Crossways - a model bus fleet

[PhilJ W]

So you only have another 9996 models to build, repaint or convert, Phil.

 

Obviously I won't be using all of the numbers, they will be allocated to different sections in blocks for example 501-1000 RL might be reserved for buses and coaches and the next block of numbers to the van hire department. The only group of numbers that will be allocated to any section will be 1-99 RL these will be allocated to 'one offs' such as historic vehicles and the wedding car fleet and of course the bosses Bentley Muslanne will carry 1 RL.

Edited September 2, 2016 by PhilJ W

[RANGERS]

A sneak preview of what will be coming to Crossways within the next few days...

 

(Sorry for bad picture quality)

 

SAM_0259.JPG

Plaxton Elitei ?

[JDW]

Plaxton Elitei ?

Noooo, its obviously one of those dustbin lorries with the crew cab... 

[37114]

How about G105 BUS ?

 

One of my local operators, Coachstyle (who also work into Cirencester), use C5__ BUS series registrations to represent "Coach Style __ Bus", while Faresaver has X31 BUS and X34 BUS which sometimes actually get used on their X31 and X34 routes along with BU51 TOY and YE52 BUS (plus probably others I can't now remember!).

 

I was behind YE54 BUS and also FA54VER the other day as well.

 

Interesting models, I take it being in Gloucestershire you have seen the work of the Mellor brothers who exhibit at the Cheltenham show?

 

I bought an EFE Atlantean at the last exhibition I was at which will get repainted into this soon:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fray_bentos/3207007433/in/photolist-5ToKzB-ksBHkF-fa873E-avwLCF-q68xrE-oiVR98-bDuHYD-oAfJnU-cbubJJ-fFrQBK-6eQaFz-rrQGkP-hLzmkh-oj7jr5

[RThompson]

Van hool astron or Altano?

Edited September 2, 2016 by RThompson

[birch1]

The latest additions to the Crossways fleet come from two different ends of the size spectrum. Whilst one is massive, the other is tiny!

 

The gold star goes to RANGERS, as the first of these vehicles is indeed a Plaxton Elite Interdecker on Volvo B11RT chassis, this being an example of the shorter version as used by Stagecoach in Scotland in real life. Registered GL66 ENR, this vehicle will be used an a new coach service linking Gloucester to Cardiff with initially one return journey daily. The vehicle has caused quite a stir within the company, with it gaining a lot of attention on test runs before the service starting tomorrow. It wears Crossways livery with special branding for the service.

 

 

The other arrival is a nearly new Ford Galaxy, registered LR65 TWJ. This vehicle retains its as acquired colour scheme, however has been sign written with branding for the company's small tour programme. This was started recently, with the slogan 'tours direct to you'. The Galaxy shall be used as a feeder vehicle for these tours and for private hires.

 

 

In reality, the Elite is Scratchbuilt by me, with wheels, seats and steering wheel from Mark Hughes Models, whilst the driver is from RTC models. The Galaxy is a modification of the recently released Oxford Diecast.

 

In other news, the service U (Gloucester to Cheltenham via uni campuses) was withdrawn at the end of July. Two new school routes were started at the start of the month, the first being a route linking southern Gloucester to Cirencester College, using Van Hool T8 CR55 GLS, the second being a route linking Quedgeley to Sir Thomas Rich's, using transit minibus AG14 NPR.

 

 

From 37114

 

I was behind YE54 BUS and also FA54VER the other day as well.

 

Interesting models, I take it being in Gloucestershire you have seen the work of the Mellor brothers who exhibit at the Cheltenham show?

 

I bought an EFE Atlantean at the last exhibition I was at which will get repainted into this soon:

https://www.flickr.c...P-hLzmkh-oj7jr5

 

Thanks. Yes I have seen their work, it is a standard to aspire to!

 

Good luck with the Atlantean, hope it turns out well.

Edited September 11, 2016 by birch1

[Western Dave]

Hi great conversions and repaints but your Mercedes Vito's are actually VW Transporters which in my opinion are a far better product anyway  

[birch1]

Hi great conversions and repaints but your Mercedes Vito's are actually VW Transporters which in my opinion are a far better product anyway  

Hi

 

Thanks for the compliment.

 

The vehicle you question is actually a Vito, it is a model of the mk1 version like at http://resources.carsguide.com.au/styles/cg_hero_low/s3/dp/albums/album-1432/lg/Mercedes-Benz-Vito-113-Flexivan-1998-1.jpg . I can see where you are coming from though, they are similar looking vehicles!

 

Birch1

[JDW]

The latest additions to the Crossways fleet come from two different ends of the size spectrum. Whilst one is massive, the other is tiny!

 

The gold star goes to RANGERS, as the first of these vehicles is indeed a Plaxton Elite Interdecker on Volvo B11RT chassis, this being an example of the shorter version as used by Stagecoach in Scotland in real life. Registered GL66 ENR, this vehicle will be used an a new coach service linking Gloucester to Cardiff with initially one return journey daily. The vehicle has caused quite a stir within the company, with it gaining a lot of attention on test runs before the service starting tomorrow. It wears Crossways livery with special branding for the service.

