Graham Farish
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I don't have the dates available or the exact details of what took place, but Bachmann took over Graham Farish some years ago and took the decision to use that name for marketing their N gauge (2mm scale) models only.
"Ramsey's British Model Trains" compiled by Pat Hammond may have the information you are interested in.
Regards,
John Webb
"Ramsey's British Model Trains" compiled by Pat Hammond may have the information you are interested in.
Regards,
John Webb
QUOTE (PaulRhB @ 24 Apr 2008, 23:17) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>They started in OO but abandoned it around the 1970's to concentrate on N gauge. Absorbed into Bachmann industries a few years back.
There are still quite a lot of their OO coaches around at toy fairs and on ebay.
My first venture into 00 was with a Graham Farish boxed set bought by my parents round about the mid 50s. It comprised a " black five" loco and a couple of pullman coaches. Extra items included a goods wagon set. The track was ' over scale' (heavy) and made up into a regular circle about 3 or 4 ft in diam.
The set included a mains transformer and controller.
The quality of the finish overall, as I remember, was pretty poor but the loco's performance was first class and very reliable and in fact it was still running on Peco track work some 10 years ago. It was tender powered and the motor was a most ingenious affair ....instead of a commutator it had a system of make and break contacts activated by cranks on the armature shaft .
The Farish coupling system I have to say was very poor indeed, I suppose it has a name, but basically it was an oversize hook and bar which tended to 'foul hook' when reversing.
I later bought another Farish 00 loco, a Prairie tanker which sadly was a very poor runner. I believe a third loco in the Farish stable at that time was an LNER Gresley Pacific.
Too late now to weep, but I wish that I had not parted company with this stuff which, in it's time must have been quite innovative. And probably a collector's item by now.
Tiebar
There are still quite a lot of their OO coaches around at toy fairs and on ebay.
My first venture into 00 was with a Graham Farish boxed set bought by my parents round about the mid 50s. It comprised a " black five" loco and a couple of pullman coaches. Extra items included a goods wagon set. The track was ' over scale' (heavy) and made up into a regular circle about 3 or 4 ft in diam.
The set included a mains transformer and controller.
The quality of the finish overall, as I remember, was pretty poor but the loco's performance was first class and very reliable and in fact it was still running on Peco track work some 10 years ago. It was tender powered and the motor was a most ingenious affair ....instead of a commutator it had a system of make and break contacts activated by cranks on the armature shaft .
The Farish coupling system I have to say was very poor indeed, I suppose it has a name, but basically it was an oversize hook and bar which tended to 'foul hook' when reversing.
I later bought another Farish 00 loco, a Prairie tanker which sadly was a very poor runner. I believe a third loco in the Farish stable at that time was an LNER Gresley Pacific.
Too late now to weep, but I wish that I had not parted company with this stuff which, in it's time must have been quite innovative. And probably a collector's item by now.
Tiebar
I don't recall ever seeing an A3 from Graham Farish, but I am aware that they produced a Bulleid Pacific, Merhant Navy I believe, with several different names and livery variations.
The most recent one I have seen was in the 50's blue.
There can also be problems with the bodies whch I seem to remember were made from a form of Bakelite and could warp.
A very good boxed example can reach three figures.
Regards
The most recent one I have seen was in the 50's blue.
There can also be problems with the bodies whch I seem to remember were made from a form of Bakelite and could warp.
A very good boxed example can reach three figures.
Regards
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QUOTE (tiebar @ 25 Apr 2008, 09:50) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Too late now to weep, but I wish that I had not parted company with this stuff which, in it's time must have been quite innovative. And probably a collector's item by now.
Tiebar
Ah - but the trouble is, if we had all kept it all, there would be so much stuff about it would be worth far less !
Tiebar
Ah - but the trouble is, if we had all kept it all, there would be so much stuff about it would be worth far less !
QUOTE (dbclass50 @ 25 Apr 2008, 12:20) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Ah - but the trouble is, if we had all kept it all, there would be so much stuff about it would be worth far less !
Woops! opened the wrong valve and posted a blank.
Yes, dbclass50, your'e right . Just wish I hadn't succumbed to temptation.
Britho, my memory's probably gone South a bit .... fancy confusing an A3 with a Merchant Navy Class. Anyway. one thing for certain, it was blue (I think !!).
The two pullmans had metal chassis with plastic (bakelite perhaps) bodies and after a few years the material developed a "sag" especially along the roof.
The goods wagons were all metal, except for brittle plastic wheels which eventually suffered severe splintering of the flanges.
The "black five" loco was a solid chunk of cast metal and was a colossal weight for it's size .....one of it's endearing features was that owing to a sort of clutch in the drive shaft between the motor in the tender and the driving wheels it would 'coast' when power was cut off.
Just out of academic interest I 'll keep my eyes skinned on the ebay listings.
