1927 Maudslay Bus - Merit 1/76th kit with a few touches

 

Another beautiful vehicle from the box that friend Andrew sent for xmas. This time a very British bus, that will do well in photos with my extensive collection of planes from that country and era.

This kit first appeared under the Merit brand, then as Model Scene/Peco. The scale is close enough to the Divine Scale, at 1/76th, but the bus will need to be put either in front or behind a model airplane to create a better illusion. The quality is lukewarm good. There is external and internal detail, but simplified and a little coarse. There is no transparent material provided for the windows, but a small decal sheet is included. The fit again not bad, but not that of, for example, Highway Miniatures. After some clean up you can work with the parts, trying to make sense of the very bad instructions, consisting of a sort of exploded view with no clear position for a number of parts. Figure it out, if you can. The parts include a conductor that was assassinated in transit (see photos), which will make for a great episode on one of those wonderful British crime TV series. Maybe Poirot can figure out whodunit, and perhaps he can even decipher the instructions sheet.

Modifications/Additions were few: adding a few lights to the bus ceiling inside, home-made headlights and taillight, all windows, and a couple of details in the driver's booth.

Vintage buses evoke for me the countryside, a peaceful pace, and soothing greens.

 My friend Andrew, the previous owner of the kit, had already done a preliminary primer spray while the parts were still in the sprues. He likes to domesticate the parts as soon as he opens any kit box. Upon arrival, the parts were separated from their trees and cleaned up:

The sprues were quite robust:

All parts get some color. A few parts were previously glued together when possible:

The victim found in opening the kit's box. Gruesome, I know. "The crime of  the driver at Styrene Knoll" will have to be solved now by Hercule Poirot:

As this boxing had no instructions, they were fetched form the Net. Our deepest thanks to whoever posted them. As you can see some of the parts are, as the proverbial Rabelais' chimera, literally bombinating in a vacuum, with no indication as to where they go. "Take that, modelers, try to build our kit! Mwahahah!":

Installing the clear windows:

All installed now:

More painted parts:

Lights and vents (exactly below the external vents) are added to the ceiling:

This beautiful Japanese set of photo-etched accessories has managed the art of providing P.E. parts without the annoying holding tabs. I have only seen this in the now extinct Fred Hultberg extraordinary P.E. parts. The set has mildly adhesive protective sheets on both sides. Mayhaps the big European P.E. parts manufacturers could take a page from that book?

Well, resistance is futile, you will be assembled!:

Real home-made reflective lenses are added:

Meanwhile, Poirot is working on the suspects of the Styrene Knoll murder: Miss Claire St. Tightly, from Uppetytown, Chesire; Mr Finn O'Nan from Yerlostladdy, Ireland; Sir Montague Spiller, from Stain-Upon-Table, Worcestershire; or... his rabid dog, W. Ulf.

The upper body is masked and the green color applied:

To be continued...