Product Code Database
A trackless train — or tram (U.S. English), (2020). 9789390014026, VIDE LEAF. ISBN 9789390014026 road train, land train, or parking lot train is a road-going articulated vehicle used for the transport of , comprising a tractor unit pulling one or more carriages connected by drawbar couplings, in the manner of a road-going railway train.
Similar vehicles may be used for transport of freight or baggage for short distances, such as at a factory or airport. Often depending on use, land train may or may not be styled to look like traditional, often .
The lack of a widely accepted generic name for trackless trains often leads to them being called trams, or . Due to cultural terminology differences, trackless train, tram and parking lot tram usages occur in North America, while land train and road train are used in Europe.
Carriages may seat between 6 and 40 persons, and can be roofed or not, featuring open or closed sides and various levels of interior comfort such as padded seats. If open, depending on climate they may feature plastic or fiberglass corrugated panels overhead, to divert rain and provide some measure of shade. Alternative designs may use a cloth awning overhead for similar purposes.
Carriages usually contain latchable doors or chains to act as safety measures to prevent exit while in motion. Carriages and tractor false bodies may be constructed in fiberglass or aluminum, and may feature levelling suspension.
As in a regular road vehicle, the tractor unit is steered through the front wheels by a steering wheel or handle bar operated by a human driver, and powered by its rear single or double axle. The following carriages are then steered through the drawbar couplings between the carriages. Simple trains with few carriages or short in overall length may feature single- or double-axle carriages with just front-axle steering only. Larger or longer trains feature four-wheel steering by way of mechanical linkages. Four-wheel steering ensures that longer trains need less side clearance while turning, as the carriages are able to maintain the same path, describing a constant radius of arc. This adds to the impression of the vehicle being on rails. The drawbar connections of more complex trains may feature a shock absorber to mitigate the effect of acceleration or braking. The longest trackless trains appear to be human-powered ones. In 2007 a train of 93 tricycles was assembled and ridden for the purpose of setting a world record. The train was formed by removing the single front wheels of the tricycles used as carriages and attaching their forks to the tricycle in front. This system developed for Hase tricycles and others also allows the ad-hoc formation of shorter trains for practical use. The longest permanently set up human-powered trackless train is probably the Thuner Trampelwurm consisting of a tricycle as tractor with 10 driven trailers as carriages, in operation as a tourist attraction in the city of Thun since 1994. The chosen geometry of the trailer linkages result in good tracking at the cost of a low maximum speed, about 10 km/h without shimmy.
Trackless trains are also used in shopping malls to entertain children while their parents are shopping. Trackless trains used for this purpose are commonly smaller and have less power.
A larger and faster form of trackless tram is the rubber-tyred tram used as a public transport alternative to conventional light rail, tram and bus. (2025). 9783030380779, Springer International Publishing. ISBN 9783030380779
In some countries in Europe a Volkswagen minibus usually carries 3 carriages, these trackless trains can often carry only 38 passengers.
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