Graham Farish/ Grafar 9400

[russell price]

Does anyone know the approximate production dates of the 9400 and any changes to date them! Also does anyone have one to show a picture of the motor fitted. I have 3 one has an Airfix MRRC 1001 fitted, one has an ECM type 2 and one has what looks like a Dublo 1/2 inch motor but it may be the original? 
Thanks

[cypherman]

Hi Russell,

Do you mean the Grafar Pannier tank or the Prairie

[russell price]

9400 is the pannier tank. I suspect later production prarie s used the same chassis block anyway.

Edited October 14, 2021 by russell price
Missed a word out

[Il Grifone]

The original pannier motor is similar to the Dublo 1/2", but may be five pole?* Mine runs very smoothly.

The bunker steps should be only on the fireman's side, but they have been generous and given the driver a set too.

Production of started in the early sixties and ended when Grafar switched exclusively to N gauge. (Possibly earlier but stocks were still available IIRC).

There was a two pole version of the prairie around 1950 which was re-released about the same time as the pannier with a proper motor. The latter was a new model in the sixties.

The early Farish models are very prone to zinc pest, but the later production is not immune either.

 

* Thanks to Covid and Brexit, I don't have one to hand to check.

Edited October 14, 2021 by Il Grifone

[russell price]

Thank you Grifone, I have an early prarie which would have been a 2 pole, however when it was built , its builder built it on a nice scratchbuilt brass chassis with Romford Series V motor and romford wheels. From the same stable came a King also on a Brass Chassis, with a Romford series IV Motor and Hamblings wheels, i am currently rebuilding this to run again, the original tender minus motor survives but will be replaced with a Dublo Tender for use. Another i have from the same stable is a GP5 which other than romford wheels and scale valve gear is fairly original and still powered by the GF motor which goes like the clappers!!  A number of years ago we acquired in a Triang Job lot another GP5 Body( i guess the chassis succumbed to the pest and the rest dumped! ) This now sits on a Triang B12 Chassis block with Ks chassis extensions Cylinders and motion, Romford wheels with Mainly trains rods, powered by a Hornby Ringfield in a Ks Tender which has made a nice heavy loco which looks the part!. I have several Graham Farish locos all a bit like the various Series II and III Landrovers ive owned in that all have been repowered!!

i shall check to see if it i 5 pole, also will open up an R1 for a comparison.

[russell price]

the only incidence in my collection of way way too many locos of zinc pest, is a weight in my Lima 9400 which was removed and substituted with some lead sheet!!

[cypherman]

Ah,

Mazak rot. The bane of all model engines(Broadly speaking). The only engine of mine that I know has suffered from that is a 1970's Riverossi Bigboy. The chassis basically just disintegrated and snapped in 2. Yet 2 other big Riverossi American engines from the same time period are fine. A Norfolk and Western Mallet and a Cab Forward. Strange that one goes and the others do not.

[Il Grifone]

 

I have a first series Farish prairie body, which is being fitted to a later chassis. For some reason they altered the mountings, so a bit of modification is required. However Brexit and Covid have put this project on hold (and a load of others...).

 

Rivarossi were very subject to zinc pest. I have a early version of the C16 0-4-0ST. She was fine when I bought her (around 1980) but I was distressed to find the die cast cylinder block split into three pieces some years later. I acquired a slightly later version as a replacement. However a scrap Lima Alco (allegedly) 0-4-0 provided new cylinders and proper connecting rods and slide bars.

 

Rivarossi-Memory has a 'cure' for the pest (in Italian, but Google Translate will deal with that*). I have some pieces to try, but having to 'cook' things involving nasty chemicals has put me off.

 

http://www.rivarossi-memory.it/Tecnica/Peste_Zama_cura/Curare_peste_zama.htm

 

* Other on-line translation tools are available.

 

 

[cypherman]

On 16/10/2021 at 08:01, Il Grifone said:

 

I have a first series Farish prairie body, which is being fitted to a later chassis. For some reason they altered the mountings, so a bit of modification is required. However Brexit and Covid have put this project on hold (and a load of others...).

