LAZ-695: the most massive passenger bus in the world

Soviet buses have long sunk into oblivion, but we remember them, and a smile involuntarily appears on the lips. Yes, they were not the fastest, and they did not differ in size, but how many memories are associated with them!


Today we will tell you about the LAZ-695, and the model with the letter “H” in particular.” This modification was massive, and it was produced until 2008, although not at the Lviv Bus Plant for the last 6 years.

History of the model

LAZ-695 can be safely entered into the Guinness Book of Records - more than 250 units were produced in total. Not a single passenger bus in the world can boast of such circulation. But there was a time when no one considered the Lviv plant as a serious manufacturer!

The history of LAZ began immediately after the end of World War II. In 1947, the plant has already produced the first products. It is noteworthy that initially the enterprise was conceived not at all for the assembly of public transport. Mobile shops, cranes and trailers were made here.



In the first half of the 1950s, the Soviet Union urgently needed buses, so it was decided to redesign the Lvov plant. It was assumed that the assembly of the ZIS-155 would begin here. But this car has been produced since 1949, and looked outdated against the background of foreign analogues.



As a result, the party gave the go-ahead, and three new buses arrived at the Lvov plant:

• ? Magirus
  
• ? Neoplan
  
• ? Mercedes
  

Taking from these machines the best in design and technical part, the design bureau produced the first experimental LAZ-695 in 1956.
Some call the Lviv car a copy of foreign analogues. But in fact, the bus was the author's, the engineers simply focused on catching up and overtaking foreign equipment.



The ZiL-158 bus was used as a base. "Daddy" LAZ-695 should be considered Viktor Vasilievich Osepchugov. In fact, the model has become a combination of outdated ZiS / ZiL and modern German design.

The new bus had enough shortcomings - all this manifested itself during the operation of the first batches of 1957 release.

In 1958, the model was modernized, she received the letter "B" in the title. In this modification, the bus was produced until 1964.

In 1963, an updated version appeared - LAZ-695E.

The main differences:

• ? Engine ZIL-130
  
• ? New clutch and gearbox
  
• ? Advanced braking system
  

It is necessary to separately mention the modification of the LAZ-695Zh. It was produced from 1963 to 1965. From "E" differed only in the presence of an automatic transmission. It was planned to launch a series of cars with automatic transmission, but in the end 40 copies were produced. Documents for the development of a hydromechanical gearbox, as well as finished units, were transferred to the LiAZ plant for model 677.



In 1969, they began to assemble a modification of the LAZ-695M, known among drivers as "Marusya". This bus received power steering (on intercity versions), Raba bridges and a new brake system.

Since 1976, a modification of the LAZ-695N has been produced. This version was assembled until 2002 in Lvov.

Features LAZ-695N

Unlike foreign counterparts, Lviv buses were gasoline. The LAZ-695N model was equipped with a ZIL-130 engine with a power of 150 hp. With. The engine is simple, tuned for traction on the bottoms.

The gearbox was also manufactured at the Likhachev Plant. It was taken not from a truck, but from a ZIL-158V bus.
LAZ-695N received a power steering in all modifications, and not only in intercity ones. But on the very first batches of this GUR bus was not.



You need to pay attention to the suspension - it turned out to be ideal for Soviet roads. Air springs were not used here, but there are springs in tandem with springs. The system is simple, but it allows you to maintain rigidity when loading. The suspension made the LAZ-695N the most popular bus on rural roads. Air cylinders do not last long in such conditions.

External differences LAZ-695N

The bus received an updated body, not as stylish as before, but modern. The glazing area in the cabin has increased, it has become noticeably lighter. It was more convenient for passengers to enter and exit the cabin - the front door became the same size as the back one.

As for convenience for passengers, all LAZ-696s are more suitable for suburban trips. Seating is comfortable, but standing space is far from perfect. There are few of them, and there is no full-fledged accumulation platform.



Some recall that the LAZ-695N was uncomfortable, but for most this bus is the best - it is cozy and kind of homely.
Although the LAZ-695N has become the most comfortable and spacious in the series, the driver is still cramped. It was separated from the passengers by a semi-fence and a telescopic bar extending from the door leaf.

How to ride

If we compare LAZ-695N with another popular bus of those years - LiAZ-677, the Lviv model seems fast and dynamic. The point here is not only in size, but also in the fact that much fewer passengers fit in the cabin.

Yes, and a manual transmission paired with an engine works better. Manual transmission, by the way, is distinguished by huge lever strokes - design features, because the “stick” is in the driver’s cab, and the engine is in the back.

But the bus accelerates briskly, the main thing is to get used to shifting gears, while in some instances the lever rested directly on the panel.
The suspension "swallows" all the bumps, and in corners the rolls are minimal, even in sharp ones. It is difficult to achieve body buildup, it happened only on the most undulating asphalt.





In big cities, they preferred to use Ikarus and LiAZs, but where it was not possible to repair complex cars, the LAZ-695N was out of competition. A structurally simple bus was easy to repair even in the village.

Is it possible to buy now

More than 695 copies of LAZ-170N buses were produced. They dispersed throughout the Soviet Union. The demand for the model can be judged at least by the fact that it was produced until 000 in Lviv.

After that, production was transferred to the Dneprodzerzhinsky Automobile Plant, where the model continued to be assembled in small batches until 2008.
It would seem that with such huge circulations, a large number of cars should remain in the CIS. But LAZs in bus depots were carefully disposed of. Back in the early 2000s, they could be seen in most cities and towns, and now the LAZ-695N is impossible to find, not to mention earlier models.

On car sales websites, buses came across 5 years ago, among them you could even find several copies on the go. But now the network defines a maximum of 2-3 options, and even then, those that are more like scrap metal.

Rare LAZ-695s are sometimes found in good condition, and these copies are already being sold from 2 rubles. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that these are far from collectible items, and you will still have to invest money in them.



It is a pity that lovers of such equipment do not have the opportunity to purchase it. We can say that we lost the LAZ-695, like the LiAZ-677. But no one walks. The legendary models have been replaced by a whole string of modern and more practical models for transporting passengers over different distances. We will talk about them another time.