Starting with a 20p toy!

Hi Peter

Its an air line for a fish tank - sliced into sections and painted black

Cheers

Jim

Well done that fish tank. :thumbs

Hi All

fitting in nicely with the original title of this thread, I went to expo EM yesterday and picked up this…



…from the ABS stand.  There are quite a few differences between the Mk1 and Mk2 types and not all focused around the front but then the ABS front is a nice 1 piece casting.  I wonder if I can persuade them to sell it on its own?

Its a nice kit and goes together really well (I soldered this one but you could super glue it) The only real downside is (IMHO) its way too expensive!

Cheers

Jim

Hi All

Are die-cast models painted using a dunking method?  Compare the 2 minis below



The actual casting is qite good featuring some relatively fine detail work and yet out of the factory its completely obliterated by the paint!  The white XR3i from oxford suffers the same problem while the silver one has a much thinner coat of paint.

Cheers

Jim

Hi All

Just a quick note that in a fairly last minute change I will be at DEMU showcase next week demoing road vehicles.

For more info see demu



Please stop for a chat if you are coming along.

Cheers

Jim

Sorry I can't be there, Jim, but good to see those vans above.
Quite impressive lined up.

I'll be there!  :doublethumb:Happy

Hi All

A few more things on the bench, first up sticking with the minis



No modifications to the white one other than stripping it and repainting it with thin paint!  Plus a spot of weathering of course.



This one isnt ever going to win any beauty contests but given my thoughts when I first opened the packet I am quite pleased with how its turning out.



The mk2 bread van, painted and weathered and finally…



Anyone remember Associated Deliveries Limited?

Cheers

Jim

Always interested to see your mod cons, Jim.

Hi All

Currently OMWB is this



A MCW metrobus from the pirate kit.  (I know theres an OOC one but apparently the front is all wrong!)  

I want this one stopped thus I have removed the doors, I will etch the hopper windows along with the back window.  Its currently sized as per the Mk2 version while the Mk1 was smaller (although some mk1's were modified)

Cheers

Jim

I know almost nothing of buses Jim - we don't have them here - but it looks like a nice model.

Have you had to do much cleaning up to get it to this stage ?

Not really Peter

What do you mean you dont have buses?

Cheers

Jim

Exactly that Jim.  I am referring to "service buses" rather than buses in general.  There are a few service buses in the big cities - Bordeaux etc. (although even in Bordeaux, most have been replaced by trams) but none at all in our rural areas or the smaller towns.

The only buses we see are the odd tour coaches some of which double as school buses but we never see a "Number 6" type of service bus and definitely no double deckers.

They used to be heavily subsidised in country areas and, when the Government wanted to drop the expensive subsidy, the operators were forced to withdraw the services.

To compensate, a new type of motor car was introduced that doesn't require the driver to hold a driving licence - "voitures sans permit" (cars with no driving licence).  They are small - about the size of the old East European Trabant - run on a 2 stroke engine and have a limited top speed.  Not sure what that is but, having followed plenty of them, I'd guess around 40 kmph.  We call them "lawnmowers".

It's strange really.  In UK, every town or city (and country area) has it's fair share of buses and they're a part of everyday life.  The lack of them here was initially very odd - almost as if they hadn't finished populating the area. "Catching the bus" just isn't an option at all.

Jim,
     While catching up on this thread,something occured to me,and this applies to almost ALL of us.
Model cars,trains and busses,not only without passengers,but without drivers!!
      How many of us have traffic (road AND rail)buzzing about on our layouts without ANY occupants at all? OK,some cars may be parked up,and you could argue that some busses and trains could be running empty,but if they are out on the road,or trains that are moving about,then we should include drivers at least.
     There's also the other extreme on some layouts where a small branchline has more passengers on the platform than Euston!!
:hmm
    Problem is though,if the manufacturer of an N gauge car hasn't added a driver,its a swine of a job to put one in after!

Cheers,John.B.:thumbs

I agree John.  "People" is what our genre of modelling is about - no people = no trains (or buses & cars ) !!

The thought of making "N" gauge eyelashes reminds me why I never moved from "OO" ………:cheers

Hi John

Can you tell though?  All of my finished vehicles have people on board but do you notice them?  (admittedly a lot of stuff shown here isn't finished)

Cheers

Jim

"Can you tell though?"

Nope, can't see any recently.

Hi all

More work on metrobuses. This time an abs (ex mbc) mk2.  This one came with the full width hopper windows which research shows were less common so they will be replaced.



Cheers

Jim

Hi all

As a distraction from layout building (see my layout thread) I have been working on these 4



Spot the difference!  2 of them have been assembled as the kit comes while the other 2 have had the doors carefully cut out and remounted to represent the sliding type as used by the post office

Cheers

Jim

No, I can't see the difference.
Look like interesting models though.