JLiu15

I actually included a 4 output distribution gearbox in my MCI D4500CT Commuter Coach model during the WIP stage, but in the end I omitted it as it had a lot of friction. There's not much room in a low-floor bus model to include a gearbox, but if I do another coach bus or high-floor bus model in the future, I'm definitely planning on adding either a speed or distribution gearbox!

Thank you guys! 🥰

Model of Fairfax Connector's 2008 Orion VII NG (07.503) transit bus. The model features motorized drive, steering, and pneumatically operated passenger doors. It also has an opening engine door to access a removable Cummins ISL engine model. Functions/features: Drive Steering Working steering wheel Pneumatic passenger doors Opening engine door Cummins ISL engine model (removable) Fairfax Connector, the transit agency serving Fairfax County, VA with service to Washington, D.C., operated an extensive fleet of Orion transit buses throughout its history. The fleet began in 1985 with a fleet of Orion I buses, with more units joining the fleet through the early 1990s. By the late 1990s, the agency began acquiring Orion V buses of various lengths. In 2008, Fairfax Connector acquired 26 32ft-long Orion VII buses (model 07.503) numbered 9770-9795, of which inspired my model. Throughout much of their service life, the low 9770s were assigned to West Ox Division while the remainder were assigned to Reston, notably serving the Reston Internal Bus Service (RIBS) routes. Unfortunately, the final active units of this series were retired recently at the time of writing, as this series of buses have been fully replaced by 2024 and 2025 Gillig Low Floor 29’ buses. On a trip to the DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia) area in March 2025, I had the opportunity to ride bus #9789 on the RIBS 1 route, and I included video clips from that ride in the beginning of my video. I decided to build a model of Fairfax Connector’s Orion VII NG primarily for the aesthetics: Fairfax Connector uses a multi-color livery with yellow in the front, red in the rear and a white curved stripe down the middle. All my previous bus models had a primarily white livery, with either a simple stripe livery or a stickered livery. I decided that my challenge for this model is to design the entire livery using only LEGO elements, with stickers only used for the logos, fleet numbers, and destination signs. The building process began in Stud.io, designing the bodywork in System pieces with a mix of regular and SNOT building. Thanks to the variety of colors introduced for many System elements in recent years, some of them as recent as this year (e.g. part 73230 in yellow), I was able to put together a livery that uses wedge pieces extensively to model the white curved stripe. On some of their buses, particularly the older ones (e.g. these and the 2007-09 New Flyer D40LFRs), the livery even extends onto the roof. Thanks to a Google Earth capture of the Reston Town Center, where the RIBS routes originate and terminate, I was able to get a view of the roof of the bus to model the livery on the roof. There are unfortunately very few clear photos of the roof of these buses, so my design is probably still approximate, but still I really liked the result especially when viewed from afar. The chassis came next after designing the bodywork. I initially wanted to do the entire chassis in dark bluish gray as the real-life bus has a gray floor, but I figured since I have much more black Technic pieces than DBG (and because all my previous bus models had a black Technic chassis and frame), I decided to do it in black. A challenge here was packing all the electronic components in. Due to limited space, I had a single Power Functions L Motor connected directly to a 28T heavy duty differential via a 12:28 reduction. I was worried whether this would be enough torque for the model, so I tried to avoid using more pieces than necessary throughout the build. Fitting the PF rechargeable battery box and the SBrick into the chassis was particularly challenging, as the front half of the chassis is low floor. I ended up squeezing them in on either side of the Cummins ISL engine model, and there was just enough space for it to fit between that and the body panels. The Cummins ISL engine model was taken directly from my New Flyer D60HF model, but connected to the drivetrain with an 8T gear instead of 16T. I initially thought of keeping it permanently affixed to the chassis due to the electronic components packed tightly around it, but fortunately I found just enough room to insert a few removable 3L pins to easily secure and dismount the engine model. The front portion of the chassis, which is low floor, turned out surprisingly sturdy even at only 2 studs thick. I think what helped was using plenty of reinforcing elements like part 3167, which kept the layers tightly bound here. This is much better than my first bus model, my New Flyer XD60, where the low floor section was 3 studs thick on average. The chassis still protrudes where the front axle and PF Servo Motor for steering are located; I initially thought of placing the servo in the roof frame and transferring its drive down via a vertical axle, but I didn’t want there to be too much play in the steering mechanism. While designing the chassis, a challenge was making sure to always include attachment points for the bodywork, including the SNOT sections, to create a seamless fit with no interference once the bodywork is installed. My original plan for the pneumatic functions was to make the passenger doors and engine door openable pneumatically via remote control. Even though the real bus has the engine door opened manually, I figured this would avoid having to find space for a separate manual opening mechanism. However, there ended up being just enough space behind the SBrick to include an axle that can be pushed to open the engine door ajar, just like on my previous Orion V model. This meant both pneumatic functions could be used for the passenger doors, but I wanted to have a single pneumatic circuit instead of two separate ones for the two doors like on my New Flyer D60HF model. My original plan was to have two PF L Motors each control a valve and control a single compressor through differentials. However, seeing that the front and rear doors often do not open at the same time on North American buses (especially if the rear door is push-to-open or only opens when a motion sensor detects an exiting passenger) I decided to make them openable separately by switching valves for the front/rear doors. The compressor and the valve for open/close is driven by a PF L motor, while a PF M Motor switches two additional valves that control whether air flow goes to the front or rear door. A challenge was making sure all the pneumatic hoses were routed correctly; the front door’s pneumatic cylinder retracts to open the door, while the rear door’s cylinder extends to open it as the rear door on Fairfax Connector’s Orion VII NG buses open outwards (though most agencies I’ve seen has it open inwards like the front door). I also decided to use all pre-cut lengths of pneumatic hoses to make things easier when I make the instructions, as on my New Flyer D60HF model, the instructions has the user cut hoses to specific centimeter lengths. Overall, I am impressed by how this MOC turned out, especially with the fully brick-built livery. It looks seamless from afar, although I do wish LEGO made more wedge pieces without studs as the finish is a bit stud-heavy. This also meant I could not include stickers for the Fairfax Connector phone number and website URL printed above the windows of Fairfax Connector buses, as those would end up passing over a few studs. Nevertheless, I managed to capture all the major details, such as the slightly curved front end and the uniquely shaped rear grille. The model also performed pretty well; although the drivetrain could perhaps use more gear reduction, its setup was also very efficient so it was quite fast when driving without feeling underpowered. I’m a bit sad that I didn’t finish the model before the last units were retired, but at least I managed to capture one of Fairfax Connector’s most iconic vehicles of the 2000s in all its glory in a LEGO version. Video: Photos:

Thanks! Designing it in Stud.io beforehand definitely helped, as it allowed me to see where everything could go especially with a mix of normal building and SNOT.

UPDATE 8/5/26 After more than three months of work on this MOC, the building process is finally finished. This is probably my most artsy MOC to date, since the entire multicolor livery was made using LEGO elements. I just wished LEGO could make more wedge pieces with no studs, sine areas using lots of wedge pieces are quite studs-heavy. I still need to make custom stickers for it, which shouldn't be a large amount since it's really just the Fairfax Connector logo, the fleet numbers, and the destination signs. I really like how the brick-built livery itself makes it recognizable enough even without any stickers. Unfortunately, I received word recently that all remaining 2008 Orion VII NG buses in Fairfax Connector's fleet have been retired. They've had a good run...but it's about time since they have been in service for 18 years. Now, a new fleet of 2024 and 2025 Gillig Low Floor 29' buses fills the niche these Orions held. Photos:

UPDATE 8/2/26 I've made a lot of progress on the bodywork the past few days! I already had many of the body panels built before getting to this stage, so much of it was simply installing those panels I had already built. The model is definitely starting to look like the real bus now, though the body panels on the left side still need some work. My favorite part is how I captured the entire livery using only LEGO elements; the front end also looks realistic, and I like how the rear grille turned out especially with the angled grille design Orion VII NG buses use. I am still waiting on a few more Bricklink/PAB orders, but I anticipate finishing the built by the middle of this month. Photos:

