Škoda 706 RTO-K was a protype of an articulated urban bus produced by bus manufacturer

Karosa Karosa ( cs, Továrna na Kočáry, Automobily, Rotory, Obráběcí stroje, Sekací stroje a Autobusy, en, Factory for carriages, cars, rotors, machine tools, cutting machines and buses) was a bus manufacturer in Vysoké Mýto in the Czech Republi ...

and

Škoda Škoda means ''pity'' in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to: Czech brands and enterprises * Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav ** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto respons ...

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

, in the year 1960. It was succeeded by Karosa ŠM 16,5 in 1968.

Construction features

706 RTO-K is a three-axle bus with rear B axle driven. The front part is almost identical with

Škoda 706 RTO Škoda 706 RTO is an urban bus produced by bus manufacturer Karosa and Škoda in Czechoslovakia between 1958 and 1972. It was succeeded by Karosa ŠM 11 in 1964. Construction features 706 RTO is built on frame of Škoda 706 trucks. Engine ...

buses, also based on the rear of this type, but has been modified. Bus has four two folding doors on the right and additional small door on the left side panel, which led directly to drivers cab. Inside are the seats for passengers arranged in a 2 + 2 layout with central aisle. Bus 706 RTO-K also had a peculiarity each axle or suspension. The front axle was suspension with leaf springs, using a central axle air suspension, rear axle uses pneumatic suspension with membrane.

Production and operation

In 1960, a single

prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...

(the first Czechoslovak articulated bus) was made, but mass production never started. The prototype was tested starting in 1961 at ČSAD Praha, both on suburban routes (e.g. Prague - Horní Počernice) and long distance lines (e.g. Prague - Pec pod Sněžkou). In trial runs with passengers, the prototype proved successful; the only complaints from drivers concerned a weak engine that had problems when the bus was fully occupied. In 1966, the bus was apparently handed over to the enterprise Chirana Brno, which scrapped it in 1969. After the failure of the production of articulated RTO buses in Czechoslovakia, serial production began in large numbers under a license in Poland (like standard buses

). Buses were produced initially as Jelcz AP 02 (a little longer than 706 RTO-K), then Jelcz AP 021 (a little smaller than 706 RTO-K) was released and produced until 1975.

Replica

A replica was built in

Zlín Zlín (in 1949–1989 Gottwaldov; ; german: Zlin) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 73,000 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Zlín Region and it lies on the Dřevnice river. It is known as an industrial centre. The development of the ...

for a private collector, starting in 2010. In 2013, it was finished and introduced to the public in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

Historical vehicles

* replica of Škoda 706 RTO-K built from two 706 RTO buses

Construction features

Production and operation

Replica

Historical vehicles

See also