Farish Cl.90

[justin1985]

With the Dapol Cl.86 and catenary supposedly imminent, I began to think about other N gauge overhead stock. I'm sure I've heard rumour that Farish won't be likely to retool their 87 and 90 any time soon because "electric locos don't sell" (a classic chicken and egg if I ever saw one ...). So, I thought about whether or not it might be worth detailing-up a Farish Cl.90.

 

However, I've never had the chance to look at a Farish 90 "up close" in the flesh, but looking at images on Hattons and Rails' websites, it seems the main problem is the classic Farish disembowelled buffer beam section. I can't quite tell, but it looks like both the front lights, and at least some of the bodyside grilles are just painted on too.

 

Are there any other issues anyone has noticed? Is the chassis in the "Farish by Bachmann" models up to standard? Is the pantograph as basic as it looks in the small pictures online?

 

TPM do list a detailing kit, and looking at the scan on the website it seems to have:

- Handrails

- Side window frames

- Bodyside grilles

- Jumper cables

 

I imagine this should be enough to make a good job of it, but has anyone tried before, anything to look out for etc?

 

Cheers

 

Justin

[bennyboy]

I've got one and it runs very well and I suppose the pantograph is quite basic by modern standards, but it looks reasonable at normal viewing distances.

[Kris]

Lights are painted on. Can't comment on the grills.

[Adam1701D]

The 90 is one of Farish's better models from the Poole days but still a bit basic bu modern standards. The actual bodywork is very nicely moulded and needs very little work doing, though the headlights are printed on. They actually look pretty smart at NVD* but it's not really good enough when compared to the stuff we are seeing now.

 

The Pantograph is probably the best working one you're going to get in N, though some nice dummy plastic ones can be purchased from Japan - I believe Tomix do one that's pretty close to the Brecknall-Willis high-speed jobbie.

 

If you're prepared to put the work in around the buffers and bogie skirts, then it is possible to get a loco that won't look out of place next to the Dapol DVT. I've got one or the originals in INTERCITY livery and really like it!

 

With all the liveries possible on the 90s, I'm sure that Dapol might have a crack at a better one should the 86 do well.

 

 

[justin1985]

 

With all the liveries possible on the 90s, I'm sure that Dapol might have a crack at a better one should the 86 do well.

 

 

The 90 wasn't one of the "Magnificent Seven" was it? It does seem a natural candidate with the huge range of liveries, perhaps almost as many as the 73? I imagine the "Freight Connection" international liveries would make popular limited editions. Personally I want to model 90 036 in its hybrid SNCF\Railfreight Distribution livery:

 

http://jon-bradley.fotopic.net/p17514337.html

 

I'll probably keep an eye out for a cheap Farish example though, I quite like the idea of the detailing project

[BernardTPM]

One thing that can be done to good effect (and is mentioned in my instructions) is to reprofile the leading edge of the cab roof. This has a very rounded front edge sprouting almost upright from its base rather than being angled back. Luckily there are no grilles in the roof to loose (unlike the 86 & 87) so it can be filed and smoothed and repainted without really affecting the rest of the body.

[Etched Pixels]

For the Pantograph I'd suggest: the Greenmax PT71B as pretty close. Thats a plastic pantograph (and quite how they mould them so fine and to work is a wonder). Like the other Japanese pantographs it is designed to ride either down or at a fixed height without actual cabling (something that'll need sorting anyway to use Farish models with dummy catenary systems)