Bengalensis

Here are links to a couple of drivers cabs in different states, just to add choice and confusion http://www.flickr.com/photos/23875695@N06/4851186766/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/16677680@N04/5488285013/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/26410232@N04/6144505008/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/26410232@N04/6144507718/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/26410232@N04/6707648219/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/24833941@N08/...in/photostream/ (should be a few there)

The drivers cab is finished, I think. I have scratched some extra details. The seat got a backside so it looks ok from behind. On all windows I run a black marker pen along the edges to get rid of the edge glint you otherwise get. That makes a difference to the better to me. Some more details; emergency exit handle, crank for route blinds (I think…) and the low pressure indicator with its stop-flag. Since the Leyland O.600 in my model is shut off and it’s standing still the flag says “STOP”. When read from inside the cab.

K63 contains the gear selector, I thought K60 was the starting handle, albeit somewhat oversized? Good to see progress Gordon. Revell Germany have always been kind to me when I have asked for a spare part and even extra parts over the years, so you could try contavcting them.

I can scan the Heller instructions if you can't find them. That's another nice model. Looking forward to further Routemaster progress.

Very nice engine, lovely paintwork. I really like the worn fan belt. Or fan belt, it's not a fan but an alternator... Edit: Now that I think of it there actually is a fan in there... what is it called in the VW-world? Fan belt or alternator belt? Oh well, very nice build it is.

The underside. I regard the model as mainly a curbside, so this will do. There is a bit more weathering and variation in colour than the camera light shows, but I will probably do some more.

At last I too can start actually assembling something with glue and paint. At this stage the wheels are only temporarily fitted. I will only glue them in place when all body panels are finally installed in case I need to adjust their position.

The rear hub caps are now finished. This was after the last coat of primer was sanded. Now they are actually painted, as are the rest of the wheel parts.

Oh, this is exactly what helps getting a build forward. I have always thought that I build better models when I get the right feelings and mood for the subject in question. Details and memories are just as important as all the reference photos.

I have been dry building a little with the painted seats and interior sides, and quickly it became clear that I couldn’t leave the seat backs “open” as they come in the kit. So now I have cut 27 seat backs from plasticard… spraying grey tomorrow. They go up under the seat frame on top and rests on the bottom crossmember. Will try to get a picture comparing with an without when they are painted.

Perfectly OK with me. I could of course scale down my artwork and make it a .jpg file to show more. But I also need to apply them to see if I must make any changes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kingswayjohn/...ol-1893666@N22/ There's some more stuff there, haven't checked the quality though.

I have now done all decals I need except the exterior adverts. Or not completely, the art work for the block of interior ads I found on a Flickr group (I have the link somewhere if anyone wants it), so they are not mine, but the rest of the artwork are my own. The license plates will have a second go after period pictures rather than the restored. The destination blinds are measured as best I can, but we will see if I must adjust them some more once I start applying. Unfortunately I just can’t take a good picture of the white prints. There is a lot of stuff on that piece. It will show once it finds it way to various parts.

The floors still needs a lot of work. I hope to reach a considerably more matt greyish tone when I have finished dry brushing and weathering.

Body panels are painted with PPG 2K code FLT1123 that I had mixed up for this, found it on the RMOOF web site. Still considering if I should apply a semi gloss clear coat, or leave them as they are now, before some light weathering. I think the brass mesh is quite OK in size.

So the current state of this project is more or less endless rows and bags of painted parts, more or less finished. Painting all parts before any definitive assembly starts has taken more space and time than I thought. Still I prefer this way when possible. I finished all the seat decals tonight. Next they will have a matt clear coat over the decaled tissue areas, then some soft dark lines to separate the different cushions from each other and some light weathering to finish. I’m quite happy with my Leyland O.600 engine. Good we found that one out in time… I really look forward to applying detail decals to all interior parts and starting assembly.

I'm painting painting and painting... and I've done most new decals, actually all except the exterior adverts so far. What's left to paint is basically the brush painted details of the body panels, some more weathering on the floors and seats, after the sest decals are on, and the wheels. Hope to get some pics up tonight. I still also have to decide if I should leave the body panels in their relatively "new-shine" glossy appearence and do some very light washing/weathering, or spray them with a more semi-gloss clear coat. Don't know. The bus I'm trying to build has only been in traffic for maybee a year or so, probably around -64 when I assume the daily and weekly care in the garages where much higher than perhaps 10 or 20 years later? I don't know if that was really the case, it's just my perception on how things have evolved around me... Any thoughts on this are most welcome.

Nice . Memories from those who rode with these buses on regular basis back then makes a build more interesting. I found out that the drivers seat should be black. But still wonering about the drivers cab interior walls lower sections, black like everything else, or brown/burgundy red? I see the coloured versions in some photos, but I'm guessing it might be from later overhauls?

What a project! Very impressive. How was the real thing painted? I assume the relatively completed chassi (with engine installed too?) gets a full overspray with some durable paint? Much like you do it here. But I don't know such vehicles very well. Or do you have a huge job of detail painting to do as well?

I did some detailing for the wire running under lower deck roof. What is it for? “Stop at next stop please”? Some details from the PE-scrap box were used. I also formed the small lamp shield for the left front interior light bulb. I will have to glue it straight after painting and not as clumsy as I rigged it here… The paint work has started. All body panels are primed and will now have some rest before a final sanding. Here is the black base coat before Alclad chrome. This model takes up so much space to paint that I’m running out of clamps, and the usual places where I store painted parts for drying gets full at once…

I wonder about the drivers seat. How was that covered in vehicles delivered early to mid -60's? Was it a black leather like material, or the same fabric as the passenger seats? I thougt it would be black as that is what I see in most pictures, but I'm not sure. I would appreciate any help here. The same goes for the colour inside the drivers cabin. All black, or the lower sections of the walls a dark burgundy red or brown?

Thanks. I used soldering wire for the manifolds.

So something more thorough obviously had to be done to that engine. I took the assembled AEC and cut off everything that looked too wrong for a Leyland O.600. I reshaped the valve covers and drilled new ports in the heads. Then I started scratch building manifolds and adapting details to reasonably match what reference photos I have. Here is what I came up with. It’s very much a compromise, but hopefully it will look enough like the Leyland O.600 engine if the bonnet is lifted? Here is rough mock up of how it will look installed.

Thanks. I have now a few pictures of installed Leyland O.600 engines, and it should not be too difficult to create a reasonable Leyland engine. I will do that. What I'm really missing is a photo taken much more from the top of the engine. It would help even more to see the cyliner head from above.

Ouch, you're right about the engine of course. That's a problem... I had learned early on that the kit engine is the AEC, but I totally missed the Leyland O.600 when I read the chassis history. It's the same for all in "my" little possible series of numbers. Too bad. Either rebuild the engine into a Leyland, or glue the bonnet shut to make a curbside. The curbside idea has occured to me before due to the kits simplified engine room. I will have to look at some Leland O.600 pics to decide.