Pillar

I have a can of Halfords brand grey etch primer as well as their ordinary grey primer. I did some tests of both on scrap brass etch and plastic, and I have to say there didn't seem to be a lot of difference between the two in terms of scratch resistance etc. They aren't bad by any means though; as long as the surface of the brass is thoroughly degreased and lightly 'keyed' with a file or similar, they seem to give good results.

An older version of a Transit based minibus was produced by TiNY kits as kit no. TK67B (link here), but seems to be out of production. Until recently a 1980s era Transit based minibus was listed as a forthcoming kit from Saltire models. Unfortunately the business has now closed down as of September last year, so this seems unlikely to happen now.

All the more impressive. It looks like a very good representation. It's also encouraging to hear how you judged the width of the Sherpa nose from the number of grille slots; I was planning to do the same to make a wide-bodied mail van.

Brilliant stuff. Where did you get the propotype dimensions?

When I got back into modelling a couple of years ago, I decided I'd try either EM or P4. In the end I opted for P4 because either option would mean hand-building track, so I thought I may aswell go for the finer standard. I haven't regretted the decision, but in retrospect the choice between the two isn't quite as clear cut as I'd thought. RTR turnouts are now available in EM, which I can imagine must be a significant benefit - especially for beginners. Time will tell if P4 even follows suit - but hand-building turnouts is very staisfying anyway once you take the plunge. I believe EM also requires less modification of rolling stock, as the 00 wheels can just be re-gauged rather than replaced. If you have a lot of stock, the cost of sourcing new wheels can be a significant factor. However, the appearance of P4 wheels is worth the effort in my opinion. Lastly, I think steam modellers may have a more difficult choice to make than D&E modellers. I'm constantly in awe of what P4 steam modellers are able to achieve, and simultaneously thankful that I don't have to go to such lengths as a D&E modeller! Small four or six coupled tank engines don't present too many problems, but to get something like a 9F running reliably in P4 must be a significant challenge.

The Metrorider chassis and interior is about ready for painting. Still a bit of reshaping to do on the body.

Agreed, these are very nice models. I also have a couple waiting for repainting.

Looks very smart.

It's from Modelu. It's sold as a train driver rather than for buses but I think the pose looks passable. They do have some dedicated bus driver figures but they're mostly for earlier eras.

Judging from that photo conversion to EM/P4 will be difficult. Looking forward to mine though.

Thanks Ray. I'll take a look at it. More gradual progress on the Metrorider below. Cheers, Liam

A few pictures of the Metropolitan's diminutive cousin: the MCW Metrorider. This is the short version nearing completion from the Sunrise Models kit. Eventually it will be painted into the Wear Buses livery of the 1990s: like this one emerging from the murk of the old Sunderland Central Bus Station. It's a static model only, so I get a welcome break from the complexities of steering mechanisms and indicators.

The setup I've been experimenting with is similar but based on a plastic chain and sprocket system sold by EMA Model Supplies. It isn't intended specifically for moving model vehicles, but it's capable of doing so with magnets glued to the chain. The chain is capable of going round very tight turns - so tight in fact that the vehicles can't steer enough and just end up skidding round. I need to get hold of some more chain and cogs to try and space it out around a more gradual loop; rather than a simple bike chain around two gears. Unfortunately noise is indeed an issue. I'm using a geared motor (also from EMA) which has plenty of power, but is really too loud to use on a layout where I'm also intending to have sound fitted locos.

I haven't come across any Alexander bodied EFE models based on the later AN68 chassis, or with panormaic windows. They all seem to be earlier versions of the Atlantean. The only model I'm aware of is a kit from Marsden Models (MMK013), but it's been out of production for many years now.