 

Rivarossi were very subject to zinc pest. I have a early version of the C16 0-4-0ST. She was fine when I bought her (around 1980) but I was distressed to find the die cast cylinder block split into three pieces some years later. I acquired a slightly later version as a replacement. However a scrap Lima Alco (allegedly) 0-4-0 provided new cylinders and proper connecting rods and slide bars.

 

Rivarossi-Memory has a 'cure' for the pest (in Italian, but Google Translate will deal with that*). I have some pieces to try, but having to 'cook' things involving nasty chemicals has put me off.

 

http://www.rivarossi-memory.it/Tecnica/Peste_Zama_cura/Curare_peste_zama.htm

 

* Other on-line translation tools are available.

 

 

Hi all,

Ok Il Grifone. I just read that page so I am just off to get my application forms for Cardiff Uni to do their metalurgy course........lol. Thanks for the link. But if tried to put anything like that in our oven my wife would kill me.....

[Il Grifone]

On 19/10/2021 at 13:00, cypherman said:

Hi all,

Ok Il Grifone. I just read that page so I am just off to get my application forms for Cardiff Uni to do their metalurgy course........lol. Thanks for the link. But if tried to put anything like that in our oven my wife would kill me.....

 

It's definitely something to do when SWMBO is otherwise engaged! (One of the reasons I haven't tried it yet...).

 

Zinc pest is one of those things that have been known about since forever, but still occur today; (e.g. zinc pest -1928, asbestos - 1911 (IIRC but not far off), global warming late 19th century...).

Edited October 20, 2021 by Il Grifone
Cats walking on keyboard

[locomad2]

Picked this up recently at a north west model and toy fair, very busy and full of interesting stuff, bargains, oddities etc etc

 

 

 

Considering the age not bad condition boxed motor ok etc however the rear mounting plate had cracked someone had tried to glue it but won't last so temporary steel plate fitted for now

 

 

I haven't got many Farish models they tend to be quite rare up north, motor looks interesting 

 

 

The worm and front housing part of the chassis, the rear holds the armature, magnet and brushes bit like HD 1/2 inch no bearing between commuter and worm

 

Pick ups just on front 2 driving wheels, which for age look quite realistic 

 

Chassis interesting large  lead weight in the front

 

 

Performance, ok not noisy, pulls about 25 HD wagons at 12v,  .65 amps, acceptable ?, might need a remag, slight issue with derailment on peco 100 points,  suspect leading pony truck coupling hook catching on point frog, seems a bit low. Also needs a extra pick up,  tends stalls on non live frogs

 

Came with a box, at least this trader didn't want it back. Yes a recent trend, model advertised at £XX.XX price, but doesn't include the Box it's sitting in, I expect a least a 30% discount which I usually get minus the box !

[Il Grifone]

Yes a pickup on the centre flangeless wheel is rather useless.

The general setting for the coupling dropper seems to be 1/32" above the railheads.

The trailing pony wheels should be larger than the leading set, but you can't expect too much from a model of that age.

Perhaps to actually have piston rods wouldn't be too much however.

The body shares much with the version from ten years before, including the awful safety valve cover, but the chassis now has a motor that works.

[locomad2]

Bent the coupling hook upwards for now, seemed to have solved that problem, quite common to find coupling hooks removed from engines for that reason and rely on just 1 hook on wagon.

 

The two pony bogies are exactly the same on my version.

 

Still it's a nice model for the time, fits well against other HD metal locos something about a metal model looks more realistic,  I've a few older GWR locos, the other GF pannier and a few Gaiety tanks. Some have originial motors others since fitted with either R1 or triang 0-6-0 chassis making them very reliable and having good haulage capability 

[Il Grifone]

I tend to remove hooks/loops from locomotives to make them easier to uncouple and it looks better. I don't have many locos with tension locks (they get Peco/HD), but Eurasian European stock still uses the standard centre buffer/loop coupling.

 

That rear mounting looks considerably more reliable than the original.

[russell price]

To add to the recent discussion, I acquired via Ebay a nicely worked up example. However upon unpacking it became obvious that the pest had been busy. The chassis is fine and runs lovely. At Newark toyfair I bought a new old stock bodyshell which has made a nice loco. I shall rescue the brass boiler fittings and etched number plates  and scrap the body,