This review comes somewhat late in the day in regards to the release of this resin model. The first example MBLT01 was released back in October 2012 and essentially sold out upon release. The model which is produced & distributed by Model Buses is like most scale models these days manufactured in China.

The first example depicted a red central area vehicle on route 227 and was a limited edition of 200 pieces. The second release covered by this review wears a broadly similar livery and this time depicts the Kingston Garage based LT1139 (GP 3433) on route 213. This issue, ref MBLT02, is a also larger run of 300 pieces.

The paint used on the model has satin finish rather than the more usual full gloss found on most models. Whether you like this will be down to personal taste, but on the whole it's probably more in keeping with the scale and typical condition of paint finish on an in service vehicle.
The paint application is very even & has been thinly applied meaning that none of the finer casting details is lost beneath it.

All the decals are reproduced using transfers and on the whole these look to be accurate reproductions, the only slight issue is that these have a shiny backing material which tends to stand out against the satin paint finish under the certain lighting conditions.

The joins between the different paint colours are clean with no sign whatsoever of any bleed. Black lining has been applied above and below the passenger windows and again this is faultless.

This second Scooter model appears to have a few extra features over the earlier Bromley Garage version. Hand rails have now been added to either side of the entrance and across the front bulkhead. There's also a ceiling mounted rail in the front section of the saloon. These are all made of a very fine grade silver wire and look in keeping with the scale.
The head & side lights now also have clear plastic lenses which is a big improvement over the silver paint used on the first issue.

Another new feature are small black round driving mirrors on the front corners of the roof which have silvered rears.

Like the first model small silver metallic discs are used to represent the filler caps found on both sides of the vehicle. A small single wiper is also fitted to the top of the cab windscreen.

The all important front AEC radiator which has so often been a weak point on other models has been very well executed with both the shape & depth looking right. A small transfer has been used to reproduce the AEC badge.

The glazing used on the model is some of the best I've seen. Not only is it thin & very clear, but the side windows appear to have the pillars moulded in to the glazing, this has then been over painted to produce a very convincing and flawless effect.

The six wheels are all single tyre and have identical hubs, examining period pictures of vehicles suggests there should be a variation between the front & rear hubs, but to be fair this was slight.

The tires are made of a soft rubber and have some tread detailing.
The hubs are painted in the normal LT reddish brown colour & it is here that one of the few short comings of the model is evident. The rear of the front hubs are clearly visible at the front of the model and the reddish brown colour does rather spoil the otherwise excellent looks. The first issue of model had these painted black and its a shame this wasn't repeated on this latest issue.

Moving on to the interior, the drivers cab includes a steering wheel, gear change & hand brake. There doesn't appear to be any representation of the dashboard however, although to be fair that's not really noticeable in the rather cramped cab.

The passenger saloon is painted white with a reddish brown floor & seats. The seats are solid mouldings and lack the detailing found on the resin specialist models. Seat motif has been applied to the cushion areas and has oddly been extended down the front of the seats to the floor which looks a little odd.
Panel detailing is present on the front bulkhead and also on the ceiling which also includes a representation of the lighting fixtures.

The roof also includes panel beading & three small air vents. The front destination display is produced using another transfer and although not glazed still looks to be in keeping with the London Transport layout of this period.

The baseplate has little detailing apart from two large lugs that are used to secure the model to the supplied plinth. These can become noticeable under the vehicle if you view the model from a very low angle.

The model comes attached to a grey plinth and is supplied with a clear plastic cover. As mentioned the model is secured to the plinth by a pair of small cross headed screws. A thin white card box completes the packaging with labels used to identify the model & quantity produced. A label on the rear gives some background history on the LT1139 vehicle depicted.

All in all another good addition to the growing range of resin bus models. The LT Scooter has been on the list of the most requested models for a long time and it is good to see that a smaller producer as stepped up to the challenge and ended up with such a pleasing end result. The improvements made over the first release are also note worthy and make this second version all the better. It will be interesting to see if Model Buses announce plans for further models in the future.