| Model Bus Zone News August & September 2019 |
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| July 2019 | Model Bus Zone News Index | |
| Click the links to view the further details related to the News item. |
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| Filter Content: EFE Kits Northcord Oxford Other |
Friday 13 September |
| Next Oxford Omnibus Release |
| Just one Omnibus range model features in the latest batch of releases from Oxford Diecast. The model is however the first release for the new N scale version of Bristol MW6G ECW coach. This model expected to be with retailers next week.  NMW6001 Royal Blue (Southern National) - Bristol MW6G ECW Coach (N Scale) |
Monday 9 September & Updated 12 September |
| More 1/43 Coaches For UK Retailers |
| Wholesaler John Ayrey Die-casts is expecting to receive a further pair of Spanish 1/43rd scale coach models during October. These are from the Camiones Pegaso range of nine models that also includes a seven other commercial vehicles. These models are being offered to all model retailers wishing to stock them and have an RRP of £29.95. They come in strong blister packaging similar to that used for the Hatchette models. The coach models are:  MAG LW06 Pegaso Comet 5061 Seida Iberia (1963)  MAG LW09 Pegaso 5070 Setra Seida S14 Alsa (1967) The truck models in this range can be viewed on the John Ayrey Die-casts site. Update Thursday 12 September A couple more 1/43rd models have been announced, firstly there's another coach related model from the Autocult range, each of these highly detailed models are limited editions of just 333 pieces, this is reflected in RRP of £134.99.  ATC1005 Skoda 532 Autobahnbus (1938) - Silver Metallic - Release expected September 19 Further photographs can be found on the John Ayrey's site. John Ayrey's Diecasts has also secured stock of another 1/43 range of models: Unforgettable cars of Argentina, among the cars & light commercial models is a Volkswagen kombi. These models are due in October and also have an RRP of £29.99, some will have limited availability. They come on plinths are supplied in blister packs. Your model retailer may be able to pre-order these, if you contact them.  MAG LX14 Unforgetable Cars - Argentina: Volkswagen Kombi T2 b - Blue (1982) The full range can be found HERE. |
Saturday 7 September |
| Model Spotlight: EFE East London Coaches Leyland National Mark I |
| One of the latest releases in the EFE range is this commissioned model produced exclusively for TTC Diecast. Below are a selection of photographs showing the final production version and a short history of the bus depicted. Vehicle Background London Transport acquired six Leyland Nationals in 1973 and used these alongside an equal number of Metro-Scania single deck vehicles in a trial on route S2. Following these trials London Transport adopted the Leyland National as its next standard single deck vehicle. The first batch of 51 vehicles including LS35 (KJD535P) arrived in 1976, these vehicles were in fact originally built as an export order for Venezuela, this was cancelled at a late stage and instead all 51 buses entered service in West London operating routes from Hounslow Bus Garage. Eventually London Transport built up a fleet of 437 dual door Leyland National Mark I buses which were allocated to routes & depots across the capital. LS35 stayed at Hounslow until it's first & only overhaul in 1982, after this it was re-allocated to Leyton Garage in East London where it remained until 1989. In August 1989 it was fitted with coach seating & repainted in a special livery of red & gold with grey skirt & bumpers, the vehicle was used on the Docklands Express route D5 (Isle Of Dogs District Centre to Mile End Stn) from April 1990 after its conversion to LS operation. LS35's period with East London ended in May 1992 when it was placed in store. The bus eventually returned to service in the new Westlink Buses livery in August 1992, this new London Buses subsidiary had been setup to operate number of routes won through tendering process in the Hounslow area. The vehicle's passenger service days finally ended with Westlink in 1997 and it was sold to Thames Valley Training for use as a driver trainer during 1998. LS35 was acquired for preservation in 2001 & initially retained the cream & green livery applied by Thames Valley Training. During 2003 the vehicle was repainted back into the Docklands Express livery which has been reproduced on the model. A photograph of the real vehicle at Showbus 2012 can be found on flickr The EFE model is limited edition of 500 pieces & each is supplied with an individually numbered certificate. Priced £32.99 plus delivery, you can order it from TTC Diecast through their online store, or obtain it in person from their model shop in Derby. The TTC Diecast sales stand also regularly attends various bus rallies & events across the UK.  E16610Z East London - Short Leyland National Mk I dual door  Below are a selection of hi-res photographs showing the final production version of the model. These will each open in new window/tab. A Video slide show is also available below in the form of a YouTube video.                          Below is a video slide show of all the above photographs. Click the YouTube logo to view at full size. |
Friday 6 September |
| Upcoming Tiny Kit Re-run |
| Tiny are planning a limited re-run of the following kit. Anyone interested in this kit is advised to place reservation with Tiny.  TK4 Ribble Burlingham Leyland Titan PD3 - Limited Re-run Reserve Now A full list of the available & future planned kits along with full contact details can be found on the Tiny Kits page. |
