N Gauge GWR King Class

[Bigmac]

 i would be happy enough with a 2nd hand farish king..but i always get outbid on the few that come up on ebay.

[ianwales]

Just Found this thread and was wondering, have KR Models dropped the proposed N gauge King?

[Richard Taylor]

Just Found this thread and was wondering, have KR Models dropped the proposed N gauge King?

All the indications are that KR Models have dropped all their intended projects in N.  The ones they announced were seemingly based on having acquired some kind of design information from the unlamented DJ Models, but they were then beaten to production of the Shark brake van and the Clayton Type 1 by EFE, and the King proposal vanished soon after.

They also show no sign of shrinking any of their other 4mm weirdies (GT3, Fell etc) to N, so basically I'd forget about them as an N manufacturer.

Richard T

[trkilliman]

My own feeling about a King loco, is that it will be down to either Farish, or the new kid on the block Sonic models to go for it. I'd be very surprised if Dapol went for it.

I'd imagine too many of us got embroiled in the demise of DJM, to pay deposits or partake in crowdfunding.

Thankfully I got my two deposits back in full, but once bitten twice shy. It would need to be "on the shelf" for me to part with my money.

It's said that the owner of Sonic, Sam, previously designed for Farish, and oversaw the Duchess loco design. Presumably he would possess the required skills/knowledge for a King. I think Sonics 56xx is a cracking model.

[PLD]

If we assume the KR project to be dead, that is two schemes to have failed in quick succession... For any other manufacturer considering it, the first question is why they failed. Was it:
1. Mistrust of the companies/individuals involved.
2. Dislike of the funding methods and unwillingness to participate on those terms.
3. In reality, the claimed demand for the model simply isn't there beyond a very vocal few.

For those who really want one, the question is how you convince another manufacturer it was not number 3. That probably does mean you will have to put a substantial amount of money where your mouth is...

[Bigmac]

i would be happy enough with a 2nd hand farish king..but i always get outbid on the few that come up on ebay.

i did get one--although i had to fiddle and faff with the front bogie pivot to get it to work: then it ran with a distinct "beat"..4 cylinders ?.

i had it out for a run recently--and after a few laps it smoothed out a lot.

Were all the farish Kings made in China ?

[Bob G]

Were all the Farish Kings made in China ?

In 2000, Farish (Poole) introduced the King in two variants
Cat no 1414. King Edward II GWR Shirtbutton
Cat no 1415. King John. BR green early crest.

Ramsay's British Model Trains says it used the original Farish Castle body designed in 1982 with a newly designed front bogie. That was typical Farish compromise of the times.

In China, two more versions were produced.

372-550 King Richard II BR blue early crest
372-551 King James II BR green early crest

King driving wheels were 6'6". Castles were 6'8 1/2"
King bogie wheels were 31, Castles were 3'2"
Kings were 68'2" over buffers, Castles were 65'2"
Kings had a GWR No 12 boiler, Castles a No 8 boiler.

In the 2000s, we tolerated a Castle modified by Farish to look like a King. Would we tolerate that now?
I guess the real issue is does it look like a King?

HTH
Bob

[Bealman]

Does Charles? 

[Bob G]

Does Charles? 

I was going to say we don't do political comment on this forum but of course Charles is not allowed to show any political views publicly.
I didn't realise that baiting Royalty was allowed, though 

[Bealman]

Just a simple innocent question 

[Chris Morris]

Were all the Farish Kings made in China ?

In 2000, Farish (Poole) introduced the King in two variants
Cat no 1414. King Edward II GWR Shirtbutton
Cat no 1415. King John. BR green early crest.

Ramsay's British Model Trains says it used the original Farish Castle body designed in 1982 with a newly designed front bogie. That was typical Farish compromise of the times.

In China, two more versions were produced.

372-550 King Richard II BR blue early crest
372-551 King James II BR green early crest

King driving wheels were 6'6". Castles were 6'8 1/2"
King bogie wheels were 31, Castles were 3'2"
Kings were 68'2" over buffers, Castles were 65'2"
Kings had a GWR No 12 boiler, Castles a No 8 boiler.

In the 2000s, we tolerated a Castle modified by Farish to look like a King. Would we tolerate that now?
I guess the real issue is does it look like a King?

HTH
Bob

It all depends on what each of us wants from our railway. To me, almost all early Farish items are just not worth having; I certainly wouldn't use them. I wouldn't tolerate the early Farish King or castle or 61xx or hall or Western as they just aren't good enough representations of the real thing.  I ended up buying a second recent Farish Castle (which is an excellent model albeit in need of a bit of lead) and a Dapol Brit so my express workings in steam days are covered and I am no longer interested in a king.

[PLD]

Ramsay's British Model Trains says it used the original Farish Castle body designed in 1982 with a newly designed front bogie. That was typical Farish compromise of the times.

IIRC, wasnt the same chassis and the same metal body casting (boiler, firebox, cab) used for the King, Castle and Hall just with different plastic mouldings for the smokebox and cylinders?
(Perpetuating the myth of all GWR locos being the same appart from the name  )

[joe cassidy]

To me the King is ugly because of the bogie.

[Bob G]

IIRC, wasnt the same chassis and the same metal body casting (boiler, firebox, cab) used for the King, Castle and Hall just with different plastic mouldings for the smokebox and cylinders?
(Perpetuating the myth of all GWR locos being the same appart from the name  )

Well I do wish the comment in brackets was true, but I'm not sure the Hall and the Castle were the same bodies.
In fact, looking back at the 2005 Farish catalogue, the front footplate area of all three are in fact different, but so are the little circular things on the outside of the firebox of all three bodies (I cant remember what they are called at the moment) so perhaps Ramsey's is wrong too (surely not )

The best looking loco of that era is the rebuilt MN of 1997, but then I would say that, wouldn't I?

HTH
Bob

[chrism]

IIRC, wasnt the same chassis and the same metal body casting (boiler, firebox, cab) used for the King, Castle and Hall just with different plastic mouldings for the smokebox and cylinders?
(Perpetuating the myth of all GWR locos being the same appart from the name  )

In fact, looking back at the 2005 Farish catalogue, the front footplate area of all three are in fact different, but so are the little circular things on the outside of the firebox of all three bodies (I cant remember what they are called at the moment)

Washout plugs, if you mean the several in rows above and below the handrails.

The bulges on the top side corners of the firebox box are, I think, covers over the mudhole doors.