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Post by MONSTERRAILROAD on May 9, 2018 5:30:06 GMT -8
I like the detail that I saw on the new Rapido bus and since it is a bus that I remember as a kid I went ahead and paid $49.95 plus $5.75 shipping for one. NOTE: I surely OVERPAID from the Ebay seller! Right after I purchased it I saw them on MB Klein's for $39!
Anyways I purchased a Pittsburgh Port Authority bus because I liked the paint design the best other than Greyhound but thst was hard to find in stovk, plus I really like the cool A.C. unit in the rear of the Port Authority Pittsburgh bus. My plan is to weather it so that it looks like it has been sitting out in the California sun for years after being sold to a private owner. I will place it in the back of a building where people can see it. The bus is going to be delivered later today so I will see it in person soon and post some pictures.
That's all, have a great day! Peace out!
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Post by Judge Doom on May 9, 2018 11:01:15 GMT -8
Another idea for anyone thinking of buying one but unsure what to do with it (i.e. it's out of their era or they don't have a transit company to model), lots of secondhand fishbowls were purchased privately and converted to motorhomes, used as church or community buses, used for fire department/ambulance transport services, painted up and used as roadside billboards or chip/fast food stands, or just sat at scrapyards or vehicle lots awaiting purchasing to begin a second life (or scrapping).
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Post by Paul Cutler III on May 9, 2018 18:52:40 GMT -8
Another use for the Rapido buses are as flat car loads. The MBTA, for example, got shipments of fishbowl buses via TTX TrailerTrain (in brown) flats, two to a car. I have a picture of 4 such flats about to be unloaded at Readville, MA.
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Post by edwardsutorik on May 9, 2018 19:16:52 GMT -8
When I see AC Transit, I'm in.
AB&W, too.
Ed
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Post by roadkill on May 10, 2018 5:45:42 GMT -8
When I see Greater Cleveland RTA, Cleveland Transit System, and/or North Olmsted Municipal Transit my wallet's gonna hurt  . |
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Post by riogrande on May 10, 2018 5:50:01 GMT -8
These buses look like they would fit my 1970's ear, but having scanned through them, I'm not sure which might fit western Colorado Grande Junction area - maybe a Greyhound bus passing through?
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Post by timvanmersbergen on May 10, 2018 5:52:09 GMT -8
If they ever did an NIU Huskie Bus, I'd have to get one just for nostalgia. Rode them all the time! Doubt that's high on the list but it shows how many paint schemes are possible on this.
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Post by NS4122 on May 10, 2018 6:11:53 GMT -8
These buses look like they would fit my 1970's ear, but having scanned through them, I'm not sure which might fit western Colorado Grande Junction area - maybe a Greyhound bus passing through? I seriously doubt that you would ever see a 1964 World's Fair Greyhound Fishbowl tour bus in Colorado. |
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Post by riogrande on May 10, 2018 7:05:08 GMT -8
These buses look like they would fit my 1970's ear, but having scanned through them, I'm not sure which might fit western Colorado Grande Junction area - maybe a Greyhound bus passing through? I seriously doubt that you would ever see a 1964 World's Fair Greyhound Fishbowl tour bus in Colorado. Thats me sorted then, thanks.  I didn't think I saw anything in the line-up. Sure seems like could be a country wide version of that bus that would have a more universal appeal, but I admit I don't know much about buses. |
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Post by pokemonprime on May 10, 2018 7:19:49 GMT -8
Another idea for anyone thinking of buying one but unsure what to do with it (i.e. it's out of their era or they don't have a transit company to model), lots of secondhand fishbowls were purchased privately and converted to motorhomes, used as church or community buses, used for fire department/ambulance transport services, painted up and used as roadside billboards or chip/fast food stands, or just sat at scrapyards or vehicle lots awaiting purchasing to begin a second life (or scrapping). I wonder if one could coax Rapido into selling you a small bunch of bare shells for the purpose of derelicts sitting in scrapyards. When I say "bare shells" I mean undecorated, minus separate detail parts, etc. Would probably be the only economical way to have enough of these for a scrapyard, especially with how many a yard would have when the bus company is going through a fleet change. |
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Post by bnsf971 on May 10, 2018 7:35:50 GMT -8
Another idea for anyone thinking of buying one but unsure what to do with it (i.e. it's out of their era or they don't have a transit company to model), lots of secondhand fishbowls were purchased privately and converted to motorhomes, used as church or community buses, used for fire department/ambulance transport services, painted up and used as roadside billboards or chip/fast food stands, or just sat at scrapyards or vehicle lots awaiting purchasing to begin a second life (or scrapping). I wonder if one could coax Rapido into selling you a small bunch of bare shells for the purpose of derelicts sitting in scrapyards. When I say "bare shells" I mean undecorated, minus separate detail parts, etc. Would probably be the only economical way to have enough of these for a scrapyard, especially with how many a yard would have when the bus company is going through a fleet change. They do offer them painted and unlettered, but I don't think the little, if any, savings in paint scheme costs would be worth it. |
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Post by NS4122 on May 10, 2018 7:55:10 GMT -8
I seriously doubt that you would ever see a 1964 World's Fair Greyhound Fishbowl tour bus in Colorado. Thats me sorted then, thanks. I didn't think I saw anything in the line-up. Sure seems like could be a country wide version of that bus that would have a more universal appeal, but I admit I don't know much about buses. Fishbowls generally are Transit buses designed for use as short haul or commuter transportation usually within urban areas. Their seats would not be suitable for long haul inter-city travel. The Greyhound buses made by Rapido were used as perimeter transportation around the 1964 World's Fair. For a small charge they would take you on a lap around the entire Fair. |
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Post by runs2waynoka on May 10, 2018 9:48:12 GMT -8
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Post by lvrr325 on May 10, 2018 10:30:18 GMT -8
A local auctioneer did a property and contents here in this area last year and thee was one of these buses on the property, last used by the homeowners as a camper.
