Interesting chat. A new steam loco for IRM and a new steam loco for Accurascale. I am wondering if they are connected and to a Maunsell design? Am of course referring to the SECR/SR N class and its further derivatives of N1, U and U1. There are also the locos some of which were made up of surplus Woolwich-built parts such as the N, N1 and K class 2-6-4T. Additionally some of the Woolwich produced parts went to Ireland and the Great Southern Railway where they became classes K1 and K1a with some minor alterations compared to the English versions. Some of the Woolwich parts went to the Metropolitan Railway in the form of 2-6-4T which also were also classified as K.. They went to the LNER in 1937. The Woolwich locos were mentioned by Fran. The existing model of an SECR/SR N has been available for a while from Bachmann which although still a good model would benefit from an upgrade to cater for some of the other. Lots of variety and livery variation and also ties in with IRM/ Accurascale's Irish ancestry as Richard Maunsell was also Irish. These locos are a rich seam to be explored. I am probably wrong and it all a bit of harmless fun and frothing but this time next week we will know its identity. The only thing of which we can be certain is that IRM/Accurascale will make a fine job of it...
TOY TRAIN SET COUPLINGS - AN ANACHRONISM ON MODERN MODELS !!! About time the manufacturers of British outline, got rid of that daft "Toy Train Set" coupling. Considering Japanese N scale models have been provided with scale working real life couplings in that small scale for over 30 years !!! Further with the standard NEM interchangeable coupling pocket now fitted to virtually all HO/OO models. It matters not, if ACCURASCALE broke the mould & led the way, with something a lot more realistic !!!
