Hi Rich, I think we may have crossed wires due to my poor use of english. I do place scale running authenticity ahead of 'looks' but only very marginally. I agree scale appearance is very important, but I suppose my point is having a great looker that doesn't run like a real train seems pointless unless some folks preference is for display case models, which I accept and respect some do. To pass the "duck test" it needs both. The A classes I've seen running so far did not have impressive running chassis and did not run well at crawl speeds over point work.
"If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck."
Same applies to operating model trains, especially now that DCC sound is available
"If it looks like a 141, moves like a 141 and sounds like a 141, then it probably is an 141"
In fairness too each of us are drawn by different aspects of the hobby and will have different emphasis in each area. The SF A class model looks enough like a real A class to pass the first part of the duck test, but for me personally, fails on the second due to the limited old style hornby or lima chassis used by most to run them. My old Lima A class fails the entire duck test! It quacks like a BR class 33, and looks like a Class 33 with orange paint.
Cheers
Noel