Graham Farish Masterpieces in Miniature?

[Reptilian Feline]

Being Swedish, anything British popping up on our local version of ebay is always a find, but not always with any info about them. Twice now I've won auctions of items from Graham Farish Masterpieces in Miniature. One is a kit to build houses, and it's complete, never having being put together, so pretty nice, because I can scan it and build it without losing the original. The other is a set of a loco and four coaches in GWR livery. The loco is the 9400 pannier 0-6-0T GWR. The coaches are three of the same and then a break, all 57' long, in N scale of course. Someone else started to bid on the loco and coaches, and it took me by surprise because I didn't think anyone else was modeling in British N. I contacted the other bidder, asking what they were modeling, because I hadn't met anyone else doing British N. The other bidder dropped out after realising that the scales aren't the same, and so the set was mine, but a bit pricier than expected.

So, now I'm trying to figure out what to do. The 9400 0-6-0T is too late for WW2 and the wrong livery for LNER, so what do I do? Do I get 3D printed bodies and switch, or do I sell the loco and coaches to a collector in the UK? One coach is missing its box, but the rest are a bit worn but OK, and the loco and coaches look very nice.

I don't even know when they were made, except the boxes says their made in England. Vintage?

[Bealman]

Late seventies- eighties, probably.

[railsquid]

If it's British-made Graham Farish (often referred to as "Poole Farish" or similar as that was where they were made), it could be from up until the late 1990s.

There are some Poole-era catalogues available here which might help narrow down the production timespan: http://www.ness-st.co.uk/N-gauge-catalogues.html

The train as described is unlikely to attract much interest on the second-hand market.

[PLD]

The 94xx chassis is the same as the "GP Tank" and was the recommended unit for a multitude of white metal kits over the years, with varying degrees of compromise to fit the chassis...
The Langley N2 or Beaver J52 are two examples to watch for that might be suitable for your LNER location.

The coaches will be the generic types sold in every livery but not quite right for any of them...

[Reptilian Feline]

Thanks guys! If no real interest, and a bit of too generic on the coaches, I don't feel bad about using them to make something that fits my layout better. PLD, thanks for the info on the engine, most useful. I guess I got lucky :-)

[njee20]

If you're cannibalising them to just use the chassis, and replacing the bodies, why bother to pay a premium for British outline in the first place?

I'm not sure I'd buy stuff purely because it's British, you risk ending up with a random selection of models.

[Reptilian Feline]

If you're cannibalising them to just use the chassis, and replacing the bodies, why bother to pay a premium for British outline in the first place?

I'm not sure I'd buy stuff purely because it's British, you risk ending up with a random selection of models.

Premium? I got 4 coaches and an engine with the right wheels for a shunter for about £40. I think that was pretty nice. Besides, finding the right wheel configuration for engines and rolling stock when looking at Fleishmann or similar, isn't easy. I now have a number of six wheel coaches of German outline I can't convert to LNER because LNER had already stopped using them by WW2.

[njee20]

As long as you're happy. You said you paid more than you expected, but it sounds like you were buying purely because they were UK outline. If you're 3D printing why not print chassis as well? Just trying to avoid you wasting money.

[Reptilian Feline]

As long as you're happy. You said you paid more than you expected, but it sounds like you were buying purely because they were UK outline. If you're 3D printing why not print chassis as well? Just trying to avoid you wasting money.

I did pay more than the opening price, that's true, but compared to other items it was still a bargain.

I don't really know if it's possible to 3D print a working loco chassi. Doesn't that need a motor to work? And metal wheels? Printing the body myself instead of ordering it from Shapeways has crossed my mind, especially since I need it to fit the particular chassi I have.
The coaches will be useful in checking clearance when making curves and tunnels and platforms, even if they are in the wrong livery.
I need them all as hands on references. When I compare the GWR loco I just bought with the old Fleishmann shunter I bought years ago, they are so different to each other, I find myself having the re-evaluate my own mental images of how things fit.

When I first saw the add and decided to bid on it, I thought the Graham Farish set might be important to collectors, because they look like they might be to me, who hasn't been to any British railway model shows. I know that there are people out there who collect vintage items in original boxes just forn the collecting part. I didn't want to do a stupid thing an ruin something that might be important to a collector. I'd rather sell it if that was the case. From what I understand, that's not the case, so I can go ahead and use it as I please, or sell it later on when I don't need it to make sure things fit on my layout.

I don't think you all understand how hard it is to find anything useful in Sweden when doing British outline.  There are a few German steam locos and then the newer in both Swedish and German liveries, but none of that fits. I went through a list of coaches in German outline to see if they could be turned into British outline, and none fitted among those that were sold new.

So, yes, I paid more than expected because I didn't think anyone else would bid. That person didn't know about the scale difference, and when she found out, she pulled out. I'm probably going to have to pay more for a copy of Railway Modelling The Realistic Way, when the bookstore can find me a copy, than I paid for this loco and four coaches.

[railsquid]

I don't think you all understand how hard it is to find anything useful in Sweden when doing British outline.  There are a few German steam locos and then the newer in both Swedish and German liveries, but none of that fits. I went through a list of coaches in German outline to see if they could be turned into British outline, and none fitted among those that were sold new.

Have you considered ordering directly from the UK? Hattons and Rails of Sheffield are particularly good for shipping overseas. Other suppliers may be available, but those are the ones I usually use.

I live in Japan and while I've acquired random bits and pieces of British outline stock, if I need anything specific I order directly from Britain. With the UK having launched itself into splendid isolation, I assume VAT will be deducted for orders to Sweden (both the mentioned suppliers do this automatically). I don't know how keen Swedish customs would be to impose import duty etc. (though both suppliers tend to ship stuff in anonymous-looking cardboard boxes which tend not to attract the attention of Japanese customs).

So, yes, I paid more than expected because I didn't think anyone else would bid.

Around £40 would be a reasonable price for the coaches alone these days.

[Reptilian Feline]

Have you considered ordering directly from the UK? Hattons and Rails of Sheffield are particularly good for shipping overseas. Other suppliers may be available, but those are the ones I usually use.

I have, and probably will if I can't find the right kind of loco or coaches. Thanks for recommending them for shipping overseas. Hopefully they'll slip through customs, and if not, then paying the tax won't be too much if it's bought tax free.

I'll compare their prices to what I have to pay for buying from Germany or the Netherlands... I found one site (I'm sure there are others) that offered Metcalfe Models, and I thought I would have to buy those from the UK as well. Shipping has to be part of the equation.

[keithfre]

then paying the tax won't be too much if it's bought tax free.

Here in Holland it's not so much the tax as the handling fees for collecting it that bump up the cost of low-priced purchases from the UK...