# Revell Routemaster Bus



## miniature sun

Not strictly a car model but I figure this belongs here....










Not my usual genre either but I have a soft spot for the Routemaster having used them daily for several years when I lived in London about 25 years ago.

The Revell kit is a beast in a huge box and features some very fine detail...the box is crammed with parts!










I'll post updates as I go.....:thumbsup:


----------



## 71 Charger 500

That thing would make a great car hauler!


----------



## SteveR

Wow. I would love one of those.


----------



## Zombie_61

It would be great if it came with all (or some) of the driver/passenger figures as seen in the box art.


----------



## scottnkat

Ah, I'm jealous!  There's a kit I'd love but it's just too rich for me. 

I'll be watching this every step of the way!!


----------



## miniature sun

Zombie_61 said:


> It would be great if it came with all (or some) of the driver/passenger figures as seen in the box art.


Yes, sadly it comes with no figures and there are precious few suitable ones out there.
Even just a driver and conductor would have been nice


----------



## CorvairJim

scottnkat said:


> Ah, I'm jealous!  There's a kit I'd love but it's just too rich for me.
> 
> I'll be watching this every step of the way!!


Yeah, what Scott said... that and the fact that I wouldn't have a place to display this behemoth once it's finished!


----------



## Xenodyssey

Those photos make me envious. It looks like a great model to build.

I guess either 1.24 scale mechanic figures or G scale railway figures would be the best way to populate it. But I've just looked at some of the listing for the G scale figures and they can be pretty expensive!

Like these. http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/lgb/lgb52443.htm


----------



## scotpens

Looks like a fun build.



CorvairJim said:


> Yeah, what Scott said... that and the fact that I wouldn't have a place to display this behemoth once it's finished!


The classic London Transport double-decker was 30 feet long. In 1/24 scale, that comes to 15 inches. That’s really not a whole lot of shelf space.

Here’s everything you wanted to know about the Routemaster bus. I was surprised to learn that it had unitized construction with the engine, driveline and suspension carried on front and rear subframes — unusual for passenger cars at the time, and practically unheard of for a large commercial vehicle.

I think this calls for a bit of Flanders and Swann.


----------



## miniature sun

Here's the main chassis built...only a few parts here but it ends up looking quite complex...










Some nice detail moulded in...










This gives an idea of the size...










Now on with the engine...


----------



## Steve244

What is the evil looking case amidships? It looks rather Whovian.


----------



## CorvairJim

scotpens said:


> The classic London Transport double-decker was 30 feet long. In 1/24 scale, that comes to 15 inches. That’s really not a whole lot of shelf space.


While it's true that 15" isn't much space when a model is displayed side-on, I display mine at an angle facing out. That same 15" takes the space of 4 to 5 of my usual car models. Sure, I could still display 2 cars beside the bus, but that would obscure quite a bit of it. Then there's the matter of height. If that thing goes 15" long, it has to be at least 6" high. My shelves are only 6" apart! That makes for a very tight fit. I'll be keeping one of these in mind for when I can afford one (not likely, given the state of the economy!). It could share a shelf with the car carrier that I've had in the works for several years. That one will run a good bit longer than 15" by the time I get done with it! The car carrier will actually clear up a bit of space on the shelves by allowing me to display possibly as many as 10 of my models on it.


----------



## miniature sun

Got all the engine parts cleaned up and primed in Matt Black ready for the metallic finish...more pics of this later tonight....










A good tip for getting a realistic rust appearance on exhaust manifolds is to use baking powder...simply paint the part in liquid cement and dip in the powder...










several applications later it looks like this ready for painting...










More pics later.....


----------



## miniature sun

Engine built and ready to install. 










The finish was achieved by undercoating all the parts with Matt Black acrylic auto spray. After 24 hours the parts were drybrushed first with Humbrol 56 Aluminium followed by 11 Silver.
Then the parts were assembled and individual areas picked out in various metallic shades.
Here's a shot in natural light which shows the true colours...










