[Nimrod48]

My long awaited 1:24 scale London Transport wartime RT type bus arrived this morning, the real vehicle was built in 1939 & the model depicts it as it was in circa 1940 in its blackout livery.
The finish on the model is very good 8 out of 10 I would say.

[Louie]

Beautiful. I never get tired of looking at the old double decker buses. The one Corgi did was my first nver forgot it. Solido also did a nice rendition years later. Thanks for the pic.

[dilligafocau]

This one is a must for me, Ive got enough RM's for now and this one's early war livery looks great. Corgi did an all grey wartime 1/50 RT with covers over the windows etc, my dad never saw (he used to catch 'em) the grey type only those livered like the Sunstar RT

[Nimrod48]

Originally Posted by dilligafocau

This one is a must for me, Ive got enough RM's for now and this one's early war livery looks great. Corgi did an all grey wartime 1/50 RT with covers over the windows etc, my dad never saw (he used to catch 'em) the grey type only those livered like the Sunstar RT

This was going to be my only 1:24 RT dilli but now having examined it in detail I am probably going to end up with half a dozen different variants as per the Routemaster (hope they do a Coronation service version) & then of course I will have to get the 1:24 Gilbow (EFE) RF when that is issued as they compliment each other perfectly
Sunstar have just announced their RT releases for 2008 http://www.britishmodelbuses.com/ click on the news section there are three for this year & I want them all !!!

[Hornchurch]

Originally Posted by Nimrod48

My long awaited 1:24 scale London Transport wartime RT type bus arrived this morning, the real vehicle was built in 1939 & the model depicts it as it was in circa 1940 in its blackout livery.
The finish on the model is very good 8 out of 10 I would say.

Hi Nimrod,

Did you pay the FULL 'Ton-Fifty' for this R.T. ??????????

I still can't get my head round as to WHY they're suggesting a £150 RRP on the RT... & yet the RM (Routemaster) is generally accepted as a £125 RRP "'but everyone-stocks-it-for-£100 or less'" outlook ?????????????

I KNOW Zinc prices have increased, but I've also heard 'on the Grapevine' that they realise most foilk don't wanna 'Go' above the £100 barrier (generally-speaking)

Also, somewhat bothers me, that you've ONLY given your 'RT' an 8/10 rating ??????????

If I was paying £150 RRP , I'd want it to 'make Tea & toast, & be 'Gold-Lined' !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO, Nim'..... WHY only 8/10 as opposed to 10/10 ?????????????

What are the shortfalls ?????????

I'd LOVE to know how well this is selling, in terms of numbers ?

A WW.II bus in that scale's a rarity !

[ZS-VAN]

That's one good looking bus. I've only ever seen two Sunstar busses here and they seem to be later versions. Could you guys clarify the types you mention? Thanks.

[dilligafocau]

Originally Posted by Hornchurch

Hi Nimrod,

Did you pay the FULL 'Ton-Fifty' for this R.T. ??????????

I still can't get my head round as to WHY they're suggesting a £150 RRP on the RT... & yet the RM (Routemaster) is generally accepted as a £125 RRP "'but everyone-stocks-it-for-£100 or less'" outlook ?????????????

I KNOW Zinc prices have increased, but I've also heard 'on the Grapevine' that they realise most foilk don't wanna 'Go' above the £100 barrier (generally-speaking)

Also, somewhat bothers me, that you've ONLY given your 'RT' an 8/10 rating ??????????

If I was paying £150 RRP , I'd want it to 'make Tea & toast, & be 'Gold-Lined' !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO, Nim'..... WHY only 8/10 as opposed to 10/10 ?????????????

What are the shortfalls ?????????

I'd LOVE to know how well this is selling, in terms of numbers ?

A WW.II bus in that scale's a rarity !

It could well be because this is an older vintage (WWII) double -decker Sun Star are moving upmarket with the prices.

Ive seen these for GBP130 in the UK & $US149 on US ebay (plus the post) just a week or two after release, so maybe the prices will stabilise around that GBP100 mark after a while.

Really though, if you are to buy just one, it would have to be the 1st one........at a time of your choosing (of course )

An RT would look nice with your RM's Hornchurch

[dilligafocau]

Originally Posted by ZS-VAN

That's one good looking bus. I've only ever seen two Sunstar busses here and they seem to be later versions. Could you guys clarify the types you mention? Thanks.

This page may help as far as the double deckers are concerned

IAN'S BUS STOP: RT

[Hornchurch]

Originally Posted by dilligafocau

It could well be because this is an older vintage (WWII) double -decker Sun Star are moving upmarket with the prices.

