Model Bus Zone News
May 2012
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Monday 28 May
New Kingsway Models Bus Garage Kit
The Kingsway Models' range of card kits is set to expand with the release of a new kit depicting the former London Transport Walthamstow (WW) Garage.

The new model will be on display (and for sale) at the AEC Celebration at the Pump House Museum in Walthamstow, on 10th June.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger versions
You can also view the PDF flyer for the kit HERE.

Further details of the full range of card bus depot kits and other buildings in both N & OO scale can be found on the www.kingswaymodels.com website.

Monday 28 May
B-T Models: Grey Green Duple Dominant Coach Picture
A photograph of a pre-production version of the B-T Models' Grey Green Duple Dominant Coach has been published on the John Ayrey Website.

B011 Grey Green - Leyland Leopard Duple Dominant II Coach

Saturday 26 May
Five B-T Models Released
B-T Models have released another batch of lorries comprising four N scale models in plain liveries and a 1/76 DA series flatbed.


NP003 Yellow - Foden DG 4 Axle Flatbed
NP004 Dark blue - Albion CX3 Twin Axle Flatbed
NP006 Dark red - Foden DG Twin Axle Flatbed
NP008 Red - Albion CX3 Twin Axle Box Van
DA36 M.G. Williams Coal Merchant - Leyland FG Twin Axle Flatbed

Friday 25 May
Latest EFE Newsletter & Next Model Releases
The latest subscriber newsletter arrived today, Frank Joyce reports a new problem in China which is likely to disrupt model production. A new monster city is being built in the area where many of the model manufacturing factories are currently located, factory owners are typically being offered a token payment and then given three months to re-locate or face the consequences.

New Model Announced
There is one previously unannounced model listed among the forthcoming model releases:
26209 Maidstone Corporation - Guy Arab I Utility Bus

Xelabus Commissioned Dennis Dart SLF
Xelabus of Hampshire have commissioned EFE to produce a model of one of their Plaxton SLF Series 2 Darts in the company's very smart livery, which is similar to the old Aldershot & District bus company.
These models will be used to promote the bus company & raise funds for the Neuroblastoma Society for Children's cancer research. These models will be available late June from Xelabus for £29.95 plus £4.00 UK P&P and are limited to just 600 pieces.
You can find details of how to order the model on the company's website at www.xelabus.info o

Arriva Heritage Routemaster Models
Last month (24 April News Item) I reported Arriva are planning to release two commissioned EFE Routemasters as part of celebrations to mark 100 years of route 38. EFE has now confirmed details of the two models, both will carry nearside advertisements for the Walk th 38 / Maggies Cancer Charity and off-side advertisements for the Arriva Heritage fleet.
33103B Arriva London (RMC1464 / route 38 Clapton Pond) - Open Top AEC RMC Routemaster
31908A Arriva London (RML901 / route 38 Victoria Station) - AEC RML Routemaster

Further details are expected to appear on the Arriva Heritage Fleet website in due course.
Courtesy of EFE, a PDF version of the latest Release Sheet plus smaller scans of the latest release sheets
Release Sheet Issue 4 2012 Scan  Southern National Fleet Focus Part 2
Click Here for PDF Version (5.5mb)
Here are the missing scans of Release Sheet 3 2012 which I failed to upload correctly back in March. Apologies for the mix up.
Release Sheet Issue 3 2012 Scan  New Flat Windscreen Bristol VR Models
Next EFE Releases
The following models are scheduled for release during the week ending the 16th June.

29206 East London - Single Door Leyland Titan Double Deck Bus
36705 Pennine Motor Services - Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer 2 Single Deck Bus
38104 Southern Vectis - Bristol VRT Series 2 (flat front) Double Deck Bus
Release information kindly supplied by


Thursday 24 May
Latest Atlas Editions Release
Atlas Editions' latest model release in the Great British Bus Collection is now being mailed out to customers

GBB26 Midland Red - BMMO D9 Double Deck Bus

Thursday 24 May
Confirmed EFE Releases
The following models have now been released by EFE.

36704 Stagecoach East Midland (75th Anniversary Livery) - Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer 2 Single Deck Bus
38102 Ribble - Bristol VRT Series 2 (flat front) Double Deck Bus
38301 Western SMT - Alexander Y Type Single Deck Bus

Tuesday 22 May
EFE Code 2 Commissioned Sale
Nigel Mitchell has contacted me with news of a commissioned sale he is currently undertaking for the widow of one of his former customers, he has a fairly large selection of mainly London related code 2 EFE models available from the collection at present along a few of his own LBRT reworked code 3 models.

You can check the listing out at www.lbrt.me.uk (follow the "Code 2" link on the home page)

Nigel also has a selection of "Buy It Now" code 3 London models which he builds to order, so check out his current list if your looking for something a little bit different. Don't miss his forthcoming reworked RM1000 Sunstar Routemaster model!