Other side...










The exhaust manifold was painted red-brown then drybrushed with 62 Matt Leather.
The decal supplied for the fuel cock was carefully cut out of the sheet but I chose not to soak it but left it on the backing paper and glued it in place using CA glue to better replicate the thin metal plate on the real engine...










Next up is the driver's cab....


----------



## roadskare63

OH HOW I WANT ONE!!!!! wow what a cool model...have loved the london double deckers since i was a little kid...have them in matchbox, 1:64 and 1:50 scales...now this will be the next one i need to find...


that engine looks great....and as for displaying it...my wife and i will be at odds, as i would have no problem boxing up all her nick-nacks in the china cabinaet and putting the bus in it ALL by herself:lol::lol::lol:

keep us up on the thread for progress i can't wait to see your version completed miniature sun!!

cheers, 
carl


----------



## miniature sun

Picked this up yesterday as a companion to the Routemaster....



















Great boxart again...the kit is fairly well detailed with an engine and a basic interior. The decals are first rate as you'd expect.
I believe the moulds originated in Japan (either Imai or LS) but the overall detail is good with chrome parts too.
Plenty of scope for extra detail in the cab, luggage etc.

More bus coming up...:thumbsup:


----------



## swflyboy

The engine in the taxicab is rather basic, IMO. It's still a good kit though.


----------



## SteveR

I love the decal-on-card idea. It really "sells" the scale!


----------



## Rotwang

Saw the Routemaster kit at my local Hobby Town. I think it was $100.00.


----------



## miniature sun

Finished the driver's cab interior last night, plenty of detail in there although being largely black the pictures don't really do it justice....


----------



## miniature sun

Making progress with some of the interior parts....the fit of parts is excellent so the whole build has become a monumental exercise in masking and painting.
The grey primer floor on the left has received the first of two coats of Humbrol Slate Grey which will be weathered before I paint in the walkway in browns.










Contrast between the interior and exterior reds....all are auto acrylic spray cans...
Interior is Citroen Venetian Red over red primer.
Exterior is Audi Bright Red, again over red primer.
Cream is Ford Ivory White over white primer










The masking for the kickplates on the stairs took me nearly two hours!










A lot of fiddly masking here. Base colour is Citroen Venetian Red sprayed over red primer.
Silver is Games Workshop (Citadel) Chainmail










Some sharp masking required here...for this I used narrow Tamiya tape for the edge with the larger areas covered in conventional low tack masking tape.
Now just need to weather the grey floor and finally paint the walkway.


----------



## Ductapeforever

Your build is Bloody Wicked! Truely Fab!


----------



## scottnkat

looking absolutely fabulous!


----------



## kenlee

Rotwang said:


> Saw the Routemaster kit at my local Hobby Town. I think it was $100.00.


If you have a Hobby Lobby nearby, check them. Currently in their online ad there is a 40% off coupon that you can print and use in store until the 24th of this month.


----------



## miniature sun

Glad you're enjoying this....

After what seems like weeks of mask,paint,mask,paint, I finally got to assemble something!










Engine looks good in place...










Still a bit of work to do here but coming together nicely...










Forgot to paint the tops of the steps over the wheel arches. These will get the same weathering as the floor.
Note the vents picked out in black...










Upper floor...the dark grey base colour was drybrushed with three, gradually lightening greys to achieve a nice worn effect. I've decided to leave the central aisle in the same shade...










Vents picked out in Matt Black...very effective. To do this make sure the Aluminium is totally dry (several days) then paint the top face with Humbrol 33 Matt Black enamel. Leave ten minutes for the paint to touch dry then wrap a piece of dry kitchen towel round your finger and rub back and forth, removing the paint from the top surface but leaving it in the depressions...


----------



## miniature sun

Stair assembly, note the timetable in it's case above the luggage rack.










Painted the edge yellow as I remember them looking. I was astounded at how well the parts fit together here....










