EFE 2018 information

[Andy Y]

Images to follow later.


NEW TIMETABLE FOR EFE BUSES
Bachmann Europe has announced a new timetable for the EFE Bus range to cover the first part of 2018.
Managing Director, David Haarhaus said today “the EFE range which we acquired in 2016 saw several new vehicles added during 2017 and new models are now appearing in our distinctive blue boxes making them easily identifiable for both retailers and customers. We are also in the process of adding new liveries to existing tooling and in the longer term introduce new tooling which we are currently researching and developing”.

 

The 1983 Aldenham Spectacular Set (E99938) is now in the process of being delivered to us and will be available from stockists during January.

E99938
The Ribble Leyland Atlantean (E16540) will also be released during January.


E16540

The February release will feature AEC Reliance single deck vehicle in South Yorkshire colours (E24332) with newly tooled side mirrors.

E24332

For March we see the Bristol VR Mk III released in Midland Fox yellow and red livery (E20458). This bus features newly tooled side mirrors and panel lines.

E20458

April will see a London Transport AEC RT (E34112) in London Transport red livery (without advertising panels).

E34112

Models can be pre-ordered from any Bachmann stockist.
-Ends-

2018 – 3
7th January 2018

[Andy Y]

Images now added.

[AMJ]

Still to produce a new casting, surprised the Bristol VR hasn't worn out now.

 

Frank Joyce used to have a couple of new models each year. I suggested to him once that with the right livery the destination could be put to a generic one for many of us - Works service, School special, rail replacement service.

[richierich]

One big criticism of the Bristol VR series 2 and 3 tooling, which goes right back to was it 1995? Is the windscreen. This is correct for the series 2, but not the majority of series 3s (except some built in late 1976 / early 1977). The series 3 has pantograph windscreen wipers.

 

I wish they would produce a new tool for a windscreen with pantograph wipers for the series 3.

 

I’m not even sure who you’d write to these days to suggest this to?

[John M Upton]

A lot of EFE's bread and butter models like the Bristol VR and especially the Leyland National really could do with binning and tooling afresh from scratch.  The National with its huge gouge between the roof section and the body plus those riveted on end panels (which incidentally results in the wrong too flat a windscreen being used for Mk2's, another bug bear) has always put me off them.

 

Trouble is with EFE output now down to less than a trickle (one new model a month if that by the looks of it) and the collectible diecast bus market effectively dead in the water I very much doubt much will be done with the range bar reliveries and maybe a new casting every so often.

[Mad McCann]

When you see the quality of the short-run kits produced by the likes of Sunrise and Citibus, and the high fidelity models produced by CML and Oxford you can see the height of height of the modern bar.

EFE are going to have to go some to match that.

All the same my cabinet has plenty EFE in it!

 

D4

Edited January 12, 2018 by Mad McCann

[Legend]

I vaguely remember someone was going to do a D Type Alexander bodied Fleetline, common to Scottish Bus Group but other companies too. I know we have an Atlantean but this would be low height version . I thought it was EFE  but I maybe wrong. Hopefully we will get some new tooling eventually.

[RANGERS]

I vaguely remember someone was going to do a D Type Alexander bodied Fleetline, common to Scottish Bus Group but other companies too. I know we have an Atlantean but this would be low height version . I thought it was EFE  but I maybe wrong. Hopefully we will get some new tooling eventually.

 

EFE did promise a D type and also an East Lancs Olympus, but that was before the bottom fell out of the die-cast bus market and Oxford stepped in with much higher quality/ lower cost options. Declining sales and a lack of investment for new tooling put paid to any real development.

Edited January 12, 2018 by RANGERS

[richierich]

I still don’t understand why they don’t injection moulding the bodies , as they do for model railways?

 

Much easier to produce than die cast. Plus ideal for conversions, because you can plastic together. Sticking diecast together it’s tricky.

 

Suppose it s an historic approach because these die cast models have a heritage back to Dinky Toys!

[Invicta]

I guess it comes down to them originally being aimed squarely at the diecast collector market-  I'm largely out of the collecting game now, but as I remember anything with a high percentage of injection-moulded plastic in the bodyshell didn't always go down well with the collectors

[Co-tr-Paul]

What is urgently needed.is new models. There are some coaches for a start that would bring in the money such as the Bella Vega, Viceroy (VAL?), Supreme,Dominant and the numerous liveries of the 60/70/80s.

[Mad McCann]

I vaguely remember someone was going to do a D Type Alexander bodied Fleetline, common to Scottish Bus Group but other companies too. I know we have an Atlantean but this would be low height version . I thought it was EFE  but I maybe wrong. Hopefully we will get some new tooling eventually.