Friday 18 May
New Oxford Diecast June-December Model Releases
Oxford Diecast have released details of the release programme up to the end of the year.
There are a handful of new liveries for some of the existing N scale bus & coach models and a brand new 1/76th scale coach casting.

Bus & Coach Models
1/76 scale
76LRT001 Ribble - Leyland Royal Tiger Coach - Due Q4 2012

N Scale
NBS006 Alexander Northern - Burlingham Sunsaloon Coach - Due Q4 2012
NOB011 Edinburgh - Bedford OB Duple Vista Coach - Due Q4 2012
NPE005 Paul S. Winson - Plaxton Elite Coach - Due Q4 2012
NQ1008 Bournemouth - Q1 BUT Trolleybus - Due Q4 2012

Other New Tooling & Bus Related Models
1/76th Scale
76ATKL001 BRS - Atkinson 8 Wheel Flatbed Lorry - Due Q4 2012
76BSA001 AA - BSA Motorcycle & Sidecar - Due Q4 2012
76F8001 London Fire Brigade - Dennis F8 Fire Engine - Due Q4 2012
76FF001 Venetian Red - Ford Fiesta Mark I - Due Q4 2012
76FSR001 Lord Jellicoe - Fowler Steam Roller - Due Q3 2012

1/43rd Scale
FDE008 Southdown - Ford 400E Van - Due Q4 2012

A full list of all the newly announced models can be found on the John Ayrey Diecast website.

Thursday 17 May
B-T Models N Scale Lorry Pictures
The following pre-production sample photographs have been issued showing some of the models from most recently announced batch N scale lorries.


N011 BRS Glasgow (Douglas) - Karrier Bantam Articulated Flatbed


N012 British Rail - Leyland FG Twin Axle Flatbed


N014 British Railways - Leyland FG Boxvan


N015 Sunblest Bread - Leyland FG Boxvan


N017 British Railways - Karrier Bantam Articulated Flatbed


N018 BRS - Foden DG 4 Axle Flatbed

Thursday 17 May
Confirmed Graham Farish Releases
Graham Farish has released four more bus models in it's N scale Scenecraft Range.


379-531 Crosville - Bristol RELH ECW Coach
379-575 Stagecoach Hants & Dorset - Leyland National Mark I
379-590 Thames Valley - Bristol Lodekka FLF
379-606 London Country NBC - Park Royal bodied Leyland Atlantean

Wednesday 16 May
Confirmed Corgi OOC Releases
Corgi have now released the following pair of models.

OM46403A National Express (Irish Shamrock livery / Mansfield Destination) - Caetano Levante Coach - 550 Pieces
OM46403B National Express (Irish Shamrock livery / London Destination) - Caetano Levante Coach - 550 Pieces

Tuesday 15 May
Latest Oxford Releases
Oxford Diecast have now released the following models.

1/76 scale

76OWB003 Portsmouth Corporation - Bedford OWB Utility Bus

N Scale

NPE002 Parks of Hamilton - Plaxton Elite Coach

Tuesday 15 May
80M Release Big Bus Company Open Top Model
The Big Bus Company has recently taken delivery of 20 Anhui Ankai HFF6110G2-S for it's UK sightseeing tours, 10 of the vehicles are fully open top while the rest are half open top, and it is this version that the Hong Kong based 80M Bus Model Shop have chosen to replicate in 1/76 scale.

80M have also produced a second version (80871) depicting one of the similar vehicles used on the Hong Kong sightseeing service.
1,500 pieces of each model have been produced and these have already been released in Hong Kong.

80871    Big Bus Tours Hong Kong (FX 5737) - Anhui Ankai HFF6110G2-S Half Open Top Bus
80871A Big Bus Tours UK (B16 BUS) - Anhui Ankai HFF6110G2-S Half Open Top Bus

Further details of the above models can be found on the www.80mbusmodel.com site.

Monday 14 May
Next EFE Releases
The following models are scheduled to be released during the week ending the 26th May.

36704 Stagecoach East Midland (75th Anniversary Livery) - Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer 2 Single Deck Bus
38102 Ribble - Bristol VRT Series 2 (flat front) Double Deck Bus
38301 Western SMT - Alexander Y Type Single Deck Bus
Release information kindly supplied by


Monday 14 May
Picture published of B-T Ribble Duple Dominant Coach
John Ayrey Diecast's have published a photograph showing of one of the pair of recently announced B-T Models Duple Dominant Coaches

B012 Ribble N.B.C.- Leyland Leopard Duple Dominant II Coach

Thursday 10 May
Latest Atlas Editions Release
Atlas Editions' latest model release in the Great British Bus Collection is now being mailed out to customers

GBB24 St Helens Corporation Transport - AEC Regent V East Lancs Double Deck Bus

Wednesday 9 May
Confirmed EFE Releases
The following models have now been released by EFE.

