EFE Road Marks 70 Years of The London Routemaster
Today (Sunday 14th April 2024) at the London Bus Museum’s Spring Gathering, Bachmann Europe Plc unveiled four new 1:76 scale Routemaster buses as part of its expanding EFE Road range of diecast collectables.
The announcement was made to mark 70 years since the very first Routemaster prototype, RM1, was unveiled to the world in 1954. Development had started in 1947, with design by London Transport (LT), and construction being undertaken at LT’s Chiswick Works, assisted by Park Royal Vehicles using mechanical units provided by sister company AEC. The Routemaster was intended offer a vehicle that was lighter and had a greater seating capacity than its predecessor, the RT, while at the same time being easier to operate and maintain.
The first production examples entered service in 1959, and from then until 1968, some 2,876 Routemasters of varying types and configurations were constructed, becoming as synonymous with the streets of London as the ubiquitous black cab. In 2006 the Routemaster was voted one of the top 10 British design icons, sharing the honour with the Supermarine Spitfire, K2 telephone kiosk, the London Underground map, and Concorde.
The four new EFE Road models represent examples of this iconic type during various stages of their extensive careers. They are the first to be produced using EFE Road’s newly refined Routemaster tooling, and now feature such enhancements as bodyside panel lines and highly detailed liveries and advertisements.
The four new models are:
E41701 – RM8 (VLT8) in London Transport Red with Solid White Roundel, working on Route 21 to Sidcup Garage, circa 1976.
E41702 – RM1127 (127CLT) in London Transport Red with ‘Open’ style Roundel, working on Route 90B to Fulwell Garage, circa 1972.
E41703 – RM1546 (546CLT) in London Transport Red with Solid White Roundel, working from New Cross garage on Night Route N82 Woolwich Arsenal Station.
E41704 – WLT655 (formerly RM655) in its Confidence Bus (Leicester) livery of black and light battleship grey, as preserved with Special Service 00 blinds.
EFE Road spokesman, Gary Boyd-Hope, said: “We could not let the 70th anniversary of the Routemaster pass by without commemorating it in some way and, having modified and enhanced our RM tooling, it provided the perfect opportunity. For this announcement we have selected Routemasters which offer something a little different from what has come before, not only through the refined tooling, but also through the choice of liveries, routes and operators.”
The four models are expected to reach retailers during July 2024, with an RRP of £44.95.
