You learn something new every day, Graham Farish new one on me.

[Rana Temporia]

I am still clearing out my late Father’s model collection and came across a Graham Farish OO wagon I’d seen before but never in a box like this. My memory of Farish or Grafar OO wagons and coaches was either a cardboard base with a clear plastic top or a clear plastic ‘tube’ with cardboard ends. This one has a box like those of most other model manufacturers and is the first one I can recall seeing.

The early metal wagons were in the very 50s/60s boxes, but all the ones I bought in the 70s were in the clear boxes, I think they were slightly cheaper than Tri-ang Hornby at the time and I have a number of the coaches in both suburban and corridor types, they run so well!

Does anyone know how long they made these boxes for, it can’t have been long and was probably their last shot at OO.

[atom3624]

I certainly remember those boxes - that was 'back in the day' so probably late seventies.

Al.

[ellocoloco]

I've got one GF OO wagon - Wood@Co 7 plank in the rectangular plastic tube style packaging. I doubt its been out the box for about 30 years but I remember it being quite nice and a smooth runner.

By the time I was saving up for wagons with my pocket money instead of waiting on Christmas and birthdays it would have been 80/81 and I don't remember the shops I could get to (in Salisbury or Devizes) ever having much availability in terms of GF OO. Mainline wagons or Star Wars action figures were the order of the day. At least my mum didn't give all my trains away. She's still not been forgiven for giving away all my SW figures!

[Potterton]

@ellocoloco

Didn't Willis' in Maryport Street, Devizes stock GF? They were an excellent model and toy shop, toys downstairs and models, (mainly railways), up. Mr Willis would always go out of his way to help and his assistant, Mrs Gummer was a pleasure to talk to. Both knew their stuff and if they didn't have it, they could get it for you. It's now a general toy shop, (Devizes Toys), with little in the way of model railways apart from train sets.

[Tony57]

Hi Rana

Is there a manufacturers address on the box? Have a look at the write up in Ramsey Catalogue. May help.

[ellocoloco]

@Potterton

Its been around 40yrs since I've been to Devizes and can't remember the name of the shop. The one I seem to remember was a narrow, deep shop with stairs in the centre. As you went in, models were on the right and general toys to the left. I think the one GF OO wagon I have was bought in Salisbury Model Centre or possible Railroad Models also in Salisbury. It could have come from Devizes though and certainly my first Mainline wagon was from the Devizes shop. My Diecast Millennium Falcon definitely came from Devizes c1980 and is still a prize possession!

My Dad was based at RAF Upavon and left the Air Force shortly afterwards to work in Oman. My Star Wars figures were taken to Oman and eventually given away. My trains were left in the UK and survive (mostly) intact to this day!sunglasses

[Rana Temporia]

Tony, It’s the GF Poole address as here;

[Rana Temporia]

I used to get my Grafar models from Boydell’s Toys in Bolton, originally the models were at the end of the shop and later were upstairs. They had a very good range of the manufacturers that were around at the time, mainly Hornby, Wrenn and Grafar.

[sagaguy]

Graham Farish were an old established company,starting out in the 1940s making bakelite components,00 train sets and locomotives with a peculiar form of motor,very erratic.They manufactured flexible track under the Formoway brand in the 1960s along with locomotives,coaches and wagons.Production of 00 models ceased in the 1970s for them to concentrate on N gauge under the Grafar name made in Poole,Dorset.The range was bought out by Bachmann under the Graham Farish range which are now high quality models.

As a small point,i have in my cupboard packed away,an N scale Arnold Brighton Belle set marketed by Hornby,it seemed to be Hornby`s only foray into N scale British outline models.

I hope you find this interesting.

Ray.

[ntpntpntp]

As a small point,i have in my cupboard packed away,an N scale Arnold Brighton Belle set marketed by Hornby,it seemed to be Hornby`s only foray into N scale British outline models.

 

 

Not quite the only British Arnold model: I do have an Arnold bodyshell for a French diesel shunter liveried in BR green. I can swap it with the chassis from the French model but it is total fantasy.

Arnold 2059. Spurweite-N.de Spur N-Datenbank

 

 

Don't forget Hornby also made the Lyddle End range of N gauge resin buildings, and in the past Hornby had a marketing agreement / collaboration with Minitrix for their British N range and also produced associated buildings platforms and similar accessories.

 

 

[threelink]

I never had any GF stock until a couple of years ago when I bought a box of rubbish from a toy fair and found some GF wagons and a carriage in amongst the dross. All a bit knocked about but easily repaired and very smooth running. The quality seems high. Were they expensive in their day?

[atom3624]

I had the impression they were 'well regarded' in their day, 'though never owned any.

Al.

[Rana Temporia]

Threelink, I seem to remember them being cheaper than Tri-ang Hornby which is probably why I bought them. the original models were heavy cast metal wagons and self assembly heavy metal coaches. They had a range of very odd locos by today’s standards with plunger pick-ups and huge tender mounted motors which drove via a shaft to the loco driving wheels. The range included a King, an SR pacific, a prairie tank, an SR 0-6-0 loco and a NY Hudson with a huge tender. The most common from the early locos is their ‘general’ loco loosely based on a Black 5. They were all cast (in mazak) and tend to disintegrate into tiny pieces, some were 3 rail. Later on the Prairie tank had an upgraded chassis and their 94xx pannier went through various types of chassis. The later models being very good runners with scale wheels.

The later plastic rolling stock was much refined and light. The early box wagons were way too high, something rectified later on. i suspect they never had more than half a dozen wagon moulds and just added different logos to them. The coaches had four types, all apparently based on LMS prototypes with a brake and a composite for suburban and mainline versions and available in BR, LMS, GWR, Southern and LNER colours, looking authentic in all even if they weren’t. They also had a range of Pullman coaches made in cellulose acetate which are usually severely distorted, especially the roofs. They were also available in blue wagon-lits livery.

[Tony57]

Hi Rana

According to the Ramsey 8th edition, the black snow wagon was made between 1976 and 1980 when OO was stopped being produced.

[sagaguy]

"Not quite the only British Arnold model: I do have an Arnold bodyshell for a French diesel shunter liveried in BR green. I can swap it with the chassis from the French model but it is total fantasy."

In all fairness,the only thing that that model had in relation to a british outline was the colour and they got that wrong.

It appears that Hornby made Lyddle end which ceased as a range in 2010.

Minitrix were superbly engineered chassis which were fitted with British outline bodies,the 9f looked a bit odd but would go up the side of a house,the A4 and Brittannia were fine models

Ray

[threelink]

Thank you for the info, RT. The wagons I found in my box of rubbish must be the later plastic version. The carriage looked a bit like LMS suburban stock - very acceptable even if generic. Your post reminds me that another box of bits yielded a pullman carriage, warped as you describe. I spent ages trying to get it straight before giving up in disgust.

[Rana Temporia]

These are the boxes I remember, unfortunately I don’t know where my wagons have got to,

[81F]

I think the nicest livery was the early paneled GWR livery and the LNER teak wasn't bad. The LMS maroon looks a little dark to me and I think it was a shame they did not do them in BR livery.

The only problem I had with them was the couplings, although there is a mount for triand Hornby couplings if you turn the bogies through 180 degrees and remove the Grafar ones.

However, as my GWR ones are almost mint, I decided to 3D print my own replacements with NEM pockets which look like GWR fish belly bogies.