The first of the re-tooled Routemaster models have now been released, find out how the changes have affected these models in my Review.

        The following models have now been released by EFE.
31501   Re-tooled AEC Routemaster RM - London Transport (Route 253)
31601   Re-tooled Prototype Routemaster RM1 - London Transport (Route 2)
27619   Wright Volvo Renown Single Deck Bus - Go Ahead North East

        The following model releases have been announced by EFE today and are expected to be released in January.
16528  Leyland Atlantean MCW Double Deck Bus - Portsmouth Corporation Transport (White & maroon livery)
27103  BET Weymann Single Deck Bus - Aldershot & District

        I've now added a site search option, this should display results from all the relevent EFE and OOC pages. The option can be found on the home page. (You can access this at any time by clicking the EFE Zone logo above the section buttons on the left)

        The following pair of models have now been released by London's Transport Museum
26405A  Daimler Utility Double Deck Bus - London Transport (Route 88 Acton Green)
26405B  Daimler Utility Double Deck Bus - London Transport (Route 88 Clapham Common)

        The special Showbus Bristol RELH Coach model has now also been made available to retailers by EFE.
32201     Bristol RELH Coach - United

        I have today switched the OOC & EFE Zone sites over to a new web hosting service, this gives me more web space which should allow the posting of bigger less compressed photographs in future.
Additionally I've taken the opportunity to fully check all the internal site links which has fixed many broken or dead links.

Please note that the domain www.efezone.co.uk should be used to visit this site in future, if you have the site book marked in your favourites list under the old http://efezone.mysite.xxxx.co.uk then please amend the link as the old site will probably be deleted in the near future.

        With the first of the re-tooled Routemaster due to be released next week it might have been expected that we'd seen the last of the original RM casting, but it appears that at least one more release is on the cards. The London Omnibus Traction Society have announced in their members newsletter "The London Bus" that they have commissioned a special very limited code 2 model for their Autumn Transport Spectacular.

The model 15635F depicts RM588 (WLT 588) in 1961 condition when there was a short lived RM allocation on trolleybus route 609.
The models will only be available from the LOTS sales stand at the event to be held at the Harrow Leisure Centre on Saturday 4th November (doors open 10.30am). Model are priced £25 but the following conditions will apply on the day - cash only, no credit cards, first come first served, only one model per person.

        The following models are expected to be released during the week begining the 23rd October.
31501   Re-tooled AEC Routemaster RM - London Transport (Route 253)
31601   Re-tooled Prototype Routemaster RM1 - London Transport (Route 2)
27619   Wright Volvo Renown Single Deck Bus - Go Ahead North East

        Firstly I'd like to apologize for the non availability of the site between the 6 and 10 of October, this was caused by a failure at my ISP's free hosting service, in light of the recent problems I've now purchased 500MB of web space at a professional hosting firm.

Both this site and the sister OOC Zone will in due time be transferred to this location, if all goes to plan the actual change over should go un-noticed by visitors.
Unfortunately the moving of the sites involves combining the contents of 8 existing free sites into one, over 2500 pages will need to be checked and any links amended. Due to the amount of work involved updates to the sites will be restricted until the move has been completed.

        The following models have now been released by EFE and should be available from normal suppliers.
17505   Long Mark II Single Door Leyland National - First Provincial
20635   Dennis Dart Plaxton Pointer - Stagecoach East London
32301   Bristol RELH Coach - Royal Blue

        The first of the three totally new Routemaster castings are expected to be released around November or December, the latest EFE Subscribers newsletter would suggest that the RMC will appear first with the front entrance RMA & RMF being the last of the eight special Routemaster Series models to be released.
The first releases in the Routemaster Series have been slightly revised with the prototype and standard RMs now due in October and the London Transport RML & Green Line RCL due to follow these, probably in November.

       Truck collectors may have been puzzled why the Combers Transport flatbed ERF (32501) shown at Showbus was given a new casting number when a similar flatbed casting has already been released (31401), well closer examination of the model will reveal a new variation of the ERF KV cab that has twin instead of single head lamps.

      The "new modern bus" mentioned last Autumn by EFE is still being worked on, the latest EFE newsletter gives the following response to those who asked what it might be at Showbus "At the moment we are not ready to identify these vehicles. As the project progresses and when the time is right the identify of these buses will be revealed to our subscribers."

        The LT Museum have once again commissioned EFE to produce two models for sale at their forthcoming Acton Depot Open Weekend on the 21st & 22nd October. The models are a pair of Daimler Utility double deck buses D92 and D80 (26405 & 26405A), both wear wartime brown livery and are depicted working route 88 either to Acton Green or Clapham Common. These are likely to be based on the model released in the Wartime Series last year 99202.

        Another Leyland TD1 (28505) has been announced for Trax Trux range in Australia, the model is also being made available to members of EFE Subscription service and is believed to depict a New South Wales Transport vehicle in a livery of orange & cream with brown roof. The model carries fleet number 9 and registration MO 1009 and works route 992 to Drummoyne. The UK examples are expected to be dispatched to subscribers during November while Trax have yet to be announce a release date in Australia.

        The following models are expected to be released during the week begining 9th Octobber.

17505   Long Mark II Single Door Leyland National - First Provincial
20635   Dennis Dart Plaxton Pointer - Stagecoach East London
32301   Bristol RELH Coach - Royal Blue