The Gerry Brown Pages
INTERACTIVE INTERVIEW 3
COLIN
HILL OF SUN STAR (30th April 2004)
Gerry wrote: "We put our readers' questions to Colin Hill, the man behind the forthcoming 1:24 scale Routemaster coming from Sun Star. I would like to thank Colin for taking time out from his busy pre-launch schedule to take part in this interactive interview."
WHY NOT
1:18 SCALE
How did Sunstar decide on the scale for the Routemaster? The natural
partner in their existing range is the London Taxi which is 1/18
scale and would make the bus look a bit small alongside it.
Mike Harvey,
Redditch (well someone has to live there!)
We consider the Routemaster model to be very much a Super-model,
outside of our standard range, a bit like ‘Last Emperor of China’
car we did at the beginning of this year. Also, in 1:18 scale, it
would have been it would have been over 18 inches long and nearly 10
inches tall. Collectors would not have had the room to display more
than one model like that. At 1:24, we believe that it is big enough
to impress, but small enough to collect a few of the ones that
really interest each collector.
A
MOVE AMONGST COLLECTORS
I can well understand your wanting to make a statement about the
Routemaster in this its 50th year (and I must say the model looks
excellent in the pre-production publicity). However, do you really
foresee a move amongst collectors in
UK to this gigantic scale of 1:24? I have to admit that, much as I
admire what I have seen of the model, price and space would preclude
me from buying many models in this scale.
Andy McClelland, Ripley,
Surrey
I
agree with you that collectors would not have the space or the money
to start collecting buses in 1:24. Amassing a complete, or a
selected, collection can be very satisfying, but we felt that,
because there are so many models coming out every month, some
collectors may be pleased to buy one or two very special, large
models rather than just numerous small ones. The Routemaster is such
an exceptional vehicle, with a number of very interesting and
well-known decorations and variations. With a very limited number of
models, we can trace the history of this magnificent vehicle and we
believe that some collectors will want to collect a number of their
own favourite versions.
TEN YEARS TIME
Where do you see the range of
1:24 scale buses being in, say, 10 years time?
Dave Smith, Cheadle
At this moment, we do not plan to make a range of
1:24 scale buses. We see this very much as a Super-model with a
number of interesting liveries, but probably a one-off. However, if
collectors tell us they want more, we will listen very carefully.
However, in my mind, there is no obvious successor to the
Routemaster which would offer so many interesting and unique
versions/liveries. Perhaps, I am wrong, let me know what you think
should be a second 1:24
model!!
NEW CASTINGS
Do you plan to introduce other large-scale bus castings and if so on
what sort of a time scale are we likely to see new castings?
Dean Davies,
London
If the collector wants more, we will make more, but as I said to
Dave Smith and Andy McClelland, we are not sure that collectors want
to collect a complete range of
1:24 buses because of space and money. What would you like us to
make?
1:76
CARS
Since the majority of diecast buses available to collectors in the
UK are in 1:76 scale, do Sun Star plan on entering that sector of
the market in the future either with buses or other road vehicles?
The 1:76 market is at present poorly served for cars for instance
and we have to accept vehicles of a different scale or use kits for
layouts. 1:76 cars would also be attractive to model railway
enthusiasts in the UK who have the same problem as bus collectors.
Donald Grant, Penicuik,
Midlothian
Diecast car models in 1:76 present a number of problems. Because of
the nature of the material,it is difficult to make thin parts such
as A pillars, so these would be out of scale.1:76 and 1:87 diecast
models already exist in the but I think that they would not satisfy
the UK collector who demands high quality and accuracy to scale.
POSTING THE BUS
As an armchair purchaser, I am sitting on the fence with this one,
Colin! My biggest concern is the ability of a model constructed from
so many parts to survive the trauma of travelling by Royal Mail. Are
you able to offer any reassurance for me, and for what may be a
large number of potential purchasers who may baulk at the thought of
a 'take-away' from their high street model shop!?
Dean, Stockwell
Dean, that is a very interesting question but one that we deal with
on a regular basis. In order to guarantee quality, we have to
rigorously test every product before we put it into production to
make sure that it will travel without breaking. In these transit and
drop tests, we pack the models as normal and simulate the journey
that they must take by putting them on tables that shake
continuously for several days. We also drop the cartons on all four
sides and on the corners, and then drop them down a set of stairs.
If they fail, we change the design of the box or the model. The
Routemaster will weigh over 5 lbs, so we have had to make sure that
it does not fall apart, or get damaged. The packaging will be an
Expanded Polystyrene box inside a closed, fluted cardboard box. It
will travel, I promise, even through the Royal Mail. I have already
sent samples to photographers, and to distributors around the world.
No complaints.
