The Van Hool T2145 is the extended 45-foot member of the Belgian maker’s T21 series of luxury touring coaches. Introduced in 1995 and based on the European T9 platform, it was aimed at the North American long-distance market and could be ordered with engines from Cummins, Detroit Diesel or Caterpillar.
Van Hool T2145 at a glance
| Maker | Van Hool, Koningshooikt, Belgium |
|---|---|
| Series | T21 luxury touring coach |
| Introduced | 1995 |
| Platform | European T9 |
| Length | 45 ft (13.7 m) |
| Shorter sister | T2140, 40 ft (12.2 m) |
| Engines | Cummins M11 plus, Detroit Diesel Series 60, Caterpillar C13 ACERT |
| Body | integral coach, built by Van Hool |
| Later changes | two-pane windshield, individual projector headlamps, redesigned driver console |
| Market | North America |
| Successors | TX40 and TX45, 2015–2018 |
The T2145 is described in the T21 series section of the English Wikipedia article on Van Hool; this page is based on one source.
History of the Van Hool T2145
Van Hool began building touring coaches on its own T8 platform in 1979, with bodywork derived from the Alizee range launched a year earlier. In 1991 an updated “T8 New Look” appeared, sold in North America as the T9. The T21 series of 1995 was the next step: although it was based on the European T9 platform, it brought a revised design and a wider choice of engines, while the older T8 and T9 coaches had been almost exclusively Cummins-powered.
The T21 was offered in two lengths: the 40-foot T2140 and the extended 45-foot T2145. Buyers could specify the Cummins M11 plus, the Detroit Diesel Series 60 or the Caterpillar C13 ACERT, a range that reflected the preferences of American coach operators, who often dealt with several engine makers. The coaches were built as integral vehicles by Van Hool itself, with engines and axles sourced from outside suppliers and gearboxes from ZF or Voith.
Later T21 coaches were simplified in production: the windshield became a two-pane unit, the headlight assemblies were replaced by individual projector lamps, and the driver console was consolidated. These changes are the easiest way to tell a later T2145 from an early one.
The T21 series was replaced in North America by the TX40 and TX45 highway coaches, which Van Hool built in the United States from 2015 until production of the TX series stopped there in 2018. The European and American coach ranges were always closely related, and the T2145’s role was to carry the Belgian maker’s touring coach formula into the American market.
Design and features
- Two lengths: the T2145 is the 45-foot (13.7 m) member of the T21 family, alongside the 40-foot T2140.
- Engine choice: Cummins M11 plus, Detroit Diesel Series 60 or Caterpillar C13 ACERT.
- Integral construction: the body was built by Van Hool rather than on a bought-in chassis.
- Running changes: two-pane windshields, projector headlamps and a consolidated driver console on later coaches.
Van Hool T2145 versions
- T2140: the 40-foot (12.2 m) T21 series coach.
- T2145: the 45-foot (13.7 m) extended coach described here.
- Early T21: original windshield and headlamp arrangement.
- Later T21: two-pane windshield, individual projector lamps, revised console.
- TX45: the 2015 successor model in North America.
The T2145 was the long version of the same T21 family as the shorter T2140, and it shared the American market with the lower-cost Van Hool C2045. The double-deck member of the range is the Astromega. More buses are in the Van Hool collection.
Sources
- Van Hool, English Wikipedia: T21 series, engines, naming, later changes
