Loco choice /differences ?

[will99]

Hi,

Looking at the Graham Farish Diesel Locos we seem stuck between the Class 47/0  D1601 for around £152  or one of the LMS1000/1 twins which are just under £100, in Black or Green livery.

Interested to know what others think of these two diesels, is either any better than the other and why are the LMS ones so much cheaper  ?

TIA.


https://railsofsheffield.com/products/graham-farish-371-825e-class-47-0-d1601-br-green-small-yellow-panels-diesel-locomotive?_pos=113&_fid=0c2be8d97&_ss=c


https://railsofsheffield.com/products/lms-10001-br-lined-green-late-crest-diesel-locomotive?_pos=14&_fid=4ce70a8a8&_ss=c

[Skyline2uk]

I do not have that particular class 47 but have several examples and can say they generally run very well.

More importantly the Class 47 were extremely common and long lasting, as such they are essential for many modellers regions and era.

I suggest the higher price is simply a supply and demand issue based on this.

By the same logic, the LMS "Twins"  only ever had two examples (detail differences aside) and as such are rather more niche for modellers needs. As such I am not sure they have sold that well and can be found in many sales.

Skyline2uk

[PLD]

why are the LMS ones so much cheaper  ?

https://railsofsheffield.com/products/graham-farish-371-825e-class-47-0-d1601-br-green-small-yellow-panels-diesel-locomotive?_pos=113&_fid=0c2be8d97&_ss=c


https://railsofsheffield.com/products/lms-10001-br-lined-green-late-crest-diesel-locomotive?_pos=14&_fid=4ce70a8a8&_ss=c

The LMS 'twins' are actually a fiver more at RRP, £184.95 vs £179.95... Those are one specific retailers discounted prices...

The 47 is RRP-15% which is the lowest they are permitted to go within the first 90 days after release. The Twins have been around quite a while now and that is seemingly one of the less popular liveries (note other liveries e.g. LMS Black 10000 are not so easily found) hence -46% (which is admittedly a very good reduction) to clear remaining stock.
Older releases of 47s can be had for £120ish elsewhere.
If you wait a while, that particular 47 might be discounted further, or on the other hand it might sell out at that level - you take that gamble...

[Skyline2uk]

Just to add another point building on what @PLD is saying about discounts and liveries.

Taking my most recent Swallow class 47 as an example, I pre-ordered that because I couldn't risk them be so popular that they sold out.

Some liveries do seem to linger in model shops and are thus getting quite cheap. As an example, Virgin liveried class 47s didn't seem to be that popular.

Skyline2uk

[Newportnobby]

The class 47 was built from 1962 onwards and many are still running today, some on heritage railways. Lifespan therefore is 60+ years which allows modellers to pick and choose which livery they want for their modelled era.
The 'Twins' were built in the late 1940s and lasted only until the late 1960s so only a 20 year life. As none were preserved no one modelling after the late 60s should really have one unless a Rule 1 purchase.
It could account for the green versions being discounted to shift them

[EtchedPixels]

getting quite cheap. As an example, Virgin liveried class 47s didn't seem to be that popular.

Skyline2uk

That's because nobody wanted to pay £50 a coach for the coaches to go with it 

The general rule though is "the older the cheaper". There's often a premium for the latest and greatest and they artificially inflate the prices early on because there's a subset of the modelling hobby for whom price is largely irrelevant.

If you do look at second hand stuff though you need to know that there are several totally different iterations of the 47 model of increasing quality over the years.

10001 is probably going for less because it's much more of a collectors model. The original 10000/10001 were prototype locomotives so fairly unusual whereas the 47s were the most boringly uninteresting mass locomotives of the late 1960s an then 1970/80s, although they spent an embarassingly large bit of the 1960s part in pieces whilst they figured out that the engines in them were not up to the power rating and eventually gave up and donwrated them.