Sunrise did a nice kit a year or two back. They occasionally pop up on ebay but be ready to stump up £40-50 for the kit

[Dunsignalling]

Neither EFE or OOC have done much of relevance to my interests (Somerset/Dorset/Devon) for ages, the last I bought was the cream livery Devon General Atlantean IIRC.

 

Nearly all the buses coaches I have purchased in the past three/four years are B-T and Oxford.

 

Why does no-one do 1960s/70s Duple body coaches?

 

John

Edited January 15, 2018 by Dunsignalling

[John M Upton]

I think it is Base Toys who do a Duple Dominant coach but its pretty poor in my opinion.

[Dunsignalling]

I think it is Base Toys who do a Duple Dominant coach but its pretty poor in my opinion.

I was thinking more of the numerous Vista/Vega/Super Vega/Vega Major types once the staple of small/medium operators nationwide.

 

John

[brushman47544]

I was thinking more of the numerous Vista/Vega/Super Vega/Vega Major types once the staple of small/medium operators nationwide.

 

John

 

EFE has done both a Duple Vega and Duple Vista on a Bedford chassis in the past. I remember a Grey Green Duple Vega, but I'm sure there were plenty of others. Whether from down your way I've no idea though. Lots and lots of Duple Vistas

 

EDIT: From efezone.co.uk - 18713 Greenslades Tours of Newquay (Vega) from 2001, and 20129 Western National - Newquay (Vista) from 1997.

 

EDIT 2: Hattons has the Western National Vista second hand http://www.hattons.co.uk/321734/EFE_20120_LN08_Bedford_OB_Duple_Western_National_Pre_owned_Like_new/StockDetail.aspx

Edited January 15, 2018 by brushman47544

[Dunsignalling]

EFE has done both a Duple Vega and Duple Vista on a Bedford chassis in the past. I remember a Grey Green Duple Vega, but I'm sure there were plenty of others. Whether from down your way I've no idea though. Lots and lots of Duple Vistas

 

EDIT: From efezone.co.uk - 18713 Greenslades Tours of Newquay (Vega) from 2001, and 20129 Western National - Newquay (Vista) from 1997.

 

EDIT 2: Hattons has the Western National Vista second hand http://www.hattons.co.uk/321734/EFE_20120_LN08_Bedford_OB_Duple_Western_National_Pre_owned_Like_new/StockDetail.aspx

Those are the old 1940s/50s OB and SB coaches

 

The ones I mean are the squarer style with the large, distinctive windows around the rear quarters, that didn't appear until c1960, best known for the Vega Major on the four-wheel-steering Bedford VAL 14 chassis. The two-axle chassis were the VAS and VAM and I've always assumed the last letter denotes short, medium or long.

 

Greenslades of Exeter had some extremely nice, and impressively fast, AEC Reliances with the Vega body and I once had a memorable trip back from Bournemouth on one that was working its way home on a Royal Blue service after winning various pots at the Brighton Coach Rally (1967 or 68, I think)

 

Corgi did the relatively rare VAL 14 / Plaxton Panorama but the Duple-bodied ones were far more widespread.

 

John

Edited January 15, 2018 by Dunsignalling

[RANGERS]

Those are the old 1940s/50s OB and SB coaches

 

The ones I mean are the squarer style with the large, distinctive windows around the rear quarters, that didn't appear until c1960, best known for the Vega Major on the four-wheel-steering Bedford VAL 14 chassis. The two-axle chassis were the VAS and VAM and I've always assumed the last letter denotes short, medium or long.

 

Greenslades of Exeter had some extremely nice, and impressively fast, AEC Reliances with the Vega body and I once had a memorable trip back from Bournemouth on one that was working its way home on a Royal Blue service after winning various pots at the Brighton Coach Rally (1967 or 68, I think)

 

Corgi did the relatively rare VAL 14 / Plaxton Panorama but the Duple-bodied ones were far more widespread.

 

John

I think the versions you’re talking about are the Bella Vista/ Bella Vega/ Bella Venturer and Vega Major of the 61-67 period when they were replaced by the Vista25/ Vista 31/ Viceroy ranges. These were the Bedford based versions, the Fords were similar bodies with different names, Trooper/ Mariner and Marauder respectively (no Ford based Vista equivalent). The Viceroy body range replaced these across all chassis types from the 1967 model year, although the Bella Vista and Vega hung on well into 1967 before the new Vista appeared. The Viceroy ended up on the AEC, Bristol and Leyland heavies after the corresponding Commander range ended in 1970.