This photograph shows an early pre production version of this model

Photograph © Britbus

This photograph shows an early pre production version of this model

Photograph © Britbus

Britbus Scania N113/Alexander ‘R’ type Review

By Mark Smith

One of the great things about today’s market for 1/76 diecasts is the sheer variety.  Ten years ago if I’d suggested to you we’d be able to buy this model off the shelf I think I’d have been laughed out of town.  But Britbus, to their credit, have offered a variety of models that collectors of yore could only have dreamed about.

This model represents an interesting period of London bus history – a municipally owned vehicle operating an LT contract service.  Boro’line Maidstone had it’s roots in Maidstone Corporation, and having swung from double deck trolleybuses in the 1950’s to lightweight Bedfords saloons by the late 1970’s, moved into the London Regional Transport tendering arena in 1987.  The model of Scania 702 represents an era when ‘independents’ were gaining a foothold in London – and bringing the few new double decks around at that time with them.

Boro’line only had two Scanias; these (and a Volvo Citybus demonstrator) replaced three Leyland Olympians that were so late in delivery that their order was cancelled.  Acquired from a stock-built batch, their dealer white livery was decorated only with fleetnames and LRT roundels.  701 and 702 soon received side adverts, and later overall adverts were carried, still on the base white livery.  The model is of 702 in original condition, bereft of adverts.

The Britbus R type casting had until now not attracted me – their Dublin Olympian with similar body seemed to suffer from small wheels and oversized headlamps, which together with a hefty price tag meant that purchase was deferred.  The Scania looks much better; the wheels seem more in keeping with the prototype, and the characteristic rear end, where the engine compartment sits uncomfortably under the body overhang is subtly reproduced. Fine printing represents the side engine compartment doors, offside radiator, opening windows and mounting rubbers, while the front destination box and light lenses are transparent.  Internally there are a plethora of grab poles, seat rails and the like, and the livery looks smart, despite its single colour, relived only by blue and red fleetnames.  Etched wipers and separate mirrors complete the detailing, and overall the model ‘out of the box’ looks very nice.  The front dash looks far better proportioned than the Dublin Olympian; on this model the LT BUS sign and Scania badge correctly cover the slatted dash moulding.  Route 132 blinds, with prototypical ‘BEXLEY HEATH’ destination and unused ‘via’ blind aperture are just as the real bus.

Reference to photographs suggests that one or two details are not quite right – the seat rails and seat handpoles should be black, not silver; two arm wipers were fitted to the real buses (the pantograph type fitted to the model can be ‘parked’ more accurately by careful tweaking with some long nosed pliars) and there should only be two vertical handpoles upstairs.  The ‘no smoking’ stickers printed on the windows are very nice, but I’m not sure there are enough of them, while the rear three lower deck rear side windows should have black decency masking to the lower edges, where the internal floor/seat level was correspondingly higher.  Indeed the lower deck interior seems to be incorrect in this respect, perhaps because it is based on the Olympian version.

Nevertheless a decent addition to the Britbus range, and one of a prototype vehicle in a condition that is rarely modelled.  1008 have been issued according to the card in the box.

This review © Mark Smith

This page last updated Monday, 25 February 2013