Oxford Diecast RM005

Stardrops - 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 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)
Era 8 (1983 to 1994) British Rail Sectorisation
Era 9 (1995 to 2004) Initial Privatisation
Era 10 (2005 to 2015) Rebuilding of the Railways

Manufacturer description

It was in 1951 the decision was taken to develop a lightweight vehicle with the ability to seat 64 passengers, an initial estimate of 2,000 vehicles being suggested. Several protoypes appeared over the next few years and testing of the buses took place with development being carried out by a range of companies. It was not until the early sixties that the buses were seen on the streets of London in any quantity and by now a decision had been made to concentrate the future development of buses on one-person operated vehicles. No further Routemasters were built after 1968 although due to maintenance, refurbishment and deregulation they are still seen not only in the capital, but also in many locations throughout the UK and overseas.

Catalogue listing

Oxford Diecast Stardrops – 1:76 scale model (manufacturer part number RM005) depicts a British Rail Blue (pre‑TOPS) bus from the early 1960s. The model is cast in die‑cast metal and presented in a detailed, miniature format suitable for collectors of historic transport subjects.

The vehicle represented was developed after a 1951 decision to create a lightweight bus capable of seating 64 passengers, with an initial target of 2,000 units. Prototypes were tested throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s by several manufacturers before entering regular service in London in the early 1960s.

Although production of the original Routemaster ceased in 1968, many examples remained in operation due to refurbishment and deregulation, and they continue to be seen in the capital, elsewhere in the United Kingdom and abroad. This die‑cast version offers a concise representation of that historic period.