One of my must have locomotives, however sadly as it is steam that in part stopped me from getting one. Though I would have been de-steaming the thing and putting batteries and DCC Sound RC in it, the fact that it needs pretty large curves was also an off putting moment.
Never seen one and did ask the Accy man at Peterborough was it in 2019? If I wanted one I would need to scratch one, not beyond my abilities but as a non Eastern German Loco there are other priorities to be scratch built.Sacrilege
Looking at photos of the prototype they seem to have run both with and without louvres. Earlier photos show them with, later photos without. On the model the louvres are removable panels so it can represent either period. My model is in early Beira Railway livery so louvres are probably correct.
The useful book "The Two Foot Gauge Enigma" (Anthony Baxter, Plateway Press) has a lot of information and photographs of these engines. Very few of them show the louvres in place, as you might expect in the African climate. However, there are enough views which show the louvres to suggest that they were there on delivery. The preserved loco in the Bulawayo musum has the louvres, but of a different design. The Sandstone Railway has two of them in working order
Oh what, knew there was at least one in the UK. But two! Wow what a trip up the valley that will be with both double headed. In my lifetime I hope.
