Farish AC Electric Loco

[ThaneofFife]

If Farish were to look at bringing out a newly tooled AC loco of classes 81-91 where would you like to see the choice fall?

 

The 86 is probably out unless the Dapol version can be improved on.

 

The older  87 and 90 seem to have vanished from the website so not sure what the future holds for either of these.

 

How about a shrunken Class 85?

 

I think these classes of loco are better catered for in N gauge over 00 as folk are much more likely to be able to run them on the front of prototypically correct length WCML trains with 10+ coaches.

 

Personally I hope we soon see Farish delve into AC locos in N gauge now that we will soon have 85 and 90 in the 00 range.

 

Views?  Comments?  Good idea/bad idea?  No market for N gauge ACs given that Dapol have said before the Class 86s werent particularly big hitters.

Is it that old argument that electrics dont sell??  What would you like to see in a modern up to date tooling?

[mjkerr]

The main issue with the Class 90 is the air fairing, however it shares the rest of the chassis with the Class 87/0 and 87/1 (after all it was originally designed as Class 87/2)

Therefore a retool of the existing model would be best in the short term
Equally, as I understand it Farish have advised they plan to go back through all previous releases and update them for DCC operation, so not many left to go (Class 87/90 and 158)

In respect of a new model, either the Class 81 or Class 85

[woodenhead]

I would suspect a new 90 first given it's imminent(ish) OO development and is in current TOC use and has lots of liveries.

 

Subject to sales I would also expect Bachmann to move on to the 87 in OO as that too has had a few liveries including current TOC use on the Caledonians, shrinking down to N also makes sense in the long term.

 

The 85 is an interesting one given that Dapol only released blue 86s via a special commission which did not sell very fast suggesting the market for rail blue electrics in N gauge is quite small.  This would make the 85 last on their list of releases if they did do them all in my opinion.

 

Of course Bachmann might feel even with a Pendolino on sale the market for locomotives outside of an 90 will be too small to be cost effective.

[PaulCheffus]

The 85 is an interesting one given that Dapol only released blue 86s via a special commission which did not sell very fast suggesting the market for rail blue electrics in N gauge is quite small.  

 

 

Hi

 

Or maybe it was the price that influenced this. People may have been waiting for Dapol to add it to the main range so that it would then be discounted by Hattons, Rails, etc. When I bought mine it was around £104 I think.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[woodenhead]

Hi

 

Or maybe it was the price that influenced this. People may have been waiting for Dapol to add it to the main range so that it would then be discounted by Hattons, Rails, etc. When I bought mine it was around £104 I think.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

And the lesson learnt is don't expect such things to happen - look at the proliferation of commissions now which will never see mainstream release nor will they end up in N as the commissioning route seems to close off scales other than OO.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Apart from the 87 (common chassis with existing), any other AC electric might be more a project for RevolutioN. 81 would seem the most likely.

[woodenhead]

Well all those blue 86s went somewhere and that somewhere must need a good 85 and an 81 at the very least to look plausible as a blue WCML layout.

[PaulCheffus]

Well all those blue 86s went somewhere and that somewhere must need a good 85 and an 81 at the very least to look plausible as a blue WCML layout.

Hi

 

I bought mine as it was the loco (86241 Glenfiddich) I saw almost every time I went to Manchester Piccadilly in the late 70s early 80s. I don't actually have any plans to build a layout for it but that said if someone was to release either a 81 or 85 I would definitely consider buying one.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[branchie]

I'd take an 81 and a couple of 85s.

 

I think the market/ interest in BR Blue electrics is quite healthy actually ....

[Roy L S]

I think the 81 would have the widest appeal given they were introduced early enough to have rubbed shoulders with steam and early diesel, started off pulling BR maroon coaches and then survived into the BR blue TOPS era. I would have an electric blue one just for the pleasure of owning one.

 

Roy

[Stu from EGDL]

Hi Gang,

 

I'd punt for several Class 81 or 85 models (more if both became available).....and I think there is only a merest outside chance that Farish will shrink the 85 anytime soon. I can't see any movement on the 86/87/90 in the next couple of years. Unfortunately the 82/83/84 must be considered as too niche to make them happen, but we do have the prototype Deltic of course, so anything *must* be possible.

 

Best bet for the short term would be Farish to punt an 87/0 in BR Blue as it has never been done and for Dapol to revisit the BR Blue 86 now that the C&M exclusivity has expired.

 

Which brings us to the 91 and 92. The Farish 91 needs a retool in the bogie/coupling /fairing area to at least make it useable...and the amount of liveries plus the MK 4 possibilities are maybe a missed opportunity. The Class 92 has been discussed at length already and I think someone will blink soon to complement the higher end CJM model.

 

Later,

Stu from EGDL.

[scruff]

The Dapol 86 is a cracking model, I think the problem with it was the most popular liveries were missed or exclusives.

 

We as modellers were led to believe an early 86 would be produced, allowing Electric blue liveries to be produced accurately, as well as class 86/0. Br Blue was an exclusive to C&M and seemed slow to sell, possibly due to the premium price. Executive livery has never been produced and Swallow liveried examples seemed to sell very well. Later liveries don't seem to have sold as well as was hoped.

 

I was surprised that Dapol never went for the Class 87 due to its similarity to the 86. The Farish 87 seems small by comparison to the 86 and really needs a makeover!

