![Suceava trolleybus 5049 in 2006](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Suceava_trolleybus_5049_in_2006.jpg)
Rocar DAC was a series of buses and
trolleybus
A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...
es produced by the
Autobuzul (later Rocar) company of
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, Romania, between 1979 and 2000. They were available in both standard 12-meter models and
articulated
An articulated vehicle is a vehicle which has a permanent or semi-permanent pivot joint in its construction, allowing it to turn more sharply. There are many kinds, from heavy equipment to buses, trams and trains. Steam locomotives were someti ...
, 17-meter models. The first examples to enter service were DAC 117UDs that were made towards the end of 1978 and entered service with the
ITB in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
in April 1979.
For much of the 1980s and early 1990s, these buses and trolleybuses were the backbone of the urban transportation network of Romania since, throughout the 1980s, public transportation companies were not allowed to import any type of vehicle.
The buses were designed and built in a period of severe
shortages
In economics, a shortage or excess demand is a situation in which the demand for a product or service exceeds its supply in a market. It is the opposite of an excess supply (surplus).
Definitions
In a perfect market (one that matches ...
, the main emphasis being put on economizing material usage and simplicity of the design. Most buses of this type did not have power or assisted steering, and only a small number of buses, built in the early part of the project (1979-1982) employed automatic gearboxes, which were abandoned as solution due to high costs. The passenger area was also very spartan, having no interior sound or display systems, seats being built out of
plywood
Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured ...
, only later models were fitted with plastic seats, light fixtures being 6-8 small 12-volt
light bulbs
An electric light, lamp, or light bulb is an electrical component that produces light. It is the most common form of artificial lighting. Lamps usually have a base made of ceramic, metal, glass, or plastic, which secures the lamp in the soc ...
providing insufficient lighting.
During the late 1980s, some were converted to run on
methane gas
Methane ( , ) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The relative abundance of methane on Eart ...
, by installing two or three gas tanks on the roofs. After the fall of the communist regime, the buses were converted back to
diesel
Diesel may refer to:
* Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression
* Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines
* Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...
. DAC buses were equipped with Hungarian RABA-
MAN
A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromos ...
engines, or with Romanian IABv engines capable of 192
horse power
Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...
DIN and a 4 or 6 gears
gear box
Propulsion transmission is the mode of transmitting and controlling propulsion power of a machine. The term ''transmission'' properly refers to the whole drivetrain, including clutch, gearbox, prop shaft (for rear-wheel drive vehicles), differe ...
for a maximum speed of 65 km/h. After 1990 the series was slightly improved as quality level, like RABA engines, RABA transmission, plastic seats (or sometimes with vinyl upholstery cushions - mainly coach versions, but also some urban versions), and many models were taller. Some of them, were even fitted with fluorescent lighting, but in very few cases, this retrofitting was mainly made at the host garage. Some models were fitted after the 1990s with less polluting motors, and this thing was specified on the bus.
In 1996, Rocar began replacing the model line-up with the new
Rocar De Simon range that was produced until the
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...
of the company in 2003 (however, Dac 112 UDM buses were built until 2000). Most Rocar DAC buses have been withdrawn from service, and replaced with more modern buses. RATB still uses them as utility or service vehicles (the last examples being withdrawn in 2007), but not any more as passenger vehicles. However, some survived with smaller transport companies, on some rural services and in small towns.
Trolleybuses, on the other hand, have fared better, because of the higher purchasing cost and lower wear-and-tear, and are still a common site in cities such as
Cluj
; hu, kincses város)
, official_name=Cluj-Napoca
, native_name=
, image_skyline=
, subdivision_type1 = Counties of Romania, County
, subdivision_name1 = Cluj County
, subdivision_type2 = Subdivisions of Romania, Status
, subdivision_name2 ...
(withdrawn in 2016),
Targu-Jiu or
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
(withdrawn in the mid 2000s), however there are plans to replace them with newer vehicles. In some cases trolleybuses exceeded 25–30 years of service. Târgu Jiu's last Rocar DAC trolleybuses, which had operated since the network was opened in 1995, were finally withdrawn from service in December 2021, after new
Solaris Trollino
Solaris Trollino is a series of low-floor trolleybuses designed for public transport, produced since 1999 by the Polish company Solaris Bus & Coach. The power regulation electronics and traction motors are delivered by other companies, such as Š ...
s arrived to replace them.
It was also exported, only as trolleybus version, in Bulgaria (used in Varna, Burgas, Sofia) and Ukraine (Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro), however they were modified and fitted locally with other motors and controllers than in its mother country. Also sent as test vehicles in former Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Hungary, but were not accepted (probably mainly due to the fact that these countries were also having their bus manufacturers - IKARBUS, Škoda and Ikarus respectively).
Models
Buses
*DAC 112 UDM - the standard 12-meter model, used for urban or suburban routes. This was the base model for all later designs, available with two or three doors; built between 1982 and 2000.
