NORTHCORD MODEL COMPANY - PRESS RELEASE
The following press release has been received today from the Northcord Model Company:
UKBUS6511 ADL Enviro400 MMC - Stagecoach West Scotland
Following the significant success in launching the brand new casting of the Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC model in the livery of National Express West Midlands, Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Bluestar, Northcord Model Company is now releasing the fifth livery on the 10.9 metre long, single-door casting – UKBUS6511 in the livery of Stagecoach West Scotland with full route branding for route 11.
UKBUS6511 represents fleet number 10930 (SN67XAY) that has 10.9 metre, single door bodywork and was new to Stagecoach West Scotland in 2018. 10930 is one of 27 new Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMCs introduced by Stagecoach West Scotland on former A1 Service route 11 (Ardrossan-Kilmarnock) in January 2018. The bus is fitted with automatic vehicle location software, together with e-leather seats, free WiFi and USB sockets.
10930 carries a full and outstanding brand livery for route 11. The special branding is reproduced onto the UKBUS6511 model. The stand-out features of the branding are: the “every 7/8 mins Mon-Fri daytime” frequency and the prominent “the Eleven” along with the key locations served (Ardrossan‧Saltcoats‧Stevenston‧Kilwinning‧Irvine‧Crosshouse‧Kilmarnock) that are repeated on both sides and rear.
Additional details that the model carries include the “FREE WiFi” and “USB Sockets” logos on either side and rear. The model also correctly features the opposite-facing seats at the rear of the upper deck saloon.
Regrettably, the manufacturing contractor has made two egregious errors by failing to replicate this livery correctly despite having the correct, light blue paint sample for the front dome and the livery pdf, both kindly supplied by Stagecoach. The factory has produced the model using the slightly blue if compared with the standard Stagecoach dark blue for the front dome instead and has chosen to use the same blue for the rear branding between the upper and lower rear windows.
The Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC UKBUS6511 is a one-piece casting whose clean lines accentuate the square, gasket-mounted windows and the livery application on which all logos and lettering are clearly legible. Another main feature on the UKBUS6511 model is its single tree protector at the front. The front dome on the model is significant, with curved windscreens on both upper deck and lower deck.
Northcord Model Company is also creating new design standards within the interior of both saloons. These features, inside the compartments, will represent the real, outstanding layout of the Enviro400 MMC, such as the extensive portrayal of handrails on upper deck and lower deck, etc.
The A1 Service name is one of the iconic operators in Scotland – revered in the same way as Lothian Buses (and predecessors) and Craig Group (West Coast Motors and family). Its dark blue and cream livery, often enhanced with dark red, made it a firm favourite with bus enthusiasts. Its previously un-numbered trunk route between Ardrossan and Kilmarnock ran to a high frequency. Yet, despite the seemingly outward unified appearance, this was a company that comprised a multiplicity of individual owners.
Limited bus operations began in the early years of the previous century that focused on serving principal towns in Ayrshire but it was not until late 1925 when Ayrshire Bus Owners Association, trading as A1 Service was set up to begin operation the following January, operating between Ardrossan and Kilmarnock and to a fixed timetable. A limited company, Ayrshire Bus Owners (A1 Service) Ltd. was set up in May 1931 which issued 22 shares, each shareholding entitling the owner to operate 2 buses.
As the years progressed, some owners fell away, by retirement or death, and the shares passed to others outwith the original co-operative or to existing owners. Some of the co-operative’s shareholders also ran buses or coaches outwith the A1 company.
The remaining owners decided to accept an offer from Stagecoach, which had previously purchased the neighbouring Western Scottish company in July 1994, to sell the company and A1 Service became a Stagecoach subsidiary on 29th January 1995.
Although many of the buses were sold immediately, the replacements, both new and second hand, retained the A1 Service name within the then current map and stripes fleet name style.
CMNL modelled two of the second generation of new buses for Stagecoach A1 Service: UKBUS1016 (in later, lighter blue and cream livery) and UKBUS0019 (in overall wrap for Belmont Prize Winners); each of these models bearing the destination 11
Ardrossan.
For further reading about the history of A1 Service, collectors’ attention is drawn to the following publications: “Sixty Years of A.1. Service” by George Heaney; “Ayrshire Bus Owners A1 Service- Seventy Years of Serving Ayrshire” by George Heaney and “Ayrshire Bus owners (A1 Service) Ltd” by The PSV Circle, with much of the narrative supplied by George
Heaney.
The brand new 10.9 metre Enviro400 MMC bus models will be distributed by John Ayrey Die-Casts Limited (UK), Porte Publishing Company (Japan), 80M Bus Model Shop and Concorde Hobby Shop (HK) respectively. The UKBUS6511 model is limited to 1008 pieces worldwide.
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