Filter Content:    MBF    Northcord    OOC    Other

Saturday 14 January

Confirmed Tiny UK Releases

The following Tiny Toys models depicting UK buses have just been released in the UK. These compilment a much larger range of Hong Kong bus models that are now being distributed to UK model retailers. UK64001 London Transport DMS1052 (GHV 52N) Route 154 Sutton Garage - Daimler Fleetline DMS Double Deck Bus (1:110th Scale) UK64012 "Queen's Platinum Jubilee" Transport for London / London United LT70 (LT 1070) Route 148 White City) - New Routemaster Bus (1:120th scale)

Information kindly supplied by

Thursday 12 January

Confirmed Northcord UK Model Release

The following Northcord model has now been released to UK retailers. UKBUS6518 Go South Coast - ADL Enviro400 MMC Double Deck Bus

Information kindly supplied by

Tuesday 10 January

Confirmed Northcord Model UK Release

The following Northcord model which arrived in the UK just before the Christmas & New Year Holidays has now been distrubuted to UK model retailers. UKBUS6527 Stagecoach North Scotland - ADL Enviro400 MMC Double Deck Bus

Information kindly supplied by

Tuesday 10 January

Corgi & Airfix New Model Announcements

The Hornby Group have today released their yearly catalogues for the Hornby trains, Scalextric, and Airfix product lines. The first of three Corgi 2023 catalogues has also been published for the period January to April, along with details of new model tooling planned for later in the year across the various Corgi sub ranges. Although there are no New Routemasters planned for the OOC range this year, there are still two new releases in other Hornby Group ranges! Airfix Airfix will be producing a new range of London Transport Quick Build Kits, the first pair will feature a London LEVC TX4 taxi and a New Routemaster bus that is finished in the generic London Red livery with destinations for route 22 to Oxford Circus. No scale is given for either of these items which are construction from pre-coloured plastic and snap together without the need for either additional glue or paint. The New Routemaster has 88 parts and has a UK RRP of £29.99, release is expected in the Autumn 2023. J6050 New Routemaster Bus - Airfix Quick Build Kit - Scale not stated - Due Autumn 2023 The Airfix 2023 Range YouTube video can be found below & starts with the Quick Build Kits, what appears to be an early pre-production sample of the bus is visible in the opening scene. Corgi Toys Range The Corgi Toy range will feature another Royal Family related commerative model, this will be based on the 1/72nd scale version of the New Routemaster model, and will mark the Coronation of King Charles III in May. The model has a UK RRP of £14.99 and should be available in advance of the event. CC89205 New Routemaster Bus - Coronation of King Charles III - Due Spring 2023 Corgi Original Omnibus Range There are two new releases planned for the Corgi OOC range, both based on existing model toolings. The RRP for the OOC models remains at £46.99, but once again these will both be Corgi Online Store exclusives, with no distibution to other model retail outlets. OM40507 Feltham Tram - London Transport (Last Day of Service 7th April 1951) 2079 on route 16 to Croydon Purley - Due Spring 2023 Exclusive to the Corgi Online Shop OM46411 Caetano Levante - East Yorkshire (Great British Days Out & Days Away Livery) YY63 OJA / No.84 on route X5 to Hull - Due Spring 2023 Exclusive to the Corgi Online Shop Corgi also announced in their YouTube "Catalogue Announcement" video that they had signed a deal with Wright Bus to produce multiple new models for the OOC range over the next few years. Corgi confirmed the first of these new model toolings would be a Wright StreetDeck with options to produce both the Hydroliner & Electroliner variates. Development is at a early stage and no model samples, or expected release dates were available. You can view the full list of all new Corgi models announced today on the Corgi website. Here's the YouTube video mentioned above. The latest OOC model announcements start at 5:07, while the new OOC Wright Bus tooling is mentioned at 9:51. A free PDF version of the January-April 2023 Catalogue has been made available by Corgi and can be viewed HERE.