Tiebar.
Yes, dbclass50, your'e right . Just wish I hadn't succumbed to temptation.
Britho, my memory's probably gone South a bit .... fancy confusing an A3 with a Merchant Navy Class. Anyway. one thing for certain, it was blue (I think !!).
The two pullmans had metal chassis with plastic (bakelite perhaps) bodies and after a few years the material developed a "sag" especially along the roof.
The goods wagons were all metal, except for brittle plastic wheels which eventually suffered severe splintering of the flanges.
The "black five" loco was a solid chunk of cast metal and was a colossal weight for it's size .....one of it's endearing features was that owing to a sort of clutch in the drive shaft between the motor in the tender and the driving wheels it would 'coast' when power was cut off.
Just out of academic interest I 'll keep my eyes skinned on the ebay listings.
Tiebar.
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5,345 Posts
The following comes from the archives of Bachmann:
QUOTE Thomas Graham Farish founded the company in 1919 to manufacture radio components. The business began in Catford but moved to Masons Hill, Bromley in 1922. The company expanded its business portfolio by building electric fires etc between the wars. At one time senior managers in the company included a Mr Morphy and a Mr Richards who later went on to form Morphy-Richards.
World War 2 saw the company undertaking war work ,which resulted in the company acquiring die-casting machines. After the war they decided to combine their skills of electronics and die-casting to launch into model railways. The company pioneered the first commercially produced two rail locomotive for the British market in the form of a Black 5 (Farish termed this a General Purpose 5 locomotive - GP5) in 1949, the track was announced the previous year. A small range of locomotives followed including a Merchant Navy in streamlined form, a GWR King, SR Q Class in three rail only, GWR 94xx pannier and an 81xx prairie tank. An HO gauge New York Central Hudson locomotive (4-6-4) was also produced, along with some stainless steel type coaches. A small range of coaches followed along with 5 types of diecast wagon.
Production was affected by shortages of raw materials in the 1950s and the company took a break to concentrate on other business activities. It returned in 1961 with an upgraded OO range with only the 94xx and the prairie returning. The wagons were now produced in plastic between 1962 and 1964 but were short lived.
A move to Holton Heath (Poole) followed in 1964. This gave the company the opportunity to expand its OO activities and to introduce the first N gauge items in 1970. The wagons were now all plastic and the coaches produced to a high standard. It is these that are often seen for sale as much of the early material suffered from deformed bakelite / plastic. A number of modellers in the 1960s converted the King to run on a Hornby-Dublo Castle chassis and the Merchant Navy to run on Tri-ang Winston Churchill chassis.
The OO items continued to be sold until around 1981 but the emergence of Mainline Railways and Airfix Railways in the late 1970s had resulted in the company deciding to concentrate on the expanding N gauge market, which it continued to serve as the major (and at times only) supplier of British ready to run until the company was acquired by Bachmann Europe on the retirement of Peter Graham Farish in 2000.
QUOTE Thomas Graham Farish founded the company in 1919 to manufacture radio components. The business began in Catford but moved to Masons Hill, Bromley in 1922. The company expanded its business portfolio by building electric fires etc between the wars. At one time senior managers in the company included a Mr Morphy and a Mr Richards who later went on to form Morphy-Richards.
World War 2 saw the company undertaking war work ,which resulted in the company acquiring die-casting machines. After the war they decided to combine their skills of electronics and die-casting to launch into model railways. The company pioneered the first commercially produced two rail locomotive for the British market in the form of a Black 5 (Farish termed this a General Purpose 5 locomotive - GP5) in 1949, the track was announced the previous year. A small range of locomotives followed including a Merchant Navy in streamlined form, a GWR King, SR Q Class in three rail only, GWR 94xx pannier and an 81xx prairie tank. An HO gauge New York Central Hudson locomotive (4-6-4) was also produced, along with some stainless steel type coaches. A small range of coaches followed along with 5 types of diecast wagon.
Production was affected by shortages of raw materials in the 1950s and the company took a break to concentrate on other business activities. It returned in 1961 with an upgraded OO range with only the 94xx and the prairie returning. The wagons were now produced in plastic between 1962 and 1964 but were short lived.
A move to Holton Heath (Poole) followed in 1964. This gave the company the opportunity to expand its OO activities and to introduce the first N gauge items in 1970. The wagons were now all plastic and the coaches produced to a high standard. It is these that are often seen for sale as much of the early material suffered from deformed bakelite / plastic. A number of modellers in the 1960s converted the King to run on a Hornby-Dublo Castle chassis and the Merchant Navy to run on Tri-ang Winston Churchill chassis.