 

SAM_0268.JPG

That's an interesting model, something a bit different - you might not know that Stagecoach also has the long versions in Scotland on service work, in black and purple Buchan Xpress colours - before they were branded, when they were being tested, they looked like band buses in all black with just a purple wedge and blacked out windows!

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/media-library/images/opcos/north%20scotland/campaign/buchanbuspic2.jpg?la=en

[RANGERS]

That's an interesting model, something a bit different - you might not know that Stagecoach also has the long versions in Scotland on service work, in black and purple Buchan Xpress colours - before they were branded, when they were being tested, they looked like band buses in all black with just a purple wedge and blacked out windows!

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/media-library/images/opcos/north%20scotland/campaign/buchanbuspic2.jpg?la=en

None of them quite as colourful as these versions - http://omnibussi.1g.fi/kuvat/Transportation/Buses+&+Coaches/Poland/PQ/PolskiBus.com/P507+(WE574HU)+Lasse.jpg

[JDW]

...which has about as much class and style as: (Edited to remove dead link)

Edited February 23, 2021 by JDW

[birch1]

So, the last day of 2016! Over the past few months I have been working on three projects, and have taken advantage of the school Christmas holidays to complete them.

 

Anyway, enough rabbiting, and on to the models!

 

 

During the October half term, work was completed on a school coach to allow the company to take on a school bus service which had (at that point) been recently given up by another local operator.

 

This vehicle is T184 UWL, an ex Padbus Volvo B10M/ Plaxton Premiere that had been up seated to 70 seats by its previous owner. With interior and exterior in excellent condition, it was decided to simply paint the rest of the Crossways livery over the yellow paint, therefore helping to denote it as a school bus. It is not expected that this will be repeated in future however.

 

The route in question is Latton to Marling School (Stroud), with various stops in between, and as a result the vehicle shall be based at Cirencester. The route has been operated by the company since September, using Scania/ Irizar PB tri axle GL65 RTZ, with a minibus also used to reach the required seating capacity as a short term solution.

 

This purchase means that this vehicle is split from its sister vehicle, T183 UWL, for the first time in many years, however it is likely that the vehicles will be meeting each other fairly frequently, with the sister vehicle being sold to fellow local independent Allen buses of Tewkesbury.

 

In reality, this is a repainted Corgi OOC, with Paragon 3+2 seats fitted by the previous owner.

 

 

Being a small independent means that our occasional brand new purchases must be supplemented by good quality used vehicles from larger operators. The ex Padbus Premiere is just one example, whilst our second vehicle is another.

 

Purchased for the continued development of our services in Cirencester and Stroud is this ex Arriva Caetano Slimbus, registered RX07 KPJ. She was given a full refurbishment inside and out before entering service on the 28th of December.

 

In reality, this is a Paragon Kits Kit.

 

 

Currently the newest member of the Crossways fleet is this ADL Enviro 500, which was delivered just this morning and will enter service tomorrow. Registered GL66 VFB, she was fitted with ADL's flywheel hybrid technology before delivery, and can seat around 90.

 

This large vehicle will find a home on the events and private hire work that is rapidly becoming part of the company's core business, with the vehicle destined to operate at the Cheltenham Race Shuttles in March next year, before spending the rest of the year on loan to KHCT on city of culture work. In the meantime, she shall be used on private hires as well as on our school bus services to try and iron out any teething problems that she may have. She will be allocated to Gloucester.

 

In reality this is a repainted Cars Workshop diecast. Having a livery base colour of white sometimes has its advantages, allowing me to take advantage of some of the many recent releases of plain white models in both the UK and Hong Kong. This model is just one of them.

 

This concluding my posting spree for today, it remains for me to say a belated Happy Christmas, and finally Happy new year to you all.

Edited December 31, 2016 by birch1

[HillsideDepot]

Latton to Stroud school? That'll be why numbers are down again on my colleague's Wiltshire Council contract for entitled pupils from Latton & Cricklade to the catchment school, then. 

 

Good background stories to some nice models.  

Edited December 31, 2016 by HillsideDepot

[birch1]

Latton to Stroud school? That'll be why numbers are down again on my colleague's Wiltshire Council contract for entitled pupils from Latton & Cricklade to the catchment school, then. 

 

Good background stories to some nice models.  

Yes, it is a service operated by a company called Igobus in real life, I guess it is because Marling is a grammar school.

 

Anyway, thanks for that.

[birch1]

My favourite part of operating a model bus fleet is the 'events' that are organised each year by various people to participate in with your fleet. I organise one of these events each year, this being a model bus version of the shuttle bus services provided for the National Hunt Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse in March of each year. This year is the second year of the event.

