Class 52, Dapol or Farish?

emjaybee · February 16, 2020, 10:43:14 PM

Hi, I'm thinking of having a Western repainted and I'd like some advice.

I have a Dapol Western and it's very nice. The question is, which is the better model, the Dapol version or the Farish version?

PLD · February 16, 2020, 10:51:17 PM

The Dapol version is much better detailed and more accurate dimensionally...

The Farish is more durable and able to stand up to the more-ham-fisted minority of modellers...

njee20 · February 16, 2020, 11:04:04 PM

Dapol all day long. It looks like a western.

Giving the Farish one points for durability is definitely scraping the barrel of plaudits to award!

Which livery though, don't Dapol do them all, particularly with this week's announcements.

LASteve · February 17, 2020, 05:53:15 AM

Dapol, all day. I have three now (of course, I only meant to get one!) and the detail is excellent. I have had a couple of issues with the nameplates/numbers detaching, but that's probably my rough handling and not the fault of Dapol.

I actually just today reapplied "Western Viscount" and "D1045" with a couple of dabs of Superglue, so I'll be more careful in future. I didn't notice at first, glad I found the missing pieces.

The Viscount has actually traveled at least 18,000 miles back-and-forth between myself and John Gymer, so that's a plus in the reliability column

Chris Morris · February 17, 2020, 06:33:43 AM

Dapol every time. No need for discussion. The old Farish Western just doesn't capture the look of the real thing. My Dapol fleet have worked hard and had hardly any work on them apart from light oiling and wheel cleaning, and the odd repaint.

Bealman · February 17, 2020, 06:45:45 AM

Awesome shot of the green one on a great layout.

emjaybee · February 17, 2020, 08:06:21 AM

Thanks to everyone who has replied. It's confirmed what I suspected. This must be one of those rare occasions when there hasn't been 50% in one camp and 50% in the other.

njee20 · February 17, 2020, 10:07:23 AM

Unlike (for example) the 66 or the Voyager where both were released simultaneously, the Farish Western was a Poole era model, whilst the Dapol one is far newer. So there's much less ambiguity.

Paddy · February 17, 2020, 10:26:24 AM

Another thing the Farish version has going for it... it definitely goes around 1st radius curves.

Paddy

Newportnobby · February 17, 2020, 10:48:44 AM

I have 2 x Farish and 3 x Dapol.
The Dapol has directional lights and looks better but (and this is only my experience) the Farish run smoother and quieter. Shame Farish didn't fit lighting as per their Warship