Iconic Replicas Discussion

[chitowndude84]

MODS please move if not allowed on this sub-forum

 

My reaction to seeing this on ebay was BEYOND WORDS !!!!!!  This is THE BUS I grew up riding on !!

 

IIRC, First time since the Road Champs Flexible Metro from 1995 that a "modern" CTA diecast has been made !!!

 

Overview:

Bus 4400 was the prototype for the series built in 1989 by TMC in New Mexico. The bike rack and rear A/C says this a post 2001 Rehab version

Errors: Noted errors. Standard RTS Headlights and American flag on front not corner. Looks like final production model has correct gray lower front doors painted 

Discontinued Route 145 Michigan Express 

 

 

Picked up 2 one to open and one to keep sealed !!

 

$55 shipped+ tax each on ebay 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4039616627383

 

 

[Busjack]

That looks pretty good. The inaccuracy I would note is that the destination wouldn't be "TO MICHIGAN" but based on maps around 1999-2005 would have been Congress-Wells.

I was going to say "which 4400," but as you pointed out, the A/C indicates it was not one of the prototypes.?

[chitowndude84]

Ahhhhhhh good ole busjack nice to see you back sir !!

 

Call me biased but I would have preferred 97 Skokie or 155 Devon on the DEST sign   Cant believe they chose a long discontinued route for this model ??

 

But I'm just happy we have a new diecast model of one of our very popular modern buses  

 

My OCD is going to fill in those standard orange turn lights lol

 

 

 

[Busjack]

3 hours ago, chitowndude84 said:

My OCD is going to fill in those standard orange turn lights lol

Since you mentioned that, one of the common problems with models is that they are based on repainted standard models. Here I was suspicious whether it had the parallelogram front door of the usual RTS, as opposed to the wider, accessible front door on a CTA RTS-8, as Illustrated from the following from chicagobus.org, and, indeed, the model is based on an RTS-3.

[jajuan]

On 4/25/2023 at 12:28 PM, Busjack said:

Since you mentioned that, one of the common problems with models is that they are based on repainted standard models. Here I was suspicious whether it had the parallelogram front door of the usual RTS, as opposed to the wider, accessible front door on a CTA RTS-8, as Illustrated from the following from chicagobus.org, and, indeed, the model is based on an RTS-3.

Besides the front door, the other details on the replica that said they didn't base this on the CTA specs for the RTS is the exhaust pipe on the upper left rear corner. CTA's RTS had the exhaust pipe at the bottom of the bus. But this is a really good looking replica nonetheless.

[jajuan]

Looks like the RTS isn't the only CTA bus that Iconic Replicas put up for sale on eBay. Currently a replica of the Proterra 600s is on sale. https://www.ebay.com/itm/266255014115

[chitowndude84]

On 6/15/2023 at 7:44 PM, jajuan said:

Besides the front door, the other details on the replica that said they didn't base this on the CTA specs for the RTS is the exhaust pipe on the upper left rear corner. CTA's RTS had the exhaust pipe at the bottom of the bus. But this is a really good looking replica nonetheless.

 

Agreed, Just very minor CTA specific details that we Chicago bus fan's nitpick with our specific version of the RTS. But for $40 it's very detailed and worth the $$$ !!

 

Hope they come out with a Flexible Metro or New Flyer D40 line !!!

[YoungBusLover]

5 hours ago, chitowndude84 said:

 

Agreed, Just very minor CTA specific details that we Chicago bus fan's nitpick with our specific version of the RTS. But for $40 it's very detailed and worth the $$$ !!

 

Hope they come out with a Flexible Metro or New Flyer D40 line !!!

The company came out with the Grumman 870 which is probably the closest thing you'll get to a Metro. 

[Mr.NewFlyer1279]

10 hours ago, chitowndude84 said:

 

Agreed, Just very minor CTA specific details that we Chicago bus fan's nitpick with our specific version of the RTS. But for $40 it's very detailed and worth the $$$ !!

 

Hope they come out with a Flexible Metro or New Flyer D40 line !!!

NFI D40LF model would be fire! ????

[WCR]

New Novas are coming next

[MetroShadow]

Updated to

(1) Move the Discussion to "general"

(2) I'm lit about the Novas

(3) I've been buying all of the Bay Area ones plus CTA. I'm shocked we're not as excited here as, say, any Facebook Forums. lol

[chitowndude84]

On 2/11/2024 at 4:33 PM, MetroShadow said:

Updated to

(1) Move the Discussion to "general"

(2) I'm lit about the Novas

(3) I've been buying all of the Bay Area ones plus CTA. I'm shocked we're not as excited here as, say, any Facebook Forums. lol

 

Did you get the MUNI Nova LFSE with SUNSET destination ?? I grew up in the SF sunset district before moving to Chicago

[WCR]

the moment so many of us have been waiting for...

[MetroShadow]

These came and went pretty quickly before the new year…

[Bus1883]

On 1/11/2026 at 3:15 PM, WCR said:

the moment so many of us have been waiting for...

Ahhhh yesssss

[Bus1883]

On 2/11/2024 at 11:52 AM, WCR said:

New Novas are coming next

Couple touch ups here… 8340 doesn’t have the front roof panel located atop of the front destination sign like the real model. The drivers side of the front end is frameless while real models from CTA has the traditional quarter windows

[chitowndude84]

On 1/11/2026 at 3:15 PM, WCR said:

the moment so many of us have been waiting for...

 

Hmmm........... I just saw this post and Im thinking ICONIC replicas owes me some free CTA samples for giving them feedback above on the D40LF's lol