*DAC 117 UD - the
articulated
An articulated vehicle is a vehicle which has a permanent or semi-permanent pivot joint in its construction, allowing it to turn more sharply. There are many kinds, from heavy equipment to buses, trams and trains. Steam locomotives were someti ...
, 17-meter model, available with two or four doors; built between 1979 and 1998
*DAC UDAN 2002 - an attempt at modernizing the DAC 112 UDM by replacing the engine and transmission of the DAC 112 UDM with a
Euro 2
The European emission standards are vehicle emission standards for pollution from the use of new land surface vehicles sold in the European Union and EEA member states and the UK, and ships in EU waters. The standards are defined in a seri ...
compliant model, as well as modernizing the bodywork. Only two were built before the project was deemed unsuccessful. Both were operated by
RATB.
Trolleybuses
*DAC 112 E - Standard trolleybus, powered by one 110 or 125 kW
direct current
Direct current (DC) is one-directional flow of electric charge. An electrochemical cell is a prime example of DC power. Direct current may flow through a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through semiconductors, insulators, or even ...
motor
*DAC 212 E - Standard trolleybus, powered by one TN76 125 kW
direct current
Direct current (DC) is one-directional flow of electric charge. An electrochemical cell is a prime example of DC power. Direct current may flow through a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through semiconductors, insulators, or even ...
motor. Outfitted with an electronic command system for its
contactors
:''In semiconductor testing, contactors can also be referred to as the specialized socket that connects the device under test.''
:''In process industries, a contactor is a vessel where two streams interact, for example, air and liquid. See Gas ...
. Also available with 150 kW motor (TN81 type)
*DAC 212 ECS - Same as DAC 212 E, but using a
chopper system as a speed control. ECS stands for ''Electric Chopper System''. Fitted with 125 or 150 kW motor (TN76 or TN81)
*DAC 117 E(A) -
Articulated
An articulated vehicle is a vehicle which has a permanent or semi-permanent pivot joint in its construction, allowing it to turn more sharply. There are many kinds, from heavy equipment to buses, trams and trains. Steam locomotives were someti ...
trolleybus, powered by one 125 kW
direct current
Direct current (DC) is one-directional flow of electric charge. An electrochemical cell is a prime example of DC power. Direct current may flow through a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through semiconductors, insulators, or even ...
motor. Although some operators called these vehicles DAC 117 EA (with A form 'articulated'; some also called the articulated buses 'DAC 117 UDA'), all the VIN plates of these vehicles shows the correct name (without the 'A'). Also available with TN81 150 KW motor. Some models were produced with choppers.
*DAC 217 E - Articulated trolleybus, powered by one 150 kW
direct current
Direct current (DC) is one-directional flow of electric charge. An electrochemical cell is a prime example of DC power. Direct current may flow through a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through semiconductors, insulators, or even ...
motor. The most common model, with electronic command of the
contactor
:''In semiconductor testing, contactors can also be referred to as the specialized socket that connects the device under test.''
:''In process industries, a contactor is a vessel where two streams interact, for example, air and liquid. See Gas- ...
s. Also available with chopper, as an option.
*DAC 317 ETS - Same with DAC 217 E, but with the motor controlled by
thyristor
A thyristor () is a solid-state semiconductor device with four layers of alternating P- and N-type materials used for high-power applications. It acts exclusively as a bistable switch (or a latch), conducting when the gate receives a current ...
s. ETS stands for Electric Thyristor System. Equipped with TN81 150 kW motor or with the newer TN96 150 kW motor.
*DAC 318 ET Tandem - Articulated trolleybus, powered by two DC motors TN76 125 kW, working in tandem. Only one prototype was built. 18 meters long, up to 200 passengers.
*DAC 122E or 123E - Double articulated trolleybus, powered by one TN76 125 kW motor at axle number two. It was made by URAC ITB in cooperation with ROCAR. It could transport almost 200 passengers or even more. It was numbered #7091 at ITB/RATB. It was made in the 1980s and was used until early to mid 2000. It is rumored that two more such vehicles existed, but they were transformed back to 117E due to high costs and some disadvantages, also present at #7091: Difficult driving, slow, underpowered, only advantage being the high number of passengers. It was scrapped somewhere in June 2000. It is also rumored that a double articulated DAC bus existed, but nothing is confirmed, as this type was nowhere operated, except for the double articulated trolleybus which was operated by ITB later RATB.
See also
*
DAC (vehicle manufacturer)
DAC, an initialism for Diesel Auto Camion, is a Romanian truck brand produced since the 1970s in the Brașov area. Since 1990, DAC has been the special truck division of ROMAN trucks manufacturer.
History
ROMAN was established after World War II ...
*
List of buses
Year refers to the first year introduced. A range of years is the period the bus was manufactured.
#
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
...
External links
{{Automotive industry in Romania
Buses
Transport in Bucharest
Trolleybuses
Articulated buses