Hachette 1/12th Routemaster Bus. Now with night photos.

[davecov]

A lovely build. I had two Revell kits in my stash but sold them both due to space constraints. If I had one of these I would have to put an extension on my little cottage!

 

In the early Seventies my friends and I would buy Red Rover tickets and Routemaster buses were the best for hopping on and off at short notice! We used to get the 165 or 252 from Elm Park to Romford, 86 from Romford to Stratford then the 25 from Stratford to St Pauls. Then it would be a case of randomly selecting buses! Great Fun.

 

Dave

[John_W]

Absolutely  Beautiful. I take it from the stand that the finished model is too heavy for the suspension?

[fightersweep]

@davecov Thanks! Appreciate it. Sounds like we must have bused around the same areas as kids. Well remember the 252.

 

@John_W Well, the model's suspension and springs are more than up to the job. However, each wheel is held on with just one screw. It sits no problem on the wheels, but over time, it's difficult to tell if it would hold up as the weight of the bus is considerable. Hachette supplied four plastic stands, supposedly to help out during construction, but I didn't really see their point. Someone on a Facebook build page made up the wooden bases that incorporated the plastic stands, so I opted for one myself. Sets the build off nicely, and I intend to add mirror tiles so the undersides can be seen. There's a lot of work under there.

 

Steve

[davecov]

Steve, I was born in Oldchurch Hospital, Romford. My mother has lived half-way between Mungo Park and Elm Park for the past fifty-six years. I went to Abbs Cross School so I would catch the 165 or cycle! My nan lived in Hornchurch (Stanley Road) as did my future wife (Cumberland Ave).

 

Dave

[fightersweep]

@davecov

 

Sound similar to my Mum. She lived in Chestnut Ave, the moved over to Gillam Way (which maybe technically Rainham...not sure now). So I spent a lot of time in the area as a kid as my grandparents still lived there. Regular trips into Elm Park and Romford for me. I liked Elm Park as I seem to remember a newsagents there that always had a good stock of toys. Seems we both ended up in Scotland too. I ended up living in Abington for a couple of years and got invloved with the wife's family business in Biggar. Really not sure how I ended up in Weston Super Mare!

[stevej60]

That looks superb Steve expensive it may be but what a conversation piece.We had Routmasters up here in the sixties and seventies I was bus mad

as a kid and loved them although our's were front door entry operated by Northern.

[davecov]

3 hours ago, fightersweep said:

@davecov

 

Sound similar to my Mum. She lived in Chestnut Ave, the moved over to Gillam Way (which maybe technically Rainham...not sure now). So I spent a lot of time in the area as a kid as my grandparents still lived there. Regular trips into Elm Park and Romford for me. I liked Elm Park as I seem to remember a newsagents there that always had a good stock of toys. Seems we both ended up in Scotland too. I ended up living in Abington for a couple of years and got invloved with the wife's family business in Biggar. Really not sure how I ended up in Weston Super Mare!

My mum lives in Deere Avenue which Gillam way joins onto, so a small world indeed. The area was originally addressed as Elm Park Estate, South Hornchurch but morphed into Rainham. My LMS (a hardware store called The Hobby Shop) was opposite a Woolworths which is long gone but the LMS was still there until last month. I moved to Pompey when I joined the RN but moved to Scotland in 2008. I really don't know how anybody ends up in Weston Super Mud!

 

Anyway, back on topic, do you have any plans for a Green Line version?

 

Dave

[fightersweep]

@stevej60

 

Thanks Steve! It certainly adds up a bit on the pricey side, but weekly doses takes the sting out of it a bit. Not sure if anyone else will see it now it's finished as all of my friends and family are over the other side of the country. Still, it will give me something else to dust!

 

@davecov

 

Remember Deere Ave. My Grandad gave me a copy of Deere's autobiography "Nine Lives" when I was 12. First pilot biography I read and he became a bit of a hero of mine. Funny, but he loved talking about the RAF during WW2, but he himself was an ex Desert Rat, stint with the LRDG, three invasions under his belt and a Military Medal. He had loads to talk about, but preferred to talk about the pilots. My only disappointment was that there was so little left of the airfield to see. Grandad always regaled me of stories about the Battle of Britain open days there in the early 50s, oh, and the one about the barrage balloon that caught fire during parachute jump training. Still, I did end up with Deere's and Gillam's signatures in my BoB collection.

 

No plans for a Green Line I'm afraid. If I could afford another, it would have to be a Southend Transport Routemaster for me.

 

Steve

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Wow!

And absolutely fantastic model! Truly incredible modeling. Such a treat to see it, thanks for posting it!

Cheers

[fightersweep]

On 10/5/2020 at 6:01 PM, Moa said:

Wow!

And absolutely fantastic model! Truly incredible modeling. Such a treat to see it, thanks for posting it!

Cheers

That is high praise indeed coming from you Sir! I am humbled. thank you!

 

Steve

[Natter]

That is very impressive, with some nice personal improvements.  Like many I remember hopping on and off the Routemasters going to and from the East End; the 5, the 15, the 23 or the 40 would take me where I wanted to be.  Happy days.