Ive seen these for GBP130 in the UK & $US149 on US ebay (plus the post) just a week or two after release, so maybe the prices will stabilise around that GBP100 mark after a while.

Really though, if you are to buy just one, it would have to be the 1st one........at a time of your choosing (of course )

An RT would look nice with your RM's Hornchurch

Originally Posted by ZS-VAN

That's one good looking bus.
I've only ever seen two Sunstar busses here and they seem to be later versions. Could you guys clarify the types you mention? Thanks.

Hi D.G.F - yeah, you're prob' right........

Sunstar have been remarkably successsful with their MASSIVE scale London-Buses, appealing to guys like me, who would otherwise NEVER have entertained the idea, thereby leaving it to the 'Anoraks' (& knobs) of this world.

I made the mistake of walking up to the counter in Modelzone to pay for several Revell (Dragon) 1/48th Ju.88-A.4's at their Bluewater store a few years back with another IPMS mate........ & in front of us was this Chinese 'Geezer' who'd just paid RRP for one of the VERY first early 'Sun Star' releases of the London-Routmaster (the 'East-Ham' 272 'Jacob's Cream-Cracker' variant*).

He opened the box at the counter, & I nearly passed-out in disbelief !!!!!!!!!!!

About 6 - 7 people crowded round, everyone raving about how accurate & 'REAL' it looked - I was literally 'slackjawed' by just how GOOD that model was !!!!!!!!!!!!

Everything I'd EVER seen before, just looked like a silly toy, BUT NOT THIS........

This was a full-blooded PROPER scale replica - just like seeing a real-one in miniature !!!!!!!!!

When I FINALLY started to 'collect' the versions I liked (they done a dozen, or more) I started studying & coming to terms with the (expensive) price of them...........

I ONLY paid £44 for my 'Silver-Lady' version, off E-bay (2nd hand, but minty-'MINT' it was)

Whereas, I've paid £125 for my 'East-Ham' Route 272 'Jacob's*' version - the one I 1st saw at Modelzone, as they are consideredas "rare as fresh Dodo-eggs" ('Hen's-teeth', or 'rocking-Horse' droppings) = they're that rare & hard to come by...... (they make Corgi 'S'-for 'Sugar' Lancasters look like they grow on trees !)

Thanks for the 'smiley-hint' D.G.F.

No need for the 'carrot-&-stick' incentive mate - the 'Accquisition-'Lust' is there alright !!!!!!!!!

But I've just done £150 on some a/c including 5 x F.6-F's, 2 x SBD's & an F.4-U in 1/48th PLUS my first IXO's......

A Blackburn-Skua & an Henschel Hs.129 - the Expense is mounting........

& I ain't bought my P.O.T.R. Lancaster or ANY Halifax yet !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gawd, the POOR wallet !!!!!!!!!

[Hornchurch]

Originally Posted by ZS-VAN

That's one good looking bus.

I've only ever seen two Sunstar busses here and they seem to be later versions.

Could you guys clarify the types you mention? Thanks.

Sorry ZS - got a bit carried away there !!!!!!!!!!!

Basically your best bet, in order to SEE & gain a GOOD idea of what we're talking about here, is to visit Nimrod's excellent link, that he posted in post No.4........

Home page

Click on 'models' (in the Left-Hand column, between 'Links' & 'News') & THEN click on 'Sun Star' in the 3rd column, under 'Model-Maufacturer'.......

Basically, the site is like the equivalent of 'Tricatus' excellent site - in terms of photographs & reference/guidance for ANYONE contemplating buying one of these EXCELLENT/OUTSTANDING models


BTW, both of the types we've mentioned/been talking about are/were PURPOSE built buses to serve London (which they basically have since WW.II to the present-day !!!!!!!!)

They were built by 'AEC' the famous maufacturer of the British-Army 'Matador' Lorry, used to haul Heavy Artillery (5.5inch guns), troops, munitions & soldiers, in WW.II

You can see the likeness between the RT bus, in Nimrod's 1st post & the 'Matador' lorry, certainly the Radiator & it's shroud/frontal-aspect.......

the R.M. is the 'Routemaster' (as it's named) & is THE Archtypal 'London-Bus'.

They've since (very-recently) been 'officially-retired', having served WAY past their expected life-span & the Bus is a legend in it's own lifetime..........

There are STILL two short sight-seeing routes in London, where these are STILL running today !