Rapido Trains Inc. announces 1:76 scale Birmingham New Look Bus

[ColinK]

Looks nice. Too early for my layout and wrong area, but I'll still be getting one. Maybe I'll have to include a bus rally on my layout.

 

One option we don't seem to have is 'not in service'. One passenger asked to go there, saying 'it must be popular as so many buses go there'.

 

I learnt to drive a bus on a LUT Guy Arab. As the instructor said, not the easiest of vehicles to drive, but if you can drive one, you can drive anything. Part of the test was ti change down 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 on a falling gradient and you had to double declutch every change.

 

Would be fun to motorise the model and fit sound, complete with a crunch when you missed a gear,

[melmerby]

Wolverhampton had some tin front Arabs as well altough the body is different to Brum:

 

http://www.wythall.org.uk/vehicles/vsuk3.jpg

 

Keith

[melmerby]

yout.

 

One option we don't seem to have is 'not in service'. One passenger asked to go there, saying 'it must be popular as so many buses go there'.

 

 

Another was "Service Extra" on a route with multiple destinations!

 

Keith

[Colin_McLeod]

I'll pre order one.

 

Drat. Now I have to build a bridge to put it on.

[John M Upton]

I must say I am surprised anyone new wants to enter the diecast bus market which is littered with the remains of many a manufacturer who have gone under when the 'collectible' diecast bus market collapsed so spectacularly some time back.

 

I wish them well though.

[Andy Y]

I must say I am surprised anyone new wants to enter the diecast bus market which is littered with the remains of many a manufacturer who have gone under when the 'collectible' diecast bus market collapsed so spectacularly some time back.

 

I wish them well though.

 

It's not a diecast model; it's an injection-moulded model with a higher degree of detail - to a similar standard that we now demand on locos and stock. Diecast road vehicles are a comparatively poor relation. Therefore £50 on a bus with lights'n'stuff seems fair value compared to a £50 railway carriage.

[Oliver Rails]

I must say I am surprised anyone new wants to enter the diecast bus market which is littered with the remains of many a manufacturer who have gone under when the 'collectible' diecast bus market collapsed so spectacularly some time back.

 

I wish them well though.

 

 

Jason and Gareth from Rapido dropped in to see us at Rails this week and after talking to the guys and discussing the bus. The attention to detail should be unlike anything we have seen before and could really be something special. I am very keen to see a fully illuminated deluxe version 

[melmerby]

It's not a diecast model; it's an injection-moulded model with a higher degree of detail - to a similar standard that we now demand on locos and stock. Diecast road vehicles are a comparatively poor relation. Therefore £50 on a bus with lights'n'stuff seems fair value compared to a £50 railway carriage.

And with the £50 price point for carriages well and truly passed with Bachmann's latest releases it sounds positively reasonable in price.

 

Keith

[rapidotrains]

Hi all,

 

The first drawings have come in for our Brummie Bus. The trace of the scan isn't nearly finished yet, but it's already looking good!

 

I have to admit I'm personally very excited about this project. Please feel free to share the images with any bus/modelling groups you belong to.

 

See below.

 

-Jason

 

 

 

 

 

[JSpencer]

The last image gives the impression that the bus is on skis. A new definition for ski bus?

[Fenman]

Actually one bus that is absolutely crying out for the Rapido treatment is the dear old Cumberland Dustbin, the Leyland National. EFE's model is compromised and the real bus was literally everywhere, highly standardised yet ran in a surprising variety of liveries and not just NBC Mucus Green or Nipple Pink, as it ran with numerous municipalities and PTEs and, being long lived, with a lot of interesting independents in later life. If we are looking for something from the BR blue era through to privatisation then the Nasher fits the bill.

A bit late to this party...

 

I know very little about buses, other than hours of my youth spent on Lowestoft-bodied Eastern Counties kit in either poppy red or leaf green. But that isn't going to stop me also wishing there was a high-quality Leyland National available. I or II, doesn't matter. Just something that wouldn't look too out of place next to the incredibly detailed railway stock we now take for granted.

 

Paul

[Giles]

I only found out about this at Warley.

 

I shall certainly have one, having regularly used the 11, 6 and 9 in the early '70s, both going to school and going into the centre of Birmingham. Even when cycling to school it was possible to grab the rail for a tow, until the conductor noticed....

