Oxford Diecast 76RL004

Model of the Bomb Disposal Broadbridge Heath Bedford RL by Oxford at 1:76 scale.

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

Prototype Eras
Era 4 (1948 to 1956) British Railways Early Crest
Era 5 (1956 to 1966) British Railways Late Crest
Era 6 (1967 to 1972) British Rail Blue (Pre-TOPS)
Era 7 (1972 to 1982) British Rail Blue (TOPS)

Manufacturer description

Bedford introduced the RL truck in the 1950s and it continued in production until the early 1970s. Like many Bedford vehicles, it served its time primarily as the British military’s main medium weight lorry of the period.  It was based on the civilian Bedford S truck and was used in a non-military capacity too. With a split windscreen and the signature Bedford radiator grille, the truck had all-wheel drive and bigger wheels for optimum ground clearance. Originally a 3-tonner, it was increased to 4 tons to facilitate its cross country payload requirements.  During its lifetime, over 74,000 rolled off the production line and many of these survived in civilian use well into the 1990s, being used by the emergency services, commercial operators and even, as we see here, as a Bomb Disposal School vehicle.

Bomb Disposal Broadbridge Heath was a bomb disposal training school and headquarters for the Royal Engineers in West Sussex. It trained bomb disposal personnel from all branches of the British Armed Forces, as well as from other countries. It also conducted research into bomb disposal techniques. 

It was a major centre for the training of bomb disposal personnel during the Cold War and played a vital role in ensuring that the British Armed Forces were prepared to deal with the threat of unexploded bombs and other explosive devices.

The second release of the Bedford RL in 1:76 scale shows it as it was used from the 1950s when the Bomb Disposal Units (UK) Royal Engineers moved their headquarters from Chatham to Broadbridge Heath near Horsham in West Sussex.  Decorated in dark green with red masking to the front wings and rear mudguards, the canvas back is moulded in a slightly lighter green on a black chassis. The interior is also black.  Registered 58 BS 56, the front nearside wing of the truck features the crown and lion insignia of the Bomb Disposal School while a plate carrying the initials BDS sits on the wing on the driver’s side.

Our model represents an interesting piece of post war military activity in a quiet corner of the English countryside

A 1:76 (00) scale model that comes on a plinth with a clear case lid and Oxford wrap. 

Catalogue listing

Oxford Diecast Model of the Bomb Disposal Broadbridge Heath Bedford RL – 1:76 (00) scale. The model is supplied by Oxford with part number 76RL004 and is presented in a clear‑top case on a plinth, wrapped in the usual Oxford packaging.

The vehicle represented is the Bedford RL truck as it appeared in the British Railways Late Crest period. Introduced in the 1950s and produced until the early 1970s, the RL was a 4‑ton medium‑weight lorry derived from the civilian Bedford S. It featured a split windscreen, the distinctive Bedford radiator grille, all‑wheel drive and larger wheels for improved ground clearance. Over 74,000 were built and many served with the emergency services and commercial operators into the 1990s.

The model depicts the truck in the livery used by the Bomb Disposal School at Broadbridge Heath, West Sussex, where the Royal Engineers trained bomb disposal personnel during the Cold War. The vehicle is shown in dark green with red masking on the front wings and rear mudguards, a slightly lighter green canvas on a black chassis, and a black interior. It bears the registration 58 BS 56, the crown and lion insignia of the Bomb Disposal School on the nearside wing, and a plate with the initials BDS on the driver’s side wing.

This 1:76 scale die‑cast model offers a detailed representation of a post‑war military vehicle associated with bomb disposal training in a rural English setting. It is suitable for collectors of British military and railway models.