Renault TN
| Renault TN | |
|---|---|
 A Renault TNH4 of 1937 | |
| Overview | |
| Type | Transit bus |
| Manufacturer | Renault |
| Production | 1931–1971 |
| Assembly | Boulogne-Billancourt, France |
| Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Powertrain | |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Renault PN |
The Renault TN is a range of buses produced from 1931 until 1971 for the Paris service. They have been described by Le Monde as a "symbol of a Paris era".[1]
History
In 1931, the first TN model, the TN4, a bus with a length of 9.5 metres, is introduced upon request of Société des transports en commun de la région parisienne (STCRP), the predecessor of the RATP.[1] The TN4 introduced the radiator in front of the engine instead of behind as used on previous Renault buses.[2] 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 tramway that disappeared in 1937.[1]
The first TNs had an open platform. The TN4 introduced versions with various inline-four engines of 58 metric horsepower (43 kW) (TN4A, TN4B, TN4C, TN4F) and received some front-end restyling. In 1932, a TN with a inline-six engine of 68 metric horsepower (50 kW), the TN6 (also with open platform), is 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.[3]
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.[3] The main rival for the TNs during that era was the similar K 63 bus produced by Panhard.[2]
After the war, all the TNs on circulation (6A, 6C2, 4B, 4C, 4E, 4H) were given a standard interior furnituring. By the 1950s, almost all the TNs 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.[4]
References
- 1 2 3 Normand, Jean-Michel (15 April 2016). "Le Renault TN, superstar des bus parisiens" [Renault TN, superstar Parisian bus]. Le Monde (in French). Paris. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- 1 2 Desrues, Josette (2005). En coche, en tram, en bus: le Paris-Saint-Germain [By coach, tram, bus: Paris Saint-Germain] (in French). DISLAB. pp. 119–120. ISBN 2-9520091-7-1.
- 1 2 "La grande famille des Renault TN à plate-forme (1931–1938)" (in French). Autobus de Paris. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ↑ "Le second souffle des autobus TN (1945-1971)" (in French). Autobus de Paris. Retrieved 29 October 2016.