Horsetan

Yes, that could see a bit of a revival

Maybe it's time for some sort of cement bubble kit for the periods when the IRM ones aren't available?

1000+ isn't small, when you remember that Bachmann batches are 502/504 at a time. A small batch would be more like 250 plus spares (if such support is being made available).

This one is available as a Finney kit from Brassmasters. Would be an expensive way of testing the theory.....

The good thing is that you can still go to St. Clabbert's Cultra to see no.102. I think we can safely say that it won't be going anywhere.

Will the bogies be available separately, like the Mk2s? There'll be some who'll want more accurate bogies to go under their IFM coaches, etc.

That will be at least 350 by now

Hopefully not accompanied by the sound of a can being kicked down the road

IRM's very limited runs remind me of the Swiss specialist HRF, who never do more than one run of a model. You could probably buy a decent used car for what HRF models can command on the secondhand market.

The Fremo get-togethers are a great way of making the rolling stock clock up the mileage.

Yes, but they wash their hands of those....

The amusing thing was that IRM let slip a video about 48 hours before the official announcement, showing the working roof fan, plus a link to a half-completed webpage about the Hunslet. It was all deleted after about 15 minutes, but if you were lucky enough to spot it, you'd definitely have known!

Anyone fancy funding a replica 207 Boyne? Only the engine portion to worry about.....!

207's tender survived, though

The Woolwiches were a good six inches wider than the N they originated from. Also the K1a/393 were given 6' drivers. The SR U had a different wheelbase and boiler pitch to the N/Woolwiches, and were subdivided into low or high footplate depending on whether rebuilt from the K tanks (longer frames behind the rear axle) or built new as Moguls. The N1s are probably the easiest variant of the N, but again there are differences in front footplate, cab front, and no. 822 in particular had a somewhat different valve gear arrangement. Maunsell Moguls are not easy to model, even though they look superficially similar. Kit manufacturers do get it wrong, especially when trying to portray the U.

You might want to read Robert Harris' novel "Conclave". The film version, starring Ralph Fiennes and an ensemble cast, is being launched round about now....

I wonder if he ever met David Icke....?

Hopefully I'll still be alive by the time it's ready....

There's an IRM RPSI set listed by a UK-based eBay seller for just under £300 at the moment, so someone's onto a nice little mark-up.

Just after submitting a pre-order for no.102, so can forget about this until it actually arrives in 2025/26. 21mm gauge conversion, naturally.

Market panic is the last thing anyone needs.

Monitoring eBay for these things might be a start....

Hiding in plain sight

Wonder how many of these "genericoaches" will eventually end up in bargain bins after a few years?

Park Royals. Sounds almost like the name for a popular type of biscuit....