I painted the yellow edge of the stair treads prior to fitting and now I'm not sure that the edges against the bodywork shouldn't be left grey...










More soon :wave:


----------



## Nova Mike

What a beautiful start, I am so enjoying this build thanks for sharing.:thumbsup:


----------



## miniature sun

Much appreciated Mike:thumbsup:


----------



## scottnkat

this is turning out beautiful - thank you for sharing it


----------



## swflyboy

Darn man, that bus looks awesome, nice job


----------



## DOM-19

Uk, fantastic job really prof. Looking & realy clean looking --dom


----------



## sliuman

Minature Sun,

Watching this build intently ... you're doing a very nice job 

The drybrushing on the decking is really nice, but I seem to remember them being a dirty wood colour, but that may be just my childhood speaking. Trouble is I haven't found too much reference out there for the decking. I have the kit but Revell colours are hard to find in Hong Kong...

However, it wasn't until this model became available that I realised just how iconic Routemasters were.

Ah, the days on the 279, 259 and 149 from Edmonton to Seven Sisters, and the 102 to Chingford!


----------



## miniature sun

sliuman said:


> The drybrushing on the decking is really nice, but I seem to remember them being a dirty wood colour, but that may be just my childhood speaking. Trouble is I haven't found too much reference out there for the decking. I have the kit but Revell colours are hard to find in Hong Kong....


Revell quote options of grey, wood colour or the same red as the rexine covered walls...I'm still torn about painting the aisles with a wood finish but I like the grey and I definitely remember them that colour when I travelled on them in the eighties.
There are some pretty close matches to the Revell colours in the Humbrol range but I'm not sure about their availability in HK either...my brother is a HK resident but sadly not a modeller.


----------



## SteveR

Looks great, Ian. Really great. :thumbsup:


----------



## miniature sun

Some more (slow) progress....

More detail added to the platform. The decals really bring things to life here.
Still need to add the handrails...










Platform is largely complete now...










Test fit of the ceiling and upper floor...










There's a bit of a gap between the floor and the top step which I'll have to address. If I was building this again I'd probably leave the top step loose until the floor was installed then trim the tabs on the underside of the step to allow it to slide back to meet the floor...










For those of you unfamiliar with decal softener this is what I use...










Basically a two-part system it requires that the surface to be decalled is smooth and shiny...I used the recommended Revell colour for the seats which gave a nice satin sheen.
Once your decal is wet on the paper and ready to apply, use a soft brush and wet the surface of the model with Micro Set.
Then apply the decal and position as required using the brush to smooth out any creases.
Dab on a tissue to remove any excess water then apply a coat of Micro Sol paying particular attention to any areas which need to conform to shape.
Put aside to dry....you may see the decal crinkle as it drys....THIS IS NORMAL, DON'T TRY TO FLATTEN IT OUT AT THIS STAGE!
After several hours you will find that the decal has shrunk onto the detail leaving an almost painted-on finish....










Some of the decalled seats. These just need a coat of matt varnish to kill the shine. Note how the decals have shrunk down onto the recesses and moulded around the curved edges thanks to the decal softener.

More soon....


----------



## frankenstyrene

Very cool!!!


----------



## scottnkat

yes, Very cool


----------



## sliuman

Some lovely progress there. 

And I won't hold it against your brother if he's not a modeler! Mind you I haven't had time (or the space) to do anything for years!


----------



## CorvairJim

This is a fascinating build. Never having ridden on one of these big guys (I'm on the wrong side of the Atlantic to have much of an oportunity to do that!), I only have your photos to go by, but it certainly looks realistic to me. I'm enjoying watching it come together. You're doing a great job explaining your techniques and your reasons for doing things the way you do. Keep up the great work!


----------



## miniature sun

Thanks for all the positive comments folks:thumbsup:

On an Easter clean up today and whilst burrowing at the back of a cupboard I came across a box containing this...a Heller Paris Bus from about twenty or more years ago that I'd completely forgotten I had! What's more it's 1/24 so will look well against the Routemaster.