IMPROVEMENTS MADE
In respect of the early pre-production model that has been
publicised, it has been said that Sun Star are paying particular
attention to body-joints, photo etched grills, fonts on
advertisements. Are you able to offer us an update as to the
improvements that have been made: the gaps in the casting are of
particular concern, as are the thickness of the grab-handles on the
rear platform and the colour of the dash-board?
Ian Smith, Croydon
Colin Hill : The earlier model was a first-shot, i.e. the first time
the moulds were used. It is quite normal for fits to be poor at
first, but the moulds are then modified to correct the fit. You can
see the improvement on the new photos. The fit is much better, but
we improve it further. The correct photo-etch grills have been
fitted, the fonts on the ads have been changed, and the cab colour
has been corrected. We have thinned down the main, vertical hand
pole, but the smaller grab handles cannot be reduced any more
because of the nature of the material.
However, I am sure that you will agree that the model is much
improved. The colour of the wheels is not yet right, the surround to
the platform is missing, the catch by the near-side driver’s window
should be red, not chrome, the grab handle over the bonnet should be
chromed, we still need to ‘tweek’ the legal wording a little but
these problems are all being worked on.
PROVINCIAL LIVERIES
Given there are quite a number of releases for the Sun Star RM in
different guises, do you have any plans to offer the vehicle in
'Provincial' liveries at any stage in the future?
Dave,
Brighton
Will Sunstar produce any Routemasters in provincial liveries?
Melvyn
We do not have any plans for provincial liveries at this moment. We
want to keep the number of liveries to a manageable number, so that
collectors are not overwhelmed or turned off by too many at once. We
will bring out a new version/livery about every 3 months. If enough
collectors want provincial liveries, we will do them, but I think
that we already have a very exciting and compact range of
London
liveries. Time will tell.
DISPLAY CABINETS
Are you able to offer any suggestions as to where a ready-made
show-case to fit this fine model might be obtained? It won't fit in
my current display cabinets!!
John Burton,
London
E17
I
am sorry, I cannot help on this one. There are a number of very good
display cabinet companies, but they have not yet seen our model.
Perhaps, when it comes out, they will start to make a special
cabinet for our Routemaster.
WHY SUCH A LARGE SCALE
What prompted Sun Star to invest in the development and production a
model such as this in such a large 1:24 scale?
Tony, Surrey
We felt that the UK bus collector was ready for a large scale,
highly detailed model, as opposed to a large number of small scale
models. The RM was the obvious choice, and this was the obvious time
to start.
SCOTTISH LIVERIES
I would like to ask Colin whether there are plans to produce
Routemasters from other operators, particularly in Scotland like
Kelvin and Clydeside
Mark Budd
As I said to Dave and to Melvyn about provincial liveries, we do not
have any non-London liveries in our plan at the moment. However, if
there is sufficient demand, we will make them later.
RMC CASTING
There has been an insistent suggestion around and about that Sun
Star are already tooled up to produce the RMC variant of the RM at
1:24. If this is so, when might we anticipate
seeing it introduced to the range?
John Weir,
Leeds
I
cannot confirm this rumour at this moment. There is nothing planned
for this year. Do you think that it would be a good model? What
liveries or versions should we make? I’d be interested to hear your
thoughts.
RT CASTING
Will Sunstar ever produce a 1/24th
AEC RT D/D bus, as I would think, this is on most wish lists?
Melvyn
The honest answer at the moment is , I don’t know. It will all
depend on the number of variants and liveries that we could do,
because we would have to recover our tooling costs. Which ones would
you like to see?
CONTINENTAL CASTINGS
Will there be more 1:24 PSV models if the RM has a reasonable
commercial success and what might be a suitable follow-up? Would
these models be firmly based on British prototypes or could we also
see e.g. a Renault TN4 Parisian bus or a Büssing Berlin double
decker?
Georg Hämel, Germany
Solido certainly had a lot of success with the TN4 but that was Very
much a toy. I hear that the Minichamps Büssing might be sold out in
the UK.We should like to do a European bus, but I am not sure that
1:24 is the right scale, because of the price. Buses tend to be
extremely national, French buses in France, British in UK etc. The
UK bus market is much bigger than others, and collectors are
prepared to pay for a large model bus. Elsewhere,1:43 seems to be
the scale.
1:43 SCALE ROUTEMASTER
Sun Star offers a quite good model of the current LTI taxi in
large 1:18 scale and in the smaller 1:43 scale. Can we also hope for
a 1:43 scale RM built to the standards of the big model? It would
perfectly fit the series of British cars produced under the "Vitesse"
label in 1:43.
Georg Hämel, Germany
As I have said in answer to your other e-mail, I think that 1:43 is
much more suited to continental Europe for European buses. There are
already enough scales in the UK bus market without starting to do
1:43 as well.
NEW CASTINGS IN
MIND
Do you have plans for any other 1:24 buses? If so are you free to
tell us what possible castings you may have in mind?
Eck
Not at this moment. We want to see the reaction to the RM first.