Page 2 - MBF Supplement Demo

Editor: Reuben Greene – 20 Clarens Street, Catford, London SE6 4ES E-mail: modelbussupplement@tiscali.co.uk
Editorial
Welcome to the summer edition of the Model Bus Supplement for 2017.
Thank you to everyone who has submitted reports and photos for this edition, particularly those who got their articles in nice and early. 37 equals the highest number of fleet reports in a single edition since we started the new Supplement format and is the highest figure since the record of 39 appeared in the September 2014 (S183) edition. Let's see if we can surpass that! Please note that the deadline is the very last date for reports to be received and it helps greatly if most reports are sent in much earlier (starting any time after the previous edition has been published).
Photos for the Supplement
Please remember to send in photos to accompany your reports to make the most of this format for the Model Bus Supplement. Ideally, at least one photo for each report would be appreciated, preferably more. We especially need 'stock' photos to fill any possible 'gaps' in each edition caused by the need to produce this publication to multiples of four pages. These do not necessarily have to be connected with your report(s), just something of interest from your fleet(s).
To this end, I am proposing a photo feature on a particular topic for each edition (subject to space). For inclusion in the next edition(s) with space available, I put forward the topic of Alexander Dennis vehicles. So please send in photos of any vehicles from that manufacturer (even if you have not sent in a report) that you have (or have had) in your fleets. Suggestions for topics for future editions are welcome, but should be on topics that would enable as many fleets as possible to participate.
All photos should be sent to the Model Bus Journal editor at journal@model-bus-federation.org.uk, or by post to the address on page 3 of the Journal. Please provide captions for your photos - don’t leave it to us to guess what they are!
Fleet Focus
As can be seen (or rather, not seen!) in this edition, there is no Fleet Focus. This is simply because no- one has submitted one and there are none in 'reserve'! These are very easy to compile, the headings are already prepared for you and just need the addition of the relevant details of your fleet. These are: Title of the fleet, where it is based, a brief history, where does it operate, livery/liveries, how many vehicles, recent fleet additions and most interesting vehicles. The article should be accompanied by a fair number of photos.
The last Fleet Focus was in S193 and should give an idea of the sort of information we are looking for. It is a great way of perhaps introducing your fleet to the Supplement, providing a bit more background than would normally be contained in a topical report and getting a higher profile for your fleet in an edition of the Supplement.
Previous Fleet Focuses since we have gone over to this format have featured Arden Forest, Barnet Bus, Eldorado, Glenelg Motors, Padbus and Red Rover.
That said, there may be editions where there may not be room for a Fleet Focus (i.e. if there is another special feature or a large number of reports), but we do need to hold some in reserve - there may even be occasions when we can feature more than one!
Welcome aboard!
Welcome aboard to new Supplement subscribers Doug Coster, Stephen Dagsland, Stephen Forsyth, Adrian Lemon, Karl Lessel and M Smith, and welcome back to Christopher Hatley. If you have an active model bus fleet operation, please do introduce your fleet with a report within the pages of the Model Bus Supplement. This could perhaps be in the form of a Fleet Focus or a standard report. Either way, a brief history of operations, routes and vehicles operated, along with some photos (see above) to illustrate the fleet would be most welcome.
The deadline for inclusion in Issue 195 (September 2017) is Sunday 9th July 2017.
Please note that unless otherwise stated, all photographs are the work and copyright of the author of the report or article in which they appear.
Cover Story
New to Arden Forest is 69 (BE17 LSO), a Optare Solo SE. It is for rural route 3A, Balsall Common via Barston,
and is branded for the Villagebus service. Photo: Paul Ellender 2