Graham Farish N Scale Model Railroads & Trains

Thomas Graham Farish founded the Graham Farish company in 1919 in Catford, England. The company originally manufactured radio components for hobbyists who built their own radios. During World War II, the company acquired die casting equipment for the production of war-related materials. They used this equipment to begin producing model railroad products in 1948.

Graham Farish's first model railroad product was its Formo flexible model railway track. In 1949, they began producing GP5 00 gauge die-cast train sets. Due to limited supplies of metal after World War II, these early model train sets were cast with impure metal alloys. The details of the trains were made from Bakelite plastic. The materials did not stand up to time and wear, so these sets are difficult to find today.

The company took a break from producing model trains in the '50s. They resumed production in the '60s, and in 1970, due to the decrease in demand for 00 gauge model railroads, began producing N scale model railroad products. They became a major supplier of N gauge model railroad products and discontinued their 00 gauge lines. In 2000, Graham Farish was acquired by Bachmann Industries, where they continue to produce N Scale model railroads under the Graham Farish name.

Quick Facts

• Graham Farish N scale products reflect United Kingdom locomotives and rail cars from 1875 to 2011
• Graham Farish discontinued its 00 gauge model railroad lines in 1981, allowing them to focus on the more popular N scale products
• In 1953, Graham Farish produced a line of over 60 figures for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. A lot of 30 of Graham Farish coronation figures was sold at auction by Bonham's for £600 in 2014