Graham Farish
Encyclopedia
Graham Farish is a company that produces large quantities of British outline model railway equipment in N gauge
.
, Dorset
based manufacturer of radio parts and kits entered the model railway business in the late 1940s, after the need for radio sets reduced post World War II
. The early 1950s models focused on British OO gauge, and they manufactured track, wagons and other supporting items. Many of the more obscure items such as the Graham Farish Coronation figures (by Russell Gammage) from 1953 are considered collectors items.
Originally the OO railway locomotives were powered by an unconventional 2 pole DC electric motor. Unfortunately many of their diecast items were manufactured with impure mazac, which was all that was available immediately after the War. MZAC is an alloy of Magnesium
, Aluminium
, Zinc
and Copper
similar to Zamak
), which later crumbled due to Zinc pest
.
Graham Farish really found its market niche with the arrival of N scale
becoming the major supplier of British outline N scale models under the GRAFAR label at a time when the market was shrinking and the other OO gauge players were suffering badly. The initial range in 1970, started with the delightful 8400 Pannier Tank loco, 4 wheel coaches, bogied 'suburban' stock (based on Period 2 LMS suburban stock) and 'Mainline' bogied stock (based on Southern coaches); which have appeared in Caledonian , LMS, GWR, LNER and SR liveries. Peco
produced better detailed models, but produced no locomotives (except the Jubilee), focusing on wagons and its own dominance of finescale track, which Grafar had withdrawn from.
After the withdrawal of two competitive mass-market manufacturers, the Italy based Lima
and German based Minitrix, from the late 1980s Grafar was the only major supplier of British outline models in N scale - predicating its withdrawal from the OO scale market in light of greater competition in the developing collector scale market. Grafar produced reasonable models and had many fans, but some of their early 1970 products tended to be unreliable, suffering regularly from splits in plastic gears, making the models run badly or in only one direction. These gears were soon all replaced by metal gears, to produce a much more reliable and popular range of locomotives.By the late 1990's the GRAHAM FARISH N Gauge Range included no less than 350 lines including a huge variety of Locomotives,Coaches,Wagons,Buildings and complete Trainsets from Starter sets all the way up to the popular 8ft x 2ft 6in Magnum Layouts which came complete with all track laid, and a full set of building kits to complete it.
of Hong Kong
, and absorbed by its subsidiary Bachmann Industries
. Bachmann immediately closed the Poole facility and moved production to China
, setting about improving the at times poor model robustness of the products by redesigning and latterly reintroducing the entire range.
Bachmann have since increased the size of the Farish range, by duplicating models introduced to the Bachmann OO range: the detail investigation and pre-production of an original railway vehicle is more detailed for an OO scale model, while for production into N scale there is a simply a down-scaling of most components for production. Hence normally, an OO scale Bachmann Branchline
model is followed between 6 months to a year later by an Nscale Graham Farish model – with the Voyager diesel set
being an example.
Bachmann have introduced a selection of models; the LMS Jubilee, Rebuilt Scot, Period 3 coaches and LMS brakevan; for the modern era, classes 04 and 08 diesel shunters, class 42 'Warship', class 37, class 66 freight loco, class 108 DMU and a variety of freight wagons.
N scale
N scale is a popular model railway scale/track gauge. Depending upon the manufacturer , the scale ranges from 1:148 to 1:160. In all cases, the gauge is . The term N gauge refers to the track dimensions, but in the UK in particular N gauge refers to a 1:148 scale with track gauge modelling...
.
History
The PoolePoole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
based manufacturer of radio parts and kits entered the model railway business in the late 1940s, after the need for radio sets reduced post World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The early 1950s models focused on British OO gauge, and they manufactured track, wagons and other supporting items. Many of the more obscure items such as the Graham Farish Coronation figures (by Russell Gammage) from 1953 are considered collectors items.
Originally the OO railway locomotives were powered by an unconventional 2 pole DC electric motor. Unfortunately many of their diecast items were manufactured with impure mazac, which was all that was available immediately after the War. MZAC is an alloy of Magnesium
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
, Aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
, Zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
and Copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
similar to Zamak
ZAMAK
Zamak is a family of alloys with a base metal of zinc and alloying elements of aluminium, magnesium and copper. Zamak alloys are part of the zinc aluminium alloy family; they are distinguished from the other ZA alloys because of their constant 4% aluminium composition...
