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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.