Often in junkyards an old bus became a storage container for small parts, take off parts they sell more frequently. Many years ago I needed a generator for my Pontiac and went to a yard where they were in an older city bus than these, there was a noise from the back and a raccoon climbs up through and starts down one of the shelves towards us. We left the bus rather rapidly since they're normally nocturnal. But the yard had about five of them lined up close to the office.
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Post by riogrande on May 10, 2018 11:18:41 GMT -8
Thats me sorted then, thanks. I didn't think I saw anything in the line-up. Sure seems like could be a country wide version of that bus that would have a more universal appeal, but I admit I don't know much about buses. Fishbowls generally are Transit buses designed for use as short haul or commuter transportation usually within urban areas. Their seats would not be suitable for long haul inter-city travel. The Greyhound buses made by Rapido were used as perimeter transportation around the 1964 World's Fair. For a small charge they would take you on a lap around the entire Fair. OK sounds like they aren't suitable for me. Thanks. |
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Post by Judge Doom on May 10, 2018 14:54:06 GMT -8
Thats me sorted then, thanks. I didn't think I saw anything in the line-up. Sure seems like could be a country wide version of that bus that would have a more universal appeal, but I admit I don't know much about buses. Fishbowls generally are Transit buses designed for use as short haul or commuter transportation usually within urban areas. Their seats would not be suitable for long haul inter-city travel. The Greyhound buses made by Rapido were used as perimeter transportation around the 1964 World's Fair. For a small charge they would take you on a lap around the entire Fair. They weren't done in this run, but there were also other Greyhound fishbowls in a darker blue scheme that were used in some sort of local service in California into at least the late 70's (9600-9700 series units, that had the single set of rear doors as opposed to the version Rapido did on the first run with dual-stream rear doors). Intercity and cross-country Greyhound runs were typically done by intercity style coaches like GM Buffalos, Scenicruisers and Parlour series, MCI MC-series units, Eagle coaches, etc. But, buyers could specify GM fishbowls to be outfitted with coach seating, washrooms, no rear doors, and air conditioning for longer runs if specified (generally referred to as the "Suburban" style units). GO Transit for one opted for suburban fishbowls to supplement their intercity rail network with intercity bus services in the Southern Ontario area starting in the early 1970's. |
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Post by riogrande on May 10, 2018 15:38:41 GMT -8
Thanks for the info judge
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scaledriver
Full Member
Circumventing a prior ban
Posts: 100
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Post by scaledriver on May 10, 2018 19:10:57 GMT -8
NASA used these back in the day to conduct tours of Cape Kennedy.
This in the Apollo era.
The possibilities are almost endless so wide spread were these buses.
Thank you
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Post by MONSTERRAILROAD on May 11, 2018 1:33:15 GMT -8
I really like the bus. It is well detailed and just looks real good! I did not purchase the lighted bus but it's all good yo. I took a few pictures with my Nikon DSLR D7500 and was about to share them but when I went to do2nload them in my computer I remembered that my laptop was out at my computer guys getting serviced, so I will take some more pictures with my tablet later today and post them. Damnn Nice model.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on May 11, 2018 2:27:09 GMT -8
Of all the transit buses done by Rapido in the first run, there was one glaring omission. The "green limousines"  |
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Post by Colin 't Hart on May 11, 2018 3:47:49 GMT -8
Are there any decals for buses? Personally would need decals for Minneapolis / St Paul if any ran there in the mid 1970s.
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Post by MONSTERRAILROAD on May 12, 2018 12:06:57 GMT -8
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Post by riogrande on May 12, 2018 12:19:52 GMT -8
Wow Al, thats a nice looking bus with lots of fine detail!
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on May 12, 2018 16:59:14 GMT -8
Yo.
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Post by mvlandsw on May 13, 2018 17:02:49 GMT -8
I believe that the PAT buses had red stripes, not orange.
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Post by MONSTERRAILROAD on May 13, 2018 18:02:25 GMT -8
Yeah, more redder and darker in color than the neon orange on the model. Mine is prefaded for me!  No, I'm kidding. That Orange Red is mad bright, no fading in there!  |
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on May 14, 2018 8:45:43 GMT -8
Yeah, more redder and darker in color than the neon orange on the model. Mine is prefaded for me! No, I'm kidding. That Orange Red is mad bright, no fading in there! I'm interested in the old bus in the back ground. I've seen the CTA use these buses as work shops. CTA blanks out all the windows, including the windshields. They attach a tow bar to the front of the bus and tow it to work locations on the elevated and subway. The buses are dipped in a medium dark green paint and look beat. Some even have a pole attached to the side to get electricity from the power lines. They are tool boxes and construction material haulers on wheels. |
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Post by Chet on May 15, 2018 8:48:54 GMT -8
That is beautiful. Unfortunately, it is two years too new for the time I am modeling. I model a rural area so I would not have any bus service, but it would still make a fantastic flat car load.
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Post by petehuse on May 15, 2018 10:38:04 GMT -8
I received my lighted bus yesterday, and tested it on my layout near lighted buildings. It is quite bright, even driving it at around 7 volts. I think I need to insert a resistor to dim it down to match my other lights. The detail is outstanding.
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Post by fishbowlbus on Nov 9, 2018 10:27:03 GMT -8
I received my lighted bus yesterday, and tested it on my layout near lighted buildings. It is quite bright, even driving it at around 7 volts. I think I need to insert a resistor to dim it down to match my other lights. The detail is outstanding. I use 4 AA batteries to make it 6 volts and it seems just bright enough |
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