Barton Leyland Lion LT5 scale model bus - Preorder - Shipping from 01/07/26

A scale model bus kit of a 1930s Barton Leyland Lion LT5.

Note this is a Preorder item. We will start shipping from the 01/07/26. Any other items included in your order will be held until then.

The Barton Leyland Lions on the LT5 chassis appeared in two batches, the first appeared from February 1932 to July of that year and consisted of 12 single deck buses to which Barton applied fleet numbers 150-161. All seated 35 passengers.

The 8 buses in the second batch were numbered 162-169 and all took to the road in March 1933. The 20 buses were the first significant new bus order in the fleet and plied the main routes from Nottingham including Derby, Loughborough, Keyworth and Sandiacre. 

After about four years as the Lions approached mid life and newer and larger buses appeared some of the 20 were dispersed to other garages. In June/July 1936 150-152 were allocated to the new garage at Kegworth to upgrade the route 10A to Loughborough. Unfortunately within a short time all three were burnt out in the Kegworth Garage fire on 10 July. 

Eight Lions were requisitioned by the Wartime Government and four were not returned after the War. Number 158 was written off after an accident with another Barton bus in Oct 1943. 

The vehicles were long lived and the last LT5s were not withdrawn until 1949. The body was supplied to a number of operators on the Lion and contemporary 6 cylinder engined Tiger TS.

We have two versions available:

• Early/open - Modelled with square-ends to the front of the chassis as was seen on the LT5 in 1932 (buses numbered. 150-161). This model also has the doors modelled open, no rear destination box on the roof, and two long rows of vents on the bonnet.
• Later/closed - Modelled with curved-ends to the front of the chassis as seen on the LT5 in March 1933 (buses numbered 162-169). This model also has the door modelled in the closed position, there is a rear destination box and the bonnet has two short rows of vents and two holes.

The interior seating remains the same between the two versions, but this is the first bus where we have modelled the underneath of the bus. The interior piece shows the chassis structure, the spare wheel, the drive shaft to the rear axle, front and rear leaf springs, and petrol tanks. Please note that the headlights are very delicate in N (1:148).

This model has static wheels on modelled axles, rather than brass rod, to allow us to model the leaf springs more accurately.

Assembly and painting instructions can be found here.

Each unpainted model consists of a resin 3D printed body shell, inside with seats, the four wheels, and two roof boards (which were uses on some example of the bus but not all). The steering wheel is part of the interior.

This comes as an unpainted kit with precut windows. All the windows are fitted from the inside, except the front windscreen, which is fitted from the outside. The kit does not include transfers - but these are available for purchase here.

O (1:43), 1:50, OO (1:76) and N (1:148) models are available. 

This model has been developed with the help of Phil Lacey, Phil Stevens and Matthew Smith.

Note this is a Preorder item. We will start shipping from the 01/07/26. Any other items included in your order will be held until then.