[kapam]

Glad you explained "Partworks".  I wasn't familiar with the term.

But that doesn't detract from what is a beautifully built model.

It looks fantastic and you've done an amazing job!

[DVALLEY1]

      Absoluted  Supperb !  I'not Brittish but a Lover of Routemaster !!!  I'm " WIP"   2nd one at 'least 2 / half year too !!!

I'm trying to take " little motion" ( 10 cms forward & backward ) inserting a Mabuchi FT-130 motor at rear Axle ,Leds upper & down , controlled by a Pic ( Microcontroller ) ...but is far from your  Superb Details !  Congrats Marvelous!!!

 

tenetative :Routemaster Revell - London Bus - 1/24 . - PlastiBrasil.com - Plastimodelismo Livre e Democrático

Edited December 7, 2020 by DVALLEY1
more details at WIP .

[Homer]

What a fantastic model ,well done 👏. 

[Ramesh]

Hello there, would it be possible to ask you if this model you have made is for sale. ?

 

Ramesh

[Bullbasket]

On 30/09/2020 at 13:26, fightersweep said:

Being a Southend on Sea lad, we were fortunate to get a fleet of Routemasters in 1988/89 that ran services to around 1995

Yep! Me and all. Eastwood.

Love the build. It's superb. I've sent a link to the thread to my son, as he's an absolute bus fanatic, and loves Routemasters.

ATB,

 

John.

[fightersweep]

27 minutes ago, Ramesh said:

Hello there, would it be possible to ask you if this model you have made is for sale. ?

 

Ramesh

 

Hi Ramesh;

 

I'm afraid the bus got sold two weeks after my first post early last year. I hadn't even considered selling it as I had only just finished it. Didn't even enter my head, but someone popped up out of the blue and made me an offer I couldn't resist.

 

9 minutes ago, Bullbasket said:

Yep! Me and all. Eastwood.

Love the build. It's superb. I've sent a link to the thread to my son, as he's an absolute bus fanatic, and loves Routemasters.

ATB,

 

John.

 

Thanks John! I grew up in Westcliff (Electric Avenue and Southview Drive). Haven't lived in the area for over 25 years now. My parents are still there, and I'm always shocked at how overcrowded and busy it all seems now. I do miss the place, but only the place that I grew up in in my memories.

 

Cheers;

Steve

[Whitewolf]

That is a pretty impressive model!! Not cheap, but worth it! Pity about the screw issue, you would think they could, and should, have done better in that area!!!!

[fightersweep]

35 minutes ago, Whitewolf said:

That is a pretty impressive model!! Not cheap, but worth it! Pity about the screw issue, you would think they could, and should, have done better in that area!!!!

 

Very true! There were some areas that were beautifully thought out and engineered, and others that left me wondering what they were thinking. However, I really enjoyed improving those areas and adding my own stamp to it. Having said that, I don't think I ever want to re-paint 80 Routemaster seats ever again!

 

Steve

[Bullbasket]

1 hour ago, fightersweep said:

1 hour ago, fightersweep said:

Thanks John! I grew up in Westcliff (Electric Avenue and Southview Drive). Haven't lived in the area for over 25 years now. My parents are still there, and I'm always shocked at how overcrowded and busy it all seems now. I do miss the place, but only the place that I grew up in in my memories.

 

 

Yes, I know Electric Ave. I grew up opposite Blenheim Pk. I too moved out a long time ago, in the 60's when I joined the army and got married. Family are all still there and yes, it is manic now, especially the traffic.........30 minutes to drive from Eastwood to the High St!! And I'll be doing it again next month.

 

John.

[kpnuts]

Amazing 

[SLF]

Hi, you mentioned that you used after market advertising banners. Do you know if they are still available and from where?

 

Steve

[Neddy]

That really is a magnificent project!  The interior in particular is really impressive and the improvements you've made add a lot to the finish and realism of the model.  The lighting is amazing!

[fightersweep]

19 hours ago, SLF said:

Hi, you mentioned that you used after market advertising banners. Do you know if they are still available and from where?

 

The chap that makes the Routemaster banners, posters and interior ads is Peter Kurton. He's still producing the range and they are very good indeed with a wide choice of eras and at a good price too. Drop him an email at [email protected] and Peter will send you images of what he produces with a price list. Tell him I sent you.

 

18 hours ago, Neddy said:

That really is a magnificent project!  The interior in particular is really impressive and the improvements you've made add a lot to the finish and realism of the model.  The lighting is amazing!

 

Thank you for the kind comments. I really do appreciate it. The Routemaster is certainly an imposing build. Expensive overall, but I have no regrets now. I did start the Stobart DAF, but with the rising costs of living these days, I had to call it a day, but if the 1/8th Starsky and Hutch Torino ever gets a UK release, then I'll be all over that!

 

Cheers;

Steve

[Neddy]

Expensive maybe but it provided you with two years' worth of pleasure and satisfaction building it.  With the cost of kits these days you could easily have spent a considerable percentage of that on smaller kits that might each have occupied you for a few weeks or months at a time.  It has also left you with one heck of a talking point!