The Buckie Model Centre have commissioned a new 1:76 scale right-hand drive version of the Plaxton Panorama double deck coach. The models are being produced exclusively for the Buckie Model Centre by Holland Oto.

There will initially be three different Scottish liveries to choose from and each livery version is available with choice of three different vehicle registrations / destinations.

In addition to the above models, there is also a plain white version without decals for those who wish to apply their own liveries.

I hope everyone enjoyed the 2023 Model Buses Creations announcements and our 5 New Releases from last year. We continue to raise funds for our ‘MacMillan Cancer Support’ Campaign and would like to thank all who have supported us . This year MBC have some extra special models in the planning stages some we can mention here, some are awaiting final production updates.

Coming in Q1 2024 we have our most exciting and dare we say, most exquisite model release to date. The Selkent Ambassador is due in the next few weeks . Ukbus 0071 sold out in under half an hour, which is a record for one of our models. We still have a very limited number of ukbus 0070 & ukbus 0072 available to pre-order. In 2024 we will be releasing another exciting Stagecoach London Enviro 400 Classic. I wonder if you can guess what this bus is…

MBC are ready to launch our pre-order offer for the limited edition, The Kings Coronation New Bus for London, splendidly displaying the unique Transport for London Kings Coronation Livery. The second run of samples are on their way to us for approval and as soon as these arrive, we will share the images on social media. These models will be available to pre-order on the 12th of January with delivery expected in late March 2024 in perfect time to Celebrate the 1st Anniversary of King Charles III’s Coronation in May.

Whilst we are on the Corgi releases we would like to let collectors know that we are working on a series of specially selected Corgi Original Omnibus models from across the UK. We understand as collectors ourselves the frustration at the current Corgi production pause on model buses. What we can share with you is that we are actively working with the Corgi Production & Premiums teams to develop and implement an exciting range of carefully selected releases that will appeal to as wide a audience as possible, whilst concentrating on quality and the unique features of any release considered.

Our first new releases planned will be a continuation of the Wright Gemini 2 both single and dual door versions, including a series of Limited Edition box sets in partnership with Go Ahead, Stagecoach and Transport For London. We are also developing a tooling upgrade to include the luggage racks as seen in the Wright Gemini 2 buses across the UK. We look forward to sharing more news as the project develops.

We are very excited about our partnership with Corgi and the Corgi Premiums Team. We have many exciting new release plans with Corgi and look forward to a busy year ahead.

The long awaited Stagecoach London Scania Omnicity Double Decker (15041) announced last year, is now underway. The model is progressing through our production program, with a possible release date now scheduled for Q2 2024. We can now confirm we are producing 1008 units split between two destinations. They are both route 97 with 504 units with Stratford City and 504 units with Chingford Station.

We are also thrilled to announce the Stagecoach South East Scania Omnicity driver training bus (15037) and after our popular all plain red Enviro 400 MMC, We will be releasing a stunning Scania Omnicity Dual Door in plain red for Fleet Operators to customise accordingly. Both of these releases will be detailed in our full Northcord announcement coming soon.

I will be making a full announcement in February, where we will be sharing all the models, specifications and their release dates. To keep up to date with these releases, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and on our website, at www.modelbus.uk.

2023 was a year of ups and downs for the UK model bus industry, with different impacts on the small and large producers. The smaller kit suppliers have maintained their steady output of resin kits, covering a range of both historical and modern vehicles, in volumes similar to thus of 2022.

The end of Covid 19 restrictions, however, has been a double-edged sword for the larger manufacturers. They saw a drop in model sales after the lockdown periods, while facing rising costs due to supply chain disruptions and energy price hikes caused by the pandemic and conflict. These factors have increased the prices of both the models and most everyday essentials, leaving many consumers with less disposable income for non-essential items, such as models.
The higher costs seem to have led three of the most prolific suppliers of UK bus models to scale back their own retail releases, and to pause their development and future releases for the time being.

