Andy T Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 I was today asked by my Dad which is best the Dapol B1 or Farish B1 to which i replyed i don't Know As we put the B1 down on our list for our pool of Steamers for our layout and are now in a position to start to put locos on from our Wish List ( Well i am a Modern image fan Sorry guys !!!) and looking to purchase was soon ( Well Warley ) So guy's it's over to you. Thanks Andy T Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted September 21, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 21, 2011 Lets start with some key info to start with. I don't have either and I'm not familiar with the prototype. Right onto the info you were looking for .... As much as I like Dapol if I remember correctly from when these locos were first released was that the general consensus felt the Farish model was the better one both in appearance and performance. That said the Dapol one can be picked up for a good price now so that might sway your fathers thinking. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted September 21, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 21, 2011 The links to the original threads http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/21599-farish-b1-etc-announced-at-n-gauge-show/page__st__75 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/23907-Dapol-b1-released/page__st__25 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed-farms Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Although not an N gauge modeller I did read the comparison review in Model Rail when the 2 came out and I felt that the Graham Farish looked better in my eyes, no disrespect to Dapol here that is just my personal opinion. The best way to decide would be to see both side by side and decide for yourself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLD Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I'm afraid, there are a lot of modellers who will display a definite bias towards one manufacturer or the other on this one regardless of the facts (manufacturer X could have made it with 2 wheels missing and still some would claim it to be better than y's effort and vice versa)... Having run one of each side-by-side on a club layout our conclusion was that both are more than acceptable models and it depends what you want from it - which is best for some may not be for others [Note: comments re colour/finish refer specifically to un-weathered BR lined black livery examples]. Performance Out of the Box: Dapol ran straight away out of the box requiring nothing more than lubrication. Farish was a little hesitant and more prone to stalling. It required adjustment of the tender pickups which weren't actually touching 3 out of 4 wheels they should (a common issue on Farish Tender drive units). [point to Dapol] As far as I am aware from reports on various web groups, failure rates and returns for both are low compared to other models from either maker and for N gauge in general. Haulage: Both easily met our requirements - both were comfortable with a train of 8 Dapol Gresley coaches. [draw] Drive Train: My personal preference is usually for the loco wheels to be driven (as per Dapol) because of the tendency for some 'freewheeling' loco wheels to bind when being pushed by a tender drive. Whilst there have been reported issues with this on some other recent Farish locos especially the Standard 4 and the A1, it was not an issue on our sample and I've heard very few reports of it on other's B1s. Trade-off of course is the drive shaft running between the tender & loco through the cab but with a strategically placed driver & fireman this is barely noticeable...[draw] Slow and high Speed running: It was noticeable that the Dapol loco required a higher power input for the same speed and motor stall current was at a lower speed. This did make the Dapol loco more controllable at low speed, though the Farish had a higher top speed (way beyond what the prototype could have achieved) [point to Dapol] Both negotiated an approx 10 inch radius curve (Farish with the factory fitted smaller wheeled front bogie) but the Dapol slowed slightly on the curve (suspect limit of play in the driveshaft U/Js), the Farish did not [point to Farish] Appearance Side-by-side/Dimensions No difference that is immediately noticeable until you put the two side by side and study closely. Bufferbeam to bufferbeam the Farish loco is approx 1mm longer - I've seen at least one claim that 'this means the Dapol loco is under length' and another that 'the farish tender is too long': the truth is the Dapol Loco and Tender are closer coupled. The overall lengths of the locos are identical as are the tenders... [point to Dapol] There is a difference of about 0.6mm in the overall height (Farish is lower) this seems to be due to the Dapol loco body sitting higher on the chassis leaving a slightly bigger gap between wheels and footplate and this is also noticeable as a height difference between loco and tender footplates. [point to Farish] My first impression was that the Dapol boiler was significantly larger but on measuring the difference was 0.2mm diameter so possibly a trick of the light due to the shinier surface of the Farish loco. Detail: Both come with a wealth of detail moulded on plus the now usual bag of add on bits. With all the bits added there is little to choose. possibly a little more finesse in the whistle and safety valves on the Farish. The Dapol Coal load looks better to me than the farish in colouring and grain size as well as not looking improbably overfilled (a necessity to create space for the drive train in the tender). Farish handrail knobs are finer but the handrails are set further away from the loco body (the curved front rail being almost a scale foot clear of the smokebox).