Only Connect

A tale of three four Transits...

It's the curse of modelmakers. You have a great idea to make something unique that isn't available commercially and spend hours working on it, but no sooner is it finished than a manufacturer announces something very similar that can be bought off the shelf and would have saved all that effort. I'm sure we've all suffered from this curse at one time or another, but it's managed to strike me no less than three times in a short period while modelling Ford Transit Connect vans! Here's the story of this run of bad luck...

Connect 1: the Tourneo Connect

The result of hours of ultimately futile drilling, cutting and filing to make those windows.

It all started when Oxford Diecast announced a 1/76 scale diecast model of the Transit Connect some time ago. Although its release was still many months away I started to think about what could be done with it, and one of the ideas I came up with was the Tourneo Connect passenger-carrying version. I'm not entirely sure how to categorise this small van with windows as it isn't really a car but is too small to be a minibus, and seems to be used mainly by bus and taxi operators so I intended to put the model in my fictional coach fleet.

The Oxford model was delayed several times, but in the meantime I discovered a resin kit of the Connect available from Kingfisher Miniatures, a small manufacturer of military models. Resin being much easier to work with than diecast metal, I felt this would be a better option for the Tourneo conversion and duly ordered one. The kit is a little crude compared with the Oxford version and doesn't fully capture the look of the real vehicle, but was an acceptable alternative before the latter became available and comes in both short- and long-wheelbase forms whereas the Oxford is SWB only. Many hours were spent carefully drilling, cutting and filing the extra windows into the body and then flush glazing from the outside with precision shaped pieces of plastic sheet, and finally it was completed in my fleet livery.

I showed off the result of my hard work on what I thought was a unique model on the Model Bus Federation forum, only to receive a reply that Kingfisher were about to introduce a kit of the Tourneo Connect to their own range, and sure enough it appeared in their webshop a few weeks later. Never mind, thought I, these things happen and doing the conversion myself kept me busy for a good few hours.

Connect 2: 6774F

What to do with a spare white van? Why not make the one I can see from my window?

After a series of delays, the Oxford Diecast Connect finally made its appearance in late 2015. Many bus and coach firms use these vehicles for fleet support duties and so, along with several other model fleet operators, this was my intention. Livery was immaterial as it would have to be repainted in my own silver and blue colours (or so I thought), so I chose an early release in Network Rail livery of white with various graphics. There were some other projects to finish first, and before I got around to doing anything with this Connect, I was struck again by the curse as Oxford announced a version in Stobart Air colours of (you've guessed it) silver and blue. It made far more sense to wait a bit longer for that one rather than going to the effort of a full respray, so the white Connect became redundant.

It wasn't worth selling but I didn't know what to do with it until I looked out of my office window into the yard next door used by the university's buildings and maintenance department. Among the vehicles parked there was a mainly white Transit Connect (the only one in the fleet), so this became the destiny of my spare model. Most university vehicles are plain white, but this one has a blue skirt and a fleetnumber 6774F that betray its origins with Tube Lines, the maintenance division of London Underground Ltd, making the intended model a little more interesting to knowledgeable London transport enthusiasts.

The Network Rail livery was stripped from the model with nail varnish remover to leave a plain white base, but just as I had done this the curse struck a third time as Oxford released one in unmarked white! Things seemed to be getting silly but I tried not to worry too much as this one was also now in the same condition and stripping the livery wasn't too difficult. Having no suitable blue paint and not wanting to buy an entire tin just for the small amount needed here, the blue skirt panels were done as waterslide transfers, as were the university logos and the tiny fleetnumbers, and another Connect was duly completed for my collection.

Connect 3: Quicksilver fleet support

The perfect fleet support van with minimal effort. If only this had appeared before I bought the white one!

The Stobart Air version that had so cursed what became the model of 6774F duly appeared and proved itself perfect for my original plan. It is factory finished in silver with blue and white battenburg markings and comes complete with an orange beacon already fitted to the roof so I didn't even have to add this from my spares stock. The Stobart fleetnames were easily removed and with a new set of Quicksilver Fleet Support transfers applied in their place the necessary changes to the model were completed in an evening. It quickly entered service to provide breakdown support for the growing coach fleet, and unlike its predecessors hasn't been affected by the modelmaker's curse (so far anyway) - my fleet is completely fictional so there is no chance whatsoever of this exact livery appearing in off-the-shelf form.


So that's the story of an unusually cursed set of models. Falling victim to the modelmaker's curse once is an occupational hazard, twice is unfortunate, but three times?! Given my current run of form when it comes to Transit Connects, sod's law says the next development in this saga will see Oxford releasing a London Underground version with the blue skirt already in place that would make a model of 6774F with even less effort! I guess that's just the way it goes sometimes.

Postscript - Connect 4

The Transit Connect has proved one of the most popular models in the Oxford range and a steady stream of new versions in various liveries have continued to appear since I wrote the original article, although my fears of a London Underground one have yet to materialise. One of these came in the colours of Cork City Fire Brigade and as fire appliances are another of my interests was ideal for this part of my collection. With the Cork lettering removed and new transfers for my fictional North Riding brigade added along with some UK numberplates, it is designated a K9SU or Canine Support Unit, which transports the brigade's fire investigation sniffer dogs.

Connect 4 - now the fire service have one too