A bit dusty and missing a headlight but I'm sure I can solve that....Windscreen is still to be attached....










Lifting off the roof reveals the remaining parts to complete the bus...I can't remember why I stalled at this late stage but it won't take much to finish....










Interior is completely finished minor some placards on the frames between the seats...










View to the front....the end walls and sides of the driver's cab are moulded in clear styrene meaning the windows need simply masking off before painting....










I had the prescence of mind to put all the loose parts and decals into a bag before storing it away....










Just need to relocate the instructions now.....


----------



## scottnkat

Oh, that's cool. It will make a nice companion piece to the Routemaster


----------



## CorvairJim

I think any one of us who's been in this hobby for any length of time has models that, like this one, have stalled out within a few bench-hours of completion. In my case, a certain Hugger Orange 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo SS 454 comes to mind. This 'new' bus looks every bit as good as the Routemaster. I look forward to seeing pics of the two completed buses sitting side by side.


----------



## miniature sun

CorvairJim said:


> I think any one of us who's been in this hobby for any length of time has models that, like this one, have stalled out within a few bench-hours of completion. In my case, a certain Hugger Orange 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo SS 454 comes to mind. This 'new' bus looks every bit as good as the Routemaster. I look forward to seeing pics of the two completed buses sitting side by side.


Well I've certainly got the impetus to finish it now....I've just been hunting down some colourful period French adverts to plaster the rear panels with, just need to shrink them down and print them onto some decal paper...I couldn't have done that twenty years ago so I guess I must have stalled for a reason :thumbsup:


----------



## miniature sun

Picked up this mixed bag of figures for a few quid off eBay...there are 20 in the bag but all multiples of these poses. They look like Chinese knock-offs of standard architectural figures and because of this look like they were sculpted from cheese...I'm guessing the originals were far more finely detailed but then again maybe they looked like this in the first place. Only one seated figure which is a bummer but the same seller is advertising groups of seated figures for the same price.
The woman on the left is unuseable and looks more like a tailors dummy and the seated woman looks like she has flippers instead of feet but the rest have some potential for swapping heads/torsos etc to make some good figures from a bunch of bad ones....










I like this guy as he is and with a little tweaking he should paint up nicely. He looks a little lost in his thoughts like he's contemplating throwing himself under the bus behind....maybe he's just been ditched by his girlfriend upstairs....


----------



## Auroranut

It's coming along nicely so far!!:thumbsup:
I've just picked up one of these kits and plan on modifying it a little.
Multiple Merlins.
I've just gotta figure out how to hide 'em....

Chris.


----------



## CorvairJim

Auroranut said:


> I've just picked up one of these kits and plan on modifying it a little...
> Multiple Merlins.
> I've just gotta figure out how to hide 'em....
> 
> Chris.


Modifying it A LITTLE???


----------



## miniature sun

Finally got round to cleaning up the seat frames. 










It took me over three hours and is possibly the most tedious part of the build.
There are a lot of sprue attachment points to remove followed by mould separation lines around the entire frame.
I find the best solution for seam removal is first a scrape with a well-used almost blunt blade...too sharp and you run the risk of removing too much plastic.
I follow this by polishing the entire frame using very fine (0000 grade) steel wool....this removes any flat spots or slight burrs left by the blade.
You need to take care doing this as too much pressure will break the frame...I only had one do this, easily fixed with some liquid cement.
Just got all the handrails to do now then ready for some more painting.


----------



## miniature sun

One product I use a lot of nowadays is this oil colour from Mig Productions.










I always used to mix my own washes from various oil colours but this one, Starship Filth, is a ready made one ideal for dirtying down engines, wheels and any other area that takes a bit of a hammering.
A small amount mixed with some odourless turpentine into a thin wash works a treat.










The wheels had several coats of Citroen Venetian Red a few weeks ago.
Last night I applied a thin wash of the Starship Filth colour and left it to dry overnight.










