Fans of London transport will soon be able to build their own authentic model of the legendary Routemaster – known worldwide as an iconic symbol of the city – through a new magazine produced in partnership with Transport for London (TfL).
The weekly magazine, published by Hachette Partworks, and licensed through TfL’s brand licensing partner TSBA, will go on sale across the UK and Ireland from 17 January. Each issue allows readers find out more about the history of buses and transport across the Capital since the early 1800s to now, as well as build their own 1:12 scale model of a classic Routemaster bus.
The bus, RM857, was originally built in July 1961 and is based precisely on the look of the bus when it operated along route 11 in 1966. It is now privately owned and regularly features at vintage transport events across the UK.
Each component of the model has been expertly produced from high-quality die-cast metal and durable plastic, with many photo-etched parts. This is the same materials that many Diecast Cars UK fans use in their builds. The finished model also contains a number of special features, such as a working blind box, fully operational lights and even a bell that works to signal to the driver.
The magazine will be available from retailers across the UK, as well as through a dedicated website www.buildtheroutemaster.com. TfL is also working with Hachette Partworks to offer the magazine to other worldwide territories in the future.
