Roden British Army Type B Old Bill WWI Omnibus 1/72 Model Kit
The Roden British Army Type B Omnibus Old Bill (732) is a 1/72 scale plastic model kit depicting the double-decker buses sent to the Western Front during the First World War. Based on the London General Omnibus Company’s Type B bus of 1910, this version features wartime colours and markings representing vehicles in military service during 1917-18.
Originally designed for civilian passenger transport, the Type B became a familiar vehicle in a very different setting during the war. Its distinctive double-deck construction and solid tyres make it an interesting subject for modellers concentrating on British Army transport and First World War vehicles.
The London General Omnibus Company Type B
The Type B omnibus was designed and built by the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) in 1910. Developed as a motor bus for London’s streets, it featured a double-deck body and solid tyres, both characteristic of early motorised passenger transport.
Its appearance reflects the transition from traditional forms of urban transport to motor vehicles during the Edwardian period.
Although originally a civilian design, the Type B also became associated with British military transport during the First World War.
Old Bill on the Western Front
This Roden release represents the wartime Type B omnibus, commonly associated with the name Old Bill.
The kit depicts vehicles sent to the Western Front during 1917 and 1918, using wartime colours and markings rather than the civilian appearance of the original London buses.
The military markings give this version a different character from a pre-war LGOC passenger bus. It retains the recognisable double-decker design while representing the vehicle in its First World War setting.
For a British Army vehicle collection, the Old Bill omnibus provides an alternative to the more commonly modelled military lorries, armoured vehicles and fighting vehicles of the period.
1/72 Scale British Army Vehicle Kit
Manufactured by Roden, kit 732 represents the Type B omnibus in 1/72 scale.
The model fits naturally into a collection of 1/72 scale vehicles, particularly those depicting British transport during the First World War.
Its double-deck body and solid-tyred wheels distinguish it from purpose-built military vehicles, reflecting the civilian origins of the original design.
Kit Details
- Manufacturer: Roden
- Subject: British Army Type B Omnibus Old Bill
- Original manufacturer: London General Omnibus Company
- Original vehicle design: 1910
- Vehicle type: Double-deck motor omnibus
- Tyres: Solid
- Country: Great Britain
- Historical period: First World War
- Setting: Western Front, 1917-18
- Markings: Wartime British Army colours and markings
- Scale: 1/72
- Product type: Plastic model kit
- Manufacturer reference: 732
- EAN: 4823017702257
Assembly and Finishing
The Roden Type B Old Bill is a plastic model kit requiring assembly with modelling glue. Paint is also needed to complete the wartime finish.
The finished model represents a British Army Type B double-decker omnibus as used on the Western Front during 1917-18, retaining the characteristic solid tyres and body design of the original 1910 London bus.
