NABI LFW

The NABI LFW was a line of low-floor transit buses available in 30' rigid, 35' rigid, 40' rigid, and 60' articulated lengths manufactured by North American Bus Industries (NABI) between 1997 and 2015. In addition to the different available lengths, the buses were sold with a variety of prime movers, ranging from conventional diesel and LNG/CNG combustion engines to diesel-electric hybrid.

NABI LFW


Top: NABI 40-LFW Gen I (2008)
Middle: NABI 40-LFW Gen II (2008)
Bottom: NABI 40-LFW Gen III (2020)
Overview
ManufacturerNABI
Production1997–2015
Body and chassis
ClassTransit bus
Body styleMonocoque
LayoutRR
Powertrain
Engine
Transmission
Dimensions
Wheelbase
  • 182 in (4.62 m) (31')[1]
  • 219 in (5.56 m) (35')[2]
  • 276 in (7.01 m) (40')[3]
  • F:246 in (6.25 m) / R:268 in (6.81 m) (60' artic)[4]
Lengthover bumpers:
  • 32 ft 6 in (9.9 m) (31')[1]
  • 35.8 to 36.4 ft (10.9 to 11.1 m) (35')[1][2]
  • 40 to 40.8 ft (12.2 to 12.4 m) (40')[1][3]
  • 60 ft (18.3 m) (60' artic)[4]
Width102 in (2.59 m)[2][3][4]
Height114 to 116 in (2.90 to 2.95 m)[2][3][4]
Curb weight
  • 27,770 to 32,120 lb (12,600 to 14,600 kg) (40')[5][6][7][8]
  • 37,920 lb (17,200 kg) (60' artic)[9]
Chronology
PredecessorNABI SFW
SuccessorNABI CompoBus
NABI BRT

The NABI LFW was introduced to replace the older NABI SFW (AKA NABI 416 and 436) high-floor buses; both of the NABI bus product lines featured similar styling, with the LFW having comparatively taller side windows over the low-floor portion of the bus. In 1998, NABI announced development of the composite-bodied low-floor CompoBus to complement the LFW line; the first CompoBus orders were taken in 1999. In addition, NABI introduced the streamlined low-floor BRT line for Bus Rapid Transit service in 2004. The NABI LFW was restyled in 2008 and again in 2011, with cosmetic changes to the front of the bus to more closely resemble the NABI BRT styling. After New Flyer acquired NABI in 2013, all NABI product lines were discontinued in 2015, once existing orders for NABI buses had been fulfilled.

Design

The NABI LFW line uses a model number designating the nominal length along with the LFW family designator. For example, a NABI 40-LFW is a 40' (nominal) rigid low floor transit bus. At launch, 35-foot and 40-foot nominal lengths were announced, with the 40-LFW more popular with fixed-route transit agencies. A 60-foot articulated variant (60-LFW) was ordered in 2001. The 31-foot NABI 31-LFW was introduced with the first 'Gen II' restyle in 2008. On the stamped vehicle identification plate, the vehicle type is identified as 0xx.nn, where 0xx is the nominal length (in feet) and nn is the order number.[10]

Despite its superficial resemblance to the preceding NABI 416 high-floor transit bus, which had been designed by Ikarus in Hungary, the NABI LFW line was designed in America. Body shells were assembled in Hungary and shipped to Alabama for finishing.[11][12]:7–9 In 1998, NABI announced the LFW would be available with a stainless steel frame as an option.[13] Body production was shifted from Hungary to Anniston gradually starting in 2011; in late 2012, the transition was complete.[14]

NABI 31-LFW CNG with 'Gen II' styling for Arlington Transit (2018)

The 2008 'Gen II' restyle, which added small quarter windows at the front between the windshield and the driver's side window or door, was designed to echo the styling of the NABI BRT, introduced in 2004.[1] However, the small quarter windows could not be cleared during inclement weather and were removed in the subsequent 2011 'Gen III' restyle.[15] The length of the front overhang grew from 86 to 95 inches (2,200 to 2,400 mm) (Gen I)[2][3] to 91 to 95 inches (2,300 to 2,400 mm) (Gen II)[1] and 95 to 99 inches (2,400 to 2,500 mm) (Gen III).[15][16]

Hybrid

The 2008 restyle also brought a hybrid bus variant, with Citizens Area Transit (serving Las Vegas, Nevada) as the lead customer.

