Buses

[marknewton]

Took some models down to the club the other night for a play, including my nascent bus fleet.

 

 

If I'm not careful, I'll turn into a bus collector/modeller! 

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[Kabutoni]

Isn't that scale 1/80? Awesome detail!

 

Bit strange to see a bus towards Sapporo standing next to one from Kyoto.

[marknewton]

Yes Tony, they're both 1/80th scale. Although the Isuzu bonnet bus is marketed as 1/76th, I measured the thing and found it was almost exactly 1/80th. So much for trusting what's printed on the box. But the detail is quite good for a diecast model, and with a little refinement and weathering I think it will pass muster when displayed with injection-moulded plastic models such as the Tomix bus.

 

And yes, they both need to be repainted/re-lettered into a similar paint scheme to represent the same operator. I was wondering where the Isuzu came from originally! 

 

All the best,

 

Mark.

[bikkuri bahn]

Nice pair there.  I'm not a bus person, but I do like Japanese Rosen (local route) buses.  As a frequent past user of buses both in Los Angeles (carless in college!) and here in Hokkaido, I always preferred the Japanese ones- though smaller and more cramped, they were always cleaner, brighter inside (no heavily tinted windows), engine sound had character, passenger stop announcements were always made, and (most important), the fare boxes made change!

 

A little more info on the Sapporo Bus- what you have there is a Kokutetsu (JNR) bus- you can see the swallow symbol, which was used extensively, not only on buses but on trains, such as the Tsubame Ltd. Express and selected C62 (and a few D51) locomotives.  The swallow symbol can still be seen on JR Hokkaido Buses.

[marknewton]

Nice pair there.  I'm not a bus person, but I do like Japanese Rosen (local route) buses.  As a frequent past user of buses both in Los Angeles (carless in college!) and here in Hokkaido, I always preferred the Japanese ones- though smaller and more cramped, they were always cleaner, brighter inside (no heavily tinted windows), engine sound had character, passenger stop announcements were always made, and (most important), the fare boxes made change!

 

BB, they sound like buses worth riding. Fare boxes are something I've had little experience of - the only one I've ever used is on the ex-Muni PCC car we have at our museum. How do they work?

 

A little more info on the Sapporo Bus- what you have there is a Kokutetsu (JNR) bus- you can see the swallow symbol, which was used extensively, not only on buses but on trains, such as the Tsubame Ltd. Express and selected C62 (and a few D51) locomotives.  The swallow symbol can still be seen on JR Hokkaido Buses.

 

Thanks, that's all news to me. The bonnet bus was simply marketed as "JNR", and I didn't realise the significance of the swallow logo. I've seen it on the smoke deflectors of C62 2, but I had no idea it was also used on D51s. I just bought a big pictorial book on the D51s, I'll have to look closely and see if there are any photos showing it.

 

I love this forum for the wide range of knowledge our members possess! 

 

All the best,

 

Mark.

[Guest ___]

Took some models down to the club the other night for a play, including my nascent bus fleet.

 

 

If I'm not careful, I'll turn into a bus collector/modeller! 

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

 

 

Same here. I was a bus man as long as a train man. Never really got in to J-buses though.

[bikkuri bahn]

Mark, the fare boxes have slots for 1000 yen bills and a coin slot.  Before paying the exact fare, which you put in another fare box receptacle, you can use these change machines- very simple, and the driver only needs to monitor the final amount you put in the fare box.

 

About the D51 with the tsubame (swallow) insignia- I didn't know this type had this either, but a week or two ago, I saw a B/W picture of one running on the Kansai Main Line between Kameyama and Nara, back in the late sixties/early seventies.

[bikkuri bahn]

...veering OT, but here are a couple if pics of a D51 (D51 944) with the swallow mark on the deflectors.

 

At Tsuge (Kansai ML) loco depot:

 

http://kenf.web.infoseek.co.jp/locomotive6620080601d5109411017.htm#06

 

Color view departing Kabuto Sta.,Kansai ML (scroll down to fifth picture):

 

http://rail.hobidas.com/kokutetsu/archives/0080/cat883/

[marknewton]

Mark, the fare boxes have slots for 1000 yen bills and a coin slot.  Before paying the exact fare, which you put in another fare box receptacle, you can use these change machines- very simple, and the driver only needs to monitor the final amount you put in the fare box.

 

Sounds like a very neat and workable arrangenment, just what I'd expect in Japan. Pity the bus operators here don't do something similar.

 

About the D51 with the tsubame (swallow) insignia- I didn't know this type had this either, but a week or two ago, I saw a B/W picture of one running on the Kansai Main Line between Kameyama and Nara, back in the late sixties/early seventies.

 

I took the D51 book with me to work last night, and sure enough, there are a few photos with them. They look great!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[marknewton]

...veering OT, but here are a couple if pics of a D51 (D51 944) with the swallow mark on the deflectors.(snip)

 

Excellent stuff, thanks for sharing them with us!

 

As a dyed-in-the-wool steam man, D51s fascinate me. I love the way that a "standard" design has so many detail variations. I was particularly interested by the photos showing D51 952 fitted with a Giesl ejector. I knew that the JNR experimented with these, but I thought only one engine was converted. Now I've seen photos of at least three.

 

I also really like the photo showing the stationmaster handing up the hoop to the driver of the DD51. Been there, done that as they say.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.