Trux Merc Mk II models

[Ben_Daui]

The models have completely sold out now.

[boronia]

My Explorer model arrived today.

[C130]

Both models arrived today, here are some photos.

[Ben_Daui]

They look very nice, the only thing I find a bit disappointing is the exterior colours are seen inside, I wonder how hard it would be to paint the interior walls?

[boronia]

One disappointment was that the rear "lights" are just a coloured decal stuck on a flat panel, rather than being moulded in.

Perhaps this simplifies using different shaped "lenses" in later models.

[C130]

Some extra photos showing the Trux MkII and a Wiking model my dad purchased from Melbourne in 1987 and hand painted into UTA livery.

[The Inspector]

my 2 models (1 of each) arrived safely today

[HunterLine5]

would somebody tell me WHAT that is on the roof of the LITTLE Merc on the drivers side ....we had a lot of these particular Mercs up here in Newcastle, and i am buggered if i EVER saw that on the roof of the " roundtops"...also, i would have much preferred the "ribbed" effect along the rooftop, than the smooth seamless model shown here.....other than that......NOT BAD!!.

[boronia]

The "little Merc" is European and left hand drive, so presumably you mean the other side ??

It is a protruding destination box.

[Industry]

There is now one on Ebay:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mark11-Sydne ... 415f017956

[tbc1983]

also, i would have much preferred the "ribbed" effect along the rooftop, than the smooth seamless model shown here.....other than that......NOT BAD!!.

You would've been happy in Perth.

Image as credited.

With thanks to the perthbus.info archives.


Cheers!

[Andrew]

There is now one on Ebay:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mark11-Sydne ... 415f017956

I do not need three and recovering cost for the person whom purchased this off someone.

If they are just trying to recover costs, then why start the bid at $10 more than Trux was selling them for?

[Bairstow]

I'd say it was because it cost the seller $10 for postage to get the model from trax to him/her, which is reasonable enough.

[Andrew]

No, it cost them $5, plus they are charging the auction winner $8 on top of the $55 minimum for postage.

[Industry]

Just checked postage cal Min $6.35 depending on distance, can be $9.00 to WA as over 250gms and if total package is over 500gms would be higher costs.

[Bairstow]

How about ebay seller fees being included in that extra $10?

[Ben_Daui]

I'll receive mine next week as payment got process this morning.

[C130]

I'd like to point out that even though the listing for some reason has the photos I posted here, I am not the seller.

[Andrew]

I am pretty sure the seller is a member here -which would explain why your photos have been used (although does not explain the statement in the ad and does not explain why they were used without permission).

[Newcastle Flyer]

What's the underside like? Is it "toyish or modelish" like?

But going from the photos, the model seems reasonably okay.

Top Gear gets minus points for the model:-
Roof hatches, roof (the roof wasn't smooth), rear lights, front route numbers & side destinations (look way too small). Not sure about the rear route numbers, but going by the photos, the rear route numbers look a tad small (Edit: Oh second thought, seems to be about the right size).

LACK OF MIRRORS (or at least something to represent mirrors - makes it more like a toy than a model, but they may have their reasons to leave mirrors off), but then again if what I have seen elsewhere, if other companies can offer more correct models including mirrors, for around the same price, slightly cheaper/dearer, then their is no reason that Top Gear can't.

tbc1983, that picture of the Perth bus you posted. That block in the centre of ther roof, is that suppose to be for air conditioning?

[tbc1983]

^^^ I somewhat concur with the above.

The easy way to combat the lack of mirrors is to use either brass/steel rod of a fine gauge or solder for the mirror hangers; a piece of rectangular shaped, evergreen sheet for the mirror backing and bare metal foil for the mirror.
http://www.bare-metal.com/bare-metal-foil.html

This is a very common technique with truck and bus modellers of 24th/25th scales and can be applied with whatever scale these nice looking Mercs are.


Cheers!

[Newcastle Flyer]

Tbc1983, you must have posted while I was editing my post, see my added line at the bottom of my previous post.
Comparing real bus photos to the model photos, the models seem as they were cheaply done.

[tbc1983]

Correct, it is an old evaporative air-conditioner. They were a PITA during the trip home, since the buses would have been sitting out in the sun in the middle of the split-shifts. Idle water in an evaporative air-conditioner = warm water = warm air being blown in your face when turned on afterwards. Probably same in the east???

Cheers!

[Newcastle Flyer]

Correct, it is an old evaporative air-conditioner.

So let me get this right, they have/did have a type of air-conditioner, but it had open windows?

PS: Those that get models, perhaps Top Gear will look at the minuses that this (& other ?) models get.

[tbc1983]

Evaporative air con = necessary to have opening windows since they just blow air; you'd be surprised how much pressure an evap air-con can produce. The sliding windows were very handy when experiencing the warm air being expelled by the nozzles from the air-con.

Reverse Cycle = Small sliding windows okay, but not massive sliding windows as this will make the RC air-con 'panic'. They draw the internal air into its system, recycles it and admits some air from the outside atmosphere back into the inside environment as some of the internal air is 'lost' through the process.

Anyway, that's it in a nutshell; there will be, more than likely, someone else who is more knowledgable about air-con systems than I am.


Cheers!