News - December 2023

[diecast models] - [information] - [links] - [news] - [plastic models] - [resin models] - [trams] - [xtra]

	*December 2023* *- News*
Previous month's News	To find a specific month's News, click here	Next month's News

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2024

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy New Year and to thank all of you who have contributed over the past year. There are too many of you to mention, but your help has been invaluable in ensuring the site continues to provide the latest model and real bus news.

30th December 2023

Kowloon Motor Bus has announced four new models.

The first two feature Long Win Bus models, namely Enviro500 bodied Volvo B9TLs. The first represents 710 (MX9771), with '2007' decals, on route A41P to Airport (KMB2023022) whilst the second represents 701 (MX4719) on route E34 (KMB2023023). No other details are currently known.

The next two feature 12.8 metre ADL Enviro500NG models. 3ATENU2 (SV1948) is on route 75K to Tai Mei Tuk (KMB2023024) and 3ATENU21 (TV4348) is on route 26 to Tsim Sha Tsui (East) (KMB2023025). No other details are currently known.

The number of Kowloon Motor Bus 'retro' liveried 12.8 metre ADL 'facelift' Enviro500s has increased somewhat! Two groups of seventeen are divided by six green BYD electric double-deckers.

29th December 2023

Citybus Wrights Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B8L 52105 (formerly New World First Bus 5235) has received this Christmas livery.

I will again tempt fate by adding a couple of tables detailing the number of releases over the past four years, by model manufacturer and by bus operator.

Model manufacturer	2020	2021	2022	2023
80M Bus Model	22	43	34	27
BMCU	5	0	0	0
BR Bus Model	4	2	3	0
Go Idea	5	0	0	2
MGG Workshop	4	0	0	0
Model 1	47	14	7	21
NP Model	17	7	4	0
Tiny	6	2	4	4
Unknown/Others	9	5	3	1
TOTALS	119	73	55	55

Bus operator	2020	2021	2022	2023
China Motor Bus	14	2	0	2
Citybus	11	5	7	5
Discovery Bay	3	0	0	0
Kowloon Motor Bus	45	45	36	23
Long Win Bus	5	5	2	2
New Lantao Bus	5	1	0	4
New World First Bus	13	9	1	13
Others	23	6	9	6
TOTALS	119	73	55	55

26th December 2023

May I take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas

The two Citybus 12 metre ADL 'facelift' Enviro500s carrying trial liveries have now been released. Fleet no. 8543 (VW3059) carries trial livery no. 1 and is on route N8X to Kennedy Town (63359/CM185), whilst fleet no. 8540 (VN7796) carries trial livery no. 2 and is on route 99X to Sai Wan Ho (63360/CM186). Each is limited to 800 pieces.

24th December 2023

Further to my News item of 18th October, I can report that former Kowloon Motor Bus Wrights bodied Volvo B10TL AVW96 (MA4745) arrived at Southampton Docks today. It has joined the fleet of Replacement Bus Hire. This project was completed independently by the RBH Imports Division and it will transfer to the RBH Preserved Division once it has a COIF and PSV MOT. My thanks to R J Hamilton for allowing me to share these photographs.

21st December 2023

Believed to be the first ADL Enviro400 to receive the new Citybus livery is former New World First Bus 3811 (UN5689), which is now numbered 31511, and is seen here on route 14 to Stanley Fort and Prison.

18th December 2023

Another new model!

I am grateful to a visitor to my site, who wishes to remain anonymous, for sending me details and photographs of this Big Bus Tours Ankai open top bus in Lantau Sightseeing Bus livery. It features JD5739 with a destination of Ngong Ping 360 and, appropriately, it is limited to 360 pieces (80872). A new page and further details and photographs have now been added. I do not believe the model is a general release.

My thanks to Peter Harrison for sending me sets of photographs for these three recently released Alexander Dennis Enviro500s - just click on an image to view the relevant model page.

17th December 2023

Further details of the two Citybus 12 metre ADL 'facelift' Enviro500s carrying trial liveries have been received. Fleet no. 8543 (VW3059) carries trial livery no. 1 and is on route N8X to Kennedy Town (63359/CM185), whilst fleet no. 8540 (VN7796) carries trial livery no. 2 and is on route 99X to Sai Wan Ho (63360/CM186). Each is limited to 800 pieces and new pages have now been added.

A new page is presently being 'worked on' for the new resin 1/43 scale model of former China Motor Bus Albion Viking EVK55CY AM1 (ATC43222).

15th December 2023

My thanks to Jumbo Bus Hong Kong for allowing me to share their photographs of former China Motor Bus Albion Viking EVK55CY AM1 (see details below). I can confirm that the proposed 1/43 scale model from Tiny is resin and it is expected to be released in January 2024.

New Lantao Bus has applied this retro livery to Asia Aero bodied MAN RR8 (VZ7477).

Twenty years ago today I posted a photograph of a pre-production sample of this Alexander bodied Citybus Olympian - the model, from Creative Master Northcord Ltd, was officially released on 23rd December 2003.

14th December 2023

Now released are these two 11.3 metre New World First Bus ADL 'facelift' Enviro500s, first announced on 10th November.

The top photograph shows 4053 (UR698) on route 1M to Exhibition Centre (64304/20108) whilst the lower photograph features 4068 (UT2129) on route 26 to Hollywood Road (64305/20109). Both are Model 1 products and each is limited to 450 pieces.

Preserved China Motor Bus Duple bodied Albion Viking EVK55CY AM1 (BJ352) is seen heading for the Asia Expo exhibition where it will be on display.

Tiny, coincidently, have posted the above image on social media today, which is self-explanatory!!

A new page will be added as soon as time allows (ATC43222).

