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MAGNIFICENT IN 1:24TH SCALE AND OVER 13” LONG

Produced in 1:24th scale, this Routemaster replica is over 13 inches long and 7 inches high, which is large enough to display all the minute detail of the full size original, from individual bell push buttons on the platform to the fine detail of the London Transport seat moquette and the exact pattern and texture of the floor covering.

This model (first in a series of exclusive limited editions) is an exact replica of RM8, the first production vehicle, as displayed at the 1958 Commercial Motor Exhibition at Earl’s Court - it was the star of the show. Advertisements, blinds and all graphic details applied to the real thing are modelled in exact scale and applied using the latest state of the art techniques.

2908 : RM870 - WLT870 The first production Routemaster with a Leyland engine.

Apart from two original prototypes, RML3 and CRL4, 575 Leyland 0.600 9.8 litre engines plus 6 spares were delivered to London Transport. RM632 had been delivered new in January 1961 with an AEC engine, but this was replaced with a Leyland unit before it entered service on 21 st June 1961. The first standard Routemaster delivered with a Leyland engine was RM870 in September 1961. Originally assigned to the Hanwell Garage, its performance was measured against the AEC-powered vehicles before being transferred to Cricklewood in April 1963.

Our model of RM870 – WLT870 reproduces it as it ran on Route 207 in 1962 out of Hanwell garage.


2909 : RM1933 - ALD 933B 50th Anniversary of London Transport - The Lock Tavern

The London General Omnibus Company was founded in 1855 to run the horse-drawn carriages in London . Following a merger in 1908 with the London Motor Omnibus Company, famous for its Vanguard buses, it was acquired two years later by the Underground Electric Railway Company of London Ltd. Manufacture of buses had started in Walthamstow in 1910, but in 1912, the manufacturing activity became the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and the public transport operation continued under the name of London General. In 1933, all public transport was amalgamated under the newly-formed London Passenger Transport Board.To celebrate the 50 th anniversary of London Transport,in April 1983,

RM1933 was repainted at Chalk Farm Garage in the famous London General livery, a company which had played such a key role in the capital's transport, as both operator and manufacturer.


2910 : RM94 - VLT94 Open top -The Original London Transport Sightseeing Tour

Although London Transport had started sightseeing tours in 1951, thirty years later it had lost over half of the market to independent operators. In 1986, the decision was taken to directly target that market by introducing 50 Routemasters under the name of The Original London Transport Sightseeing Tour. The new fleet comprised of the last 11 RCL's, 19 standard RM's and 20 newly-converted open top RM's, .

RM94 was one of the first open top RM's to enter service on march 22 nd 1986 as part of the original fleet which had been converted at the Aldenham works.

2911 : RM1983 - VLT94 50th Anniversary of London Transport – gold

In 1983, London Transport celebrated its 50 th Anniversary by decorating four buses in special liveries. Titans T747, M57 and T66 were repainted in the old “General” livery but RM1983 was repainted all over in gold, the appropriate colour for a Golden Anniversary. It carried no advertising, just the slogan “We've been together now for 50 years” on both sides, and the special 50 th Anniversary logo in white. The gold RM1983 entered service on April 30 th at Thornton Heath Garage in the Croydon operating district,and then visited all eight operating districts.until it was repainted red in February 1984.

2911 faithfully reproduces RM1983 on Route 190, exactly as it was as it left Thornton Heath garage on its first day of service.


2912 : RMC1486 - 486 CLT : Green Line

In 1964, less than two years after their introduction, it was decided to give a face-lift to the RMC’s. The main changes were at the front where the wings were revised to give a smoother, deeper line, the brake vents were omitted and the registration plate was attached beneath the lower edge of the body. The “via” box was widened to match the main destination blind box and the lower half of the front ventilation grille was covered to form a continuous band between the two decks. The main livery changes included the disappearance of the main Green Line wording on the side of the lower decks and the use of decals for a revised roundel which was moved forward on the sides to below the first window of the upper deck.

2913 : RM21 - VLT 21 : The GLC years

On January 1st 1970, London Transport was transferred from state to municipal control. The main external changes related to the change from gold to white for the central band between the two decks and fleet names, and the adoption of the plain white roundel as the logo for the new operator. RM21 was one of the

original batch of Routemasters and still maintained its original front upper deck windows without the quarter-drop upper part which was introduced from RM254 onwards.

2914 : RM2217 - CUV 217C : The Last Routemaster

On December 9th 2005, the Routemaster finally disappeared from regular service in London, after more than 50 years of active service. Although several vehicles were in service that day, the officially designated “last” Routemaster was RM2217 which operated on Route 159 between Streatham and Marble Arch. Sun Star model 2914 replicates RM2217 exactly as it ran its last journey. A limited number of Routemasters continues to operate on so-called Heritage Routes as can be seen from the advertisements on RM2217.

 

248 COMPONENTS FOR UNSURPASSED DETAIL

Sun Star’s tooling design engineers have excelled in the amount of detail incorporated into this superb replica that is hand assembled from 248 parts from 23 separate moulds. The main body of the model is cast in metal while the fine detail components, including seats, driver’s cab interior, handrails, clear lamp lenses, mirrors, indicators and over 200 other fine components are moulded in high quality plastics. The delicate radiator and brake cooling grilles are produced by photo etching to exact scale while hand finishing, ink pad printing operations and decals provide exact copies of the original exterior and interior decoration. Open the bonnet and there in full detail is the 9.6 litre AEC six-cylinder diesel engine looking ready for the driver to start up! Underfloor detail is not missed either with engine/transmission, axle, subframes, fuel and air brake system features all there in three dimensions.


MODEL SPECIFICATION

London Transport Routemaster RMC 1453 – Registration number CLT 453

Manufactured by Sun Star Models Development Ltd of Macau

Scale 1:24th

Dimensions Length: 13.75”/35cm
Height: 7.2”/18.3cm
Width: 3.9”/10cm

Components 23 separate moulds
248 separate parts
7 in die-cast Mazak alloy
237 in high quality plastic
3 photo etched

Decoration 130 operations
80 individual ‘Tampo’ pad printing passes
40 hand applied decals
Mask spray painting

2006 catalogue download

New model:2920- 1:24 RT