38101 Midland Alexander - Bristol VRT Series 2 (flat front) Double Deck Bus
28606 First Manchester - Leyland Atlantean GM Standard Double Deck Bus
29507 Black & White - Plaxton Panorama Elite Coach

Tuesday 8 May
Confirmed CMNL Release In Hong Kong
It's been reported that a new CMNL model has been released in Hong Kong in recent days and that the same model is also due to be released in the UK during June according to the John Ayrey's site.

It's not known if this move indicates CMNL are now resuming production of models, or if this particular model has just been held back since January because of legal issues resolving from the failure of the Creative Master Ltd business.
Interestingly some examples of he last CMNL model released in back November 2011, UKBUS1049 were issued with plinths bearing printing relating to this latest release.

UKBUS8017 Arriva Southern - Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Single Deck Bus

Sunday 6 May
Model Kits Section Update
Mark Hughes has supplied a copy of his latest catalogue which contains his full range of bus & trams kits along with a wide range of other bits and bobs for those wishing to enhance and modify their models.
New items include two kits of a 1951 Leyland bodied Royal Tiger coach which were formerly produced by the Model Bus Federation.

You can download a PDF version of the catalogue from the Mark Hughes page.

Alan Johnson has contact me to advise that from now on all his BUSKIT resin kits will be exclusively sold through the Mirror Image Models/A Models of Bolton website.

I've also updated the BUSKITS page to reflect the current availability of the kits.

Sunday 6 May
Cobham EFE Specials Update
An update on the two EFE models commissioned by the London Bus Museum for the Spring Gathering last Sunday.


The Daimler Utility (26410A) on route 88 with adverts for the event did sell out at the Rally. A small quantity of the second model of a Guy Arab II Utility (26322B) on route 79 with adverts for the Museum can now be mail ordered from the Museum Shop through eBay. There were only handle left when I checked the page and these are being offered for £23 including UK P&P.

The eBay listing can be found HERE.

Friday 4 May
Seven New EFE Models Announced
EFE's latest trade release sheet contains details of seven new models which are all scheduled for release in either June or July. The previously announced Southern Vectis Flat screen Bristol VRT is also listed as a June release on the sheet.

Click the thumbnail to view large images or the cat no links for normal sized images.
Cat No. 17228
Vehicle Long Leyland National Mark I Single Door
Operator Devon General
Fleet No. 2854
Registration MOD 851P
Route 361 Exeter
Expected June
Cat No. 30007
Vehicle AEC 10T10 Bus
Operator London Transport (Country Area Green)
Fleet No. T 685
Registration EYK 320
Route 404 Sevenoaks & Shoreham Village
Expected July
Cat No. 31706
Vehicle AEC Routemaster RMC Coach
Operator London Transport Green Line
Fleet No. RMC 1483
Registration 483 CLT
Route 720 Bishop Stortford
Expected June
Cat No. 34108
Vehicle AEC RT Bus
Operator Coventry Transport
Fleet No. 99
Registration GKV 99
Route 8 Tile Hill
Expected June
Cat No. 35306
Vehicle 36 Foot BET 6 Bay AEC Reliance Coach
Operator Maidstone & District
Fleet No. SC 55
Registration BKT 818C
Route E1 London, Eltham & Lewisham
Expected July
Cat No. 38401
Vehicle Bristol RE Alexander Y Type Coach
Operator North Western
Fleet No. 322
Registration NJA 322H
Route X20 Manchester (L.M.S.)
Expected June
Cat No. 38601
Vehicle Albion Ergomatic 2 Axle Boxvan
Operator Robson's of Carlisle
Fleet No. AD 715
Registration HVD 646L
Name Border Badger
Expected July
Cat No. 38104
Vehicle Bristol VRT (Flat Windscreen)
Operator Southern Vectis
Fleet No. 628
Registration SDL 638J
Route 1A Cowes
Expected June
You can view the latest trade release sheet at


Thursday 3 May
Three Confirmed Releases from B-T Models
The following models have now been released and should be with retailers shortly.

1/76th Scale
B010 London Coaches - AEC Reliance Duple Dominant II Coach

N Scale
N003 British Rail (yellow) - Karrier Bantam Articulated Flatbed
N007 British Railways (red & cream) - Karrier Bantam Articulated Flatbed

Tuesday 1 May
Next EFE Releases
The following models are scheduled to be released during the week ending the 12th May.

38101 Midland Alexander - Bristol VRT Series 2 (flat front) Double Deck Bus
28606 First Manchester - Leyland Atlantean GM Standard Double Deck Bus
29507 Black & White - Plaxton Panorama Elite Coach
Release information kindly supplied by


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