A reminder of how AM1 looked back in December 2010 - for more details of this bus, click here.

I can confirm that the second Singapore Wrights Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B9TL features the same bus, SG5005S, as that on general sale in Hong Kong. It does, as mentioned below, display a different route number, namely route 143, and the destination reads 'Jurong East via Chinatown'. I believe it is a specially commissioned model by Tower Transit and will not be on general sale.

13th December 2023

Singapore models, both new and not so new, appear to be dominating recent news, and today is no exception!

Announced today by 80M Bus Model Shop is this Tower Transit (Singapore) Wrights Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B9TL. It features SG5005S on route 106 with a destination of Bukit Batok Holland Rd/Village (SG23001). It is limited to 700 pieces. A new page and has just been added and this will be updated as soon as time allows.

UPDATE

A second version, on route 143 and limited to 500 pieces also exists - more details will follow when known.

B&B Model Studio have posted the above images of this resin model of a 1/76 scale ADL 12.5 metre 3-door Enviro500 in lush green livery. No other details are presently known.

Following my appeal for further information on the six resin Singapore Hispano Carrocera bodied Mercedes-Benz O405 models released last December, I am grateful to Peter Harrison for providing the missing information and to Jude Tan and Mohamad Isnin Mustafa for allowing me to share their photographs, The following page has now been updated and six new pages have also been added - just click on the image below.

Also announced today by 80M Bus model Shop is this 1/87 scale North American trolleybus.

The Dayton trolleybus system forms part of the public transportation network serving Dayton, in the state of Ohio, United States. Opened on April 23, 1933, it presently comprises five lines, and is operated by the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, with a fleet of 45 trolleybuses. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 1,813,600, or about 6,700 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2023. The model features Gillig-Kiepe trolleybus no. 2070, the last numerically of 41 such buses delivered during 2019-2020. It is on route 4 to Westown and is limited to 500 pieces (CGUS87001).

11th December 2023

Citybus has applied Christmas decals to Rickshaw Bus 5550 (RK4924).

10th December 2023

I have just discovered no less than six 1/76 scale resin Singapore models released last December by Masterpiece Collectibles. All feature Hispano bodied Mercedes-Benz O405 single-deckers, three in the livery of SMRT Buses and three in the livery of Trans Island Bus Services.

I have now added the known information to the resin Mercedes-Benz page of the site, as detailed above. If you are able to provide me with any of the missing information, please do e-mail me.

I am grateful to Mohamad Isnin Mustafa for allowing me to share the above photograph of one of the models, namely TIB 832Z on route 187 with a destination of Woodlands Int/MRT.

Kowloon Motor Bus held an open day in Mei Foo today and the above photograph is just one of many that are featured in a new page that has now been added to the XTRA section of the site.

9th December 2023

Three new Citybus models are on their way, all produced by Model 1, and details are as follows:-

The first two feature 12 metre ADL 'facelift' Enviro500s in experimental liveries - fleet no. 8543 (VW3059) is on route N8X to Kennedy Town and is limited to 800 pieces (CM185) (top photograph) whilst fleet no. 8540 (VN7796) is on route 99X to Sai Wan Ho, again limited to 800 pieces (CM186).

The third features Wrights Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B8L fleet no. 52101 (WN4213) in, I believe, Year of the Dragon livery. It is on route 101 and is limited to 688 pieces (CM191).

8th December 2023

And another 3 door Singapore model!! My thanks to Raymond Tsang for allowing me to share his photographs of a Gemilang bodied MAN A95 and the ADL 'facelift' Enviro500.

7th December 2023

Today's arrival is this SG Bus 3-door ADL 'facelift' Enviro500. It carries a fictitious registration of SG2021A and a destination of LTA-SGBus.

This model was first announced as 'Coming Soon' in November 2022, however its general release is still awaited. The model was to be sold through Singapore retailer, Knackstop, who have previously sold other Singapore bus models.

In late September 2023 I received an e-mail from a visitor to the site saying that he had acquired the model and asked whether I could shed any light on the model. I duly responded and, tongue in cheek, asked if it was for sale! I was informed it was not but at the same time was advised that further photographs would be sent to me. Unfortunately, these never arrived and I was subsequently informed that the model had indeed been sold!

On the 18th November 2023 I came across an example on a German 'selling' website. Unfortunately, the website did not allow UK residents to register, so I contacted a friend in Holland asking if he could purchase the model on my behalf. He kindly agreed and attempted to do so, but unfortunately the seller would only post to an address within Germany. I then contacted another friend, based in Germany, explaining my situation and she kindly offered to help. She purchased the model and having received it, subsequently forwarded it on to me in the UK.

I would like to thank Gino Berk for his initial attempts to secure the model and Franziska Richter, who successfully obtained the model and subsequently arranged for its safe delivery to me.

Further details and photographs have been added to the model page, just follow this link.

Citybus ADL Enviro400 31507 (ex-3807) was severely damaged after it burst into flames in Quarry Bay earlier today. Fortunately there were no reported injuries.

5th December 2023

Citybus 'Rickshaw Bus' 5552 (RK4712) has received all-over Christmas advertising for IFC.

3rd December 2023

MTR Bus has decorated ADL 'facelift' Enviro500s 860 and 861 with Hello Kitty decals with the wording 'travel to Tai Tong and enjoy the red leaves' (this translation may not be totally accurate). My thanks to Alan Wong for allowing me to share his photographs.

2nd December 2023

	*December 2023* *- News*
Previous month's News	To find a specific month's News, click here	Next month's News

[diecast models] - [information] - [links] - [news] - [plastic models] - [resin models] - [trams] - [xtra]

Page last updated Saturday, 30th December 2023