Collector's Corner Graham Farish

[Il Grifone]

The Trix heavyweights are rather attractive, if basic The real thing is heavily riveted, whereas here rivets are conspicuous by their absence. I'm still looking for an observation car, but have three baggage cars to compensate.

I've found a Hudson from our friend Gostude. For him the price is not  unreasonable!

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GRAHAM-FARISH-OO-GAUGE-NEW-YORK-CENTRAL-NYC-4-6-4-HUDSON-LOCOMOTIVE-nx/363062500662?hash=item5488361d36:g:wlsAAOSw~PNfIrfc

 

Despite what he says, I think the pilot dropped off due to the pest, rather than "has been removed", especially seeing the state of the cylinders. Maybe I'm wrong.... Looking at it, it actually seems to be 00?? I must scale it from the driving wheels, which I assume are the same as their 'Merchant Navy' and Formo 0-6-0. The other wheels have all been replaced with Nucro/Jackson* disc  wheels. Seeing the originals are Bakelite, I can understand this . (I actually have a front bogie for a Hudson (job lot of bits) and can confirm the diameter of the original wheels as 10mm).

* Are these actually the same thing?

 

EDIT

The Farish wheels I have (from a Formo 0-6-0) measure 21.7mm (or thereabouts) which scaled up from the photo gives 14' something. The real thing is 15' 1", so it is actually H0 scale. It must just be the immense bulk of the beast. For all that mass, her tractive effort is only a fraction greater than that of a 'King'!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Central_Hudson

Edited August 22, 2020 by Il Grifone

[Player of trains]

I’ve been wondering myself if it’s OO or HO, I’ll measure when it arrives, I know it used the Merchant Navy wheels so I guess it must be somewhere in between OO and HO. Begs the question as to why it was made though, never seems to have been any hints of an export attempt and American Flyer already made the J1 Hudsons in HO 

[Il Grifone]

This would have been just around the corner from me to collect, but I am again in lockdown in Sardinia*, so I'll have to let it go. I have no use or space for seven of the things, so I would have kept the best one and bunged the rest back on eBay (one at a time!).

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Job-lot-of-Formo-train-power-controllers/303751665804?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

 

* Never really got out of it. I was supposed to be back in the UK in September, but never made it. We are level yellow, but I don't know how far we are allowed to travel. There's a new lock down decree from Rome but as usual nobody seems to know anything....

 

[roythebus]

Rummaging through my drawers (as one does) I've found 2 Farish OO gauge suburban coach bodies. I may have bogies to go with them. Anyone interested in them? they had formed tinpalte roofs buth they seem to vave vanished.

Edited November 9, 2020 by roythebus

[Il Grifone]

To not start yet another Farish topic, I'll put these here.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A-RARE-FORMO-MODEL-RAILWAY-SPEED-CONTROLLER-EXCELLENT-COSMETIC-CONDITION/392279539213?hash=item5b55aebe0d:g:ZSkAAOSwmgJY6hqs

 

Another example of the controller. £50 seems a bit steep,

but since it's listed at 71/6d....

I wouldn't try plugging it in however.

 

Is this the 'finger tip controller' mentioned somewhere? (I couldn't find the post of course!

 

And a Formo condenser still with its original box.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Radio-parts-FORMO-screened-paper-condensor-original-box-28/362785307775?hash=item5477b07c7f:g:f7sAAOSwt0FdqtvE

 

No mention of the value, but then this a collectible', so it doesn't really matter.

 

 

Edited February 16, 2021 by Il Grifone

[Il Grifone]

I found this Formo track some time ago and kept forgetting to post it.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254861596775?ul_noapp=true

[5050]

On 16/02/2021 at 08:47, Il Grifone said:

Is this the 'finger tip controller' mentioned somewhere? (I couldn't find the post of course!

It's in the 'Pullman Car' thread.

[5050]

While rooting through my 'collection' of transfers for some BR 'Unicycling Lion' ones I found a folder of GF Transfers.  These appear to be a 'rub-down' type and are for pre-nationalisation wagons and made by Letraset. 

 

 

 

 

I can't recollect having ever used any of them and neither can I remember how I came to have them.  Going by the pre-decimal price tag and the Blue and Yellow packaging I suppose they date from the late 60's?  Are they particularly rare - or very common?

[BernardTPM]

They came out in 1970* as they appeared at the same time as the first N gauge wagons, which were unpainted and unlettered. They did them for 00 too, in both white and black No idea how rare they are. I used to have some of both the N gauge type, lost in my move, but now have some 4mm white ones (marked 38p - inflation!**) bought in a job lot. They are the same size sheet, so fewer numbers and letters.

* Decimal Day was 15th February 1971.

** 7/6 was 37½p

[Il Grifone]

Inflation galloped in the early seventies.

 

It's unlikely that dry print transfers will have any stick left after all these years. I recall that they were  prone to not sticking properly even then.

[5050]

TBH, it wasn't until I posted the photo that I realised they are N Gauge ones!

 

I well remember 'Decimal Day'!   We were a relatively newly married couple and our weekly shop at the local KwikSave supermarket increased in cost - for exactly the same things we bought nearly every week - by an appreciable amount.  Didn't help our weekly budgeting at all.  Items were always rounded up to the nearest 'new pence' conversion.

[Il Grifone]

It was psychological, I think (certainly in my case). 10/- was paper and 'money'; 50p was just a 'coin'. Prices rose reflecting this.

Edited May 7, 2021 by Il Grifone

[5050]

On 07/05/2021 at 17:25, Il Grifone said:

It was psychological, I think (certainly in my case). 10/- was paper and 'money'; 50p was just a 'coin'. Prices rose reflecting this.

Yes, getting a 10 bob note for your birthday was good.  Getting a funny shaped coin not so.

[russell price]

Just found this thread! I have a prairie, a king and 2 GP5s. All are available for use on the current layout. All have been modified in their day, the king and prairie both sit on scratch built chassis with Romford Wheels. The king has a Dublo Tender and a Romford Series IV motor. The prairie has a Series V motor. These were finescaled in the early 50s. The one GP5 still has its Farish Motor and plunger pickups, although fitted with Romford Wheels to the original chassis. It is an early one as it doesn’t have the cab side numbers raised , she also has spur gears driving all axles!!!! 
The other GP5 came to me in about 1980 as a body only!!! It sits on a Triang B12 chassis with Romford wheels, mainly trains etched rods, k’s Cylinders and a set of Comet Valve gear!! It is powered by a Margate ring field in a K’s  tender body. It picks up on the American system and has made a nice loco!