 

The races begin this Tuesday (that is the 14^th March) and run until Friday, with no less than 19 operators (a big jump from last year’s 9) assisting Crossways for this year’s event. Vehicles have been arriving from participant operators throughout the day, and will be readied (along with their drivers) tomorrow for the week ahead.

 

Coverage shall be brought to you throughout the week on Crossways' Flickr and Facebook pages (see links below if interested), with posts daily detailing some of the various operators and some that will be taking part in getting the crowds to and from what is one of the biggest events on the horse racing calendar. A full list of all of the vehicles that will be taking part will be appearing in the June MBF model bus Supplement, or if you are not an MBF member of supplement Subscriber, will be available on Crossways' website also from June.

 

Links to pages: 

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Crosswaysbus/

Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/crosswaysbus/

[birch1]

I haven't been too busy on the buses recently admittedly. However, recent happenings in real life meant that I needed to make some sort of diorama, so why not kill two birds with one stone?!

 

I have been wanting to build a proper diorama for a good couple of years now. Whilst what I use currently for bus pics does the job fine, the fact that I made the base out of cardboard (I don't know why I thought that was a good idea) means that it is beginning to show signs of wear and damage.

 

So instead of bus building this summer, I have been diorama making! This time, the base is made from some old Laminate flooring we had knocking around. A fairly basic idea really with the railway station, but since I collect the odd model train it can serve that purpose on here as well as for Crossways bus pics. The results so far are below. It still needs some sort of backscene and the two scenes at the sides, but that shall have to wait for another time, since I am unsure on how to do the side scenes yet tbh! Shall need to sort out the wonky bollard too!

 

Sorry, some of the pics perhaps aren't the best, they were taken quickly Wednesday evening with my two fleet favourites!

 

 

 

 

 

[JDW]

When you say "sort the wonky bollard", I assume you mean you'll have to install one for realism...?  

[Mad McCann]

Your scratchbuilt Optare Solo is excellent, especially as its such a difficult shape.

Seconded. From somebody found at the front of one most days! :-)

 

D.

[RANGERS]

Seconded. From somebody found at the front of one most days! :-)

 

D.

So sorry to hear of your predicament, you have my deepest sympathies.

[Mad McCann]

Well, at least they gave me a Dart this morning. Shame about the s*dding ticket machine... 

 

D.

[RANGERS]

Well, at least they gave me a Dart this morning. Shame about the s*dding ticket machine... 

 

D.

 

An old driver for a certain Nottingham based independent once wryly observed to me that working ticket machines were a  handicap to making a decent living out of the job!

[birch1]

Crossways is one of the few companies to have never operated a step entrance service bus, at least until now.

A recent addition to the fleet is a Alexander Royale bodied Volvo Olympian, registered W432 CWX. Seating 69, a wheelchair lift, sourced from an earlier Royale, was fitted to the vehicle by the previous owner. She will be used on Private Hire, Events and Schools work.

In reality, this vehicle is a repainted CMNL Diecast, with a driver from RTC Models, wing mirrors from Mark Hughes Models, Sun Blind and Extra seats from Paragon Kits.

Overall a challenging build with a number of issues along the way resulting in a number of compromises to cover up the cock ups!

 

[birch1]

The second addition of the summer is this Wright Streetlite, registered GL68 TTP, which will be based from Gloucester depot allowing DAF SB120/ Wright Cadet YJ55 BKK to be transferred to Stroud, in turn allowing one more of the stopgap Enviro200 fleet to be returned to their lessors.

 

She has been fitted with Micro Hybrid technology as the company looks to evaluate its future options when conventional diesel buses are no longer available. The rural nature of many of our services means current electric vehicles are generally unsuitable. Unless this technology improves, an alternative method of propulsion will need to be found. Hybrids could be one way round this issue, since sales of these vehicles will not be prohibited post 2040. Whilst this deadline may seem a while off, there is a strong possibility that Diesel buses will be harder to purchase in the much more imminent future, much like most step entrance buses disappeared almost completely from manufacturer brochures at least a decade before DDA/PSVAR rules kicked in.

 

Some may be puzzled at the registration. To explain, she will enter service when the new registrations kick in on 1st September. How she was captured in the street was anyone’s guess – perhaps it is a computer generated image??

 

In reality, this is a Buskits resin kit, using a sunblind and ticket machine from Paragon Kits, and a driver from RTC models. A model that seemingly never wanted to be finished – not a fault of the kit, more to do with me! – which is reflected accordingly in the last three letters of the registration…

Edited August 14, 2018 by birch1

[Hesperus]

It looks really good but I'm wondering what TTB signifys?

 

 

. which is reflected accordingly in the last three letters of the registration…

 

 

Three Thumbs Birch?  (with the B upside down for emphasis)

[birch1]

It looks really good but I'm wondering what TTB signifys?

The last three letters are actually TTP, sorry the pic isn't quite good enough to read it! I had better pm you the answer as I don't think I would get away with putting it on here!