Model Bus Journal No.426, October 2006

In This Month's Model Bus Journal.....

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Cover Photo - Product News: The OOC London RTW has been long awaited, and finally appeared in early-September. The finish of the model and the colourful adverts are superb, but some early feedback from London suggests that the upper deck shape is not quite right. When buying, check the model carefully to ensure the indicator 'ears' have not come adrift. Photo by David Cole Cover Photo - New additions to 'Premier Travel': Clive Newble's Premier Travel Fleet has gained three of these attractive LBC Bridgemasters, completed by David Napier. Photo by Clive Newble New additions to 'Premier Travel': Clive Newble's fictional 'Premier Travel' fleet is set in the area once served by Samual Ledgard, to the west and north of Leeds. The models carry a livery based on that used by OK Motor Services. A variety of models has recently been completed by David Napier for the fleet and, seen here, is one of a batch of three Olympians with Northern Counties bodies, built from the first version of the Mirror Image Models kit. Photo by Clive Newble New additions to 'Premier Travel': In contrast, a Dennis Loline with Alexander bodywork is seen here. Photo by Clive Newble
New additions to 'Premier Travel': A rather nice, well-proportioned Plaxton Highway, as used by the real OK Motor Services, on which the 'Premier Travel' livery is based. Photo by Clive Newble Model Memories: A Bedford OWB (RTC kit) in the livery of Vaggs of Knockin Heath, near Oswestry. It was a fascinating fleet and would have interested me anyway, but an uncle lived in the area for some years (he called them 'owd Vaggy'). I've had the model part-built for years, and finally finished it off for Whitton this year. Actually it still needs a windscreen wiper, and the vents in the panels either side the destination box. I don't fit mirrors as they are too fragile, but perhaps I ought to upgrade my travelling packaging, one day….. Text by Mark Hughes, Photo by David Cole Model Memories: I have three Bristol models in the livery of Green Bus of Rugeley, in the style used from about the mid-'60s. Green Bus must have liked LSs and Lodekkas as they had several, and the Anbrico RE (above) and Pirate MkII VRT (next image) are what might have followed. Text by Mark Hughes, Photo by David Cole Model Memories: The Pirate MkII VRT (and the Anbrico RE) depict second-hand vehicles and carry the subsequent stripey livery, rather than the 'new' purchases with Staffordshire registrations. Looking at my own photo of the VRT, I see the models are at least 30 years old - quite an unnerving thought! Text by Mark Hughes, Photo by David Cole
The Models of John Jefferys: A Birch Bros double-deck Willowbrook-bodied Inter-urban coach. Photo by David Cole The Models of John Jefferys: Also seen at a recent MBF West Midlands Area meeting was this Greenline 9T9. Photo by David Cole Product News - Little Bus Company: The Bedford OWB / Duple UB32F (Utility) bus. Photo by David Cole Product News - Little Bus Company: AEC Regal/Burlingham - the master was built for LBC by Neil Mortson. Photo by David Cole
Product News - TiNY: Park Royal Utility trolleybus - model by Keith Turner. Photo by David Cole Product News - Buskits: Salford Leyland PD1 / MCW 'Duchy Rocket' pre-production prototype. Photo by David Cole Write to Reply: Ken Croston recently converted an OOC 'Queen Mary' to a Wigan PD3. I brush painted the maroon onto grey primer and I simply used Humbrol colour number 20. It's on the route I used regularly. I was always intrigued about the location of Abbey Lakes but I always got off in the town centre. The result looks the part and matches almost exactly with the colour of the EFE models. I'm still hoping for some transfers. Text by Ken Croston, Photo by David Cole Area News - South Wales (by Area Secretary, Gordon Braithwaite): The July meeting in Abergavenny saw a record attendance for one of our Tuesday evening events with 18 members present, including Brian Minter, who had ventured away from his normal haunts around London. I was particularly taken with Brian's model of a 1931 Dennis open-sided toast-rack charabanc which, when I can get hold of the plan, will be high on my list for future projects. Photo by Gordon Braithwaite
Area News - Cheshire and Potteries: A Devon General Guy Arab Mk2 keeps company with two 'National' vehicles, a Southern Bristol SU and a Western Leyland PD1 on Robin Hannay's West Country layout. Photo by David Cole Area News - Cheshire and Potteries: On Bill Jackson's model of Leek Bus Station in 1965, a PMT AEC Reliance departs, passing two Berresford vehicles, an ex-St. Helens RT look-alike and an ex-Lancashire United Leyland PD1. It must be 1965 since this was the only year all three vehicles could have been seen together. The grey-haired photographer on the left looks very familiar- is it Bill himself? Photo by David Cole Write to Reply: A 2005 acquisition from Bob Lovegrove's 'Midland Counties' fleet is a 1985 Dennis Lancet/Plaxton Paramount 3200. I removed the brass sides from this Pirate kit in order to repair and modify the interior. It was then re-assembled and repainted for the 'Black & White' division of my fictional 'Provincial' company, in a style similar to the original Black & White Motorways livery, had they still been operational today, complete with mid-blue seats and white antimacassars. Text by Andy Peckham, Photo by David Cole 'In the Picture': Arundel, Sussex is the setting for this month's 'In the Picture', by Charles Gibbs, showing a Southdown utility Guy (OOC) squeezing through the narrow streets followed by a Park Royal (or possibly Beadle) bodied Leyland PD2. Let's hope that the driver of the Guy has scotched one of the wheels before he left it parked in the town's hilly streets. Photo by David Cole
 