Monday 2 September |
| Two Sunstar Routemaster Releases Due Soon |
Sunstar has announced the release of the following pair of 1/24th scale Routemaster models, these are expected to be available in the UK shortly. H2941 Arriva London RM2217 (Route 76 Tottenham Garage / Arriva Heritage Fleet advertising) - AEC RM Class Routemaster  H2942 Arriva London RM6 Queens Golden Jubilee livery (Route 23 Liverpool Street / Surf advertising) - AEC RM Class Routemaster Going by photographs of what appear to be the final production models on eBay, it seems both models have a number of livery related issues. The red one only has the thin yellow stripes on the lower side panels, this should also continue across the rear. It is also missing the Heritage Fleet lower rear advert and the white fleet number on the bonnet, the off-side one is present although its rather poorly positioned. The wrong radiator type has been fitted with the number plate hanging below, RM2217 has the earlier style with plate incorporated into the grille surround. To give Sunstar some credit, they have at least corrected the RM217 number and missing yellow side stripes present on the pre-production model sample. What makes this slightly more annoying is that Sunstar produced an earlier version of RM2217 (H2914 Last route 159 RM) that wears a virtually identical livery & doesn't suffer from any of these issues. Sadly things get even worse on the gold version which has numerous issues. Firstly it appears the model is quite literally a cross between RM6 & RM1650! This model carries fleet number RM6 from VLT 6 on the bonnet but has reflective registration plates 650 DYE from RM1650. The off-side fleet number is also missing. It appears from photographs RM1650 actually carried red SRM3 fleet numbers while in this livery, a reference to the fact it was one of the 25 RM vehicles painted silver to mark the Queen's Silver Jubilee back in 1977. The Arriva fleet names relate to RM6 but the gold livery excludes the white between decks band found on that vehicle. The gold livery applied is correct for RM1650 however, but that vehicle was operated by First London not Arriva. Route 23 has been chosen for this model but that has never been worked by Arriva, it's always been a First route operated by Westbourne Park (X) garage, thus the Arriva Brixton (BN) codes applied are also wrong in relation to the livery, route & registration applied. RM6 also has open brake cooling grilles below the headlamps, something which has been modelled on earlier Sunstar releases, on this version they are panelled over as per RM1650. Neither RM6 nor RM1650 carried the Surf adverts during their public service in this livery during 2002, both had LRT sponsored adverts for Jubilee Pl. RM6 did carry the Surf 50 years adverts during 2004/5 but by this time it had gained larger white Arriva fleet names & lost the purple jubilee crown logos plus all the other insignia on the lower side panels. It still retained the gold livery with the white band. Finally, both of these latest models have an old legal address for London Transport Executive 55 Broadway, non of these vehicles would have carried this after passing to First or Arriva ownership. The rear light clusters on both models are based on the original LT design, these buses had all received various updated rear light installations by the dates portrayed. This compromise is more understandable given it would have required extensive changes to the existing tooling for each of these latest releases. Below are links to photographs, from various web based sources, of the real vehicles which highlight most of the issues mentioned above. RM2217 on route 76, note the position of the fleet number & radiator grille with number plate incorporated. (Jimmy Sheng's Bus Photographs) https://jimmyshengukbuses.smugmug.com/EventsRalliesandRunningDays/Route-76-Running-Day/i-zmbphrR/A The earlier Sunstar version of RM2217 (H29414 produced in 2007) depicting the vehicle working the final public journey of the type on route 159 in 2005.  Rear view of RM2217, note yellow stripe & rear advert related to the main side ones. https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishbuses/28342318923/ Arriva RM6, this shows the gold livery with white band, Jubilee Pl advertising & brake cooling grilles below the headlamps. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arriva_London_Routemaster_bus_RM6_(VLT_6),_2002_North_Weald_bus_rally.jpg First RM1650, this shows the red off-side SRM3 fleet number, gold livery, position of First fleetnames & Jubilee Pl advertising. https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelwadman/21040251394/in/photostream/ Rear view of RM1650 while on route 23 to Liverpool street, note the modified rear lights. https://showbus.com/gallery/lt/fgold2.htm Arriva RM6 at Showbus 2005 rally with the Surf advertising depicted on the model, note the larger Arriva fleetnames, lack of any purple crown logos or other insignia on the side panels. (Photograph from the Ian's Bus Stop site) http://www.countrybus.org/RM/RM6cSB05.jpg Considering these large scale models are aimed at serious collectors & have a RRP of over £230, most of these issues are not only all too noticeable but also very disappointing given the general paint & decal application looks to be otherwise very good on both models. |
Saturday 31 August |
| Two Commissioned EFE Models Released |
