EFE Rail E99945

Leyland Atlantean Open Top Devon General Gift Set

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

Prototype Era
Era 5 (1956 to 1966) British Railways Late Crest

Manufacturer description

Leyland Atlantean Open Top Devon General Gift Set

The well-known bus operator, Devon General, began operating regular open top bus tours of the Torbay area in the summer of 1955 using vehicles converted from conventional double deckers. However, in 1961 these were replaced by a fleet of nine specially built Leyland Atlanteans with Metro-Cammell bodies, each seating 75 passengers.

The nine were named after historical naval and maritime figures such as Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins, and soon earned the nickname ‘Sea Dogs’; a term Devon General even adopted for its own marketing. In their distinctive cream and red livery, they became a familiar sight on the 12A-12D routes serving Torquay, Paignton, Brixham, Babbacombe and Kingswear, and carried generations of holidaymakers for the next 20 years. They were built as convertibles, with detachable roofs, meaning that they could operate as normal double deckers during the low season.

Upon nationalisation in 1969 Devon General became part of the new National Bus Company (NBC) but was amalgamated with the Western National Omnibus Company (itself part of the NBC) two years later. Under NBC the Sea Dogs were repainted into a poppy red and white livery, and also converted to one-man operation. They initially carried Devon General branding, but this was later superseded by Western National and other NBC liveries as their duties took them further afield into Cornwall and Dorset. Gradually their names disappeared too.

Withdrawal commenced in 1982, and the Sea Dogs went their separate ways, finding use in places including London, Lancashire, East Yorkshire and Glasgow.

This special twin pack is the third special gift set produced under the EFE Road banner and celebrates the golden era of the ‘Sea Dogs’ with two of the vehicles in the popular Devon General cream livery with red bands. The first of these is registration 932GTA ‘Earl Howe’, which is depicted in its original operating condition, sporting the cream coloured wheels that the type entered service with. As fleet number DL932, it is presented as working service 12D to Babbacombe.

The second vehicle in the gift set is classmate 930GTA ‘Sir John Hawkins’, which differs from ‘Earl Howe’ in having red wheels and lifeguards; a change made early on by Devon General owing to the dirt build-up on the original cream wheels. The model also represents the dropping of the DL prefix to the fleet numbers, simply being number 930, and working service 12C to Kingswear.  

Like our 2025 ‘Sea Dogs’, the models comprise an amalgamation of new and refreshed tooling, with the enhanced lower decks benefiting from the addition of panel lines and round mirrors for the first time. The upper decks are fitted with metal handrails around the top edge and have the original high position front route blind; the first time these have featured on an EFE Road ‘Sea Dog’.

The gift set comes with a reproduction of the original Devon General ‘Sea Dog’ information brochure that was printed to coincide with the launch of the fleet into traffic.

• Colours/details of final model may vary from illustration
• Authentically detailed die-cast model from EFE Road
• Complementary to OO scale model railways (1:76 scale)

Catalogue listing

EFE Rail Leyland Atlantean Open Top Devon General Gift Set
Manufacturer Part Number: E99945
Period represented: British Railways Late Crest

The set reproduces two Leyland Atlantean open‑top double‑deckers that were built for Devon General in 1961. The nine buses, known as the “Sea Dogs”, were fitted with detachable roofs, carried 75 passengers and operated the 12A‑12D Torbay routes serving Torquay, Paignton, Brixham, Babbacombe and Kingswear. Originally painted in a cream and red livery, they were later repainted in a poppy red and white scheme after the 1969 nationalisation and subsequent amalgamation with Western National. Withdrawal of the fleet began in 1982.

The twin pack contains:

* Registration 932GTA “Earl Howe”, shown in its original operating condition with cream‑coloured wheels, fleet number DL932 and working service 12D to Babbacombe.
* Registration 930GTA “Sir John Hawkins”, depicted with red wheels and lifeguards, fleet number 930 (no DL prefix) and working service 12C to Kingswear.

Both models are die‑cast in 1:76 (OO) scale and feature new and refreshed tooling. The lower decks carry added panel lines and the first round mirrors on an EFE Road Sea Dog model. The upper decks are fitted with metal hand‑rails around the top edge and retain the original high‑position front route blind, also a first for this series. The set includes a reproduced Devon General “Sea Dog” information brochure issued at the fleet’s launch.

Colours and details of the final models may vary from the illustration. The models are intended as an authentically detailed complement to OO‑scale railway layouts.