Hi Siberianmo
To get back to the subject…
Try www.modelbuses.com
Should be helpful.
I think I’m going to get ex-comunicated now. Not only do I have busses in one of my cities but they run on the Faller system. Sorry Big Boy.
I ride busses everyday. The trains dont run when I need. Theyre all right, just not very reliable, supposedly due to traffic.
I didn`t know Tampa hac a trolly line. The only time I was in Tampa, I got mugged.
TrainFan1221,
[V]Sorry to read that you got mugged. Tampa is actually not a bad town. There are a few rough areas, like any other American city, but crime can occur anywhere. Being that Tampa is right next to the bay and has an excellent climate, tourists can be potential targets.
[:)][8D]I really do hope you consider visiting again. The airport is top notch and Amtrak’s Palmetto drops you off at the beautifully restored Tampa Union Station, which is on the eastern edge of Downtown.
I surrender! Thanx for all the related and unrelated info - however, it doesn’t appear that I will be locating any modern (1990’s to present) U.S./Canadian city transit buses in 1/87scale any time soon.
For bsteel4065: Appreciate staying on the subject and your advice. However, American Precision Models offers the past tense - way in the past! Thanx anyway.
For Big_Boy_4005/Big_Girl_4005 (Loco & Tender): Glad you enjoyed the play on words - it was intended.
Siber:
Not really my field or era but I suggest you have a look at http://www.1-87vehicles.org which is a comprehensive index of makers of 1-87 vehicles. A quick scan shows several period bus listings, including a flexable MAN bus which was inported in the 1990s and is still in wide service here in San Diego
Hope this helps you.
Randy
Antonio FB45, if you check the Faller busses and ttrucks you will see they are not too much different than ours. The only thing would be to repaint and put your own lettering on. Check it out.
Thanks for the update, I know there is a lot of history there. Incidentally, I got mugged checking out a railyard not far from the Amtrak depot. It figures, huh?
Back around 1990.
Trainfan1221,[:0][:D]
That explains it! [:0][;)]The area immedietly next to Tampa yard was often rather desolate and lonely. Tampa Yard gets busy around 4p.m, usually with a CSX GP38. The local then departs at about 5p.m as it has been for about 25 years. It’s a little saddening for me as I used to ride my bike to this yard in the late 70s and it would often be busy 10 to 12 hours a day! As a consolation, during January this yard is really buzzing as the Ringling Bros. Circus train is parked here. The train is broken up in batches of cars with the performers and crew living here.
Overal things are a much better now since 1990 as the area has gone through a major “revitilization”. Tampa Union Station has been restored, many old buildings are being rebuilt , businesses are moving back in. Just southeast of the station, the port of Tampa, the Florida Aquarium and a harbor mall opened up. Big passenger ships dock at the port. The port area received a multimillion dollar face lift. Big difference. The trolley line is just a few blocks east of Tampa yard and runs right to the aquarium and the port on its way to downtown from Ybor City.
I think you’ll like Tampa a lot better next time. Still, always use caution. Don’t forget to visit Happy Hobo Trains and Chester Holley MRR Specialists on your next visit![:D][8D][8)][:)][^]
I wi***hat they would make models of the GMC/TMC/Novabus RTS models O scale buses, Including Neoplan AN440 Transliners O scale. Flxibles (New Looks and Metros) Gilligs and Fishbowls…oh wait they are making fishbowls/…
Um…
The outermost route through the arms that come off the sides of the dome was for trolleys bringing in passengers The middle was for automobiles to access the underground parking. The innermost was for buses. I feel our pain but I think the automobile did more to kill off passenger trains and trolleys than busses. I really blame the politicians that decided taxpayers should build roads for the rubber footed beasts.
Guys,
Know what I would love to see and am going to start bugging manufacturers about.?
A Faller type of system for American vehicles! Particularly Buses and Trucks. Some of you don’t like the idea…but think about it! You have a layout and are operating your trains on their busy schedules. Meanwhile, in your town’s streets there’s a couple of transit buses, a UPS truck, and a semi-truck running as well. Would really spice up a layout.
Seems far fetched? Two decades ago I suggested that it would be fantastic if our HO locomotives could blow whistles and had active Mars lights…
If more modelers pushed for this it can become a reality. The technology is available, but the demand needs to be there. I think it is…just many of us don’t realize that we might actually want it and would like it!
My Wishful Thinking!
Antonio,
Did you see the article several months ago where those guys in Germany made the display layout complete with vehicles running in the streets? Way cool.
You don’t like buses?
We had a whole company worth of “privatised” buses running their routes without stopping, AT ALL… turned out that the schedule the management worked out did not allow time for loading’unloading/taking fares… and the new contracts imposed on the drivers penalised them for late running… so they ran on time.
Isn’t life wonderful?
Oh yeah… and we have a bus company called “PMT”…
BigBoy4005… How’re ya gonna do DCC without a bus???
If you lived in the 40’ and 50’s and 60’s like I did you would see more buses than you would see trains,although I lived in a very industrial city, I do recall many steam and diesels running thru town,but the the conveyance was mostly buses,how would you get home without them unless you took to your leather. Buses are essential on all layouts to move your residents from point A to point B.
Dave, do you know the link? Sounds very familiar. In my case, I would love to see something like that, just with American vehciles. I would love to have animated traffic in an HO scale town.
Antonio,
I can’t remember if it was in MRR or RMC. I vaguely remember (and I could be wrong) that the thing was computer controlled with motors inside the vehicles. I’m cleaning up a bit this weekend and if I find the article I’ll post more info.
dave
The Miniatur Wunderland layout (in Hamburg, Germany), with the digitally controled trains and autos was featured in the February 2004 issue of Model Railroader.
Hey BIG BOY that’s not what your beloved Empire Builder saids, when it comes to La Crosse 6or7 times ayear, with rubber wheeled buses, because their flanged wheels are on the ground, or the engine will just not pull her.