The vehicle fleet on the bridges: versatile and aesthetic

With a top speed of 30 km/h, the vehicles travel on the bridges in a fleet that could not be more diverse. From the outside, the vehicles have the look of vintage cars and futuristic vehicle models, but inside one will be surprised by the superior comfort. Ergonomic seats with enough legroom, power outlets, panoramic windows and other comforts increase the willingness of the population to one day do without their own car and instead use autonomously driving traffic in the city.

Content: Vehicles are selected and designed for the bridge fleet to meet a wide variety of needs

Described is the use of vehicle designs from the past and the imaginative redesign of ultra-modern vehicle types.

Vintage cars by no means have to do without modern comfort. And futuristic vehicles, in turn, do not have to be cold and minimalist, but can be designed with a lot of warmth and creativity.

The decisive factor is that in a Car-Sharing fleet like the one on the bridges, the vehicle equipment is not uniform, but finely segmented to meet the needs of different passenger groups.

Nostalgia and future in the form of vehicles

From nostalgic to futuristic - the vehicles of our bridge passenger transport are very different. The cars, buses and trains transport passengers back to the twenties, fifties, seventies of the last century or catapult them into the future; they are reminiscent of San Francisco, Porto or Rome, evoke a little holiday feeling in the middle of Frankfurt - and are above all fun.

With the modern part of the fleet everything is conceivable

Since the vehicles on the Frankfurt bridges travel in "protected biotopes" and at low speeds, many more shapes and materials are conceivable for futuristic vehicles than for vehicles used in conventional road traffic: the latter have to meet higher requirements in terms of safety and aerodynamics, while there is much greater scope for creative design in the case of bridge vehicles.

Diane Bullock chevrolet - thefiscaltime.com

Classic cars are a piece of cultural heritage and also put you in a good mood

Bodies and many parts of buses and cars as well as wooden trains are handmade on the Frankfurt bridges in the "Master Academy for the Preservation and Innovation of European Craftsmanship".

Thus, not only beautiful cars and trains are created; also the craft of car body construction is preserved and further developed.

That being said, many people love classic cars and get excited when they come across a classic car on the road.

1960-messerschmitt - www.vintagecarcollector

VW Type 2 van Combi - www.vintagecarcollector

The Bridge, Individual, traffic circles as a living transport museum on the second level in Frankfurt

Kombi Limousines - scontent-frx5-1.xx.fbcdn.net

Lisbonne - Agnes Camagnoni - i.pinimg.com

Circulating buses ensure the supply of the station within 1.5 min

In order to provide buses around the clock at the latest after 90 seconds at stations in the best case, buses stop in all route sections to serve this short-term demand. I.e. vehicles circulate in all route sections without stopping at stations.

Carry out private journeys by car on demand

Due to the even distribution of the car parking bays over the route network, pick-up within 90 s is ensured even when a car journey is requested.

Special vehicles only drive when required / deployed

Statistics from the city of Frankfurt and other large German cities were used to determine how many police, fire brigade, refuse collection and post office trips there are on average on the bridges - this was taken into account in the simulation as background noise, i.e. randomly circling vehicles.

Panhard van www.mollers-cars.blogspot.com

There are also suitable vintage models for special vehicles for postal delivery, refuse collection or for gardening teams.

Olson Grumman Kurbside Camper - www.womokult.de

Experts on the Topic

Deutsches Fahrzeugmuseum Fichtelberg - Technik-Museum Sinsheim - EFA Mobile Zeiten - Dauphin-Fahrzeugsammlung - Fahrzeugmuseum Marxzell - Automuseum Volkswagen - Automuseum Melle - Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum

All vehicles are also equipped with the latest technical gadgets for the interior

Not only in the bodywork, but also in the interior, aesthetics, beauty and sometimes a little nostalgia are planned.

Depending on the vehicle model, the interior design looks different. In some cases, the design is based on historical models or a look into the future:

In one train, for example, the Wilhelminian era is revived with wood panelling and velvet upholstery, and the next vehicle whisks passengers away to a space shuttle - similar to the Panorama train in Switzerland.

But regardless of whether they have a retro look or are futuristic, all vehicles are equally equipped with power sockets, internet, air conditioning etc.

Kanada-Rocky-Mountaineer ©Rocky-Mountaineer (1)

Plenty of space, comfort and technical equipment at a pleasant temperature

Regardless of what time the passengers board: The interior always offers the greatest possible comfort. The seats are ergonomically shaped, pleasantly upholstered and allow legroom.

All buses, trains and cars are also equipped with Internet, information screens and power outlets.

Seat heaters and air-conditioning systems ensure the right temperature in all vehicles - cool in summer, pleasantly warm in winter.We can draw on our experience with luxury interiors, such as those found in yachts or private jets, as all bridge vehicles are unique.

