EFE Rail E40304

Cravens RT1493 London Transport Red, Route 63 Honor Oak

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs

Prototype Era
Era 4 (1948 to 1956) British Railways Early Crest

Manufacturer description

Cravens RT1493 (KGK752) in London Transport Central Area red & cream, working from Nunhead garage on route 63 to Honor Oak Forest Hill Tavern, c.late 1953.

In the early post-war years when coachbuilders Park Royal Vehicles and Weymann were at full capacity and unable to fully meet London Transport’s enormous requirements for new RT buses, tenders to supply were sent to other manufacturers. Saunders Engineering of Anglesey and Cravens Railway Carriage & Wagon Co of Sheffield built 300 and 120 RTs respectively. Saunders RTs were similar to standard RTs in many respects, and were interchangeable with the Park Royal and Weymann bodies on overhaul at Aldenham Works. But Cravens RTs were quite different. The 5-bay window design could not be mixed with standard bodies at overhaul, and although well built, all except one were sold when only seven years old. Cravens RTs were quickly bought by independent bus operators, glad to acquire youthful London-spec vehicles in excellent condition which gave long reliable service to their new owners in many parts of the UK.

• Authentically detailed die-cast model from EFE Road
• Complementary to OO scale model railways (1:76 scale)

Catalogue listing

EFE Rail Cravens RT1493 London Transport Red, Route 63 Honor Oak is a die‑cast model produced by EFE Road. The model carries the manufacturer part number E40304 and is scaled to OO gauge (1:76). It represents a British Railways Early Crest period vehicle.

The model replicates a Cravens RT1493 (works number KGK752) in London Transport Central Area red and cream livery, as it would have appeared in the late 1953 period while operating from Nunhead garage on route 63 to the Honour Oak Forest Hill Tavern. Cravens built 120 RT buses after the post‑war shortage of Park Royal and Weymann bodies; these had a distinctive five‑bay window design and were not interchangeable with standard bodies at overhaul. Most were sold to independent operators after only seven years in service.

The die‑cast model is authentically detailed and intended for use alongside OO scale model railways. It is suitable for collectors and railway enthusiasts seeking a historically accurate representation of a mid‑1950s London Transport RT bus.