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Look What's Coming In 2008 From Revell Germany!


larrygre

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but it will probably not only have a full interior but driveline as well! gotta love that front; half the kit will be clear parts!

but... what is a Cityliner and who makes the 1:1? what power unit does it really have, and where else could it be used? (talk about some expensive kitbashing)

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We hear almost nothing but doom and gloom from the North American model manufacturers yet Revell AG is prepared to burn plastic on something this size and limited interest.

It appears that Revell AG have made conclusions about the future of the hobby that many in N. America haven't.

I congratulate them on taking the risk of producing a model like this. It will look awfully impressive though, sitting on a shelf. I might even be tempted myself despite the price tag.

robw

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Forget another newfangled Mustang, how predictable can you get?

The release of the new Cityliner is indeed sensational news for the plastic kit hobby and one can only hope this will set a signal for other manufacturers.

To answer the question about who makes the real thing, etc.:

The Cityliner is made by Neoplan, already since the early 70s. The model depicts the latest version which has only been unveiled this past fall, so it can be assumed that he model was designed in close cooperation with Neoplan.

The real thing is powered by M.A.N., which today owns Neoplan.

Former versions -and it thus can be assumed this one will be too- are not too uncommon in the USA. The Kennedy Space Center for example operates a fleet of them, so do several cities and companies in the USA. I've seen them at many airports over there. The Cityliners also see (at least in Europe) service as race car (and team member) transporters. There are also motorhome conversions, so there is quite some room for imagination for the modeller.

When was the last time you saw something really new of this size from an American model manufacturer?

Edited by Junkman
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Forget another newfangled Mustang, how predictable can you get?

The release of the new Cityliner is indeed sensational news for the plastic kit hobby and one can only hope this will set a signal for other manufacturers.

To answer the question about who makes the real thing, etc.:

The Cityliner is made by Neoplan, already since the early 70s. The model depicts the latest version which has only been unveiled this past fall, so it can be assumed that he model was designed in close cooperation with Neoplan.

The real thing is powered by M.A.N., which today owns Neoplan.

Former versions -and it thus can be assumed this one will be too- are not too uncommon in the USA. The Kennedy Space Center for example operates a fleet of them, so do several cities and companies in the USA. I've seen them at many airports over there. The Cityliners also see (at least in Europe) service as race car (and team member) transporters. There are also motorhome conversions, so there is quite some room for imagination for the modeller.

When was the last time you saw something really new of this size from an American model manufacturer?

Thanks, that was what I was wondering. How desirable is this going to be to bus builders? Myself I would have prefered to see a GM Fishbowl but thats because I want to build a GM Fishbowl. Not just any bus, but the buses I rode as a kid.

I've never seen one of these buses, and thought it might be a fairly limited interest item, but I live in a rural area where the school district still runs Crowns. It sounds like it may have been a decent choice after all if it is something bus people will recognize and want to build.

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Thanks, that was what I was wondering. How desirable is this going to be to bus builders? Myself I would have prefered to see a GM Fishbowl but thats because I want to build a GM Fishbowl. Not just any bus, but the buses I rode as a kid.

I agree with you a 100% that other buses would have been more desirable for me as well, the Fishbowl certainly being high on my list too. Or the Trailways Silver Arrow. But wouldn't these be bona fide subjects for American model companies? I'd like to see models of the buses I rode to school (and later work) on, especially old Setras, the old standard M.A.N. city bus and especially an old Büssing Berlin double-decker (I'm from Europe, you see). But I still have to applaude Revell AG to dare and release this particular model. As I said, I can only hope this is the start for things to come.

I've never seen one of these buses, and thought it might be a fairly limited interest item, but I live in a rural area where the school district still runs Crowns. It sounds like it may have been a decent choice after all if it is something bus people will recognize and want to build.

You would be hard pressed to have seen this particular Cityliner already, since official delivery has not yet (or meanwhile just about) commenced. I was referring to the former models, which looked quite different.

Here is a website that has pictures of Neoplans in the USA, including some older Cityliners:

http://busexplorer.com/PHP/FeaturePage.php?id=21

Yes, I agree, there must be a somewhat limited interest in the new Revell AG model, even among the hardcore bus modellers (they are out there and they know who they are). But subject selection at Revell AG always was kind of esotheric and often didn't work well for them. Remember the Rosenbauer Simba airfield fire tender? At the time the largest and most complex plastic kit ever made. Since about three or so of them were ultimately sold, Revell AG almost went bust over this kit. Don't expect a reissue ever. Of all the fire fighting equipment ever built, one wonders if there wouldn't have been a more popular and commercially successful choice. But that's Revell AG for you.

Edited by Junkman
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Guy's, don't forget you're americans.

This bus is a European model, brought by a European modelkitmaker. It will have considerably more interest in continental Europe as it does to North-America.

I don't even think ROG will export this product to the USA, but will be imported in small numbers by LHS's.

Personally; I might buy one, because European race-teams use such busses, so for me a realistic interest.

And don't forget. This release is a very bright thing in those 'doomsday' thinking times of the model-industry. Revell probably did enough marketing research to see if there is a good market for this. Otherwise, they wouldn't have released it.

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Not criticising their choice at all, its nice to see something different. I was just wondering how wise a choice it was, you pretty well hit my complaint with the model companies, they bring out something for neglected segment of the hobby, but choose a wierd subject then claim they don't sell.

My personal interest is fire apparatus and I see this regularly. With the exception of the old AMT / Ertl American LaFrance kits most of the others have been odd choices or poorly thought out. The Revell Mack CF isn't a bad kit but its a weird scale, ROG as you already mentioned has done the Simba and the Peterbilt (a one off vehicle used by an obscure american department), I gather their European fire apparatus do ok in Europe as they are nice kits of somewhat local subjects, for US builders they are nice kits of ??? but still nice kits. Then there is the occasional re-issue with FD decals, Italeri just did this with the LA city FD wrecker, it is not at all like the LA City wrecker, it just has semi-accurate LA City decals, its not even a Peterbilt like LA City's wrecker, the kit is a Western Star. Again Italeri, like ROG has turned out some nice European fire equipment.

Now the Trumpeter American LaFrance is a nice kit but when they brought the kit out American LaFrance was no longer the industry leader it was, it has been over shadowed by its long time rival Seagrave and upstarts like Pierce, E-One and KME. In the 70's ALF was Ford or Chevy, by 2003 ALF is more like Studebaker, and to top it off they chose to model it on another obscure American fire department College Park, MD (no offense to this department but lets face it they don't have the draw of FDNY, Chicago, San Francisco etc).

When the AMT / Ertl Kits came out you had decal options for several large American city fire departments and Elmira, NY (ALF's home town). It was so widely used that there was a pretty good chance you could build it as an engine from a nearby fire department if you lived in the US or Canada provided you could get the appropriate decals. The Trumpeter ALF only provided decals for College Park, MD and the only major departments I know that were using it at the time were Chicago (would have been a much better decal choice in my opinion), Ventura Co FD in California and Metro Dade FD in Florida. Since then a few more large departments such as San Francisco have bought them but they are still trailing far behind other manufacturers.

I don't mind at all when these companies come out with something off the wall, I like off the wall. What irks me is when they bring out something off the wall and then claim subjects in that portion of the hobby don't sell. If Trumpeter had done a Seagrave in FDNY markings, or a Pierce in LA City markings instead of an ALF in anytown USA markings I am positive their sales would have at least doubled. The repeated re-issues of the AMT / Ertl ALF shows these kits can sell, but poor homework on the manufacturers side becomes a self fulfilling prophacy.

I am not in any way knocking ROG for bringing out this bus, I'm just hoping they haven't picked the Edsel of buses to test the waters.

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I'm just hoping they haven't picked the Edsel of buses to test the waters.

I pretty much agree with ya, ;-) so I keep the reply short.

It could be the Edsel of buses in the USA, but for Europe, it is a very modern bus. So I don't think it isn't going to be a bestseller in the States, but I think the numbers will be nice for Revell AG in Europe. Since the bus is developed for Europe.

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I pretty much agree with ya, ;-) so I keep the reply short.

It could be the Edsel of buses in the USA, but for Europe, it is a very modern bus. So I don't think it isn't going to be a bestseller in the States, but I think the numbers will be nice for Revell AG in Europe. Since the bus is developed for Europe.

The new Cityliner is, like it's predecessors, a state of the art long distance bus in Europe and it will sure see strong sales on these shores. So for the european market, Revell may not be that far off the mark with their model. I will buy one, for one. All I wanted to point out earlier is that Neoplans are by no means that uncommon in the US and it can be expected that the new Cityliners will see service in north America.

But still, I think that Revell AG could have chosen an even more popular bus.

As for European fire fighting equipment (or rather German at that) Revell AG did indeed model what was very common at the time. You could see the LF16 and the ladder truck in most fire stations in Germany, a bit like ALF at the time in the USA. Still, I'd appreciate if they would expand the range, especially to older fire engines from the Sixtis, or even Fifties, which are often still in use in smaller fire departments.

Edited by Junkman
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  • 4 weeks later...

YES! I have to agree with Exotics, Ithink it would make a great R.V. conversion. I've converted 2 Hess training vans by extending the wheel bases and gutting the interiors, and they're still curbsides.As far as the price goes, has any one priced one of the Hess vans lately,If you can find one!Yeah, I'll take one maybe two!

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Good God!! That thing IS huge!! :lol:;)

You'd need to have that thing in it's own room just for display! :lol:

Not that much into buses............but I DO like that! :lol: Larry do you know if that has engine detail (not much can be seen I'm sure) or is it a curbside?

I remember reading that it comes with an engine

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  • 3 weeks later...

From HLJ.

1/24 Hino Selega Alpico Highland Bus Version

HinoSelegaAlpicoHighlandBusVersion.jpg

Yen Price:

(Merchandise Only) 5,500 About $52.93 USD; €34.83 Euros

For that, I'd order atleast one.

I have ordered a few things from them that my LHS claims they can not get in the U.S.

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