Gosh, where are our Manors? Decorated Samples and Update

[Warbonnet]

Where are our Manors? It is a question that has been coming up in recent weeks. We would like to apologise for the delay in bringing this long overdue update to you. It certainly has been too long coming.

As you can imagine, things in manufacturing have not been plain sailing the past 12 months, and these supply chain issues have hit our Manor timeline more than we wanted. However, after two months of teaser shots of new engineering prototypes from the factory, our first decorated samples have arrived. They have been worth the wait!

We received the first two of our decorated samples last week, which consisted of 7812 'Earlestroke Manor' in BR lined green livery with late BR crest, and 7808 'Cookham Manor', one of the locomotives we surveyed extensively and scanned, in GWR Shirtbutton livery.

Decorated samples are a significant milestone ahead of full production, where we assess the liveries as well as iron out the remaining kinks before full production commences. While the first livery samples of these locomotives do look very nice indeed, we have identified areas that require further improvement, such as:

• Copper chimney is too red and top should be copper as well
• Firebox coal will be a more realistic colour when flicker is off
• The coal load will be further refined and receive greater finesse
• Nameplates will be fully etched and fitted, with etched number plates provided in the detailing pack.
• Further polishing of the diecast body to remove any seam remnants
• locomotive numbers are slightly too large and will be corrected 
• Orientation of our lamp brackets

• Adjustment to front coupler to ensure it can be stowed on the hook

These improvements will now be fed back to the factory and implemented ahead of full production. As these are minor tweaks and improvements it means that production will commence very shortly, with a delivery date of Q2 2022 now slated. We apologise for this delay, but with supply chain issues hitting production lines hard in 2021, as well as the pandemic, not to mention our striving to make the very best steam locomotive we can, we feel that this slight delay will be fully justified in the final model.

In the new year we will bring you pictures of the other livery samples, including BR black and other GWR flavours, as well as video of these beauties in action, featuring the custom DCC sound project too.

Excited? We certainly are! Pre-order your Manor from your local Accurascale stockist, or direct by clicking here!

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[murphaph]

A thing of beauty so it is! Congratulations. You're just going from strength to strength with every release.

[Georgeconna]

That Cab is just lovely and I like the Satin Finish too. Looks very very nice.

[BosKonay]

Roll on some Irish Steam!

[GSR 800]

32 minutes ago, BosKonay said:

Roll on some Irish Steam!

Any hints.....other than that one

The balance will be worse for wear either way.....

[Warbonnet]

1 hour ago, GSR 800 said:

Any hints.....other than that one

The balance will be worse for wear either way.....

God no, we never give anything away!

[Northroader]

The firebox top don’t look right in those pictures

[Warbonnet]

20 minutes ago, Northroader said:

The firebox top don’t look right in those pictures

Really? In what way? 

[murphaph]

I think it's the wrong shade of excellent .

Seriously though, you shouldn't make a comment like that without further describing the alleged fault in detail. That's unfair, like lobbing a hand grenade into the thread and walking away. If something is genuinely off we know the guys would have it fixed if at all possible. They'd much rather catch a genuine problem now than produce something sub optimal later.

[BosKonay]

We genuinely love nit picking, fault finding, new research popping up etc, as it allows us to improve the model.

It's surprising how many online moans there are such as 'where is my X model' when we KNOW that person hasn't even ordered one, or those who simply say 'X is wrong' without context or data. Neither can we do much about  

[Warbonnet]

I guess it just seems odd when it's not backed up. We have shown it to experts on all things GWR, published it online on RMWeb, FB etc and compared it to our 3D scan and all seem to agree the shape is spot on so not sure what we're missing.

A rival product has been commented on as having an issue in this area, so possibly therein lies some confusion?

Either way, it would be good to have some context so we can check and make sure it's not something we're missing. As @BosKonay says, we like it so we can check and improve if the feedback is correct. 

Cheers!

Fran 

[Georgeconna]

12 hours ago, Warbonnet said:

Really? In what way? 

I'd reckon it just the way it slopes upwards in the pic of the model, like the real deal, the qtr view angle accentuates it.

 

there is always a 2nd hand example in Hattons to plumb for.

