Kitbashing a steam omnibus

[tedp]

This little project is a spin-off from the 009 modeller at sea thread, as I had the parts for the model with me on holiday last month. I only started it at home - I will publish it in instalments although the model was completed weeks ago.

The North Stafford Railway ran a steam omnibus service to link Leek and Waterhouses, the terminus of the Leek & Manifold Railway. It is mentioned in the Oakwood Press L&M book by Jenkins, with two photos of the Strakers steam omnibuses used for the service. I long planned to do a kitbash inspired by these, using the Keilkraft kits of the London 'B' type bus and the Atkinson steam wagon.

Obviously the result will look very different. The main difficulty is the cab height of the Atkinson vehicle which is much less than the lower deck of the bus. The Atkinson cab seems to be intended for a sitting driver, whils the Straker cab is much taller (see photos from the book). But I expect I will find a solution to that.

Here is what I have done up to now. Building the cab:





Note that the roof is still loose - I'm not sure whether to increase its height. Next, the upper deck of the bus is being removed.



I then assembled the cut down bus body and fitted the chassis to the steam wagon cab. Behind is a steam wagon assembled as intended, which I use as a reference.



Here is a view from another angle, set off against a photocopy of the prototype.



Then I removed part of the floor of the bus and the front end with the engine, and slotted the shortened steam wagon chassis into it. It is still a dry run since I am experimenting with the chassis and the cab. The difference in height in the roof lines is evident, and so is the gap between the cab and the bus body. Here some additional work is required.



To be continued!

[gtmspyder]

That looks very promising Ted, unfortunately, Glen Ogle only goes back to 1965 ish, one of the problems of modelling a real location and time.

Regards,

BrianT.

[Hugh Norwood]

Ah but, Brian, you could have a restored one being driven by an enthusiast...

[theelliotts]

I believe that a Sentinel steam bus has been operated in Whitby recently.

[andy1878]

Certainly so
http://www.whitbysteambusandcharabanc.co.uk/

Andy1878

[tedp]

A restored one would be perfectly possible, Brian - however you usually see them at steam fairs only. Perhaps passing through to add a bit of extra fun to the local Highland Games!

Being a bit worried about the broken roof line on the model I was contemplating, I checked some photos of steam buses on the internet. It appears there are about as many of them with a broken roof line as with a straight roof. I have seen a Foden, a Sentinel and what looks like an Atkinson lorry with a primitive open seating arrangement. Here are a few examples.



Yorkshire 1919 steam bus - source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/henkg/5731743303/



Foden 1914 steam bus - source: http://petermcguirephotography.zenfolio.com/p278267197/h3A92E588#h3a92e588



A Sentinel six-wheeler of obviously more recent design - source: http://www.ian-oxley.co.uk/



What looks like an Atkinson similar to the one my bash is based, from this source.



Another Foden, with the roof line extended forward by some sort of valance - source:
http://www.pbase.com/luckytrev/image/41397921

Some interesting material is contained here: http://ribblesteam.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/the-steam-bus-1833-1923/

After seeing all the prototype buses, I saw the way forward. First, I thought I'd do something about the coach body. I removed all that protruded ahead of the windows - roof supports and pieces of side panelling. Then I fitted the front wall, but the wrong way round so I'd have a flush front. The roof supports were re-attached to the other end of the body. Here it is being pressed to enable the solvent to evaporate, using a highly unusual 'presse-papier'.



Note that upper deck moulding in the foreground. I decided to use the seats for an interior. In addition there is a nicely rounded sunshade (on the left) which I decided to use as a canopy over the rear platform. First, here is the seating unit being cut to size, which made an unholy mess on the table.



Here at last are the component parts. Note that I shortened the steam wagon frame and moved the engine slightly forward.



This is how it looked with the parts assembled in a dry run. The seating unit fits the body quite well.



The roof of one of the 009 Society cattle trucks made shortly before fitted neatly in place, even though it would fit over the rear awning, not flush against it. I knew what to do about that.



Finally, here is how the chain drive lines up with the spring suspension for the rear axle. I was going to replace these by those of the steam wagon, but in the same position.

[tedp]

The following day I put the brute on its wheels. I decided to use the wheels from the bus kit, since the steam wagon wheels are very heavy and the double-tyre rear wheels would have stuck out from the bus body. It looks much better this way, I feel.

Here is the result.





Note that I still needed to make up that rear platform, steps, a ladder to the roof, probably a roof rack, and a water tank under the rear end. I cut down the cattle van roof so it sinks down between the sides, and made up a thin styrene sheet covering all the roof, with the cattle van roof as a former.

Shortly afterwards I did some work on the rear end of the steam omnibus. A barrier to the platform, steps from the scrapbox, a ladder, and the water tank made up from a part of the steam wagon kit and styrene sheet. I also added glazing and fitted the the seats and the roof, after painting the interior and the window frames. The tank under the rear (which is the only place it could go) nicely fills the space under the rear of the chassis.

[tedp]

Soon afterwards I painted the vehicle, watching a film on TV with one eye.





Hope you like the colour scheme. I need to touch up in one or two places, but it's nearly completed.

One thing that bothered me is the sheer size of the thing. So I set to measuring and I found it scales out at 10' 6" tall. The original kits I made it from are 1/72 scale, so it would be slightly overscale. However, when I set it on the layout with a 4mm figure next to it, it doesn't look too bad. If I look at the photo of the North Stafford vehicle, it does tower over the passengers beside it. Judge for yourself:



It still needs some finishing - passengers, a driver, lining-out and lettering, and a roof rack...

[Hugh Norwood]

Very nice!

[tedp]

Thanks, Hugh. Obviously it needs a lot of finishing but at the moment it's on the back burner. I have more road vehicles to finish - I should invest in some transfers.

[gtmspyder]

Very nice Ted, but if I may be so presumptuous to the master.

Looking at your scale figure, it would take a lot of athleticism to get aboard.

I think one more step, and perhaps an etch or brass assembly to make them less chunky, and some nice brass handrails joining steps to body would really set it off .

I've just been back through the posts, and I think the Whitby bus is the pattern I have in mind.

Kind regards,

BrianT. 

[tedp]

I agree the steps are a little too far off the gound. However, I'm told the ticket collector has a soapbox hidden under his seat which he uses to help passengers negotiate the steps.   ;D

Handrails are lacking, I know...

[Ross Chapman]

That's a great looking bus there!

How about putting something under the bottom of the steps to suggest it has got a set of small fold-down extra steps?

[tedp]

The steps on this one come down to about the height of the wheel boss. So do the steps on mine. They might otherwise be knocked off at the first dip in the road. I prefer the soap box version.  ;)



source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisbell50000/8139585784/in/photostream/

[gtmspyder]

Agh yes Ted, but are the wheels the same diameter ::) and what about the conductors bad back, he has to bend down to pick the box up from it's resting place, before getting off the bus with it in his hand, which means an awkward jarring jump down, then he has to bend and place it into position, climb back aboard to offer an arm to any lady requiring assistance up onto the bus, because there are no hand rails, step back off and bend to pick up his box, negotiate the unnaturally high step, now with the box in his hand, and no hand rails, bend down again to place the box back in it's unofficial resting place, giving him the dilemma, does he ring the bus away because his driver is getting impatient 'cos the safety valves lifted and is blowing in his ear hole, or does he store the box and then ring the bus away risking the ire of the driver, who will surely give him a jerky ride at every opportunity.

And all this grief, just because a sailor who should never have been employed in the omnibus company in the first place, is cutting corners just so he can purloin a bit of teak flooring to repair his boat.  ;D ;D ;D

Regards, :-*

BrianT.