Graham Farish is to British N Gauge as _____ is to American N Scale

[scottmitchell74]

Still trying to get a handle on what to expect quality-wise from different makers.

So, if one were comparing Graham Farish in quality/performance...just overall value and experience for the money, who do they compare to the closest?

[ParkeNd]

Not my field but does Bachmann sound too obvious ?

[SD35]

I'd say Bachmann.  I'm sure other people might have had different experiences but Athearn, Atlas and Intermountain are on another level.  Kato are on another planet.

[Sprintex]

It probably also depends on what your view is of Graham Farish - opinions range from "really quite good" to "bloomin' awful" and everything inbetween depending on personal experience


Paul

[ParkeNd]

It probably also depends on what your view is of Graham Farish - opinions range from "really quite good" to "bloomin' awful" and everything inbetween depending on personal experience


Paul

And Farish when?  Farish new in 2014, or  old Poole Farish secondhand via eBay. There seems such a difference that only the brand name is common.

[Bealman]

My experience is that GF in (both old and new) are hit and miss. One purchase is brill, the next a lemon.

But I'm sure that could apply to virtually every model locomotive with the possible exception of Kato.

I would agree with the Bachmann comparison with US locos - mind you, back in the 80's I bought a Lifelike model that was decidedly dodgy - probably 'cos it was in green Burlington Northern livery 

[grumbeast]

If we are considering current locomotives, then I don't thing graham farish are in the same league as any of the US manufacturers.  That's not meant to be a criticism of farish, it's just what I see.  I have a new farish western that is a gem, looks lovely and runs well.   But that's it, it runs well.  If I look at my kato atlas lifelike and (some) Bachman stuff (at least recent stuff) they all tend to run better.  I think it's unfair to compare bachmann in this way as the recent locos (especially steam) are superior to Grafar in every way, although I don't have one, if you read thespookshow review of the new EM1 articulated he positively raves, calling it the best nscale loco ever which for him is incredible praise.

So I think both  Grafar and Dapol while now vastly improved and good, still lag behind North America, Europe and Japan ( while playing with my new (lovely) Western, I also stuck a fleischmann taurus the layout, when running together the difference was so obvious, the 22 suddenly sounded like a truck, the fleischmann loco was like liquid....

Anyway, just my two cents

Graham

[Les1952]

I came back to UK outline from running US-outline a few years ago, in part because the new stuff was getting TOO finely detailed.   With full-length plastic handrails separated by a walkway getting finer and finer I was finding them almost impossible to keep intact.

You place the loco on the track, carefully remove the packing piece and run the loco.  Fine on a permanent layout, but I've not been blessed with one of those for over thirty years.  Great care with it when picking it up notwithstanding there is going to come a time when you touch those handrails and that is it, broken.

As to running, the couple of brass locos I didn't dispose of when returning to UK outline are nice and smooth, but I feel that my Dapol Class 26/27 or Farish class 20/24 are at least as good.   As to pyrotechnics, I have had thick smoke issue from the cab of a Dapol Class 26, and an Atlas Geep- and getting the latter sorted out under warranty was a major league headache.........

All the very best
Les

[Agrafarfan]

I guess I'm one of those that is very happy with Farish, judging what I read on other forums and stuff I'd say UK Bachmann has a better reputation than US Bachmann.

I'd say the new Graham Farish by Bachmann (Bachmann Brought them out in 2000) has had a similar fate as Arnold now owned by Hornby.

I'm very happy with Graham Farish I would say it is nearly as good as fleischmann probaly considering the pricing better but obviously a loy of people wouldn't agree with that.

As comparing to the US Rolling stock maybe Bachmann Spectrum range as I think they come from the same factory not to sure though. Steam trains might be different though.

Just my 2cents worth.

Ian

[EtchedPixels]

It depends what bit you are looking at

Detailwise some of the Dapol stuff is really first class, and up with the best of the US stock. Mechanically its a bit variable.

Farish tends to be a shade less good on detail (and they seem to make a few more daft errors than Dapol) but mechanically is usually a bit more reliable.

Bachmann == Farish seems fair-ish except that Bachmann USA have a lifetime warranty and a parts service, Bachmann UK have a useless warranty and comparatively week 'best effort' parts service. Also Bachmann USA fixed their splitting gears problem while the UK outfit has improved it slightly but not fixed it.

If you want reliability over fine detail for UK models then Union Mills.

So much varies by loco though. I've been after a couple of failed new style Bachmann Farish class 08 diesels for ages, and just can't get one, while some of the others have rather less successful histories - mostly steam ones.

Alan

[Chatty]

I run on both UK and American layouts here.

Both Bachmann UK and US models have about the same reliability however I think that probably the US versions are better detail. 

For example, the valve gear on UK models is a lot "chunkier" whereas it is finer on the US models.  In fact, I think the OO models appear to have finer valve gear.

With all these things it is very much a subjective opinion.

Kind regards

Geoff

[Bealman]

That is correct, Geoff. Plus of course the fact that if you really want to run British, you haven't got a lot of choice! Bit more than Aussie N, mind you! 

[ParkeNd]

That is correct, Geoff. Plus of course the fact that if you really want to run British, you haven't got a lot of choice! Bit more than Aussie N, mind you! 

Does Aussie N have miniature people for the stations? I had in particular mind the Neighbours and Home and Away girls. Especially Marilyn and Heath's wife Bianca from Home and Away, and Therese Willis from Neigbours, all of which appeal to this soon to be 67 year old. They could have just met up and be on the way to a weekend with me

They would be so much more prototypical on my layout than the multi-coloured Chinese people in one of the eBay threads.

[Bealman]

Who watches too much TV then