Who Offers A 1/25 Bus?

[Jet A-1]

I never see any modelers building buses. With all the fine looking MCI and Prevost buses (among others) on the roads you'd think that there would be at least resin kits of these things. I'd love to build a 1/25 scale bus, even if it was a school bus. Anyone know of a bus kit in any scale?

Jeff

[hct728(Bob)]

http://www.freewebs.com/rmrresin/

offers the only current school bus kits, and I've heard they're very good

http://www.miniaturasdeonibus.com.br/

Leonardo from Brazil had some 1/25 buses, not sure if they're still available. Scales currently listed are 1/22 and 1/32

[crispy]

Looks like Revel of Germany will be offering a 1/24 bus:

http://www.modellversium.de/kit/artikel.php?id=3050

It's a start!

Chris

[Jet A-1]

I wish someone would offer a 1/25 MCI MC-7 or 8 or a newer D or E series coach. Although those old buses offered by RMR Resin are cool, I'd really like to see a modern motorcoach. I'd even consider casting my own if I could engineer a master! I guess RG's is a start.

[hct728(Bob)]

Engineer a master? Don't make it look so hard - just get some sheet styrene and start cutting!

My GMC Fishbowl, school bus & armoured truck, all from scratch, although the further away you are, the better they look...

Some shots of the bus building process are in my album

Fishbowl Bus

Seriously, some of the newer coaches have slab sides with fewer details that might not be too difficult to cut from .040 sheet plastic. Underbody details are hard to find and most buses are monocoque so there is no frame like a truck has, just subframes front & back. There are a few scratchbuilt buses on the net, here's an excellent one with a lot of detail built by Patrick Rogoski

He has his own web page, perhaps a Google search will lead to it...

[Aaronw]

Engineer a master? Don't make it look so hard - just get some sheet styrene and start cutting!

My GMC Fishbowl, school bus & armoured truck, all from scratch, although the further away you are, the better they look...

Some shots of the bus building process are in my album

Fishbowl Bus

Seriously, some of the newer coaches have slab sides with fewer details that might not be too difficult to cut from .040 sheet plastic. Underbody details are hard to find and most buses are monocoque so there is no frame like a truck has, just subframes front & back. There are a few scratchbuilt buses on the net, here's an excellent one with a lot of detail built by Patrick Rogoski

He has his own web page, perhaps a Google search will lead to it...

These busses are great, I love that GMC, I grew up riding those around when I was a kid. Any chance you kept your notes for the basic dimensions and such? I'd love to do one as an AC Transit bus from the 70's.

[SpreadAxle]

Love that Fishbowl!! It brings back some memories 4 me as well. They hung around a long time, too. I remember seeing several transit authorities operating them into the 1990's. Nice job you did.

[hct728(Bob)]

Thev Toronto Transit Commission has been rebuilding Fishbowls for years, and is still running over 200 of them while waiting for new Accessible replacements. The oldest still in service dates back to 1981! They also run used GM RTS's that they bought from other cities - strangely, they never bought the new ones, didn't meet their specs. Jackie Cheyenne did a nice RV adaptation of a RTS, posted at the Hobby Heaven Message Board a while back

http://public.fotki.com/MustangGal/model_c...982_gmc_rts_ii/

While I never had a really good autocad-type drawing to build from, I have collected some material that I will put up in my Fotki album.

Bob

[Aaronw]

Thev Toronto Transit Commission has been rebuilding Fishbowls for years, and is still running over 200 of them while waiting for new Accessible replacements. The oldest still in service dates back to 1981! They also run used GM RTS's that they bought from other cities - strangely, they never bought the new ones, didn't meet their specs. Jackie Cheyenne did a nice RV adaptation of a RTS, posted at the Hobby Heaven Message Board a while back

http://public.fotki.com/MustangGal/model_c...982_gmc_rts_ii/

While I never had a really good autocad-type drawing to build from, I have collected some material that I will put up in my Fotki album.

Bob

Thanks, I'd appreciate that. I'll probably be retired before I ever get it started but it would be nice to have the option. I remember when I was a kid I though the Gilligs were way cooler, but now I know they were just plastic boxes, those fishbowls were a real bus.

