British N Gauge Resource

HISTORY

Graham Farish started with production of 00 Gauge rolling stock, by the 1970's they had progressed into N Gauge and soon provided the most comprehensive range of N Gauge Locomotives, Coaches, and Wagons.

Sections
1980
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1992
1993/4
1997
1999
Non-Catalogued Locomotives
Releases 1999-2001
Re-releases 1999-2001

1980

The first Diesels were introduced in the late 70's/early 80's. The 1980 Catalogue had the following offerings:-

Cat No.	Class	Livery	Comments
1001	08	LMS
1003	08	Southern
1005	08	BR Green
1007	08	BR Blue	Early Number was 08 113 Later ones 08 493

All Class 08s were listed at £12.33 on the February 1980 order form, the New Release sheet for January that year had no new diesels but did list the motorised chassis (1009) for the 08 Shunter.

1981

No new diesels were illustrated in the 1981 Catalogue, strangely an illustration of a blue Class 47 was shown on the front cover along with the MkI SK & BCK coaches that were introduced that year; these were available in BR Maroon, BR Green, BR Chocolate/Cream, and BR Blue/Grey liveries.

The 1981 Toyfair report showed the new Class 47s and BR Crimson/Cream SKs & BCKs; later in 1981 a catalogue update showed the new Class 37, Blue HSTs and MkIII coaches.

Cat No.	Class	Livery	Comments
8004	47	BR Green	Named "Isambard Kingdom Brunel"
8005	47	BR Blue
8014	37	BR Green
8015	37	BR Blue
8125	43	BR Blue	3 Car HST Set

1983

Much activity on the diesel front in 1983; the Class 20 was all introduced, the Class 47 went 'Large Logo' and the Class 101 DMU appeared. One casualty was the loss of the Southern 08 Shunter. The 1983 catalogue had these additional diesels:-

Cat No.	Class	Livery	Comments
8007	47	BR Blue Large Logo	Named "County of Hertfordshire"
8204	20	BR Green
8205	20	BR Blue	Early Number was 20 142 Later ones 20 139
8133	101	BR Green	2 Car DMU
8135	101	BR Blue/Grey	2 Car DMU
8136	101	BR Blue	2 Car DMU
8137	101	BR White	2 Car DMU
8143	101	BR Green	3 Car DMU
8145	101	BR Blue/Grey	3 Car DMU
8146	101	BR Blue	3 Car DMU
8147	101	BR White	3 Car DMU

The class 37 and 47 shared a similar motor chassis and both contained working headlights, this idea was soon dropped and later models included the slot for the bulbs but no wiring or diodes; both classes cost £30.95 in 1983.

The HST suffered from a bad engineering idea as it tried to replicate the real thing and put a motor bogie in both the front and rear Class 43 power-cars! This was an excellent idea in theory but impossible to implement as neither motor bogie ran at exactly the same speed. This had the affect that either one power unit dragged the other or the rear power unit pushed the front, this normally ended in disaster with the coaches between power units being pushed off the track on curves or over pointwork. The other problem was that the motor bogie was easily starved of power on pointwork causing the units to stop and judder. The HST set (with centre coach) cost £41.95.

Unfortunately the DMU suffered from the same motor bogie as the HST, this was worsened by the fact that the DMU only had one of them, the units often became stalled over pointwork; the running of the DMU was erratic at best! The units cost £23.95 & £27.95 for the 2 Car and 3 Car units.

New MkIII coaches were produced to match the HST units, a TS/TF/TRUB and strangely a SLEP sleeper car! These coaches suffered from being under-scale and looked strange when coupled with the HST set or a diesel locomotive; this error was not ironed out until the end of the 80s.

1985

The 1983 catalogue was re-released in 1985 with a sticker confessing to include all the latest releases.

1987

There was a large jump in the range of diesels between the 1985 and 1987 catalogues. Classes 25/40/50 all appeared, Deltics and Westerns and the AEC Railcar; the HST was also updated with the latest livery. The 1987 catalogue listed these additions:-

Cat No.	Class	Livery	Comments
8126	43	Intercity Executive
8114	40	BR Green	Named "Atlantic Conveyor"
8115	40	BR Green
8116	40	BR Blue	Named "Aquitania"
8117	40	BR Blue
8174	AEC	GWR Brown/Cream
8175	AEC	BR Green
8176	AEC	BR Crimson/Cream
8304	25	BR Green
8305	25	BR Blue	Early Number was 25 326 Later ones 25 288
8404	50	BR Blue Large Logo	Named "Temeraire"
8405	50	BR Blue Large Logo	Named "Vanguard"
8406	50	GWR Green	Named "Sir Edward Elgar"
8414	55	BR Green	Named "Argyll & Sutherland Highlander"
8415	55	BR Blue	Named "The Black Watch"
8416	55	BR Blue	Named "Alycidon"
8424	52	BR Green	Named "Western Emperor"
8425	52	BR Blue	Named "Western Gauntlet"
8426	52	BR Maroon	Named "Western Courier"

There was a huge increase in the depth of the diesels offered in 1987, however some of these seemed to be available for a very short time. To compliment the HST executive livery MkIII coaches were produced, this year also saw the first MkIIs; a TSO and FO were offered in BR Blue/Grey. The existing range of Mk I coaches was improved with RMB and BG types.