Rapido Trains UK is the newest entrant in the UK model bus market, but sales of their latest models and pre-orders for future ones did not meet their expectations and have made further investment in new bus tooling financially unfeasible for now at least.

Like 2022, there were no model bus releases from Rapido UK during 2023, but a second batch of their Birmingham Fleetlines and their new Bedford OB coaches are scheduled for release in 2024. Unfortunately, plans to produce new Leyland National model toolings have been indefinitely postponed.

Over at Corgi, after making some of the 2022 OOC releases Corgi Online Store exclusives, they decided that the early 2023 models would revert back to the more traditional distribution via model retailers. The year started well with several new liveries for the OOC range and a promise of more to come in 2023. There was also news that work was starting on the first new tooling for the range since 2013, in the form of a Wright StreetDeck double deck bus.

The second catalogue of 2023 only featured one more OOC release, and none were included in the third catalogue.
Corgi announced last week that they had no plans to release any OOC models in their 2024 programme and that they had put the development of the new StreetDeck on hold. The reason for this decision was the large stock of previous OOC releases in their warehouse, which made it unwise to produce more models until the existing stock is reduced.

Northcord Models continued to produce new liveries for the ADL Enviro400 MMC model and also brought back two CMNL models, the Alexander Dennis Enviro400 and the Scania Omnicity double decker. Unfortunately, it seems that some of the former CMNL moulds were damaged and there is little chance of seeing other earlier CMNL models joining the Northcord range.

Northcord had fewer standard range releases in 2023 than in 2022, and there was not much news about the progress of the new tooling for the ADL/BYD Enviro 400 City, which was announced in early 2020.

Oxford Diecast had a bit of a catch-up in 2023, with only one new bus tooling announced, a TT scale AEC Routemaster. At the beginning of 2023, they had a large backlog of previously announced models pending production and release, including several 1:76 scale coach models. The new Alexander M Type coach saw it first issues and a number of further liveries were announced for existing tooling in the second half of 2023, and are due for released during the first half of 2024.

It is unclear whether the next catalogue update will be published in January, or if we Oxford will resume the usual three instead of two catalogue announcements in 2024.

Britbus has not shown any intention of re-entering the UK market with its own model releases. However, the brand remains active, as several new models have been produced or planned by various third party commissioners.

Bachmann & EFE, which re-branded its range as EFE Road in 2022, had fewer releases in 2023 than in the previous year. However, the end of 2023 saw the first new tooling under Bachmann's ownership. The Cravens RT model was well received by the market and Bachmann plans to increase the production of models in 2024.

New EFE Road model announcements will now be included in the quarterly model rail product "British Railways Announcements". The goal is to release all announced products within the following three months.
Bachmann seems likely to focus on using existing model EFE tooling for now, as it assesses the market demand for EFE models after a period of low activity. The development of new tooling that was already announced has been clearly affected by the pandemic, and it is uncertain whether any of it will reach retail during 2024.

The main diecast manufacturers have had mixed fortunes over the past 12 months, with some positive and some negative developments. However, some of the reduced model output in their own retail programmes has been filled by third party commissioners such as Model Buses Creations & Omnidekka Models, who have produced or are planning several exclusive OOC, Northcord & Britbus models.

Omnidekka Models has commissioned new tooling from 80M for an ADL Enviro200 model and released UK versions of 80M's Streetdeck model. Omnidekka Models will also continue with new commissions in 2024, but it intends to reduce the number of such models in the future.

The commissioned models will certainly compensate for some of the reduced output from the manufacturers, and from the manufacturers' point of view, greatly mitigate any financial risk. They manufacture the models, sell the entire stock to the commissioner upon delivery, and deposit the money in the bank, eliminating the chance of stock accumulating dust in their warehouses.
It seems, apart from EFE Road and Rapido, UK model output in 2024 is likely to be very similar to that of the past 12 months.