Deployment

The first NABI LFW buses (40-LFW) were ordered in 1997 by Valley Metro, the transit agency serving Phoenix and Tempe, Arizona.[17] NABI was acquired by New Flyer in 2013 and production of NABI-designed buses continued through 2015 to fill the existing backlog. The final NABI buses to be built were the 40-LFW completed in 2015 for DART, serving Dallas, Texas.[18] After the backlog was filled, the NABI factory in Anniston, Alabama was retooled to produce New Flyer Xcelsior low-floor buses for the United States transit market.[19]

NABI 60-LFW (2005), modified 'Gen I' styling for CTA

The first (and only) order for articulated LFW buses (60-LFW) was placed by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in 2001 to replace its ageing fleet of MAN SG 220 and SG 310 articulated buses.[20] Eventually, CTA acquired 226 60-LFW buses, with deliveries starting in 2003.[21] The NABI 60-LFW fleet proved to be problematic in service,[22] and were pulled from service in 2009 due to cracks in the articulation joint and axles.[23][24][25] CTA stopped payment on the contract and was sued by NABI in 2008;[26] after filing a countersuit, CTA began scrapping the buses in 2012.[27] The suits were eventually settled in Chicago's favor for $36.25 million.[28]

Miami-Dade Transit 040.17 (built in 2000, photographed 2020)

Approximately 4,500 LFW buses were produced from 1998 through 2013.[29] Most of the LFW production was for the 40-LFW model, with more than fifty orders; there were six orders for 31-LFW, eighteen orders for the 35-LFW, and two orders for the 60-LFW (including one order for the bus tested at Altoona, which was later sold as part of the CTA order).[30]

Competition

References
  1. "LFW (Low Floor Bus)" (PDF). North American Bus Industries, Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 21, 2011.
  2. "General Specifications: 35-LFW". North American Bus Industries, Inc. Archived from the original on May 12, 2006.
  3. "General Specifications: 40-LFW". North American Bus Industries, Inc. Archived from the original on May 12, 2006.
  4. "General Specifications: 60-LFW". North American Bus Industries, Inc. Archived from the original on May 12, 2006.
  5. STURAA Test: 12 Year 500,000 Mile Bus from North American Bus Industries, Model 40 LFW (PDF) (Report). Bus Testing and Research Center, The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. June 1998. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  6. STURAA Test: 12 Year 500,000 Mile Bus from North American Bus Industries, Model 40LFW CNG (PDF) (Report). Bus Testing and Research Center, The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. February 2000. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  7. Partial STURAA Test: 12 Year 500,000 Mile Bus from North American Bus Industries, Inc., Model 40 LFW-CNG (PDF) (Report). Bus Testing and Research Center, The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. October 2003. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  8. Federal Transit Bus Test, Model 40-LFW, Submitted for Testing in Service-Life Category 12 Year / 500,000 Miles (PDF) (Report). Bus Testing and Research Center, The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. April 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  9. STURAA Test: 12 Year 500,000 Mile Bus from NABI, Model 60 LFW K-1 (PDF) (Report). Bus Testing and Research Center, The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. June 2002. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  10. "H6694: 2000 NABI 40' passenger bus". Purple Wave Auction. October 8, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  11. "NABI - North American Bus Industries". Coachbuilt. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  12. Global Bus Innovation: NABI Annual Report and Accounts (PDF) (Report). North American Bus Industries, Inc. 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 29, 2020.
  13. "NABI announces stainless steel bus design" (Press release). North American Bus Industries, Inc. April 29, 1998. Archived from the original on February 2, 1999.
  14. "NABI production now entirely in U.S." Metro Magazine. May 14, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  15. "LFW Gen III" (PDF). NABI. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 2, 2015.
  16. "NABI LFW Specifications". North American Bus Industries, Inc. Archived from the original on March 12, 2012.
  17. "Phoenix and Tempe, AZ order first NABI low floor buses" (Press release). North American Bus Industries, Inc. January 21, 1997. Archived from the original on February 2, 1999.
  18. Kristopans, Andre (March 14, 2017). "North American Bus Industries". Utah Rails. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  19. "New Flyer to Focus on Xcelsior® as Single Heavy-Duty and BRT Transit Bus Platform" (Press release). New Flyer of America. June 24, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  20. "NABI receives order from Chicago Transit Authority for low-floor artics" (Press release). North American Bus Industries, Inc. April 4, 2001. Archived from the original on December 5, 2002.
  21. "CTA winterizes its fleet". Chicago Tribune. November 21, 2003.
  22. "Extra-long buses come with big flaws, CTA says". Chicago Tribune. March 13, 2005.
  23. Zolkiewicz, Kevin (February 19, 2009). "CTA Pulls NABI Buses for Safety Reasons". ChicagoBus. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  24. "One Long Headache". Chicago Tribune. February 20, 2009.
  25. "CTA's accordion-style buses sidelined over safety issues". Chicago Tribune. February 20, 2009.
  26. "CTA expands countersuit against busmaker". Chicago Tribune. May 26, 2010.
  27. "Court: CTA can start unloaded buses for scrap". Chicago Tribune. May 7, 2012.
  28. "CTA to recoup $36.25 million in settlement with bus manufacturer". Chicago Tribune. April 8, 2013.
  29. "Houston Metro Awards New Flyer Subsidiary, Nabi Bus, LLC a Contract for 265 Transit Buses" (Press release). New Flyer of America. September 17, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  30. Kristopans, Andre (October 27, 2014). "IKARUS / NABI Models and Order Numbers". Utah Rails. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
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