1989

The 1989 catalogue had more losses than gains; the Class 50 was no longer available as Temeraire, the Class 55 lost Alycidon (although this was available in limited supplies during 2001), and the Class 40 Atlantic Conveyor also disappeared.

The Class 52 Western fleet was reduced to the BR Maroon variety only, similarly the AEC Railcar was now only available in GWR Brown/Cream. The major addition in 1989 was the Class 33, this was available in BR Blue and BR Green.

The Class 47 fleet was enhanced with Scotrail, Distribution, Intercity Executive and the early Network South-East livery; the Distribution version originally to be Railfreight Grey a small batch were produced but never released. The concise list of additions to the 1989 catalogue are:-

Cat No.	Class	Livery	Comments
8001	47	Scotrail	Named "Waverley"
8008	47	Distribution Sector	Named "The Silcock Express"
8018	47	NSE	Named "County of Norfolk"
8026	47	Intercity Executive
8314	33	BR Green
8315	33	BR Blue

The coaching range was enhanced to include MkIIs in NSE, Scotrail and Intercity Executive. The MkI BG range was extended to include the new BR Executive and Scotrail liveries as well.

The cost of a Class 37/47 has risen to £49.95 by 1989, the new Class 33s being £41.50, the same price as the Class 25s and 20s.

1991

The 1991 supplement saw a number of the diesels gain modern (well in 1991) sector liveries, the Classes 33/37/47 were all given the treatment.

The HST was given the new Intercity Swift Livery, the old Executive liveried stock being discontinued. New additions were the Class 91 Electric, its matching DVT arrived a year later. The concise list of additions to the 1991 supplement are:-

Cat No.	Class	Livery	Comments
8027	47	Parcels	Named "Track 29"
8036	37	Coal Sector
8037	37	Petroleum Sector
8038	37	Metals Sector
8127	43	Intercity Swift
8316	33	Construction Sector	Named "The Burma Star"
8317	33	Distribution Sector
8408	50	NSE	Named "Superb"
8807	91	Intercity Swift	Numbers 91004, 91005, 91007, 91013

The coaching range was substantially changed, the under-scale MkIIIs were replaced. New Intercity MkIIIs were introduced including a TGS coach, at last a full HST set could be run.

Mk IVs were also made, the correct FO/TSO/RFM/TSOE being produced in the then latest Intercity livery. Parcels and Rail Express traffic was not forgotten with Post Office POS and BG coaches.

1992

The 1992 supplement outlined changes to the Classes 08/20/47, the new Railfreight liveried Class 20 only being produced in a handful before being renumbered. The Class 101 DMU was given NSE and Regional Railway livery updates. The old NSE liveried Class 47 was also replaced by the newer version.

The Class 91 Electric finally gained its matching DVT, on the DMU front a Class 158 2-Car unit was introduced as well as a 3-Car Class 159 version in NSE colours. The concise list of additions to the 1992 supplement catalogue are:-

Cat No.	Class	Livery	Comments
1006	08	BR Red	Named "Thomas"
1008	08	Railfreight Grey
8024	47	NSE (Later)
8025	47	Rail Express
8028	47	Intercity Swift	Named "Fire Fly"
8131	101	Regional Railways	2 Car DMU
8148	101	NSE	3 Car DMU
8208	20	Railfreight Red Stripe	Small batch number 20 137 Main batch 20 215
8707	158	Regional Railways	2 Car DMU
8748	159	NSE	3 Car DMU

Three new types of GUV van were produced.

1993/4

The 1993/4 catalogue saw the Class 56 arrive; the Class 101 was also available as a Limited Edition in Strathclyde Orange/Black livery.

The Railfreight Class 20 was very short-lived, the renumbered version (20 215) never made it into the 1993/4 catalogue. The concise list of additions to the 1993 catalogue are:-

Cat No.	Class	Livery	Comments
8055	56	BR Blue
8056	56	Construction Sector
8057	56	Coal Sector
LE814A	101	Strathclyde Orange/Black	Limited Edition

1997

The 1997 catalogue was basically a new cover on the 1993 version, in the intervening four years little had been added except for some Special Editions. Classes 33/37/47/56 were all given new liveries, the new Class 31 was introduced strangely only in Civil Engineering as a Special Edition! The full list of additions were:-

Cat No.	Class	Livery	Comments
8022	47	Watermans	Named "Lady Godiva" Special Edition
8312	33	Civil Engineering	Named "Sultan" Special Edition
803D	37	Mainline Blue	Named "Rail Celebrity" Special Edition
805D	56	Loadhaul	Special Edition
805E	56	EWS	Named "British Fuels" Special Edition
806A	31	Civil Engineering	Special Edition

No new coaches were launched in this catalogue, the main basis being the batch of Limited Editions, the success of these can be measured by the extent that these were still reasonably available in 2001 when most other locomotives were scarce!

