Ikarus 60T Trolleybus (No. 259)

A beautifully renovated Ikarus 60T trolleybus - No. 259 with its identity number is not painted yet - on display in the trolleybus depot of Budapest Transport Plc. An open day is held every year in the depot - usually in late September - and this baby was the star alongside with the trolleybus trailer in the background. Currently it has no electric motor, so it's not operational. According to plans, it will get a motor from a scrapped ZIU-9B trolleybus. Great, I can brace myself for an other sardine-effect, when it finally gets moving on its own... Or I can wait a bit more and see whether it gets a hauling device so it can be paried with a trailer, No. 923.

Data:
Built in 1955 and originally numbered T323, the trolleybus was part of the first fleet entirely manufactured in Hungary - including bodywork, interior and motor. Later it was renumbered to 259 and was never equipped with hauling device to pull a trailer. (Those trolleybuses, which were equipped with this device got identity numbers from 301 up to 358. The solo buses got numbers from 201 to 271.)

The series started serving Budapest from 1952. Scrapping started in the late 60's and ended with the last six trolleybuses being scrapped for good in 1975. No. 259 was the only survivor, because it became a test bus. Then it was left in a corner of the depot and started to slowly rot away. Finally, in 2009 the Lanta Ltd. alongside with the Szeged Transportation Company Ltd. towed it and started the renovation, ending the process in late 2011. Since then the trolleybus returned to Budapest and is now waiting to get a proper electric motor. Now it can be seen in the Urban Public Transport Museum of Budapest (located in Szentendre, Hungary).

Anyway, enjoy the pic! Find more pictures of this trolleybus here!


Technical and historical data: site of Ákos Endre Varga.

Picture taken on September 28, 2013. This picture belongs to