[overall draw] The Wheels & Motion: Deserving a topic all of it's own! The Dapol B1 dates from before their insistence on everything being a 'gunmetal' greyish colour so both are nicely blackened. The spokes on the Dapol wheels are a little finer letting more light through but let down by a wider rim. The Dapol coupling and connection rods are also a bit finer and don't have the noticable joggle Farish seem to need to put in the con rod of their steamers but let down by the large very prominent crosshead screws holding it all together. The Dapol bogie wheels are certainly better 'as they come' being finer and closer to scale. Farish include the alternative bogie with larger 'near scale' wheels but fitting this affects the ability to negotiate tight curves. [overall draw - both have good and bad points so personal choice of what is more off-putting the joggle in the Farish Con Rods or those screws in the Dapol rods...] Finish: The Farish loco has a shiny semi-gloss finish out of the box (unless of course you go for a premium priced weathered edition) the Dapol is a dull almost matt finish. This will be a matter of individual taste - are you modelling a freshly cleaned preserved loco or a hard-worked example nearing the end of its days? Lining/lettering is generally finer on the Farish but Dapol seems more consistent - the Farish had a couple of spots where the lining faded out. (interestingly this is the opposite way round to a comparison of BR green Dapol B17 vs Farish Jubilee) [individual choice] For me, overall, both have pluses and minuses. My personal preference is for the Dapol drive train powering the loco wheels and it was the better performer especially with not requiring any tweaking out-of-the-box, but the Farish shades it on appearance. You pay your money and takes your choice, but I don't think you would be disapointed with either. Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zunnan Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Performance wise theres little in them, I too prefer things to be loco driven and habitually detest tender drive units no matter how smooth running, but appearance wise I have to firmly side with the Farish one. Something doesn't look quite right with the running plate on the Dapol model, it is definately higher than the Farish model although which is actually correct I couldn't say and to be honest don't particularly care. The lining is where the Farish B1 really does well and on a lined BR black black locomotive this really is key to its appearance, it is finely rendered and not over the top and that satin finish is great for getting an easy 'oily rag' clean weathered finish. The Dapol model however is missing colour (red for the entire length of the running plate), uses very heavy white lining and the numbering/crest is certainly not the best I have ever seen in both colour rendition or application. Contrast to the above post, the Dapol B1 is one of the locomotives with bare metal wheels, the first batch were blackened slightly but they are still unpainted and it stands out like a sore thumb. Pronounced phillips head screws on the motion (black motion on first release) also look very poor, and for the second batch they bizarrely coloured the motion and pony wheels to match the now gunmetal coloured unpainted driving wheels. If you ask me the appearance of the Dapol B1 is very much its weak point, the only good thing about it is the black paint, everything else conspires to make it look like an unfinished toy that was rushed to get to market before its competitor. I've said it elsewhere, even at the bargain bin prices the Dapol B1 can be bought for I'd rather pay full rrp on the Farish model and put up with the tender drive, theres too much wrong with how the Dapol model looks for my liking. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy L S Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Neither model is a bad model and the attraction of a Dapol one at less than £50 tempted me into buying one. The first though sadly I had to return due to motor overheat problems that do seem to be an issue from time to time with Dapol locos, The replacement thus far has been fine. For those insisting on a loco drive the Dapol one is the only choice. However for those like myself who have no issue with tender drives (After all it is good enough for Fleischmann and Union Mills....) the Farish model is the winner by a clear country mile. It is better proportionally, in terms of detail, accuracy and finish with much finer lining and lettering - it just has so much more finesse. For example, a moving fallplate between loco and tender and seats for the crew in the cab which also has full backhead detail, plus things like correct different tender types, AWS battery boxes where appropriate, flush or riveted smokeboxes. The Dapol one is a little "clunky" by comparison. I should say that the Dapol B1 I have is from the first batch with blackened motion and at least slightly darkened wheels unlike the later models referred to above which do look somewhat worse and yes, I forgot to mention the crosshead screws holding the motion on which are a little bit of an eyesore but at least match the motion for colour and to be fair to Dapol it is something they have addressed for the Hall and hopefully will if further runs of the B1 are ever envisaged.. Performance wise very little in it both are very good performers with prodigious pulling power (I have four Farish B1's and all perform faultlessly - I have had one, as supplied with just the one traction tyred axle pulling 20 plus coaches no problem). The Farish is a smoother quieter runner, but for absolute slow speed crawl the Dapol model has the edge. Roy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy T Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 Hi All Thanks for all the feed back , I'll report back all this info on the my dad And let him decide Once again a "BIG " thanks to you all Andy T Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin1985 Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 I think the discounting that shops are having to apply to shift the Dapol model says all that you need to know! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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