Local turns hobby making perfect replicas of buses into thriving business

Bus fanatic turned model maker Chu Man-hin has turned his hobby into a career.

The 22-year-old started making 1:13 scale models of buses about three years ago, and now sells the remote-controlled replicas overseas for up to US$3,200 each.

Now he's thinking of taking the business to a new level, concentrating on design and leaving the construction to others.

"My family wants me to take up a traditional and stable job," Chu said. "But I consider model making a job in the field of creativity, which is rare in Hong Kong. I want to contribute to the city this way.

"In the future, I hope to expand my business in a way that production could be increased without affecting the quality. I think I will focus on the design part and leave others to be the manufacturers," said the electronic engineering graduate from the Institute of Vocational Education.

The plastic models are so detailed that every part, from the chassis to the seats, are exact replicas of a real one. After the design work, it takes about 100 hours to put a model together.

Each replica bus costs about HK$8,000 to make because of the tiny electronic parts controlling everything from the doors to the route plates. On average, he sells one or two a month.