domestic versions of the rigid Ikarus 415 as the Ikarus USA 416, with final assembly occurring at the UCBC plant in Anniston, Alabama, starting in 1989. The articulated Ikarus USA 436 was added to the lineup in 1991.

The first 416 order was delivered to the Jacksonville Transportation Authority in 1989; the first 436 order was delivered to the Port Authority of Allegheny County in 1991.[11]

Ikarus built a prototype 416 powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 1991, claimed to be the first LNG-powered bus produced in the United States. The prototype was built at the request of Metro in Houston, and was completed three days before another bus was retrofitted with an LNG Detroit Diesel engine by Stewart & Stevenson.[12] UCBC declared bankruptcy in 1992,[13] after which production was resumed at Anniston under the auspices of American Ikarus,[14] which was renamed North American Bus Industries (NABI) in 1997.

In 1998, NABI announced the SFW line would be available with a stainless steel frame as an option.[15] The articulated 436 was discontinued in 2002, with the final order produced for SamTrans.[16]

NABI 416.15 with 'Gen II' facelift, operated by NJ Transit

A 'Gen II' restyle of the 416 was unveiled in 2008, which added small quarter windows at the front between the windshield and the door or driver's side window, making the appearance similar to NABI's LFW Gen II (also unveiled in 2008).[2] The restyled 416 was only ordered by NJ Transit.[17][16]

416 bodies were assembled in Hungary until late 2012, when body production transitioned to Anniston. The 416 was discontinued in 2013, when NABI was sold to New Flyer Industries.[16]

Numbering

The NABI SFW line uses a model number incremented from the Hungarian model it was based on. The 40-foot NABI 416 is derived from the Ikarus 415 and the 60-foot NABI 436 is derived from the Ikarus 435. As an alternative, a model numbering scheme similar to that used for the LFW line was applied. In this alternative scheme, the 416 and 436 were designated as 40-SFW and 60-SFW respectively, providing the nominal length along with the standard floor height (SFW) family. On the stamped vehicle identification plate, the model was identified as 416.nn or 436.nn, with nn sequentially assigned according to the order number.[18] In total, there were 16 orders for the 416 (416.00 to 416.15, with one order cancelled) and 11 orders for the 436 (436.00 to 436.10, with two cancelled).[17]

See also

Competing models

References

  1. "General Specifications: 416 standard floor". North American Bus Industries, Inc. Archived from the original on May 12, 2006.
  2. "416 (Standard Floor)" (PDF). North American Bus Industries, Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 20, 2011.
  3. "General Specifications: 436 standard floor". North American Bus Industries, Inc. Archived from the original on May 12, 2006.
  4. STURAA Test: Ikarus 40' Heavy Duty Bus from Ikarus USA Inc (PDF) (Report). Bus Testing and Research Center, The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. July 1990. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  5. STURAA Test: 12 Year 500,000 Mile Bus from Ikarus USA, Inc., Model 416.03 (PDF) (Report). Bus Testing and Research Center, The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. October 1992. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  6. STURAA Test: 12 Year 500,000 Mile Bus from North American Bus Industries, Inc., Model 416.15 (PDF) (Report). Bus Testing and Research Center, The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. July 2011. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  7. STURAA Test: Heavy-Duty Articulated 12 Year Bus from Ikarus USA, Inc (PDF) (Report). Bus Testing and Research Center, The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. June 1991. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  8. Partial STURAA Test: 12 Year 500,000 Mile Bus from North American Bus Industries, Model 436.10 (PDF) (Report). Bus Testing and Research Center, The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. October 2002. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  9. "NABI - North American Bus Industries". Coachbuilt. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  10. Global Bus Innovation: NABI Annual Report and Accounts (PDF) (Report). North American Bus Industries, Inc. 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 29, 2020.
  11. Kristopans, Andre (October 27, 2014). "Ikarus / NABI". Utah Rails. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  12. Burger, Frederick (September 29, 1991). "A bus first". Anniston Star. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  13. Burger, Frederick (August 15, 1992). "Ikarus' owners file Chapter 11". Anniston Star. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  14. Burger, Frederick (November 11, 1992). "Ikarus reborn; 45 expected to be rehired". Anniston Star. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  15. "NABI announces stainless steel bus design" (Press release). North American Bus Industries, Inc. April 29, 1998. Archived from the original on February 2, 1999.
  16. Kristopans, Andre (March 14, 2017). "North American Bus Industries". Utah Rails. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  17. Kristopans, Andre (October 27, 2014). "IKARUS / NABI Models and Order Numbers". Utah Rails. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  18. "Lot # : 4801 - 2002 NABI 60' Articulating Transit Bus". Bar None Auction. 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.