 

Farish have stated they will at some stage duplicate the OO range in N and vice versa which means an 85 and 90 will arrive at some stage in N gauge.

 

The 91 needs an update as well as decent tooling Mk4 coaches to go with it as one without the other would be a bit of a disaster and this would cost a manufacturer a small fortune.

 

The Class 92 would suit anyone modelling sectorisation era onwards and Dapol have one "on the back burner". hopefully it will return to development soon... Please!

 

The 82/83/84 are kind of niche but all ran alongside steam and up to Executive times so could be in one of the manufacturers sights but I doubt it as the OO 85 seems to have ended up in a lot of bargain bins.

 

The Class 81 was more common than the 82/83/84 but suffers the same as them due to the 85 in OO. Personally I would buy a kickstarter 81.

 

I wonder if Dapol will produce a class 88, following on from the class 68.

 

All my personal views of course!

 

Cheers

Mark

[woodenhead]

I think Dapol had plans when they pumped out all those MKIII coaches and OHLE, sadly it seemed to all fizzle out.

[mjkerr]

As an aside
Dapol have produced the Class 86/2 and 86/4
Are the bogies pinned or screwed?
Dapol could then easily produce the BP7 bogie and release a model of the Class 86/1

If Farish update the Class 87 (very likely) then they will most likely update the bogie to the pinned version (same as they have done with Class 37 and 47)
There is then an opportunity for Farish to produce their own bodyshell and underframe and also release a Class 86/1

It's a shame the manufacturer parts are not interchangeable

[PaulCheffus]

Hi

 

Here might be the answer for those wanting a blue 86

http://www.ehattons.com/50897/Dapol_NCHASS10_Class_86_chassis/StockDetail.aspx

A coat or two of paint, some transfers and a pantograph.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[ThaneofFife]

spotted the farish class 87 there too for £42.  not bad at all even if its old tooling. 

[mjkerr]

A coat or two of paint, some transfers and a pantograph

Useful for a repaint, also requires glazing and the conductor cables

Useful if your chassis fails, so covers both options

[WDP4D]

I'd like to see a Class 87, Class 90 and Class 92 in N gauge... Even a Class 89 but that won't really get a manufacturers it's money back.

[railsquid]

I think the market/ interest in BR Blue electrics is quite healthy actually ....

 

Yeah... I'd buy some... if they were available. Instead I've ended up getting some 86s and 87s in whatever liveries with the intent to respray. Watch this space, 'cos due to Murphy's Law the moment I actually get round to doing it, both Dapol and Farish will no doubt announce a revised range of blue electrics.

[Padishar Creel]

Hallo,

Being 100% WCML fan (my earliest memories are of Stafford during the OHLE conversion) I would always welcome any 25kV loco.

I am fortunate to be a CJM customer and have a good selection of TPM/CJM 87 and 90 locos, 86s from the very creditable StatesmaN conversion of the TPM 87 (thanks Duncan) and a couple of CJM 92s

 

Looking to the future, an 85 would be the most profitable option for BachFar. I would definitely buy a fair few, but unfortunately I do not see anything coming in the short or middle term.

 

Hope is the last thing to die.

 

es grüßt

pc

[njee20]

I'm not sure an 85 would necessarily be "most profitable", pretty niche still, which is the problem with most electrics. I'd have thought a downsized 90 would be more likely, and probably more profitable with their wider distribution.

[WDP4D]

Looking to the future, an 85 would be the most profitable option for BachFar. I would definitely buy a fair few, but unfortunately I do not see anything coming in the short or middle term.

 

 

es grüßt

pc

Is that because you are buying a fair few? Just pulling your leg.... Personally I think The Class 86, 87, 90, 91 and 92 will be better sellers as the covered a larger era.

 

And we've seen how Dapol struggled with the Class 86 and it's a splendid model. I'd prefer Dapol to do a Class 90 because that would raise the chances of getting matching rolling stock when it comes to Mk3s.

 

[njee20]

Trouble is that matching stock will only be available piecemeal and will take 5 years to be released. They'll also be different colours to the locos

[Padishar Creel]

Is that because you are buying a fair few? Just pulling your leg.... Personally I think The Class 86, 87, 90, 91 and 92 will be better sellers as the covered a larger era.

 

And we've seen how Dapol struggled with the Class 86 and it's a splendid model. I'd prefer Dapol to do a Class 90 because that would raise the chances of getting matching rolling stock when it comes to Mk3s.

 

 

Yup!!! grins... and I have the others. Graciously accept leg pull.

I have heard/read good crits of the Dapol 86, though only bought one of their dummies had it reliveried to a Railfreight Distribution to run with my powered one. I would only disagree with you on the Class 91 (oh yes I have 1 each full set of the InterCity and a GNER versions, locos were detailed and motors fine-tuned), as the necessary rolling stock would need to be upgraded and introduced as well, unless you are modelling test runs and/or the early days with MK3 and HST-DVT conversion

 

As Bachmann have the 85 and an upcoming 90, maybe we will both get our wishes, though I do not expect Dapol try the 90, and they still yet have enough to release from their product range.

 

Now where is that winning Euromillions ticket?

 

es grüßt

pc 

[Crepello]

I'd like a new 87--surely a good choice as a front-rank express loco also used on freight trains; several liveries too. Wouldn't the 90 chassis be similar? That might be the key.