[gmc5105]

Thev Toronto Transit Commission has been rebuilding Fishbowls for years, and is still running over 200 of them while waiting for new Accessible replacements. The oldest still in service dates back to 1981! They also run used GM RTS's that they bought from other cities - strangely, they never bought the new ones, didn't meet their specs. Jackie Cheyenne did a nice RV adaptation of a RTS, posted at the Hobby Heaven Message Board a while back

http://public.fotki.com/MustangGal/model_c...982_gmc_rts_ii/

While I never had a really good autocad-type drawing to build from, I have collected some material that I will put up in my Fotki album.

Bob

A little history is in oder here. GM built the TDH 5300 series (fishbowls) from 1969 to 1977 in the US. At that point the RTS was introduced. Gm in Canada, known as Detroit Diesel LTD, however continued to build fishbowls into 1983. At this point DD LTD reconfigured the fishbowl giving it a new front end and a new side window treatment and continued to sell them for several more years. DD LTD never produced the RTS. Many American cities bought Canadian fishbowls as they were cheaper and easier to maintain than the RTS.

PS The model designation for GM buses was the first letter stood for the type of service:"T" stood for Transit, "S" for Suburban, or "P" for Palor (over-the-road); The second letter stood for engine type: "D" for diesel, "G" for Gas; the third letter stood for transmission type: "H" for Hydraulic (automatic), "M" for manual shift. and "E" for Electric. The first two number stood for normal seating capacity and the last two denoted the series model. So a TDH 5301 stood for Transit, Diesel, Hydraulic, 53 passenger, first in the series.

[SpreadAxle]

I have a GMC bus question for you. This model was similar to the fishbowl, but the rear window was flat(no curvy shape) and rectangular. The front windsheild was has no curve to the glass("bowl" if you will), but similar shape. It sort of followed the fishbowl windsheild design, but without the bowl shape to the glass. The sides were essentially the same as a fishbowl. I don't know if it was the one gmc5105 was talking about or not. I saw less of them than I did of the fishbowl. I know NYC Transit Authority ran quite a few of these when I was living there as a child. That is where I saw most of these, and they ran the streets the same time as the fishbowl. If I find a pic I'll post. Anyhow, what model was this, or is this the bus gmc5105 was referring to. It came out b4 the RTS I believe. Unlike the fishbowl, I never saw it as anything other than a transit bus. I'm not sure if it had the tear drop shaped window behind the front doors/driver's window either. What made me think of it was that I saw one just after I read this post, partially stripped, sitting in a field in New Mexico along I 40 east of Albuquerque.

Edited January 6, 2008 by FlatbedKW

[SpreadAxle]

I thought you guys might like to see this page. Lots of Fishbowls through the years. Shows several NYCTA buses from back when they were a pretty Forest Green color as well. Enjoy.

http://web.utk.edu/~gallant/gmcbuses.html

[gmc5105]

I have a GMC bus question for you. This model was similar to the fishbowl, but the rear window was flat(no curvy shape) and rectangular. The front windsheild was has no curve to the glass("bowl" if you will), but similar shape. It sort of followed the fishbowl windsheild design, but without the bowl shape to the glass. The sides were essentially the same as a fishbowl. I don't know if it was the one gmc5105 was talking about or not. I saw less of them than I did of the fishbowl. I know NYC Transit Authority ran quite a few of these when I was living there as a child. That is where I saw most of these, and they ran the streets the same time as the fishbowl. If I find a pic I'll post. Anyhow, what model was this, or is this the bus gmc5105 was referring to. It came out b4 the RTS I believe. Unlike the fishbowl, I never saw it as anything other than a transit bus. I'm not sure if it had the tear drop shaped window behind the front doors/driver's window either. What made me think of it was that I saw one just after I read this post, partially stripped, sitting in a field in New Mexico along I 40 east of Albuquerque.

The bus I was refering to was called the GM Classic. And you are right in the fact that this bus was a fishbowl from the belt rail down. It had the flat front and rear windshields that were being built by other manufactures at the time. It was a stopgap measure taken by DD LTD to try and retain business that was going to more modern looking buses.