), which later crumbled due to Zinc pest
Zinc pest
Zinc pest, , is a destructive, intercrystalline corrosion process of zinc alloys containing lead impurities. It was first discovered to be a problem in 1923....
.
Graham Farish really found its market niche with the arrival of N scale
N scale
N scale is a popular model railway scale/track gauge. Depending upon the manufacturer , the scale ranges from 1:148 to 1:160. In all cases, the gauge is . The term N gauge refers to the track dimensions, but in the UK in particular N gauge refers to a 1:148 scale with track gauge modelling...
becoming the major supplier of British outline N scale models under the GRAFAR label at a time when the market was shrinking and the other OO gauge players were suffering badly. The initial range in 1970, started with the delightful 8400 Pannier Tank loco, 4 wheel coaches, bogied 'suburban' stock (based on Period 2 LMS suburban stock) and 'Mainline' bogied stock (based on Southern coaches); which have appeared in Caledonian , LMS, GWR, LNER and SR liveries. Peco
Peco
Peco is a UK-based manufacturer of model railway accessories, especially trackwork, based at Pecorama, Beer in South Devon.Peco is the collective name for the Pritchard Patent Product Company Ltd, Peco Publications and Publicity Ltd, and Pecorama...
produced better detailed models, but produced no locomotives (except the Jubilee), focusing on wagons and its own dominance of finescale track, which Grafar had withdrawn from.
After the withdrawal of two competitive mass-market manufacturers, the Italy based Lima
Lima (models)
Lima S.p.A was a brand of railway models made in Vicenza, Italy, for almost 50 years, from the early 1950s until the company ceased trading in 2004...
and German based Minitrix, from the late 1980s Grafar was the only major supplier of British outline models in N scale - predicating its withdrawal from the OO scale market in light of greater competition in the developing collector scale market. Grafar produced reasonable models and had many fans, but some of their early 1970 products tended to be unreliable, suffering regularly from splits in plastic gears, making the models run badly or in only one direction. These gears were soon all replaced by metal gears, to produce a much more reliable and popular range of locomotives.By the late 1990's the GRAHAM FARISH N Gauge Range included no less than 350 lines including a huge variety of Locomotives,Coaches,Wagons,Buildings and complete Trainsets from Starter sets all the way up to the popular 8ft x 2ft 6in Magnum Layouts which came complete with all track laid, and a full set of building kits to complete it.
Takeover by Bachmann
In 2001, Graham Farish was purchased by Kader IndustriesKader
Kader Industrial Company Limited was founded in Hong Kong in 1948 by Ting Hsiung Chao. It was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 1985 and presently trades under the name of "Kader Holdings Company Limited"....
of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, and absorbed by its subsidiary Bachmann Industries
Bachmann Industries
Bachmann Industries is a Bermuda registered Chinese owned company, globally head quartered in Hong Kong; specializing in model railroading....
. Bachmann immediately closed the Poole facility and moved production to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, setting about improving the at times poor model robustness of the products by redesigning and latterly reintroducing the entire range.
Bachmann have since increased the size of the Farish range, by duplicating models introduced to the Bachmann OO range: the detail investigation and pre-production of an original railway vehicle is more detailed for an OO scale model, while for production into N scale there is a simply a down-scaling of most components for production. Hence normally, an OO scale Bachmann Branchline
Bachmann Branchline
Bachmann Branchline is a brand name of Bachmann Industries used for British outline 00 gauge model railways.Bachmann, a US company founded in 1835, was purchased by Kader Industries in 1987. Kader had previously produced models for Palitoy under the 'Mainline' brand...
model is followed between 6 months to a year later by an Nscale Graham Farish model – with the Voyager diesel set
British Rail Class 220
The Class 220 Voyager are a class of diesel-electric high-speed multiple-unit trains built by Bombardier Transportation in 2000 and 2001....
being an example.
Bachmann have introduced a selection of models; the LMS Jubilee, Rebuilt Scot, Period 3 coaches and LMS brakevan; for the modern era, classes 04 and 08 diesel shunters, class 42 'Warship', class 37, class 66 freight loco, class 108 DMU and a variety of freight wagons.