Issued 1969-1984     Length 108mm

 

Budgie No.236 Routemaster Bus returned to production in 1969 when Modern Products Ltd, who had previously manufactured the model for Budgie and still had the dies, was put in touch with H Seener Ltd, a company specialising in souvenirs for visitors to London. This was the beginning of 14 years of collaboration between the two and several new or re-vamped models were produced starting with the Routemaster.

 

The revised model used the same body and base as the earlier Series 1 models (See Budgie No.236 Routemaster Bus) with the engine section being cast as part of the base. H.Seener asked for windows to be included and in fact paid for the tooling needed to make them. However the windows were difficult to fit so sometimes a model was sold without them.

 

The Routemaster models were painted red like the real buses with silver trim on the grille and sometimes on the headlights. 'London Transport' decals were added to the sides beneath the windows and individual decals put on the destination panels, the front one stating '9 Liverpool St Charing X Piccadilly' and the rear one '9 Piccadilly'.

 

Several different advertisement decals and labels were used on the Series 2 Routemasters and these are listed below. The wheels were always metal with black treaded tyres, the finish being usually chrome but unpainted wheels were used occaisionally.

 

In 1973 a special promotional Routemaster was issued to commerate the opening of the Sheraton-Heathrow Hotel on 1st February 1973. This was a normal red model with special side advertisement labels and a large one on the roof incorporating a Union Jack flag which was also used on the special box.

 

Almost all the Routemaster models were coloured red but a year or two before production ended, a new colour was introduced. This was a green version with 'Houses of Parliament' and 'London Transport' labels similar to the last red Routemaster. 

 

In 1983 a special metallic gold issue was created to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of London Transport. This had a complete set of red labels with 'London Transport Golden Jubilee' on the sides incorporating the '50' logo, and on the front and rear '50 Special Years' labels in place of the usual destination signs. It was issued in the standard box but with a gold label on the main picture face stating 'Golden Jubilee of London Transport 1933-1983 Special Golden Edition'.

 

Only a limited number of models with special Jubilee labels were produced and before long the gold buses reverted to standard 'Houses of Parliament' labels but they continued to be sold in the specially labelled boxes. Eventally however, the gold model joined the others in being sold in a standard window box without labels.

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Later in 1983 the ownership of Modern Products Ltd changed when it was bought by a nearby engineering company called Starcourt Ltd. The new owners were reluctant to manufacture models exclusively for H Seener and began producing different colours and selling the full range of No.236 separately in new-style window boxes, often giving them new numbers. Mr Seener was not pleased and switched his contract to Corgi. Without the marketing skills of H Seener, Starcourt was not successful in the toy business and just over a year later production by them of all diecast toys ceased.

 

Details of the final versions of the Routemaster buses issued by Starcourt are listed seperately under Nos.704-707 and can be found via the Budgie Models index page.

 

Boxes for No.236 Series 2 Routemaster Bus followed the familliar yellow Budgie end-flap style with a colour illustration of the model on each face. Several different versions of the picture were used with a new one usually appearing each time there was a change to the advert decals/labels. Boxes which contained green models often had a green felt-pen mark on one of the end-flaps to identify the colour. For the early issues, the boxes had 'Made in England by Budgie Models' beneath the picture. Later 'for H Seener' was added but this was removed by Starcourt on the window boxes which also had a blue inner packing piece. 

 

Most of the Series 2 Budgie Routemasters are quite easy to collect. However, the special 'Sheraton' and the first issue 'Golden Jubilee' models are very rare and hard to find.