Looking again at the Farish HST?

[justin1985]

I've never actually owned an HST from either Dapol or Farish, but keep getting tempted by the Intercity liveries, and keep toying with the idea of buying one, even though it doesn't fit my layout plans.

 

However, while the Dapol Mk3s are very impressive models in many ways, I can't help thinking there is something less convincing about the windows. I'm not sure whether the window frames look slightly exaggerated; the windows are too square; not sufficiently tinted; or too prismatic? Or a little bit of each of those things?

 

I travel on Greater Anglia Mk3s two or three times a week, and the real window frames seem so subtle that, perhaps like steam loco boiler bands, in N gauge virtually any relief is too much? I recently noticed some secondhand Bachman/Farish Chinese made Intercity Swallow Mk 3s, where they had printed a silver window frame. In this respect somehow the Farish coaches felt like a better representation?

 

However, I realised the Dapol power cars are a much finer moulding. How does the Farish (Chinese) power car shape up with the TPM detailing etch?

 

Has anyone got side by side photos of the two brands Mk 3s, or even tried running Dapol power cars with Farish coaches?

 

Cheers

 

Justin

[Adam1701D]

I agree that the later Farish Mk3s have  a lot going for them including a buch better body profile than the Dapol version. They do lack some of the fine detail and close-coupling ability of the Dapol models but scrub up very well, particularly if a BR Lines interior is added.

 

The most recent Farish Intercity livery is spot-on and with the fine printed frames looks way better than Dapol's attempt at IC Livery. The Farish coach also has the advantage of being stripped down to take Electra vinyls.

 

I'd be more than happy if Farish could produce further batches of their earlier coaches, perhaps as a "Railroad"-type range. The Mk2s and Mk4s are getting hard to find secondhand and are becoming increasingly popular for conversion work.

[carderrail]

I've never actually owned an HST from either Dapol or Farish, but keep getting tempted by the Intercity liveries, and keep toying with the idea of buying one, even though it doesn't fit my layout plans.

 

However, while the Dapol Mk3s are very impressive models in many ways, I can't help thinking there is something less convincing about the windows. I'm not sure whether the window frames look slightly exaggerated; the windows are too square; not sufficiently tinted; or too prismatic? Or a little bit of each of those things?

 

I travel on Greater Anglia Mk3s two or three times a week, and the real window frames seem so subtle that, perhaps like steam loco boiler bands, in N gauge virtually any relief is too much? I recently noticed some secondhand Bachman/Farish Chinese made Intercity Swallow Mk 3s, where they had printed a silver window frame. In this respect somehow the Farish coaches felt like a better representation?

 

However, I realised the Dapol power cars are a much finer moulding. How does the Farish (Chinese) power car shape up with the TPM detailing etch?

 

Has anyone got side by side photos of the two brands Mk 3s, or even tried running Dapol power cars with Farish coaches?

 

Cheers

 

Justin

 

There are some side-on photos of the various Mk3 coaches on my websites.

 

http://www.ngauge.org/dap_pass_mk3_hst.php

 

http://www.ngauge.org/bac_pass_mk3_hst.php

 

Note I have modified the Farish-Bachmann versions to use Kato knuckle couplers.

 

I haven't finished the original Farish coash pages yet. I am currently photographing stock to complete these.

 

Hope this helps.

Tony

[oreamnos]

[edit] or even tried running Dapol power cars with Farish coaches?

 

Cheers

 

Justin

 

I run Farish Mk 3s with Dapol power cars whenever I run an HST on my club's modular layout.  I found that the Dapol NEM Rapido couplers on the Dapol coaches regularly tended to uncouple, and that's a big no-no in my club when we run at shows.  I tried several different types of coupler with the Dapol coaches but none of them really solved the problem.  My solution was to buy a set of second hand Blue and Grey Farish Mk 3 coaches.  The sprung couplers of the Farish Mk 3s stay together extremely well.

 

I added BR lines interiors to my Farish Mk 3s and I think the combination of Dapol power cars and Farish coaches looks fine.  I also replaced all of the original Farish coach wheels with new the current Farish coach wheels that have the finer flanges, and I removed the buffers from the Farish coaches, of course (which where designed to be pulled off, if need be).  A few pics (not very good, I'm afraid) are attached.

 

I think I should point out that the Farish Mk 3s that I run with the Dapol power cars are the older Mk 3s with an almost matte paint finish, and not the later ones with glossier paint (which I have a few of, too). The paint on the later Farish coaches is both 1.) too glossy and 2.) not the right shade of blue to match the Dapol power cars.  The coach bodies of the later Farish coaches also tends to banana.  The older Farish Mk 3s by contrast don't suffer from any of these issues.

 

Matt

Edited June 26, 2017 by oreamnos