As we (the true ex-pat afficionados) know there were many Corpet variants as we have documented in part on this forum. It wouldn't be difficult to make a successful classic even generic model that could easily be cosmetically altered if required by individual modellers.
Exactly as LGB did.
I personally could count around 100 people who may be genuinely interested in a live steam model even if some licence was used over say simplified valve gear.
I contacted both Roundhouse and Accucraft (twice) about this some 3 or 4 years ago. Roundhouse was polite and said 'Thanks but we already have continental prototypes'. Mr Ian Pearce was a little more tearse saying that they had no interest nor plans to build continental locos with such a small demand.
Ralph Reppingen was once going to produce a Corpet but a 130 as on the Baie de la Somme but nothing came of it.
Accucraft.de - Lorenz Schug is an agreable person to deal wth and I might try and pursuade him again.
He had (and still has) ideas to buld a Decauville which of course would be a 60cm gauge prototype and obviously more suited to 32mm track.
- David Grantham wrote:
Also could you tell me if there was a standard design ubiquitous French metre gauge diesel. I was asked by Roundhouse last year what diesel prototype should they produce next after Criccieth Catle and I could n't think of anything suitably ubiquitous.
David as for a metre gauge diesel.....mmm..... now you'e made me open a bottle of good Corsican Patrimonio red wine while I saviour the distant thought of 2 Baudouin engines throbbing away driving outside crank bogies pulling two or three K series wooden vans labouring through the mountainous forest of Vizzavona....
A tanned and heavily 'spuntinu' Nuncio Grisoni driving in his shorts and sandals on the look out as always for errant mouflons and Billard railcars on the track.
Yes...my choice CFD Montmirail BB400 types built for the metre gauge in France, POC, CF Provence and Corsica. 2 originals still survive just about with another similar later built (modified statndard gauge) but with conventional bogies plus the Corsicans have recently ordered another new loco for resumption of freight traffic.
Here's a pic of both types in Corsica but doesn't show clearly the bogies. Maybe I'll start another thread on this excellent subject later....now where's my glass?.....