The OO items continued to be sold until around 1981 but the emergence of Mainline Railways and Airfix Railways in the late 1970s had resulted in the company deciding to concentrate on the expanding N gauge market, which it continued to serve as the major (and at times only) supplier of British ready to run until the company was acquired by Bachmann Europe on the retirement of Peter Graham Farish in 2000.
Well I have today purchased two Graham Farish goods wagons, they are metal and need tidying up, but they are so heavy compared with modern goods wagons.
They are not boxed, but both runners, they cost me £4 each.
I see what you mean about the couplings though.
I am still stuck trying to get a Bogie for the TRI-ANG "TPO" I bought, I have put it on a temporary bogie for now, but will not run it too much like that, if at all. I hope I can find one somewhre to fit.
I also have a HORNBY DUBLO goods brakevan, the detail made me smile, the window and doors are painted on, but I had to have it if only to sit in the sidings.I enjoy picking up "old timers" like that. Another one I have got is a 4 wheel tank, "esso Royal Daylight Pareffin". It is showing signs of once being well used but it is not too bad really but the couplings are rusty.
I think finding "old uns" like those really make the hobby interesting, even if they make up a train in the goods yard, I think it gives the layout atmosphere of model railways years ago.
They are not boxed, but both runners, they cost me £4 each.
I see what you mean about the couplings though.
I am still stuck trying to get a Bogie for the TRI-ANG "TPO" I bought, I have put it on a temporary bogie for now, but will not run it too much like that, if at all. I hope I can find one somewhre to fit.
I also have a HORNBY DUBLO goods brakevan, the detail made me smile, the window and doors are painted on, but I had to have it if only to sit in the sidings.I enjoy picking up "old timers" like that. Another one I have got is a 4 wheel tank, "esso Royal Daylight Pareffin". It is showing signs of once being well used but it is not too bad really but the couplings are rusty.
I think finding "old uns" like those really make the hobby interesting, even if they make up a train in the goods yard, I think it gives the layout atmosphere of model railways years ago.
Interested to hear, 41235, that you have bought a couple of Farish wagons and assume from your remarks that the wheels are in good order as all wheel p;astic wheel flanges on mine became badly chipped,
As mentioned in my previous post regret parting with my Farish stock and would like to have seen it now lying idle in derelict lineside sidings. I have some odd bits of the old 3 rail Hornby Dublo wagons ....tinplate uppers with printed details, some are a bit bent out of shape and wheeless but OK for lineside effect.
Tiebar
As mentioned in my previous post regret parting with my Farish stock and would like to have seen it now lying idle in derelict lineside sidings. I have some odd bits of the old 3 rail Hornby Dublo wagons ....tinplate uppers with printed details, some are a bit bent out of shape and wheeless but OK for lineside effect.
Tiebar
Hello Tiebar. the wheels on the van are plastic and the flanges are in very good order, the wheels on the wagon are metal flanges and are very good, what I do find amusing is the handbrake lever on either side which gives a lot of detail.
QUOTE (41235 @ 26 Apr 2008, 13:59) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hello Tiebar. the wheels on the van are plastic and the flanges are in very good order, the wheels on the wagon are metal flanges and are very good, what I do find amusing is the handbrake lever on either side which gives a lot of detail.
Didn't remember the brake handles until you mentioned them...and they were secured in place by a tiny sort of splayed out rivet. Some of mine were loose and dangled round about rail level so removed them. Modern treatment would be to reach for the Araldite but I did try to solder them without any success at all .....obviously a non compatible metal
They must have sorted the wheel problem out and the metal flanged ones were a later development
I assume that the couplings are bare metal....I thought that they were hidious things and felt an improvement would be to paint them a rust colour but perhaps only an illusion!! Come to think of it they were no better or worse than some of the current couplings!!
Here's to nostalgia.
Tiebar.
Didn't remember the brake handles until you mentioned them...and they were secured in place by a tiny sort of splayed out rivet. Some of mine were loose and dangled round about rail level so removed them. Modern treatment would be to reach for the Araldite but I did try to solder them without any success at all .....obviously a non compatible metal
They must have sorted the wheel problem out and the metal flanged ones were a later development
I assume that the couplings are bare metal....I thought that they were hidious things and felt an improvement would be to paint them a rust colour but perhaps only an illusion!! Come to think of it they were no better or worse than some of the current couplings!!
Here's to nostalgia.
Tiebar.
Yes Tiebar, the couplings are exactly as you describe them, it is strange really because although the wagon is showing signs of use, the couplings are looking unused and yet on the van the couplings are definately showing their age so with the wheels on the wagon and the couplings I am wondering if someone at sometime has had it "in the works" and replaced both ?
Anyway I am happy with it mind you I run it for a bit this afternoon with my 08 and those metal wheels "dont arf" make a noise. Lol.
Anyway I am happy with it mind you I run it for a bit this afternoon with my 08 and those metal wheels "dont arf" make a noise. Lol.
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