It was only with the abolition of the Board of Ordnance in 1891 that artillery and armoured infantry fell under the control of the Imperial War Office. Technical innovation, stifled under the notoriously-conservative Board, was to become a hallmark of Imperial Army Engineers in the following years.
One of the most famous developments of the time was the so-called "Iron Fusilier"; a steam-powered armour, giving the soldier inside great strength and excellent protection.
Despite the many advantages, and some proven (although admittedly small-scale) success on the battlefield, armoured infantry was never to become as widespread in Imperial forces as amongst Continental armies, notably the Prussian. The reasons as to why are many and varied, but it could be argued that such development fell foul of a deep-seated suspicion of mechanised warfare amongst senior Imperial officers. General Gascoyne, the flamboyant Cavalry commander, once remarked that he "would rather ride into battle astride a mule than be canned like a pilchard in one of those contraptions".
The particular model pictured is the Richards Version 2, and more illustrations may be perused at the reader's leisure here.
The Iron Fusiliers - Imperial Armoured Infantry