UPDATE 7/30/26 The roof support frame is complete, with the pneumatics and rear door installed. The L motor drives the compressor and controls the valve for opening and closing the doors, while the M motor switches the two valves that activate either the front or the rear door. It was more complex than running a separate pneumatic circuit for the front and rear doors, but it also allowed for a more compact build. Let me know if you have any suggestions! Photos:

UPDATE 7/14/26 I've completed the front section, with the drivers seat and working steering wheel. All 25 passenger seats are also in place. I took the rims off because I was experimenting with other rim colors (e.g. flat silver), but found metallic silver to still be the best fit. The front passenger door is installed along with its pneumatic mechanism, as well as the front destination sign. The front destination sign is integral to the upper support frame, and the axle the top of the front doors slide along when opening/closing is attached to the destination sign module on one end since space is limited. I've also added the rear engine door. Let me know if you have any suggestions! Photos:

UPDATE 7/3/26 I've started building the chassis of the model. The rear raised section is largely complete with the seats in place. The removable engine model, a Cummins ISL, is largely identical to the one in my New Flyer D60HF model. The PF rechargeable battery box and SBrick are placed into the chassis in a very compact way, with them sitting on either side of the engine model. The drivetrain consists of a single L motor with an almost direct connection to the rear differential with a 12:28 reduction. I am concerned whether or not it will be enough torque, but I shall see as the build progresses. The low floor section, despite only being two studs thick, is very robust thanks to using multiple of this piece as reinforcement. I have everything built up to the steering servo motor so far, which will be connected to the SBrick with a PF extension wire. I had thought of placing the servo motor in the roof frame and transferring its motion via a vertical axle to keep the low floor section completely flat, but I was concerned whether that would introduce too much play to the mechanism. Overall I like how the build is progressing so far; the chassis looks good and is very robust. Note the red axles sticking out from the side - they will be used to attach the body panels, which are red in the rear section. Photos:

I had the opportunity to showcase this MOC at Brickworld Chicago 2026, where it was nominated for Best Land Vehicle. I've added my Brickworld photos to this topic!

I had the opportunity to showcase this MOC at Brickworld Chicago 2026. I've added my Brickworld photos to this topic!

The instructions are now published on Rebrickable: https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-265143/JLiu15/2005-orion-v-05505-bee-line-bus/#details

Thanks again for the feature!

Thank you 😊 this was definitely one of my favorite bus MOCs so far in terms of looks.

