NEW
MODELS ANNOUNCED BY EFE ROAD
Further to EFE Road announcing new bus models yesterday morning, as part of their Spring 2026 Railway announcement, EFE Road have this morning distributed their official press release giving details of the new models and hi-resolution photographs showing the newly announced models:
EFE ROAD GOES COASTAL WITH NEW LEYLAND ATLANTEAN ‘SEA DOGS’
The release of EFE Road’s 1:76 scale diecast Leyland Atlantean ‘Sea Dog’ open top double decker buses last year proved to be a great success, with the models selling out at Bachmann HQ in a matter of days. However, their arrival prompted many to ask, “Are you doing Devon General versions?”
Well, the wait is finally over, and we are delighted to present five new ‘Sea Dogs’ in various iterations of Devon General and other National Bus Company liveries as part of Bachmann Europe Plc’s Spring 2026 British Railway Announcements.
The full-size ‘Sea Dogs’ were originally built for Devon General, which had begun running regular open top bus tours of the Torbay area in the summer of 1955. However, in 1961 the company introduced a fleet of nine specially built Leyland Atlanteans with Metro-Cammell bodies, each seating 75 passengers. Each was named after an historical naval or maritime figure, which quickly earned them the nickname ‘Sea Dogs’.
In their distinctive cream and red livery, they became a familiar sight on the 12A-12D routes serving Torquay, Paignton, Brixham, Babbacombe and Kingswear, and carried generations of holidaymakers for the next 20 years. They were built as convertibles, with detachable roofs, meaning that they could operate as normal double deckers during the low season.
Upon nationalisation in 1969 Devon General became part of the new National Bus Company (NBC) but was amalgamated with the Western National Omnibus Company (itself part of the NBC) two years later. Under NBC the Sea Dogs were repainted into a poppy red and white livery, and also converted to one-man operation. They initially carried Devon General branding, but this was later superseded by Western National and other NBC liveries as their duties took them further afield into Cornwall and Dorset. Gradually their names disappeared too. Withdrawal commenced in 1982, and the Sea Dogs went their separate ways, finding use in places including London, Lancashire, East Yorkshire and Glasgow.
The five new EFE Road ‘Sea Dogs’ represent examples of the type during various stages of their Devon General careers, with one covering a later NBC operator. Like our 2025 ‘Sea Dogs’, the models comprise an amalgamation of new and refreshed tooling, with the enhanced lower deck benefiting from the addition of panel lines, while round or rectangular mirrors are incorporated, depending on the prototype. The upper deck is fitted with metal handrails around the top edge and has the original high position front route blind, while at the back, both the original and later style of engine bustles are offered.
Two of the new models are presented in a special Devon General gift set, while the other three are sold individually. They are:
99945 – Leyland Atlantean Open Top Devon General Gift Set
This special twin pack is the third special gift set produced under the EFE Road banner and celebrates the golden era of the ‘Sea Dogs’ with two of the vehicles in the popular Devon General cream livery with red bands. The first of these is registration 932GTA ‘Earl Howe’, which is depicted in its original operating condition, sporting the cream coloured wheels that the type entered service with. As fleet number DL932, it is presented as working service 12D to Babbacombe. The second vehicle in the gift set is classmate 930GTA
‘Sir John Hawkins’, which differs from ‘Earl Howe’ in having red wheels and lifeguards; a change made early on by Devon General owing to the dirt build-up on the original cream wheels. The model also represents the dropping of the DL prefix to the fleet numbers, simply being number 930, and working service 12C to Kingswear. The gift set comes with a reproduction of the original Devon General ‘Sea Dog’ information brochure that was printed to coincide with the launch of the fleet into traffic.
40503 – Leyland Atlantean Open Top Devon General NBC 928 928GTA
Moving forward chronologically, our next model depicts registration 928GTA ‘Sir Humphrey Gilbert’ in its early NBC condition as fleet number 928, finished in poppy red and white with Devon General branding, as operating on service 12 to Brixham. It also features period advertising on the original-style rear engine bustle and separately fitted destination banner boards on the body sides.
40701 – Leyland Atlantean Open Top East Yorkshire NBC 904 932GTA
Next we have 932GTA again (originally ‘Earl Howe’) in its circa 1984 condition as working for East Yorkshire NBC in the Bridlington area. It is finished in NBC’s striking white and blue ‘venetian blind’ livery, complete with East Yorkshire branding, fleet number 904 and the name ‘Belvedere Star’. The front blind carries a service 100 to Bridlington destination, and the later style of replacement rear engine bustle completes the model.
40702 – Leyland Atlantean Open Top Devon General 925 MSJ499
Our final ‘Sea Dog’ brings us right up to date and depicts the preserved registration MSJ499, which was originally 925GTA ‘Admiral Blake’. It is presented in its current condition, as restored in Devon General cream and red as number 925, and proudly displaying its original name. In this guise ‘Admiral Blake’ can still be seen at bus rallies and on hire duties.
EFE Road spokesman, Gary Boyd-Hope, said: “There’s an old saying about saving the best ‘til last, and that’s certainly true where these new’ Sea Dogs’ are concerned. We’ve lost count of how many times we’ve been asked about the possibility of Devon General versions, so it is very gratifying to present these new models, which are the ones collectors have been truly waiting for.”
The new models are expected to reach retailers during late March 2026. Each of the three individual models has an RRP of £46.95, while the Devon General Gift Set has an RRP of £94.95.
|