1999

The 1999 supplement to the 1997 catalogue outlined a radical change in the production of Diesel and Electric locomotives and DMUs. The full range of Class 31s appeared as did the new Electric classes 87 and 90, some odd releases were the Porterbrook liveried Class 47 and the half-hearted attempt at a Class 57 in the newly released Freightliner livery.

The biggest new liveries were the range of EWS locomotives; Virgin and Great Western locomotives and HST's. The range shown is listed below:-

Cat No.	Class	Livery	Comments
8002	47	Great Western	Named "SS Great Britain"
8064	31	BR Green
8065	31	BR Blue
8067	31	Regional Railways	Named "Wigan Pier"
8122	43	Great Western
8128	43	Virgin
8825	90	Rail Express	Named "Penny Black"
8827	90	Intercity Swift	Named "BBC North West"
8828	90	Distribution Sector	Named "Freightconnection"
8835	87	BR Blue	Named "Stephenson"
8837	87	Intercity Swift	Named "Royal Scot"
100G	08	EWS	Special Edition
800A	47	Virgin	Named "Totnes Castle"
802C	47	EWS	Special Edition
803E	37	EWS	Named "Loch Rannoch" Special Edition
804A	57	Freightliner Green	Named "Freightliner Pioneer" Special Edition
806B	31	EWS	Special Edition
831A	33	EWS	Special Edition
882A	90	Virgin	Named "The Law Society"
883A	87	Virgin	Named "City of Birmingham"
LE801A	47	Porterbrook	Limited Edition

A number of new coaches were issued to match the new locomotives. A single MkII TSO was issued to match the Regional Railways Class 31, no BSO was ever made. Only TS and TF coaches were produced in the short-lived Great Western livery meaning that a full HST set could not be achieved as the TGS and TRFB coaches were missing. Also no MkII Great Western coaches were produced making the Great Western Class 47 a little redundant!

On the reverse side nearly all relevant coaches were produce in Virgin livery, a full Cross Country HST set could be made with the correct TGS/TS/TF/TRSB MkIIIs. If locomotive haulage was more your style then all the Mk IIs were available, TSO/RFO/BSO (First time a MkII Brake Coach was produced) and even a FO if you wanted to produce a West Coast set.

Non-Catalogued Locomotives

There were a number of locomotives that were released but didn't make it into the catalogue, they may however, have been advertise in leaflets or supplements.

Cat No.	Class	Livery	Comments
8006	47	BR Blue Large Logo	Named "Lady Diana Spencer"
8023	47	Distribution Sector
8208	20	Railfreight Red Stripe	Main batch 20 215
100F	08	EWS	Special Edition

The Railfreight Class 20 was a short lived livery, apparently Farish had real problems with the quality of the red stripe, it is reported that only 300 were produced before they were withdrawn. The EWS 08 shunter 100F was so popular that before the catalogue could be printed another run was produced and coded 100G.

Releases 1999-2001

There were a few releases after the final 1999 catalogue was produced, a few of these releases sent Farish back into the post 'Blue' era, strangely 37 408 "Loch Rannoch" was chosen even though this locomotive had already been issued in EWS livery.

Cat No.	Class	Livery	Comments
8035	37	BR Blue Large Logo	Named "Loch Rannoch"
8066	31	Railfreight Red Stripe
80211	47	Virgin	Named "Graham Farish"
83111	33	BR Blue	Named "Captain Bill Smith RNR"
LE841A	55	Porterbrook	Named "Gordon Highlander" Limited Edition

The Virgin 47 and Blue 33 were issued with new pseudo-Bachmann numbers (they were prefixed FA). A number of items (Class 158's and HST's) were nearing completion before Bachmann took over, they were not released.

Re-releases 1999-2001

In the final flings of Farish's existence there were a few re-releases of previous models. The Class 37 in Coal Sector and BR Maroon Western were given new numbers/names. The Class 50 and 55 were back in production using old bodies; obviously a box was found in the Poole factory!

Cat No.	Class	Livery	Comments
8036	37	Coal Sector	New Number 37 696
8404	50	BR Blue Large Logo	Named "Temeraire"
8416	55	BR Blue	Named "Alycidon"
8426	52	BR Maroon	Named "Western Consort"