Model of a Westchester County Bee-Line 2005 Orion V (05.505) transit bus. The model uses Power Functions IR remote control for motorized drive, steering, and opening doors. It also includes a Detroit Diesel Series 50 engine behind an openable engine door. Functions/features: Drive Steering Working steering wheel Motorized passenger doors Opening engine door Detroit Diesel Series 50 engine model (removable) Instructions available on Rebrickable: https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-265143/JLiu15/2005-orion-v-05505-bee-line-bus/#details The Bee-Line System, the public transit agency in Westchester County, NY, ordered 21 Orion V (05.505) buses in 2005 numbered 116-136. This order of the 05.505 model, which is 32ft long and 96in wide, succeeded buses 101-115 from 2002 and are the last of this model ever built. At the beginning of their service life, buses 116-129 were operated by Liberty Lines Transit, Inc. while 130-136 were operated by P.T.L.A. Enterprise for routes 16, 18, and 31. The first retirements occurred in 2016, with the first four units (116-119) retiring and two of PTLA’s buses (135 and 136) transferring to Liberty Lines. In 2021, PTLA’s 131-134 were scrapped, and Liberty Lines’ 120-123 were transferred to PTLA to fill the gap. In early 2024, all remaining buses (124-127 and 129) were transferred to PTLA while all other units in the series were retired. These five buses are still active at the time of writing. My model depicts bus 124. When I decided to attend Brickworld Chicago 2026, I wanted to display a smaller bus model next to my New Flyer D60HF model from last year. I had already been wanting to build an Orion V bus model for a while, such as a 2000 05.501 model (40ft long and 102in wide) in Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission livery. However, seeing that Bee-Line is also quite famous for their Orion V buses, especially being one of the last operators of Orion V buses today (they also have a few 2008 05.501 suburban models numbered in the 800s still in operation), I decided to do it in the Bee-Line livery. From the start, I knew that a challenge would be the livery, since their livery includes diagonal stripes that would not translate as well to LEGO pieces. Unlike my previous bus models, I actually started with the bodywork this time in Stud.io, then built the Technic chassis around that. This meant fewer changes to the chassis to attach the bodywork, a revision that was often needed for my prior bus MOCs. I designed the livery to have the horizontal stripes done using LEGO bricks and plates, and I found LEGO blue and bright light orange to match their livery quite well. The diagonal stripes, which continues onto the roof, I decided to make using custom stickers. I first got the idea for this MOC in mid-February; by mid-March, I had a bodywork designed in Stud.io. This was followed by designing the chassis, and in early April I began the building process starting with the chassis. The shorter length of the bus meant that the build had to be compact, but there was enough room in the chassis to fit a PF L motor for propulsion, a PF Servo motor for steering, and a PF AA battery box. Because my PF Rechargeable battery box and SBrick are still in my New Flyer D60HF model, I used PF IR control for this model. In fact, it is my first time using IR control in a MOC since 2020! I was initially concerned whether a single PF L motor would be enough torque, but given that my Airport Crash Tender MOC from 2017 was even larger in terms of dimensions and did fine with a single PF L motor geared 1:3 and then 14:20 at the differential, I decided that the same gearing in the drivetrain was sufficient. It also helped keep the rear stepwell area compact, as the drive motor sits directly adjacent of the stepwell and two L motors may have taken up too much room there. One of my favorite parts about this model is the inclusion of a Detroit Diesel Series 50 engine model connected to the drivetrain, as that is the engine the real-life bus uses (their 2008 units use the Cummins ISL instead). For this, I ordered some sand green Technic pieces to capture the iconic Alpine Green that Detroit Diesel engines are painted in. A notable difference between Detroit Diesel Series 50 and Cummins powered Orion V buses is that those powered by the Series 50 omit the middle seat in the rearmost row due to the larger size of the engine. This meant that I was able to keep the cylinders exposed on my model, so you could see the pistons moving even without removing the engine model from the chassis. The doors use a different mechanism from my previous bus models. On the real-life Orion V, the door leaves protrude significantly from the body when open. A mini linear actuator here would have 3 studs of travel, leaving the door leaves flush with the body when open. I went for one fewer stud of travel range, and used a linkage mechanism driven by a worm gear. The mechanism performed flawlessly despite my initial concerns; I was worried this setup would be more likely to jam when opening and closing. Both the front and rear doors use a PF M motor and a 24T clutch gear is used on each to prevent the motor from stalling when the doors are fully opened/closed. The steering mechanism is set up similar to that of my New Flyer D60HF model, and likewise, a working steering wheel is connected to it. The doors’ motors and the PF IR receivers were placed in the roof, attached to a Technic frame; I was able to blend the IR receivers in almost seamlessly with the rest of the roof, which is largely made using 8x16 tiles. I am overall satisfied with how this MOC turned out, and in some ways, it looks even more realistic than my New Flyer D60HF model. I like how I captured the shaping of the driver’s side windshield, which is sloped to reduce glare for the driver. While there is a slight shade difference between LEGO pieces and the colors printed onto the stickers, from a distance the livery still looks pretty seamless, especially the side stripes. I had fun making the video as well - I also included a few video clips of the real bus taken by Kyle Garcia, a friend of mine on the East Coast. I’m also glad I finished the model while the real bus is still in active service, as I wouldn’t be surprised if the last 5 remaining units are due for retirement very soon. Video: Photos: Brickworld Chicago Photos: