Big, Bigger, Biggest! (New photo's of the all new London Bus, by Revell Germany)

[Luc Janssens]

A good friend from Germany, directed me to the following site of Guido Kehder

http://www.die-leitp...revell-in-1-24/

Here one can view a "test shot" of the kit....like the frames of the two engines, one can choose from....

Photo's courtesy and property of Guido Kehder.

Edited December 20, 2011 by Luc Janssens

[Rob Hall]

Looks like a cool kit...one of the open top ones would be a neat variation.

[Junkman]

Looks like a cool kit...one of the open top ones would be a neat variation.

There you go:

[Jairus]

Bought mine today, should have it in a few days, and it seems they have changed the box art, since the photo's were put into the catalogue.

Geoff, I have a friend in London picking me up one and mailing it to the states. But, can you tell me what you paid over there please so I can figure up an estimate? Pounds, dollars or euro is fine.... ;-)

Thank you.

[Junkman]

Geoff, I have a friend in London picking me up one and mailing it to the states. But, can you tell me what you paid over there please so I can figure up an estimate? Pounds, dollars or euro is fine.... ;-)

Thank you.

I paid £39.95 at Hobbycraft today, which is suggested retail for the UK by Revell AG. You may get it cheaper by 3 or so bob if you shop more carefully.

I just couldn't resist this when I came home:

[Jairus]

Thank you Christian.

[martinfan5]

Thats about $62 dollars, you might be able to find it here cheaper then buying it overseas, I did a real quick search, and ehobbies has it listed for $77, still on order.

[Chuck Most]

Price actually isn't too bad, but I have to say I'm really liking that Heller bus. Let me gues... the body in that comes in about 80 or 90 pieces, right?

[Jairus]

Well, there is one on it's way to the Watson Studio! I'll do a kit review and take pictures once it arrives in about a weeks time.

[Junkman]

Price actually isn't too bad, but I have to say I'm really liking that Heller bus. Let me gues... the body in that comes in about 80 or 90 pieces, right?

Yes, it's flat-pack. And it's moulded in genuine toothache-green. Needless to say that the flat pieces aren't really flat. They are warped. A box full of twisted French humour, so to say. And it's sink-mark heaven to boot. This thing can go straight into the terrible kits thread.

[Jairus]

First off, all I can say is this is probably the biggest model kit I have ever taken on!

The box is huge!

I have built diesel trucks back when I was a kid. Three tractors and one trailer to be exact, the trailer was an auto carrier of course!

I thought the parts number seemed daunting back then... but now... wow!

Two engine options are available. Not yet sure which I will choose but I am leaning toward the Leyland diesel as I want to shorten the body of the bus slightly. (More on that later)

The directions are wonderful and chock full of information, running 28 pages long! While they don't name all the parts... paint colors are called out in a coded fashion so as to make the explanation equally difficult regardless of your chosen language.

Three trees of clear parts are required to glaze the entire machine. Much of it should/could be replaced with thinner sheet plastic hand cut.... but that task seems pretty overwhelming so I'll have to think some on it. The balance of the clear are light lenses, some of which need tinting.

Decal sheet is bigger than most model car boxes! On the sheet are all the advertising these busses usually carry plus route lines and seat patterns. I plan to do my own advertising just to be different...

Here is just one example found on the web. Most of these busses have been prowling the streets for years so they do NOT look factory fresh. Therefore I plan to do a lot of careful weathering on mine.

Note the wheels.

Now... count the windows on this one compared to the one above!

Notice that the kit has the 2 foot window in the middle and the lower example is shorter, more balanced. That is why I mention shortening the body and taking out a row of seats top and bottom.

Okay... further pics will be in their own thread as I get stuff built and painted.

[Junkman]

Two engine options are available. Not yet sure which I will choose but I am leaning toward the Leyland diesel.

Now... count the windows on this one compared to the one above!

Notice that the kit has the 2 foot window in the middle and the lower example is shorter, more balanced. That is why I mention shortening the body and taking out a row of seats top and bottom.

Okay... further pics will be in their own thread as I get stuff built and painted.

Only early models lack the window and you are essentially talking about a different version.

