The Renault TN is a range of buses produced from 1931 until 1971 for the

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

service. They have been described by ''

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'' as a "symbol of a Paris era".

History

In 1931, the first TN model, the TN4, a bus with a length of 9.5 metres, was introduced at the request of Société des transports en commun de la région parisienne (STCRP), the predecessor of the RATP. The TN4 introduced the radiator in front of the engine instead of behind as used on previous Renault buses. The TN4, more powerful and with a larger capacity (up to 50 passengers) that previous Parisian transports, led to the final decline of the Paris

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

way that disappeared in 1937. The first TNs had an open platform. The TN4 introduced versions with various inline-four engines of (TN4A, TN4B, TN4C, TN4F) and received some front-end restyling. In 1932, a TN with an

inline-six engine The straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine balan ...

of , the TN6 (also with open platform), was introduced. Its versions (TN6A, TN6C 1 and 2) were used for suburban transport. The TN6C 1 and 2 had a closed platform from 1936 onwards. In 1935 Renault unveiled a new TN4, the TN4H. This 50-passenger bus adopted a closed platform, a longer wheelbase, a forward control cabin and a new suspension. A significant number of TNs were requisitioned by the French military during World War II. The main rival for the TNs during that era was the similar K 63 bus produced by

Panhard Panhard was a French motor vehicle manufacturer that began as one of the first makers of automobiles. It was a manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its final incarnation, now owned by Renault Trucks Defense, was formed ...

. After the war, all the TNs in service (6A, 6C2, 4B, 4C, 4E, 4H) were refurbished, resulting in standardised interior fitting and decor. By the 1950s, almost all the TNs had adopted a more closed cabin to protect the driver. The TNs were slowly phased out: TN4B in 1959, the TN6 in 1969, the TN4F in 1970 and the TN4H in 1971.

Model

Solido produced a die-cast model of the TN6C version from the 1960s onward. This model was made of metal and plastic and was to a scale of 1:50.

References

{{Renault CV until 1945 Cab over vehicles Vehicles introduced in 1931 TN