Hi Ray. It's a Marsden Models Leyland Leopard with ECW B51 bodywork. It doesn't have a motor inside the bus, as it's only meant to be dragged along by an under-board magnet. The electrical gubbins are just terminal blocks for wires to the various LED lights. There are four micro switches to control them. The battery goes in the middle as you say: 3x LR41 in a mode-made plasticard holder. When all the lights are mounted and wired up it becomes a horrendous spaghetti junction. On future models like the Metropolitan I'm planning to cut traces into a copper 'PCB' to cut down on the number of wires. The orange wire to the middle of the steering arm is the common pole for the indicator lights, so that they switch depending on the direction of steer. The wheels are supplied with the kit from Neil Mortson at Marsden Models. I'm not sure if he makes them himself or if they are from another supplier. From your description they sound very similar. Truer words never spoken . I'm hoping it will work as a moving model in the end, but if not it will still make a nice static addition to the layout. I hope you get yours working also as moving road vehicles really add to a layout I think. I think the setup I have on this Leopard is a bit over-engineered and I doubt if I'll repeat some of it. The rear axle for example is split to mimic a differential when cornering, and is compensated like a model railway wagon to allow for any uneven surfaces. Comparing with the factory-built chassis I took off the Britbus Metropolitan, it seems none of this is necessary, and much less important than making sure the wheels run freely. The Britbus chassis has enough 'play' in the axles to provide compensation anyway.

Excellent modelling. An unglamorous scene, but it evokes the nostalgic feeling of coming to the end of a long walk in the woods and waiting for the bus home - from a shelter that feels like it sees about four passengers a year! Regarding your decals, which laser printer did you buy? I'm looking for recommendations. Cheers, Liam

Do you know where else in the country these operated? I had a feeling there were similar buses elsewhere but wasn't sure of the specifics. The wider the appeal, the more likely they'll be produced.

Thanks. I've been experimenting with the inkjet version myself but have found it gives very inconsitent results - specially with small text. The ink tends to bead on the surface rather than adhere properly to the paper. I've heard that the laser printer option is much better in this regard.

Following on from Rapido's excellent UK bus models, I've made the case for the beautiful and iconic Alexander-bodied Atlanteans of North East England: You know it makes sense!

Excellent work. What do you use to make your decals? The quality is very good.

While we're on the subject of moving buses, below is the furthest I've got so far with my magnet-based system. Unlike the VW T4, this model is based on a kit with a DIY chassis. The wheels the kit comes with are made from a sort of hard rubbery plastic. It doesn't roll particularly well at the moment, but that may just be because the tolerances need loosening up a bit. The Britbus chassis on the Metropolitan has similar hard tyres and it runs very freely, so I'm inclined to think the problem is with my DIY axles and bearings. Adding some weight might also help as the resin body is very light. As has been said, the road surface makes a big difference to the grip. A slightly rough surface gives the best purchase to get the wheels turning, but on a magnetic rail type system it has a drawback in that the vehicle magnet meets additional friction and resistance from the road surface. Cheers, Liam

That sounds like a product that's available in the UK called Glue N' Glaze. It works as you described, but I've been having issues with mine as it never seems to fully cure beyond a relatively soft rubbery gel. Not sure if it may be just a bad batch. I still use it for glazing small openings like head and tail lights though.

Yes, it's home-made from brass strip and small U-section. It works well, but I'm hoping to simplify the design in future as it's quite time consuming to make. Below is this evening's progress on the Metropolitan. The lower deck is taking shape. I built up parts of the rearward section with thick copperclad strip, leaving a channel to represent the sunken gangway. The stairs are cut out from the original Britbus molding and filed down to suit. More to come soon. Cheers, Liam

Here are some fairly bad pictures of the VW T4, which might just show how the glazing looks, and the 'steering' mechanism for guiding by an under-board magnet. The windscreen is missing at the moment while I add a driver. Cheers, Liam

Hi Ray, I did consider keeping the original Britbus interior, but thought its compromises might be too visible once the glazing is replaced with thinner material. Time will tell if I should have left well alone! The seats are from Paragon Kits and are designed to have plasticard ‘cushions’ fixed to them. I plan on adding thinner ones to the backrests too as they look rather spindly in plain brass. I want to try and print some decals with the correct T&W PTE seat pattern and it may also be easier to add these before the cushions go on. Regarding the glazing, I don’t have a tried and tested method yet – at least on buses. I’ve flush-glazed a VW T4 using cut-outs from a lemonade bottle, but on that occasion I reused the windscreen. I may end up doing the same with the Metropolitan, but one method I might try is stretching some heated plastic over a former – a sort of imprecise freehand vacuum forming. I’ve no idea if this will work or not! The glue I used on the VW T4 was epoxy, but as you say, it isn’t easy to keep it off the glass itself. When you say ‘working’ buses, does that mean you have converted them to run on a Magnorail system or similar? That’s also my plan for some of these road vehicles, but I’ve yet to get a system up and running. Do you have a thread where I can see your bus models? Cheers, Liam