EFE 1/76 E28830 Leyland Titan B15 London & Country 911 Route 188 Euston Bus Model
The EFE model depicts registration CUL 167V, a 1980-built Titan that was formerly London Transport’s T167. It is presented in its 1994 condition as London & Country fleet number 911, and finished in London & Country’s distinctive two-tone green, complete with London Transport Service stickers. The model carries Route 188 to Euston blinds. The model is based on the Exclusive First Editions Dual Door Titan tooling, with the highly detailed livery having never before been seen on an EFE Titan. • Colours/details of final model may vary from illustration • Authentically detailed die-cast model from EFE Road • Complementary to OO scale model railways (1:76 scale)
The Leyland B15 project was conceived in 1973 as a modern replacement for aging bus types such as the Bristol VRT and Leyland’s own Atlantean. It was designed to incorporate the standardised and integral construction techniques so successfully employed on the Leyland National. The design was heavily influenced by London Transport’s requirements, such as the option of dual and single door variants, and two of the five B15 prototypes were extensively tested in London. Production was initially carried out by Park Royal Vehicles, with the first Titan – as the B15 was known – entering service in August 1978. However, production was hampered by delays, including the closure of Park Royal and the transfer of production to Workington, which resulted in a number of Titan orders being cancelled. As a consequence, London Transport became almost the sole customer for the new bus. The Titan would go on to serve the Capital for the next decade, with withdrawals commencing in 1992. Many were subsequently sold off to second users, with some 400 seeing service on Merseyside, while others ended up in different homes around the country. Many remained in London, although numbers depleted after privatisation, and most had disappeared from the Capital by the early 2000s.