Editorial

Many of you will be reading this Journal at, or immediately after the AGM, the annual opportunity for members across the country to get together and see some of the best in bus modelling. It is also the time to see some of the latest offerings from the kit manufacturers in our midst. LBC, PSG, Mirror Image, Buskits, TiNY, Lancer and Paragon, amongst others, all have exciting projects underway, some of which are seen in this month's Product News.

David Cole, Editor, Model Bus Journal


So, in another feature- packed 28-page issue, this month's highlights are….

  • Twenty Years of Deregulation
    by David Cole

  • New additions to 'Premier Travel'
    by Clive Newble

  • In Detail Extra - Alexander N-type
    a photo-feature

  • Ken Johnson's Memorable Models No.41 - Matchbox Toys No.5 London double-deck bus
    with a selection of Ken's Matchbox Toys

  • .....and Model Memories from Mark Hughes
    a photo-feature

  • The Blackpool Road - Part 3, by John Gibson
    .....illustrated by John's superb sketches of the scene
    .....and Coaches of 'The Blackpool Road' era, modelled by MBF North East Area

  • Plan of the Month (and Tribute to the MBF publication 'Model Bus Construction Using Plastic') by John Cupis
    Thames Valley rebuilt Leyland TD1 (enclosed staircase) in 4mm : 1 foot scale

  • The Models of John Jefferys
    as seen at a recent MBF West Midlands Area meeting - a photo-feature

  • Product News from TiNY
    a Product News Special

  • In Detail - Utility trolleybuses at Sandtoft
    a photo-feature

  • Livery Focus: Middlesborough, Stockton, Teeside, and Cleveland Transit by Brian Minter
    with Teeside Buses in Colour by courtesy of Photobus - a photo-feature

  • Plan of the Month Extra - New Atlanteans for London (in 4mm : 1 foot scale)
    by Brian Minter

  • Book Review by David Cole
    'London Buses around Kent' by Roy Hobbs
    (Ian Allan, ISBN 0-7110-3112-6)

  • More models from MBF Cheshire & Potteries Area
    a photo-feature

  • Andy Peckham's latest models (Write to Reply)
    a photo-feature

  • 'In The Picture'
    by Charles Gibbs

  • John Booth reviews
    Product News (UK)

Plus Your News and Views, and Member Services



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Unless otherwise stated, Text and Captions by David Cole, Editor, Model Bus Journal