I purchased Granville Manor (DC version) GWR, after alot of humming and harring. It wasnt my first choice of livery as I usually go with BR.
What can be said about this locomotive... if I didnt know better I would swear that this had simply been shrunk to size from the genuine loco. The detail is exquisite and done in such a way that I am not panicking about damaging the loco every time I touch it. The realism is beautiful I've got no horrible glue marks or imperfections spoiling the look of a simple yet elegant livery. Not being a Great Western enthusiast I really wasn't sure how I would feel about thus once in hand... but now I need some decent Great Western rolling stock for this beautiful loco to pull! The only real issue I have is I'm not sure the appropriate stock exisists to compliment the realism of minuture masterclass in motive power.
And the running is superb as well I own two locos that may possibly run better than this and they are both Accurascale too, with my Deltic and my class 37! It can crawl it can haul, it can shake rattle and roll... (not actually shake and rattle that would be bad but if you know you know). My layout I can test my locos on currently is my sons and it's not the best laid it's for a 7 year old, this marvel actually handles my poorly laid track without a hiccup it glides over the rails in such a way that you catch yourself thinking it's the real loco the lack of the steam, smoke, smell and in my case sound are easily forgotten. I found myself mesmerised watching this loco crawl around the layout on some tight second radius curves which some of my other newish locos struggled with that are much smaller than this crossing over recycled points as old as myself and not stop or stutter even once. I then hooked it to small 5 coach passenger train (its huge for the current layout) and hit it up through the different speeds all of which felt as precisely thought out as the decoration and detail.
I had high expectations because of my previous accurascale purchases 2 locos and a number of wagons and once again I was not let down. Accurascale produce everything they do to the highest standards out there. I think this is simply the greatest steam loco produced in OO ever and it pains me to say it being GWR being a North East lad loving my North Eastern and LNER steam locos.
I'm ridiculously proud of this loco and I just bought it I hope everyone involved in making these are as proud of putting this out there as surely everyone who owns one is. I look forward to more models from Accurascale I have a number preordered and I am so excited to see what comes next! I genuinely believe whatever it is after experiencing this loco it will not only look, feel and run perfectly it will create that feeling I thought only possible seeing the real thing.
Truly THE GREAT Western loco on the market.