I am a member of the Cincinnati Transit Historical Association which has 6 operatitional Transit buses. 3 fishbowls: Dreamliners as they were known in Cincy-(GM used names such as this and other such as city slickers and curbliners in their promotional brochures); 2 oldlooks: the style that was built prior to the fishbowls, and 1 ADB, (Advanced Design Bus) made by Flxible-(no not a typo). ADB's started with the RTS in !977 and really the design has more or less continued to today.

Check out the CTHA website at

[gmc5105]

The bus I was refering to was called the GM Classic. And you are right in the fact that this bus was a fishbowl from the belt rail down. It had the flat front and rear windshields that were being built by other manufactures at the time. It was a stopgap measure taken by DD LTD to try and retain business that was going to more modern looking buses.

I am a member of the Cincinnati Transit Historical Association which has 6 operatitional Transit buses. 3 fishbowls: Dreamliners as they were known in Cincy-(GM used names such as this and other such as city slickers and curbliners in their promotional brochures); 2 oldlooks: the style that was built prior to the fishbowls, and 1 ADB, (Advanced Design Bus) made by Flxible-(no not a typo). ADB's started with the RTS in !977 and really the design has more or less continued to today.

Check out the CTHA website at

Edited January 6, 2008 by gmc5105

[hct728(Bob)]

I thought you were referring to a Flxible design from the early '70's that mimicked the Fishbowl with it's multi-pane front windshield and slanted side windows...

anyhow the proper link to the Cinci club is :

http://www.ctha.org/

Edited January 6, 2008 by hct728(Bob)

[SpreadAxle]

I thought you were referring to a Flxible design from the early '70's that mimicked the Fishbowl with it's multi-pane front windshield and slanted side windows...

anyhow the proper link to the Cinci club is :

http://www.ctha.org/

That's the one right there. I thought it was a GMC, but I guess not. I'm sure the square headlights are a retrofit, but that's the bus. Thanks.

[gmc5105]

That's the one right there. I thought it was a GMC, but I guess not. I'm sure the square headlights are a retrofit, but that's the bus. Thanks.

That bus is a Flxible newlook which during the late 60"s til the advent of the Flx ADB in 1977 was GM'S major competition during this period. All the glass was flat all the way around and the body was a very simular in looks to a fishbowl.

Flx became competitive in the transit market when GM had to sell it's engine and tranmissions to other builders due to a monopoly law suit.

The Flx was a decent bus but did not stand up as well in heavy duty transit service as a fishbowl. Flx's main problem was frame breakage. I put many miles behind the wheel of both the Flx and a "dreamliner" and I'd take the "dreamliner' any day, even though our "dreamliners" were 6v71's with a two speed transmission versus a Flx with an 8v71 and a three speed transmission!!!!

There, however is nothing like the sound of an inline 671 in an "oldlook" taking-of from a standing stop!!!

Bob

[chuckyr]

How about a Prevost Car X3-45s.

Edited November 25, 2011 by chuckyr

[monkeyclaw]

Back to the BUS thread.....I did get the chance to really look at the Revell Prototype of the 1/24 London Double deck bus at the NNL in Atlanta last week; and have to say that bus fans will be pleased. Revell has done a great job with this kit...I am not certain; but maybe it's a bedford? Anyway, the bus lends itself to some interesting project ideas....perhaps the open top double decks you see in NYC??? Even though I don't really build any of the smaller stuff anymore; I am gonna have to get one of these kits...it's just TOO funky not to build...................Matt

[Repstock]

If they won't make it for us, we must make it ourself.

[GeeBee]

Back to the BUS thread.....I did get the chance to really look at the Revell Prototype of the 1/24 London Double deck bus at the NNL in Atlanta last week; and have to say that bus fans will be pleased. Revell has done a great job with this kit...I am not certain; but maybe it's a bedford?

We should have this model in the next couple of weeks this side of the pond, I have seen quite a few photo's of this, and it looks like it's going to be cracking model, by the way, it isn't a Bedford, but an AEC Routemaster RML, notice the smaller window in the middle of the bus.