E39102 WSL EFE Road Alexander Y-Type Strathtay Scottish SCS360M

PROTOTYPE INFORMATION

The Alexander Y-Type buses and coaches were manufactured by Walter Alexander & Co (Coachbuilders) Ltd at its works in Falkirk, Scotland. The prototypes first appeared in 1961, with the first production versions entering service two years later. Some 3,266 production examples were constructed over the next 20 years, including small window buses and large window coaches in both long and short bodied variants. Over 2,800 of those constructed were delivered to the Scottish Bus Group and its predecessors.It was a very versatile body design, capable of being built on a wide range of chassis types. The most notable of these was the Leyland Leopard, but the bodies were also carried on the AEC Reliance, the Seddon Pennine 7, and the Ford R series amongst others. It was also very adaptable thanks to its modular construction, and Alexander could offer various options according to the customer’s requirements. These included single piece, 2-leaf or 4-leaf entrance doors, as well as the various seating configurations depending on its purpose.

The front face of the Y-Type changed a few times during its 20-year construction, with different grille and headlight arrangements appearing as the design evolved. This saw it become the AY or AYS Type in 1971 - the ‘A’ denoting its new alloy construction, and the ‘S’ signifying the bus specification. This change included the introduction of a new front end design, typically with twin grilles in an elongated moulding. In 1983, the Y-Type made way for Alexander’s P Type, a lighter and more modern successor, but continued to give good service well into the 2000s.

THE MODEL

The new EFE Road models are based on EFE Road’s updated AY-Type coach tooling, and now feature such enhancements as mirrors and opaque glazed roof vents. Options of 2-leaf or 4-leaf doors are also offered, according to the prototype.

This model depicts Strathtay Scottish fleet number SL 12, registration SCS360M; an AY-Type bodied Leyland Leopard built in 1975. It was part of a batch of 43 dual purpose 49-seaters that originally operated with Western SMT from new. The model captures it during its time with Strathtay Scottish, wearing full orange and blue livery, complete with 2-leaf doors, as working Service 15 to St. Fillans in Perthshire.