The tyres are far too shiny straight out of the box. The one on the right here has been given a good rub over with some fine steel wool which gives a nice used look....I may add some subtle staining and weathering later on using powdered pigments.










The rear wheels with the tyres on....after the wash was dry (and before fitting the tyres) the wheels were drybrushed, first with Revell 331 Satin Crimson, then Humbrol 60 Matt Red and finally a very light touch of Humbrol 132 Orange.
The valves were picked out in Matt Black then tiny amounts of Dark Grey were applied randomly to exposed edges to simulate chipping.
All that's left to do now is apply some matt varnish and they're done....


----------



## scottnkat

that's alot of seat frames!

love the wheels and tires! great job!


----------



## Xenodyssey

I'm going to have to remember the idea of using fine steel wool on shiny model tires. The whole build has been very informative and inspiring to follow. The detailling is very realistic and I'm looking forward to the next installment!


----------



## CorvairJim

One question: Just how filthy can a starship get out there in space???


----------



## miniature sun

Time to bite the bullet and cut out the radiator....I used a marker pen to run around the edge of the aperture as I wanted to leave a slight lip to prevent the radiator frame falling through the gap...










I chain drilled holes and then ran a blade between them...










The cleaned up hole...I ended up just leaving a lip top and bottom...










The mesh came from a frying pan splatter guard that cost me a pound for two! It's probably not quite fine enough but it's the best I've been able to find...










Mesh superglued in place...I may add some spots of epoxy to it to prevent it possibly detaching in the future...


----------



## scottnkat

Oh, nice!! That will make a nice difference!


----------



## pejota

WOW!

This build just went from awesome to whatever is better than awesome!

BRAVO!


----------



## miniature sun

A coat of red paint on the upgraded radiator... the silver trim is next...










A forest of seat frames after spraying with Plastikote Chrome...I was going to use Alclad but my compressor is playing up. The Plastikote is a good second best and, in some ways, probably gives a better scale appearance.
Tomorrow I'll be painting all except the top sections Crimson.


----------



## SteveR

You really make me want this kit, man.


----------



## miniature sun

Disaster strikes....with my airbrush out of action I resorted to buying a spray can of Humbrol Matt Varnish to kill the shine on the seats....BIG MISTAKE!
The seat on the right is before the varnish, the seat on the left is after. 
As you can see it has dried to leave white patches all over...and this affects over half of my seats!










Close up of the damage....the white residue was invisible while the seats were wet. 
I've tried lightly buffing the spots to no effect.
I've now had to contact Revell to see if I can get a replacement decal sheet.
In the meantime I'm going to be contacting Humbrol for an explanation.


----------



## scottnkat

ouch! that's awful! 

In my experience, however, Revell has always been good about replacing anything I needed - I expect you'll have new decals soon.


----------



## Whiteraven_2001

Looks like a reaction between the Humbrol and whatever coats the decals. Talk about a momentum killer.


----------



## CorvairJim

That's terrible! This model has been coming along so well so far. It's a shame to see such a setback, but like Scott said, Revell is good about replacements. I think Humbrol has some explaining to do!


----------



## Ductapeforever

The problem most likely lies with the decal setting solution. If the sealer is a lacquer based spray, you can carefully remove the majority of it using Alcohol sparingly applied with paper towels. If it's Acrylic,....may God help you!


----------



## miniature sun

It was acrylic varnish that I applied but I was careful to wipe down the seats first with some water to remove any excess decal solution that might have dried on the surface....
Anyway, Revell are sending out another decal sheet :thumbsup:


----------



## scottnkat

glad to hear it


----------



## MR1050

About the seats: I actually thought the "ruined" seat was done on purpose because it REALLY looks like real wear and tear on actual vinyl bus seats. But thats just my opinion


----------



## Xenodyssey

I've had a similiar effect with humrol matt finish in the past, One of the reasons I've been reluctant to coat my models in recent years.