[gc4946]

This version's a world apart from Forward Models' diecast rendition, an example of which I own (route 1)

 

Unfortunately, there's no version for route 50 in traditional BCT livery in this first batch, so I'll have to pass on that, but I'm sure these models will look stunning when eventually released!

[Chris M]

I only found out about this at Warley.

I shall certainly have one, having regularly used the 11, 6 and 9 in the early '70s, both going to school and going into the centre of Birmingham. Even when cycling to school it was possible to grab the rail for a tow, until the conductor noticed....

You must have been brung up in Bearwood then, or maybe Edgbaston if you are posh. I too was a regular user of the 6 and 11.

[DavidR]

Used no/11 to get to Bearwood, from Handsworth, then No/9 up to Quinton to see the girlfriend. Also No/11 to Perry Barr, changing to Midland Red to get to Sutton.

No/70 (Oxhill Road was the local bus). Ah Happy days.

[sjgardiner]

Unfortunately, there's no version for route 50 in traditional BCT livery in this first batch, so I'll have to pass on that, but I'm sure these models will look stunning when eventually released!

No, but there is the “no route” bus which will come with “Several routes/destinations available plus blank destination with transfers included”, you should communicate with Rapido about making sure the combination of route numbers and destinations you want are on the transfer sheet and consider this option and applying the route you want. You could be waiting a long time for a run with a specific route/destination if you really really do want one.

 

Cheers,

 

Stephen

[Dave47549]

.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Dave47549
Removed pointless guff

[gc4946]

No, but there is the “no route” bus which will come with “Several routes/destinations available plus blank destination with transfers included”, you should communicate with Rapido about making sure the combination of route numbers and destinations you want are on the transfer sheet and consider this option and applying the route you want. You could be waiting a long time for a run with a specific route/destination if you really really do want one.

 

Cheers,

 

Stephen

 I've just emailed Rapido whether routes 48, 49 and/or 50 are to be included and am waiting for their reply.

[Colin_McLeod]

Now did that bus with that registration number operate on that route during the time period my layout is set? Photographic evidence anyone?

[Dave47549]

.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Dave47549
Removed pointless guff

[Pandora]

A model of such detail deserves more than the 1:76 format,  let us also hope for 1:43, or even better 1:22

[Giles]

You must have been brung up in Bearwood then, or maybe Edgbaston if you are posh. I too was a regular user of the 6 and 11.

Absolutely!

Fountain Road, Edgebaston, just off the Hagley Road, school, Lordswood Grammar Technical, Bearwood Models....

[melmerby]

Absolutely!

Fountain Road, Edgebaston, just off the Hagley Road, school, Lordswood Grammar Technical, Bearwood Models....

Edgebaston? You're an imposter.

 

Keith

Edited December 16, 2017 by melmerby

[melmerby]

[Anorakmode] Er, I do have allocation histories for the PTE era onwards. Birmingham Standards are like any other standards. I.E. they're not standard. Different chassis lengths mean there are differences between Guys/Daimlers, so you couldn't use the Rapido Guy to authentically reproduce a MR (Moseley Road) allocated Daimler on the 48-50 routes [/Anorakmode].

 

... That is, unless you invoke rule #1 or are unfussed by such things!

These buses when new were allocated to Selly Oak, Cotteridge, Quinton, Acocks Green, Miller Street & Washwood Heath

 

The 48 - 50 routes had some of the earliest (numerically) new look tin-fronts in Brum from the 2031-2130 batch but they were Daimler CVD6 not Guy Arab IVs.

(The first new-look bus on the road, anywhere, were 2426-2525 which were Crossleys)

 

As well as the Guy Arab IV & Daimler CVD6, BCT also had new look buses with Guy Arab III special & Daimler CVG6 chassis.

There was a mixture of Saunders Roe, MCCW & Crossley bodies as well as complete Crossley buses.

 

So, overall quite a few permutations.

 

Keith

Edited December 16, 2017 by melmerby

[gc4946]

 I've just emailed Rapido whether routes 48, 49 and/or 50 are to be included and am waiting for their reply.

 

Today I received Rapido's reply:

 

Hi G***,

 

We haven't finalised the transfer sheet to go with the bus yet so I could ask to see if we could add one of those route. Currently none of those are on our radar but we might be able to sort something out.

 

Regards and all the best,

 

Gareth Bayer

--

Customer Service

Rapido Trains Inc.