Oxford Diecast Routemaster London Transport (TT)

Routemaster London Transport The Routemaster was first introduced in the early 50s by London Transport.It emerged as the most popular double decker bus of all time. As one man operated buses came more into use , some of the Routemasters were sold off to a variety of fleets throughout the U.K. Some vehicles were even exported for use in other countries. This history of Oxford Diecast and production in Swansea means the lineage of this model is quite interesting. Many rememember the Corgi (Mettoy) Routemaster that was manufactured in huge numbers. Back in the 1970's when ever we were short of production orders, we just inserted 250,000 buses into the programme. I recall many punch ups with the sales force, who would object strongly as they had the reponsibility of selling whatever was made. Needles to say when they were sold out and the warehouse was empty of Routemasters, they would quickly criticise the factory ! The Mettoy (Corgi) Routemaster was copied by many of the Hong Kong and Chinese manufacturers over the years. My favourite recollection was seeing a terrible copy by an Indian manufacturer. They had bought a sample, but the roof was not straight, there was a 'hump' on the top at the rear; on an internal cavity of the mould there was an insert that came lose from time to time - some production had slipped through with the 'hump' (probably night shhift) and that is what the Indian company had purchased for their sample. In London there was a company called Seener, named after the owner, we tooled up a version for him. He wanted a smaller model around 15/20% smaller to save costs, so we chose 1:76 scale - a lucky scale for Oxford. These carried the brand name SEEROL, named after the owners son ROLand SEEner. We made around 500,000 of these during the 1980's. The tooling eventually fell to pieces and the newly produced Oxford 1:76 variant appeared - it had for once wheel hubs that looked correct. - TT:120 Scale

Oxford Diecast Alexander M Type Western (1:76)

Alexander M Type - Western Includes: - Detailed diecast model - Cab detail - Maroon moulded interior detail - Front grill and headlight features - Western Black/white livery - Display stand - OO Scale Vehicle information and history: The history of Western Scottish Bus Company can be traced back to 1929, when the Scottish General Transport Co. Ltd was renamed Western Scottish Motor Traction Co. Ltd. The company was formed as a result of the 1930 Road Traffic Act, which encouraged the consolidation of bus companies into larger groups. Western Scottish quickly became the largest bus operator in south west Scotland, with depots in Kilmarnock, Ayr, Cumnock, Girvan, Stranraer, Dumfries, Annan, Ardrossan, Carlisle, and Whithorn. The company operated a wide range of services, including local bus services, interurban connections, and cross-border journeys into north west England. In 1949, Western Scottish was nationalised and became part of the Scottish Bus Group. In 1985, in preparation for privatisation, the company was split into Clydeside Scottish and Western Scottish. Western Scottish was privatised in 1994 and was purchased by Stagecoach Group. The company was renamed Stagecoach Western Scottish and adopted the corporate Stagecoach white with red, blue and orange stripes livery. Stagecoach Western Scottish continued to expand its operations, purchasing Arran Transport in 1994 and A1 Service in 1995. The company also opened new depots in Brodick on the Isle of Arran and Dunoon in Argyll. In 2006, Stagecoach Western Scottish was merged with Stagecoach Strathtay to form Stagecoach West Scotland. The new company operates a fleet of over 1,000 buses and employs over 2,000 people. Today, Stagecoach West Scotland is one of the largest bus operators in Scotland, providing essential local bus services to communities across south west Scotland. The company also operates a number of intercity and express services, connecting towns and cities across Scotland and England. The Alexander M Type was a single-deck coach built by Alexander Bus Builders in Falkirk, Scotland in the early 1970s. It was developed for use by the Scottish Bus Group on its growing Anglo-Scottish motorway express services. The M Type was a popular choice with the Scottish Bus Group and other operators, and over 1,000 were built between 1974 and 1980. It was used on a wide range of services, including express services, long-distance tours and charter work. The M Type was gradually withdrawn from service in the early 1990s, as it was replaced by newer and more modern coaches.

Oxford Diecast London Bus & Taxi Set (1:76)

London Bus & Taxi Set Includes: - Diecast models - Display stand - 1:76 scale

Oxford Diecast Bristol MW6G West Yorkshire (1:76)

Bristol MW6G West Yorkshire Includes: - Diecast model - Cab and interior detail - Tyre and wheel detailing - Display stand - 1:76 Scale (suitable for OO scale model railways) Vehicle Information: The Bristol MW was a bus and coach chassis designed and built between 1956 and 1964 by Bristol Commercial Vehicles Ltd at Brislington, Bristol. The abbreviation MW stands for Medium Weight. It had a horizontally mounted engine under the floor between the two axles allowing an entrance door ahead of the front axle and a completely flat floor area, making it easy for one man operation. The chassis was provided either by a coach builder or a bus builder. All MW chassis were fitted with a Gardner 5 cylinder or 6 cylinder engine with chassis type designations either as MW5G or -as our model - MW6G. The transmission comprised a manual forward 5-speed gearbox.