That was good of Revell to send out a replacement set of decals, at least it seems to be a fast response by them.


----------



## sliuman

Actually, the real seats use a plush material...but that may be a bit hard to copy! lol.


----------



## Nova Mike

Ian, I have so enjoyed this thread so far I just thought you might like to see some full size units we have here for tourist season, which starts soon. Enjoy
and thanks.

Mike:wave:


----------



## CorvairJim

Mike, those photos really help me envision what the 1:1 Routemater looks like. From what I see, Miniature Sun has nailed everything on his bus. Now I'm even MORE impressed!


----------



## Auroranut

miniature sun said:


> It was acrylic varnish that I applied but I was careful to wipe down the seats first with some water to remove any excess decal solution that might have dried on the surface....
> Anyway, Revell are sending out another decal sheet :thumbsup:


 How long will it take for them to get the sheet to you?
If it's gonna be a while I'm happy to send you my sheet so you can carry on if it's holding you up...
I'm loving this build! I'm almost tempted to build mine stock but it's against my nature...

Chris.


----------



## Steve244

Auroranut said:


> I'm loving this build! I'm almost tempted to build mine stock but it's against my nature...
> 
> Chris.


rusty bus?


----------



## miniature sun

Thanks for the offer of the decals Chris but I'm happy to wait a week or so...I'm currently working on something to get my long-stalled Flying Sub diorama finished.

And Mike, thanks for those photos, they look really great in the line up. The shot of the stairs shows how accurately Revell have captured the real thing....


----------



## miniature sun

Just to say I'm patiently waiting for the decals to arrive and as soon as they do I'll be right back on it! :thumbsup:


----------



## Auroranut

I'm looking forward to seeing more....

Chris.


----------



## Auroranut

Steve244 said:


> rusty bus?


Not quite Steve.
I'll give you a little clue.
12,000hp and 15,000 ft/lb....

Chris.


----------



## CorvairJim

Auroranut said:


> Not quite Steve.
> I'll give you a little clue.
> 12,000hp and 15,000 ft/lb....
> 
> Chris.


That'll give an all-new meaning to "Rapid Transit"! :thumbsup:


----------



## Steve244

heh


----------



## miniature sun

Two large envelopes arrived this morning....










Revell have come up with the goods with not one but two sets of replacement decals....fantastic customer service in fixing a problem that wasn't their fault in the first place...










Now, where was I.......


----------



## SteveR

Good on ya, Revell!


----------



## Auroranut

Excellent!!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
We await further reports....

Chris.


----------



## scottnkat

glad they arrived! looking forward to seeing more!


----------



## scotpens

Auroranut said:


> Steve244 said:
> 
> 
> 
> rusty bus?
> 
> 
> 
> Not quite Steve.
> I'll give you a little clue.
> 12,000hp and 15,000 ft/lb....
Click to expand...

Turbo Bus?

How about a Top Fuel Funny Bus?


----------



## Auroranut

1 more clue then I'll leave it up to you to figure out. I don't want to hijack the thread.
72 cylinders- 144 spark plugs....

Chris.


----------



## CorvairJim

Either 9 Hemis or a WW II bomber's radial engine?


----------



## Auroranut

Close but no cigar Jim...

Chris.


----------



## 71 Charger 500

How about six Allison's ?


----------



## CorvairJim

D'oh! :freak: What ws I thinking??? Of course that would be the way to go with something like this! There's enough room for them if they're linked up closely enough. Merlins would work just as well. Don't forget 4-6 turbochargers per engine, of course! That way you would have no trouble easily exceeding your goal of 12,000 h.p...

(I still think a radial in there would look pretty cool too, though. )


----------



## roadskare63

hey miniature sun,
haven't visited here in a while, and just caught up on all the updates......HOE-LEE-COW!!!!!
all the details you have attended to are simply amazing!!!!!
aside from the seat decal mess, it is looking premo...and so far the wife is steadfast about keeping her nik-naks in my china closet....but i did help her build a shadow box out of old cigar boxes...will have to get a few more done so i (when i finally get MY bus) can have the cabinet:lol::lol::lol:
keep chuggin along...what a beautiful build!!!
cheers,
carl


P.S.
Auroranut...