 

[BosKonay]

[Warbonnet]

26 minutes ago, Georgeconna said:

I'd reckon it just the way it slopes upwards in the pic of the model, like the real deal, the qtr view angle accentuates it

 

 

Yep, as per our model and checks out on the scan. There is light reflecting on the top in the above pic which might throw the eye a little but when compared to the scan is spot on.

Cheers!

Fran 

[Broithe]

Some things just 'look wrong'.

I think the real Manors look 'wrong'.

Like biplanes with the top wing behind the bottom one.

As wrong as going to a cinema in daylight.

 

It does look correctly 'wrong', though.

[Georgeconna]

tempted myself, It would keep my City of Truro company! Sush!!!

[Mike 84C]

Guy's I think it looks brilliant! and that comment comes from somebody who in his yoof chucked, with great skill!, a few tons of coal in quite a few of em! 

The copper chimney cap looks super fine on my pc! and I thought the copper only went over the lip for about 2/3" not right to the top. I also did professional engine polishing!

The vaccum brake handle in the cab should be to the right for running and left to apply.  

Can we not have a very fine chain from the firedoor handle to the peg under the flap so minime can flick it up when firing?

And the boiler water gauge really really needs a page three girl, Daily Mirror/Sun, behind the gauge glass. That would be perfection, we all did it. You know it makes sense.  Maybe a little un pc for modern woke modellers?  

[flange lubricator]

Looks fabulous unfortunately I only do Irish but hopefully this is giving you practice at doing 4-6-0 locomotives......................................

[DJ Dangerous]

On 20/12/2021 at 12:35 PM, BosKonay said:

Roll on some Irish Steam!

 

What's all this then???

 

On 20/12/2021 at 2:17 PM, Warbonnet said:

God no, we never give anything away!

 

Except on Black Friday, you mean...

[Northroader]

18 hours ago, Warbonnet said:

Really? In what way? 

The firebox does taper, sides and top, but the top looks as if it has a pronounced slant backwards, more pronounced  than the real item, which isn’t too far off being flat. Is the front too high or the back too low, or some of both? I’m sure the model must have been made from the correct drawings, but the photos give an unfortunate appearance.

[Galteemore]

Do see what you mean Northroader - and you do have a track record of actually scratchbuilding fine locos so you’re not the average carping naysayer! I think the camera angle indeed has much to do with it. This view shows a slope but it doesn’t look ‘right’…looks like the hump on a Sopwith Camel…….just proves the inadequacy of Swindon design…..;)

Crewe wins over Swindon every time! 
 

 

Edited December 21, 2021 by Galteemore

[NIRCLASS80]

Great class of loco. Always looked at home on the SVR. Ideal for a preserved railway of its size. 

[Northroader]

That’s an interesting picture, it does show these engines did have a “best side”, something I hadn’t appreciated before. You’re very kind with your comments, David, but if you put my bodges in front of a well lit studio camera like these Manors have been, the howls of derision would be many.

[Georgeconna]

7 hours ago, Broithe said:

Some things just 'look wrong'.

I think the real Manors look 'wrong'.

Like biplanes with the top wing behind the bottom one.

As wrong as going to a cinema in daylight.

 

It does look correctly 'wrong', though.

ah now the Staggerwing is a beauty!

[Patrick Davey]

Now THAT is a beauty (the Manor, not the plane....)

Great idea to get a narrow gauge one perfected first, before the GNR(I) S class announcement in 2022......

Or maybe a Q class...... in preserved livery.......

[Andy Cundick]

4 hours ago, Galteemore said:

Do see what you mean Northroader - and you do have a track record of actually scratchbuilding fine locos so you’re not the average carping naysayer! I think the camera angle indeed has much to do with it. This view shows a slope but it doesn’t look ‘right’…looks like the hump on a Sopwith Camel…….just proves the inadequacy of Swindon design…..;)

Crewe wins over Swindon every time! 
 

 

Best we don't mention the Crewe built Westerns which had to rebuilt at Swindon before entering service,Andy.

[Galteemore]

37 minutes ago, Andy Cundick said:

Best we don't mention the Crewe built Westerns which had to rebuilt at Swindon before entering service,Andy.

When I say, Crewe, Andy, I strictly draw the cut off line at 1923 - it’s all dead to me after that !

Edited December 21, 2021 by Galteemore