Shortly after the Routemaster (RM) was launched, England upped the standard for buses to allow them to be 30 feet long. Hence all subsequent Routemasters were built to the newer standard. These are designated 'Routemaster lengthened', or 'RML' and this is what the Revell kit depicts. The inital RM - without the extension mid body - is depicted by the Sun Star diecast. Most RMs have been made into RMLs somewhen along their lives, so there must be very, very few RMs left in London. I think there is only one in service today on the heritage line.

Hence, if you backdate it to RM spec, the mosly likely engine to use would be the Leyland one, since the Scania was only fitted from 1996 onwards, to bring the remaining RMLs up to EEC emission standards.

Edited January 10, 2012 by Junkman

[Jairus]

Good to know, thanks!

[Junkman]

Good to know, thanks!

NP. Don't forget to cut out the 'L' from the decals for the bonnet side and in front of the driver's door.

[Jairus]

Hey, check this out! I found a good subject to model along the lines of some of the cool stuff Ken Hamilton does. A quick stop coffee shop!

Couldn't get a good pic of the other side as it was in total shadow with the winter sun so low on the horizon. But there is a front door and no step platform at the back. My friend Steve Kempson says that this feature makes this bus an old residential model. It also means quite a bit modification to the kit as the stair case is at the front, not to mention the length is shorter.

But Josh, the owner of the coffee shop lifted the hood for me.

More pics will be put up here.

[Dr. Cranky]

Lordy, it all looks good. It received a wonderful review in TAMIYA MODEL MAGAZINE INTERNATIONAL .

Jairus, why do I have a feeling you might turn it into your APOCALYPSE contribution?

[Junkman]

Hey, check this out! I found a good subject to model along the lines of some of the cool stuff Ken Hamilton does. A quick stop coffee shop!

Couldn't get a good pic of the other side as it was in total shadow with the winter sun so low on the horizon. But there is a front door and no step platform at the back. My friend Steve Kempson says that this feature makes this bus an old residential model. It also means quite a bit modification to the kit as the stair case is at the front, not to mention the length is shorter.

But Josh, the owner of the coffee shop lifted the hood for me.

More pics will be put up here.

It's a Bristol Lodekka. Completely different bus.

[Jairus]

I sort of wondered about that. The bonnet was different too.

Oh well, not a total loss as I made a great connection with the owner Josh and looks like I will now be designing and printing t-shirts for "Coffee In Motion". MORE WORK!

There is another bus here in Salem. It was used by Eldred Reality for a time and then donated to Salem Academy School about 10 years ago. I talked to the administrator of Salem Academy who said I was welcome to come and take pictures of their 'London Bus', which is a running example used for school functions and parades. More pictures next week... but I gotta get busy drawing!!!

[62rebel]

dear birthday wish fairy.... one Routemaster bus, please.....

[Junkman]

Just an idea:

Could work equally well on a double decker.

Edited January 13, 2012 by Junkman

[Rob McKee]

I have to get one of these now. After reading through this review I have come to the conclusion that this kit is just awesome.

My father used to drive these on occasion to help out his friend at Double Deck Tours in Niagara Falls Ontario. I was just a little fart at the time and often would go with him. I would sit on the turn signal box to the right of the driver. That was my job to work the turn signals. Many fond memories riding around in those beasts. Unfortunatly my father passed away 4 years ago. I wish I could build on for him. I know he would have loved it.

Rob

[sjordan2]

Somebody needs to build it this way.

[Junkman]

Somebody needs to build it this way.

So Gilbert Shelton was in the UK. The paint scheme is correct, this is what they looked like in Brighton in the Eighties.

Here is another interesting one:

It's in Vancouver, hence they fitted it with a door on the right hand side.

They also have an RML:

Note that both have been converted with sealed beam headlamps for RH traffic.

Edited January 14, 2012 by Junkman

[sjordan2]

Hmm, Christian. looks like Wonder Wart Hog colors.

[Chuck Most]

Yes, it's flat-pack. And it's moulded in genuine toothache-green. Needless to say that the flat pieces aren't really flat. They are warped. A box full of twisted French humour, so to say. And it's sink-mark heaven to boot. This thing can go straight into the terrible kits thread.

Sounds like par for the course for the majority of Heller kits I've built. (Grain of salt- I've only build four Heller kits, and two were the Citroen truck-one the Waterman pen truck, the other the Hotel taxi.)