Old British made Farish chassis with 9mm spoked wheels ?

bscanlon · August 19, 2018, 04:48:50 PM

Hi

These wheels are on some Farish steam. 9mm diameter. Not see through, they are metal backed.

From wheel face to back they are 2.2 - 2.3mm wide.

Have a black plastic spoked insert that fits into the wheel rim and also a 2.9mm bore in the metal back of the wheel. This insulates the wheel from the axle. The spoked insert takes a 1.5mm axle.

The ones pictured were from a junk mech with 'Grafar' and 'Britain' on the black plate on the bottom of the chassis.

I'm wondering which particular Farish chassis and locomotives used this design of wheel?

I know there have been a number of 'generations' of older Farish locomotives like these. I want to harvest some for scratchbuilding and don't want to buy a loco off the 'bay that has a different wheel design.

cheers, Ben

ntpntpntp · August 19, 2018, 08:12:27 PM

They have a very rounded front edge to the tyre, so makes me think of the early Farish/Grafar locos of the 70s.
9mm is quite large, so maybe the early Hall class loco? I don't think the Pannier tank wheels were that large (and the J69 and Standard tank wheels were certainly smaller)

[edit] 9mm is also the diameter of the wheels from the GP Tank (1978 onward) but the wheels I have in my bits box have better "sharper" looking tyre edges and they have squared off ends to the axles, so I still think yours are early Farish.

bscanlon · August 19, 2018, 08:17:16 PM

Hi, I had an idea the mech was a tank locomotive (unless it was an 08) but not 100% sure as I do not have the shell. Wheelbase from front axle to rear axle is 23.5mm, if that helps.

ntpntpntp · August 19, 2018, 08:31:38 PM

Is it a plastic chassis with can motor, or the later metal chassis with open frame motor?

[edit] Actually, 23.8mm wheelbase is correct for the 08 and the J94 saddle tank. Interesting, that makes those wheels much later than I thought.

ntpntpntp · August 19, 2018, 08:42:24 PM

Hmm... the more I look at your photo, the more I see the flanges aren't deep enough for an early model anyway.

Is that the true colour - are they blackened or bright metal?

bscanlon · August 19, 2018, 09:07:55 PM

The wheel is dull due to oxidation. It's not that dark in real life.

Attached is a pic of the mechanism it is from.

ntpntpntp · August 19, 2018, 09:44:12 PM

OK so that's the short wheelbase mechanism as per the old design 08 chassis and the J94. Just shows how far wrong I was to begin with!

So other locos like the GP Tank used the same 9mm wheels. I'm not a Farish user any more so can't comment on the full range of models which used those same wheels.

bscanlon · August 19, 2018, 10:22:10 PM

Thanks, that's pretty helpful. I know what to buy to get some more of these wheels.

Dr Al · August 20, 2018, 10:07:14 AM

Farish 08 - yes.

Just be careful - there's a screw jammed in the motor there - needs fishing out before you try powering it up.

Cheers,
Alan

bscanlon · August 20, 2018, 11:17:53 AM

Yeah I noticed! Don't worry, it's not going anywhere.

Its wheels will be transplanted onto things that have a 2mm axle (using HO top hat bushings.) Long story ... but it's been a tough search finding metal-backed 9mm wheels for a 2mm axle.

IHC do some for HO AHM/Rivarossi coaches but I reckon they are .110" profile so pretty thick.

With the Farish ones, at least you only have to thin down the tyre to get them to the right profile.