Spanish Civil War Militia Transport

 Tilling-Stevens TS3A Autobus  

My model started out as a di-cast Matchbox 1922 AEC Type "S", but with a bit of cutting, filing and then filling I think it is a fair approximation of the TS3A

I re-painted it in the CGA (Compania General de Autobuses) company colours and printed off some period Spanish advertising and add some rough hand-painted slogans.

The TS3A was manufactured by the Tilling-Stevens Motor Company Ltd of Maidstone and the initial batch of three buses arrived in Barcelona on 20th May 1922. These first buses arrived by road via France; another vehicle was delivered in the same manner in June. Other buses were later delivered by sea, all buses came under the TMB (Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona).  

After the elections with led to the Second Replublic, the TMB like most train and bus companies were colectivised and taken over by the CNT (Confederacion Nacional del Trabajadores).

During the Civil War, buses played a roll in military logistics and were used to transport troops and volunteers across the Republic. Behind the lines civilian bus routes still operated but these suffered due to the constraints of the war, also bus terminals (and buses on open roads) were targetted by enemy aircraft.

Four of those Caesar set H006 - Underground Resisters (Partisans) painted up to join my Republican militia