12,000 hp?...and just what kind of tires will ya use...and how many deep?:lol:
and you wanna bee in the nose of that thing at full throttle???
PFFFT... give me a remote control from up in the blimp!!!!!!!:lol:
really sounds neat tho..keep us updated:thumbsup:


----------



## Auroranut

CorvairJim said:


> D'oh! :freak: What ws I thinking??? Of course that would be the way to go with something like this! There's enough room for them if they're linked up closely enough. Merlins would work just as well. Don't forget 4-6 turbochargers per engine, of course! That way you would have no trouble easily exceeding your goal of 12,000 h.p...
> 
> (I still think a radial in there would look pretty cool too, though. )


We have a winner!! 6 Merlins with nitrous, slanted as in Tommy Ivos Showboat dragster. The engineering's worked out. I just have to find a cheap or part built Trumpeter Spitfire so I have an engine to cast...

Chris.


----------



## Dyonisis

miniature sun said:


> Picked up this mixed bag of figures for a few quid off eBay...there are 20 in the bag but all multiples of these poses. They look like Chinese knock-offs of standard architectural figures and because of this look like they were sculpted from cheese...I'm guessing the originals were far more finely detailed but then again maybe they looked like this in the first place. Only one seated figure which is a bummer but the same seller is advertising groups of seated figures for the same price.
> The woman on the left is unuseable and looks more like a tailors dummy and the seated woman looks like she has flippers instead of feet but the rest have some potential for swapping heads/torsos etc to make some good figures from a bunch of bad ones....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I like this guy as he is and with a little tweaking he should paint up nicely. He looks a little lost in his thoughts like he's contemplating throwing himself under the bus behind....maybe he's just been ditched by his girlfriend upstairs....


 I could've sculpted better figures with my eyes closed!!  

I don't know why I haven't noticed this until now, but I'm glad I did! I haven't been able to spend a lot of time on the forums for all the work I've had to do lately, but I came in since I've had some time tonight. 

Anyway - WOWSERS!!!!! I don't know what to say. I'm flabbergasted by the quality of this build! Truly one that is museum quality. This is why I make, and build models. My brother (who is worthless anyway) thinks that I'm "having a mid-life crisis" and "Like to play with toys" because I build!!  He used to build models when he was a kid - we both did because our dad did. Does this mean we were all having a mid-life crisis then?  Some people just can't be reached..... 

This build just raised the bar - it'll be hard to top. I wonder what I'll build to get everyones' attention now? Thanks ever so much for showing us this wonderful work of art! You are truly an artist with plastic, and paint. 

~ Chris​


----------



## mochnoor

great... Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Xenodyssey

How is the Routemaster going? Haven't seen an update lately. Have the seats been fixed with the new decals yet? Painted the figures?

Thanks!


----------



## Ductapeforever

*Bump*

Yes, how go's the decal replacement?


----------



## Dyonisis

I too, have been waiting patiently for this. I just thought about this the other day. I also thought about it when watching the Mummy 3. I hope that things are going well. 

~ Chris​


----------



## Radiodugger

Hi guys! Doug here. Nice bus! I see Revell DOES make a bus! 1/25 scale, too! Now why in the world won't they make a Prevost? Or how about those old 1960's California school busses made by Gillig & Crown?

Would any of you like to see those in 1/24 or 1/25 scale? I think a 1/25 scale model Prevost Motorhome would be schweeet! Just to give you an idea:

http://media.channelblade.com/EProWebsiteMedia/3544/H3-45 Destin 14507_large.jpg

http://www.privatemotorhomeusa.com/images/MotorhomeInteriorCountryCoach1_1l.jpg

Think that might be hard to do? Didn't mean to hijack this thread, but no one answered my other one.

