BusTalk

[Mr. Linsky]

I'm not much into bus models although I couldn't resist the Corgi version of a Green Bus Lines (NY) TDH 4507 even though it's far from a perfect replica.

However, in my travels on the Net I have found what appears to be a very decent reproduction in 'N' scale (whatever that means) of a New York City Transit Authority 1956 Mack Model C-49-DT which is up for sale on eBay at;

http://cgi.ebay.com/N-scale-Wheels-Time-Transit-Bus-New-York-City-3-/300507958172?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item45f7ab8b9c

The 318 1956 C-49-DT's numbered 6000 to 6317 were the last Mack buses ever purchased by the City of New York.

Normally, I don't hawk goods on these channels but if this model is a good as it looks I think it's well worth the 'Buy it Now' price of $64.00.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York

[Rob]

N scale is about 1:160 ratio of the real thing to scale. So this bus model is about two inches long.

Out of curiosity I "googled" or maybe I "binged" "Wheels of Time in N" and hit their website www.wheelsotime.com and found a bunch of buses under the pull down menu transit motor coaches listed for sale at $25.95, including this one.

Rob

BTW
HO is 1:87 or the CMW GMC TDH-3610 about 4.25 inches long
O is 1:48 a similar bus would be about 8 inches long.

[frankie]

It's hard to believe that this model is just less than 3" long by looking at the picture! I have all four bus numbers that were available from WoT. For N scale, the detail is sharp. Of course, this model comes in different liveries from around the country including Canada, not just for the NYCTA. The only negative that I find are the front wheels being just a bit too far back from the front.

The casting come with or without the rear door (suburban version) depending on the livery.

With regards to the NYCTA version, the rear doors on the actual buses are double width with a narrower window ahead of it.

Frankie

[JimmiB]

Here is a Classic Metal Works TDH3610 in Chicago's Shore Line livery posed next to a Chicago Police station (warning...plug coming) that I made and cast and will be sold as a kit by my little company, N Scale Structure Studio.

Main complaint with the bus is that the body sits too high over the wheels.


DSCF2112a by Jimmi B Jr, on Flickr

[Rob]

Good looking building Jimmie, now if only the Reading made it to Chicago "and" I modeled in N rather than HO. Hope sales are going briskly.

[JimmiB]

Thanks Rob. I had a retired Chicago cop who bought a Chicago style fire house that I was selling. He talked me into doing one of the station houses that he used to work at.
I just wish that someone made more modern era buses in N scale. I have a large urban layout. I'd make them myself if I was any good at clay sculpting but all my master patterns are made from styrene. I had been working as a consultant to a Canadian guy who was doing a New Look in N scale. He was ready to produce them and just dropped out of sight!
I won't hold it against you that you model in Horribly Oversize scale.

[Rob]

Grew up in HO when N scale was really very shaky. It is much better now. Good thing, for the price isn't any less than HO. I would like to see that Firehouse sometime.
Have you seen these white vehicle stand-ins that they are currently selling. I cannot think of the outfits name (maybe JTT) I saw them the other week at Hobby Town over in Wyomissing (by the Redner's and WalMart on State Hill Rd.) They look like they might be N scale. They had some interesting looking vehicles and I thought I saw a bus. They were small enough to be background stand-ins for forced perspective in HO. I am thinking they said something about use for architectural displays. I will check for a name and some more info if I get over that way this week-end.
And hey, at least HO doesn't have a rail up the center like that O stuff. (see photo in my bus Talk Gallery including the Bieber bus on a friends O scale layout)

[Old Look 4007]

Greetings gentlemen:

Back in 1953 when I was 5 years old, my aunt bought me an Ideal GM PD-4103 Trailways toy bus. There used to be a Trailways bus station at the stationery store in Stamford where the buses would pick up passengers. This was before they had I-95 and all buses used US-1 to travel to New York and other destinations.

The stationery store had all kinds of Trailways toy buses.

Have seen pictures of the Ideal Trailways on the internet.

Back in those days Trailways and Greyhound was running the classic PD series with no rear windows as well as 4103s with no silversides as there was an aluminum shortage due to the Korean War.

Ah, the memories of the buses of yesteryear! I just turned 65 this year and can still remember the smell of diesel exhaust and the thrill of the various buses passing on the Post Road.