Trains and buses have varying seating arrangements and can be used by the central system in a targeted and suitable manner.

Other bridge vehicles have a lot of free space in the middle, for example to carry bicycles or luggage. Still others are suitable for tourists or for excursions of citizens, with larger tables between the seats for eating and drinking.

There are also particularly suitable vehicles for leisure-oriented journeys or journeys with luggage and other bulky items.

Some vehicles - especially trams - have a seating arrangement with a table in the middle: they are particularly suitable, for example, for eating and drinking with children while looking out of the window, or for excursionists who simply want to enjoy the view.

There are also vehicles that have fewer seats, but plenty of free space next to the seats: This can be used for bicycles, prams, luggage or large shopping bags.

The vehicles that offer a lot of space next to the seats - just like the barrier-free vehicles with a lot of space in the middle - are also sent preferentially to the bridge cycle paths by the guidance system: These come from the outer arms in the west and east almost as far as the ring road - until the development next to the bridge gets too close to the edge of the bridge. There, the bridge bike lanes end, and the cyclists can either ride down to the street with bike elevators and continue from there, or they call a bridge vehicle with enough space and have themselves and their bike transported to the city center before they then switch to the street there.

A database specifies which classic cars are allowed to drive on the Frankfurt bridges - they must not be too long or too wide.

VW Bus Samba T1 -1966

Länge/Breite/Höhe

430/180/192 cm

Tempo-Vidal Matador 1951

Länge/Breite/Höhe

525/186/220 cm

Bogward B 1500 D - 1953

Länge/Breite/Höhe

540/200/250 cm

Käsbohrer Setra - 1964

Länge/Breite/Höhe

670/220/280 cm

Mindener K&F GmbH 1959

Länge/Breite/Höhe

725/218/257 cm

Steyr 1955

Länge/Breite/Höhe

746/220/240 cm

Experts on the Topic

Verkehrsmuseum Frankfurt am Main - Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart - Wiener Tramwaymuseum - Deutsches Museum - Fahrzeug-Museum Bäretswil - Coventry Transport Museum - Brooklands Museum - Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile

The classic cars on Frankfurt's bridges should be designed as closely as possible to the original from the outside.

Every classic car has its own unique shape. In order to be able to create the modern version of a classic car for the Frankfurt Bridges concept as close as possible to the original, a classic car body was scanned.

For this purpose, a well-preserved and restored vehicle was digitized with the help of laser scanners and cameras. In the next step, the vehicle was remodeled on the computer and adapted to the requirements of the Frankfurt bridges. The vehicle shown is the bus of the type "NH 6/7" from the company "Neoplan".

Alexander Migl -Auwärter Neoplan(1958) - Wikipedia

The vintage bus "Neoplan NH 6/7" was remodeled with the help of a 3D scan

The lasers and cameras create points that "float" three-dimensionally in space. At each position where a physical component of the vehicle is located, such a point is automatically placed. The collection of all points is called a point cloud.

In the next step, points that had been set incorrectly were eliminated. The vehicle was then remodeled on the computer based on these points and adapted to the requirements of the Frankfurt bridges.

The vehicles on the Frankfurt bridges: beauty produced by the Master Academy

The bodies of the buses and cars are to be manufactured in the master craftsmen's academy on the Frankfurt bridges, just like the wagons of the trains. The only question is: Can anyone still do it?

Well, it's not called the "Master Academy for the Preservation and Innovation of European Craftsmanship" for nothing: Because even if almost all skills are slowly but surely dying out - if not in Germany, then usually somewhere in Europe you can still find workshops that can dengel the bodywork for a vintage car, make an old tram out of wood or even bend the frame of a bus. With the support of the vehicle companies that have the design rights and possibly also helpful planning documents for their old gems of yesteryear, unique productions should be possible.

Dengeln Werkstatt oldtimer-akademie.business.site

Conclusion: The beautiful vehicles of the bridge fleet generate high acceptance for autonomously driving Car-Sharing

On Frankfurt's bridges, vintage and futuristic vehicles offer a positive driving experience for all segments of the population: Families, professionals, students or even people who need barrier-free vehicles - there are appropriate transport options with suitable equipment for everyone.

In addition, passengers as well as passers-by and residents have a living transport museum before their eyes, which can also be experienced directly. Driving the bridge vehicles is an enriching experience for all classic car fans, as the bodies and equipment of the replicas are true to the original and handcrafted by the Master Academy for the Preservation and Innovation of European Craftsmanship.

The combination of traditional craftsmanship with ultra-modern technology, environmentally friendly sustainability and luxurious "comfort for all" is unique in the world - and it's no coincidence that it takes place in the car country of Germany!