I would like for a model railroad company to eventually produce some NEW FLYER transit buses for N, HO and O scale model railroad layouts. I feel that there is a market for some more scale models of transit buses. The scale model buses would either be undecorated or decorated for large transit systems such as MARTA or WASHINGTON METRO. I ride actual NEW FLYER transit buses decorated for Cobb Community Transit in Marietta, Georgia. I would buy this type of bus in HO scale if it was available.
Don’t worry, if things follow the usual patterns we’ll get the current day New Flyers, Gilligs, and Neoplans in only 25 years or so [:p].
Actually, I think there was only one slip-up in the bus-prototype/model time continuum about 20 years ago, when Pirate models released their Flxible and RTS models while the prototypes were still fairly new! [:0]
Otherwise it seems a minimum of 2 decades must past before the model can be release…
David, I know this was posted a bit ago but I haven’t been around in some time. Big_Boy_4005 mentioned this topic to me.
I used to work at New Flyer. I looked at the Cobb transit page. Are you riding one of the new style of buses or the standard type of transit bus.
I ride the newer 40’ low floor New Flyer transit buses which have the front end lower than the rear end. There is a capacity of 39 seated passenger in these buses, 22 in the lower front end and 17 in the rear. I would like for New Flyer to convince a model railroad manufacturer to produce this type of transit bus in HO scale.
I wonder if there is a “royalty” issue with the manufacturers that is influencing the production of the busses?
Will
I don’t think it is a matter of New Flyer convincing anybody. There has to be sufficient demand for the product to financially justify its manufacture. One reason for the time lag between the prototype and the model release may be the fact that if current models are produced, they will only appeal to modelers working in the current era (or those modeling a time period within about the last 10 years). Since trucks and buses tend to have long lives, the Flxibles and RTSes fit anybody modeling from the late 70s until today.
It is a niche market. I suspect not a lot of modelers include transit buses on their city scenes. So the product line has to cross eras to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible or it will be prohibitively expensive. Pirate’s models have always been fairly pricey (by comparison to other vehicles), probably in part to offset the market size.
Unfortunately, decorating them for particular transit authorities potentially restricts the market even further. I suspect that is why a number of buses on the market today are decorated generically (a few different color schemes).
There is a 99% probability that I worked on your bus David. So I am sure it is perfect.[:P][;)]
Perhaps you should go to the website and try to contact New Flyer directly. At least let them know you are interested. Most likely it is a marketing aspect never considered.
On a general note I worked in the paint department. You modelers might think you have it tough putting a straight line on a boxcar…imagine laying down a straight tape line along the length of a 60 ft bus. Using just a roll of tape and your eye.
Even if they did not do specific city paint schemes but had a generic New Flyer branded shell that modelers could do up themselves.