| Two commissioned EFE London Transport Leyland National models have now been released. Firstly TTC Diecast have received the red & gold East London Coaches model which depicts LS35 KJD535P on route D5 bound for Mile End Station. The model is certificated & a limited edition of 500 pieces. This model can be ordered from TTCDiecast.com & is priced £32.99 plus delivery. E16610Z East London - Short Leyland National Mk I dual door The second model has been commissioned by Invicta Model Rail of Sidcup & features former LS178 in the blue & cream livery of Bexleybus. Renumbered 53, THX178S is depicted working on route 269 to Bromley North. This release is also a limited edition of 500 models & is available from Invicta Model Rail for £32.99 plus delivery.  E16609Z Bexleybus - Short Leyland National Mk I dual door |
Friday 30 August |
| Next EFE Release |
| Bachmann are about to release their next Exclusive First Editions model to appointed stockists in the UK. E34116 is a reproduction of preserved RT1347 registration KLB 596 which has been repainted by it's owner Mick Gamble into the blue & red livery of Leicestershire operator Browns Blue. Browns Blue based in Markfield acquired nine RTs secondhand in 1958. Eight of the vehicles had bodies with a roof number box fitted on the front dome, the exception was ex-RT173 HLW 160 which had received a later non-roofbox body during overhaul but had been disposed of early by London Transport. Although RT173 no longer exists, KLB 596 offers a good representation of this unique member of the Browns Blue fleet. Bachmann would like to acknowledge the assistance of KLB 596 owner Mick Gamble, whose authoritative work 'Browns Blue: The Leicestershire Bus Company That Took the Community to its Heart' was published in 2012. E34116 Browns Blue - AEC RT Bus (1/76 Scale) Below are a selection of hi-res photographs showing the final production version of the model. These will each open in new windows/tab. A Video slide show is also available below in the form of a YouTube video.                    Below is a video slide show of all the above photographs. Click the YouTube logo to view at full size. |
Tuesday 27 August |
| Latest New 1/43 Hatchette Models Arriving This Week |
Yardley Wood Bus Club has advised that the latest batch of 1/43 scale bus & coach models from the Hatchette Buses of the World partworks will be released later this week. YWBC will be processing their orders this coming weekend.     A full list of the latest models can be found below in my 4th August news posting. |
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Tuesday 27 August |
| Confirmed UK Northcord Model Release |
The following model has now been released in the UK and should be available from retailers this week. ukbus 6517 Plain White ckd kit - ADL Enviro400 MMC Double Deck Bus |
Tuesday 6 August |
| Northcord Models Press Release For UKBUS6515 |
| Northcord Models has issued the following press release. ukbus 6515 Metroline Northcord Model Company is pleased to announce the release of ukbus 6515, the fourth release of the 10.3 metre, 2-door casting of this distinctive, modern, double-decker in the United Kingdom. The fourth livery to be carried on the brand-new Alexander Dennis Enviro400H MMC model, is Metroline, produced in standard London red livery. ukbus 6515 represents fleet number TEH2087 (LK15 CUH) that has 10.3 metre, dual-door bodywork and was new to Metroline in 2015. Metroline has a fleet of 8 units of such Alexander Dennis Envoro400 MMC Hybrids. TEH2087 has a Euro6 hybrid driveline and forms the last bus in the batch for Metroline. The model carries the roof fleet number MTG TEH2087.  This bus is based at Metroline’s Cricklewood Garage where it operates on busy route 332 which runs between Paddington and Brent Park Tesco. The Alexander Dennis Enviro400H MMC ukbus 6515 is a one-piece casting whose clean lines accentuate the square-cornered, patented quick-release windows of the real bus and the livery application on which all logos and lettering are clearly legible. Another main feature on the ukbus 6515 model is its dual individual tree protectors at the front. The front dome on the model is significant, with curved windscreens on both upper deck and lower deck. Northcord Model Company is also creating new design standards within the interior of both saloons. These features, inside the compartments, will represent the real, outstanding layout of the Enviro400H MMC, such as the additional ventilation equipment on the upper deck ceiling, and the extensive portrayal of handrails on upper deck and lower deck, etc. Further additional detail carried by the model include the special sunlight protection shade on the top of the front upper and lower windscreens.
The brand new Enviro400H MMC bus models will be distributed by John Ayrey Die-Casts Limited (UK), Porte Publishing Company (Japan), 80M Bus Model Shop and Concorde Hobby Shop (HK) respectively. The UKBUS6515 model is limited to 1008 pieces worldwide. |
Sunday 4 August | ||||||||||||||
| More 1/43 Hatchette Bus & Coach Models | ||||||||||||||
| Yardley Wood Bus Club have advised that wholsaler John Ayrey Diecasts has secured further stock of various bus & coach models from the Hatchette Buses of the World Collection. The latest batch, expected later this week, includes a number of restock item & new models HC71-80 which have not previously been available in the UK. Yardley Wood Bus Club will again be stocking these & all are priced £15.00 each plus P&P.
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