Oxford Diecast RM068

Southend - 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 wasn't 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 Southend is a 1:76 scale die‑cast model of the iconic London Routemaster bus. The model is supplied by Oxford Diecast and carries the manufacturer part number RM068. It is painted in British Rail Blue, representing the pre‑TOPS era.

The real Routemaster was conceived in 1951 as a lightweight vehicle capable of seating 64 passengers, with an initial target of 2,000 units. Prototypes were produced over the following years and testing involved several manufacturers. By the early 1960s the bus began to appear in significant numbers on London streets, and development later focused on one‑person operated vehicles.

Production of the Routemaster ceased in 1968, but the type remains in service in the capital and across the United Kingdom and overseas thanks to ongoing maintenance, refurbishment and deregulation.