Wednesday 4 January

Corgi Catalogue Jan-Apr 2023 Launch Date Announced

The next Corgi catalogue for the period January to April 2024 will go live on the Corgi.co.uk website on Tuesday 10 January at 1pm GMT. In a question & answers video posted on YouTube over the holiday period by Corgi, it was confirmed that the upcoming catalogue will not contain any New Routemaster releases, and it was strongly hinted that it may contain a new tooling for the range. The one hour video can be viewed below, with the OOC questions starting at around the 27 minutes point. The new Hornby, Scalextric (10am), & Airfix 2024 range catalogues will also go live on their own websites on the same date throughout the day. A second series of the UK TV's "Hornby: A Model World" will start airing on the Yesterday channel on Monday 9 January at 8pm, this goes behind the scenes at Hornby, and also has features on modellers & collectors. The Yesterday channel can be found on Freeview 27 (SD), Freesat 159 (SD), Sky 155 (HD) and Virgin 129 (HD). The new episodes along with those from series 1 will/are also available in HD via the free to use UK TV play website, various Smart TV & Phones Apps. (see UK TV Play site for further viewing option details. Another Yesterday series, that may be of interest to modellers is "Scouting for Toys" this follows staff, sellers & buyers at the Teeside based Toy Auctioneers, Vectis. The first series which covers various themes from antique dolls to Matchbox Toys is also available to stream on the UK TV Play service. Extreme Model Weathering An amazing video recently posted on YouTube by Laser Creation-World showing the conversion of a 1/43 scale Soviet PAZ 672 type bus into an Apocalypse vehicle.

Sunday 1 January

Model Bus Federation January 2023 Journal Review

Getting back up to date here's a brief overview of the latest issue of the Model Bus Federation's Model Bus Journal for January 2023. This is the only publication solely dedicated to model bus news & other related articles in the UK. If the contents below are of interest, you may wish to consider becoming a member of the MBF, the annual subscription starts at £25.00 with special reduced rates available for younger members aged 14-18. For further details please visit the https://www.model-bus-federation.org.uk. Back issues of the Journals are also available to members where stock permits. The Model Bus Journal: Scottish Show Special - Issue 621 January 2023 - 32 pages - ISSN 0953-435 Area Meetings, Events - Upcoming MBF area meetings & events. Welcome Aboard - Three new members & one returnee. Cover Story - Robert Bouse's model of a Midland Scottish ECW bodied Leyland Fleetline was the Winner of Class 1 - 1/76 Scratchbuilt / Conversion in Scottish livery category at this year's Scottish Show (see below) Scottish Show Competition Results - Full list of the top three prize winners & models for each of the eleven competition classes. Scottish Show Competition Entries - Photographs of all the models entered in each of the competition classes. Scottish Show: Around & About - Photographs showing a selection of member's exhibits at the show. Plan of the Month by Alan Johnson - 1950 Daimler CVG6 / Metro-Cammell H30/24R Salford CRJ/FRJ Area News - This month there are reports & photographs from the areas meetings in Greater Manchester, Dorset/New Forest, Yorkshire, South Wales & Herefordshire, & the West Midlands. 2023 Events - Dates & venues for 2023 MBF area events in London, Lancashire & Cumbria & the 44th Model Bus Extravaganza in Safford. Two into One Does Go - One of Brain Goombridge's Bedford OB conversions, this features a deck & a half conversion produced using two EFE models. Products News UK - News from Radley Models on the progress of their forthcoming LT Country Area 1/43 (O) gauge RML kit. Photographs of the master for Paul Ellender's latest kit, the MAN / MOBIpeople Explorer coach kit. RTC Models are clearing the last stock of their remaining kits and will not be producing any further kits due to worn moulds. Book Reviews By Dave Jessop & Dave Rowe - Two reviews of recent books published by Penn & Sword from a modellers perspective: British Trolleybus Systems - Lancashire, Northern Ireland, Scotland & Northern England by Peter Walker & The London Dennis Dart & Dart SLF by David Beddall. The Buses That Never Were! Part 7 by David Rowe - David has produced a model of the much rumoured red London Transport Guy Special which he depicts with destination blinds for Harrow Weald Garage's 136 route. MBF Shop - The MBF Streetscene, Little Bus Company & Paragon range of white metal/resin parts & accessories, plus the MBF Streetscene 2K resin model kits that are exclusively available to MBF members. MBF Streetscene White metal Bus & Coach Kits - The former ABS white metal bus kits added to the MBF Streetscene range. These are available exclusively to members at low cost (from £5.00 to £35.00 - see the MBF page for a list of these model kits)