The history of Western Scottish Bus Company can be traced back to 1929, when the Scottish General Transport Co. Ltd was renamed Western Scottish Motor Traction Co. Ltd. The company was formed as a result of the 1930 Road Traffic Act, which encouraged the consolidation of bus companies into larger groups.
Western Scottish quickly became the largest bus operator in south west Scotland, with depots in Kilmarnock, Ayr, Cumnock, Girvan, Stranraer, Dumfries, Annan, Ardrossan, Carlisle, and Whithorn. The company operated a wide range of services, including local bus services, interurban connections, and cross-border journeys into north west England.
In 1949, Western Scottish was nationalised and became part of the Scottish Bus Group. In 1985, in preparation for privatisation, the company was split into Clydeside Scottish and Western Scottish.
Western Scottish was privatised in 1994 and was purchased by Stagecoach Group. The company was renamed Stagecoach Western Scottish and adopted the corporate Stagecoach white with red, blue and orange stripes livery.
Stagecoach Western Scottish continued to expand its operations, purchasing Arran Transport in 1994 and A1 Service in 1995. The company also opened new depots in Brodick on the Isle of Arran and Dunoon in Argyll.
In 2006, Stagecoach Western Scottish was merged with Stagecoach Strathtay to form Stagecoach West Scotland. The new company operates a fleet of over 1,000 buses and employs over 2,000 people.
Today, Stagecoach West Scotland is one of the largest bus operators in Scotland, providing essential local bus services to communities across south west Scotland. The company also operates a number of intercity and express services, connecting towns and cities across Scotland and England.
The Alexander M Type was a single-deck coach built by Alexander Bus Builders in Falkirk, Scotland in the early 1970s. It was developed for use by the Scottish Bus Group on its growing Anglo-Scottish motorway express services.
The M Type was a popular choice with the Scottish Bus Group and other operators, and over 1,000 were built between 1974 and 1980. It was used on a wide range of services, including express services, long-distance tours and charter work.
The M Type was gradually withdrawn from service in the early 1990s, as it was replaced by newer and more modern coaches.
Our latest single deck 1:76 scale Alexander M-Type coach was a motorway coach and makes only its second appearance in the eye-catching black and white livery of Western Scottish SMT, registered HSD 707N from 1974. The destination board sees it travelling from Glasgow to London as the Number 2. The address of the Western SMT Co Ltd Nursery Avenue Kilmarnock is printed behind the nearside front wheel.
The predominantly white body features a black roof and a wide black band enhanced with chrome that extends right round the vehicle. Other external trim is also finished in chrome. The interior has a red floor, red seating and tan interior fitting
This is a 1:76 Scale OO coach. The vehicle comes on a plinth, with a clear display lid and Oxford Diecast packaging wrap.
