1:76 diecast buses from the 1970s - "St Helens front Leyland Titans"

[Covkid]

After taking delivery of the Rapido West Mdilands Fleetlines I have taken a little interest in bodging a few vehicles from my erstwhile local carrier Harpers of Heath Hayes near Cannock in South Staffordshire.  Harpers operated an extremely motley fleet of fairly ancient single deckers, then acquired some more modern double deckers, often in pairs. Sadly Harpers sold out to Midland Red in September 1974, some receiving the poppy red and others receiving the gas axe. 

 

Had a bit of a dabble on that auction site and picked up a couple of cheap preowned Burlingham Seagulls. These are intended to be uglified in the same way as Harpers did to the 1:1 scale trio.  Harpers had a few Seagull coaches but wanted to operate stage carriage services OMO so stripped the stylish sloping nose cones from them and rebuilt them with front doors and a flat front.

 

The reason for this post though is to ask any diecast bus person if they know of any diecast model Titan PD2 or PD3 with the fibreglass "St Helens front" apart from Corgi 97941 which is a St Helens Titan with an MCW Orion body.  I have looked at the Corgi model numbers around 97941 but nothing similar. I have the Titan with the Orion which will form the basis oneof the D registration pair but I would like to recreate a NC bodied version in Harpers and Midland Red liveries which involves marrying a St Helens front to a PD2 or PD3 body, however buses with that front don't seem popular i nthe diecast ranges.

 

I am joining the MBF but notice their online shop which would sell the St Helens front as a moulding is out of stock at the moment.  so what I am basically asking is if anyone knows of a diecast 1:76 bus with the St Helens front in addition to Corgi 97941.

 

    

[PhilJ W]

A company called MTS made a plastic kit of an East Lancs bodied front entrance double decker. They came with at least four different fronts including the St. Helens front. They often come up on e-bay or at swap meets, usual price is about £10.

[Les Bird]

I have a couple of the EAMES white metal St. Helens fronts. If you'd like to PM me we can sort something out