Lima / GF

[Malc-c]

Not sure if this is the right section, if not then can the Mods move it for me (ta!)

I've been browsing for carriages on a well know auction site and noticed that a lot of the more affordable items for sale are Lima Mk1's compared to GF.  Is there anything different about the coaches that are worth considering ?  I know LIMA locomotives are of a different scale, but juts wondered if this is the same with the rolling stock ?

[NeMo]

The Lima Mk1 coaches are not considered to be particularly good quality, and certainly inferior even to Poole-era Farish coaches.

Unless virtually given away (say, less than £5 each) then avoid. You can pick up Poole-era Farish coaches for around a tenner at many shows, and they're perfectly reasonable coaches even by modern standards even if they lack the detail of the "Blue Riband" ones.

Cheers, NeMo

PS. About the one thing Lima did nicely was their Siphon G milk wagon. If these are on offer for decent prices, they're worth getting and hold their own on modern layouts, especially with a bit of detailing and/or weathering.

[dodger]

Lima coaches are made to a different scale to Farish and look hideous along side other N gauge coaches. Stick to Farish, even Poole ones for SK's & BCK's.

Dodger

[PLD]

the Lima mk1s are well under scale at approx. 1:160 (Continental N scale), the reverse of the over-scale locos!! The body sides are also nearly 2mm thick and they're not flush glazed plus the bogies were borrowed from something else in the continental range and resemble none of the prototype variants. I'd say avoid unless you were paid to take them, and definitely don't mix them with any other brand...

A better option regularly seen at not much more is the Trix mk1s. They are at least close to the correct scale and the bogies are better than the Lima ones...

[Malc-c]

Thanks guys for the comments.

I need to start going to some shows then to pick up some GF bargains... nothing that cheap on flea-bay !

[NeMo]

Hattons has a "bargains" segment, and it's well worth a peruse...

http://www.hattons.co.uk/stocklist/1000398/1000636/Graham_Farish_Coaches/Bargain_List.aspx

The Brake Rail Express full brakes for £11 are lovely, and would complement any loco from 1991 well into the privatisation era. The £14 GUV goes along with them nicely.

If you're doing the BR era (as is presumably the case if you're looking at Lima stock) there are some very nice restaurant and Pullman vehicles that might not be as useful as a standard class coach, but would certainly be much better looking than anything you'd get from Lima! The Pullmans for example can work nicely behind Deltics or Class 86s, replicating luxury trains of that era, or with a bit of Rule 1, could be used for a railtour or special behind anything else with vacuum brakes. Bear in mind that the same coaches, reissued in umber and cream, are being sold for £30, so they're well worth picking up while they're so cheap!

Cheers, NeMo