A very, very nice English bus, here Miniature Sun! 

Doug


----------



## miniature sun

Thanks for the continued interest folks 

It's gradually working it's way back up the to-do pile....just need to face up to re-decalling all those seats!

In the meantime I had a sudden thought that Revell should continue with the classic bus theme and release a 1/24 Greyhound bus....I might email them with the suggestion or maybe speak to them at the Revell stand at Scalemodelworld in November....:thumbsup:


----------



## Xenodyssey

Good to hear. Interesting idea about the Greyhound bus. There would be a lot of possibilities for stories/dioramas with a model that scale.


----------



## CorvairJim

If they would come out with a 1950's Scenicruiser, I'd buy in, even with what it would surely cost. As impressed as I am with the Routemaster, an American bus would fit in a lot better with the subjects I generally build. I can just imagine a behemoth like that as a backdrop to a few of my Corvair models!


----------



## Radiodugger

Well, guys...nothing. I have searched the internet high and low. I would LOVE a 1/25 scale model of this:

http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pix/trucks/mark_redman/2008/12-18/crown.jpg

I wonder how hard it would be to scratch build? Miniature Sun would YOU buy something like this? The Greyhound is a great idea! Heck, if Revell can make that big London Bus, they could run a whole LINE of American city busses from the 50's & 60's in 1/25 scale.

To give you an idea:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/6819249846/

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YtSh8a4ux...k_City_Omnibus_GMC_Old_Look_TDH-5101_2969.jpg

That's the bus Ralph drove on the honeymooners.

The 1960's:

http://imageshack.us/f/171/dart765cm7.jpg/

Miniature Sun, ya got me going! I saw yours and man...the thoughts of what could be.

Oh, well. I'm not going to pursue this much further. Just an idea...

Doug


----------



## scotpens

Radiodugger said:


> . . .I think a 1/25 scale model Prevost Motorhome would be schweeet!


Speaking of bus-like vehicles, I'd love to see someone do a model of a Clark Cortez motorhome. Not exactly sleek or pretty, but the thing was built like a brick you-know-what.


----------



## CorvairJim

Well, since we're adding motorhomes to the bus mix, let me propose my personal favorite, The UltraVan, from Ultra Coach. 
























Manufactured from 1962 through 1974, this has to be the lightest, most efficient Class A motorhome ever available. It featured aluminum monocoque design with fiberglass "End caps" front and back. All-up, it weighed in at just over 3,000 lbs, so it was light enough for a Corvair drivetrain to power it just fine. Later versions, built after the Corvair left production in 1969, had Corvette V-8 power, then the last ones off the line had complete Oldsmobile Toronado 455 powertrains. Those later versions were not only light weight, but FAST!

As Class A motorhomes go, UltraVans aren't super-roomy. For instace, at 6'3"+, I can barely stand up straight. But they can sleep 6 comfortably and still acheive nearly 20 mpg highway... Try that in your Prevost! If someone decided to release an UltraVan kit, I'd buy several and go into business building replicas of specific 1:1 versions for their current owners, who are very entusiastic about their "Whales". There is not only a dedicated UltraVan owner's club, but also a chapter of CORSA (the Corvair Society of America) for owners of these unique vehicles.


----------



## scotpens

CorvairJim said:


> As Class A motorhomes go, UltraVans aren't super-roomy. For instance, at 6'3"+, I can barely stand up straight. But they can sleep 6 comfortably and still achieve nearly 20 mpg highway...


Well, it looks like it has good aerodynamics. But those six people had better be _really_ close friends!


----------



## Zombie_61

I'd rather have a 1/25 scale model of a 1986 Winnebago Chieftain 33 so's I could turn it into this:


----------



## AcesNEights

WOW,this is a really great looking build.Can't wait to see more progress on it.


----------



## Radiodugger

Yes! Any progress?

Doug


----------

