Graham Farish 372-163A LMS Stanier 8F 48703 BR Black (Late Crest) Steam Locomotive

We’re delighted to welcome the Stanier 8F back to the Graham Farish range and our award-winning model is a fitting replica of this all-time icon of British locomotive design. Few other classes were as numerous as the 8Fs which played a vital role in the allied victory during World War Two, before going on to serve British Railways until the very last day of steam. 

Constructed around a diecast metal running plate and chassis, the Graham Farish 8F boasts a highly detail bodyshell, cab and tender along with many extra details that are added individually. With a powerful coreless motor providing drive through a diecast metal gearbox, our 8F is a strong and powerful performer capable of hauling long and heavy trains. A comprehensive tooling suite caters for the various detail differences seen across the 8F fleet allowing many of the 800+ locomotives to be accurately portrayed at any given time in their operation career. 

DETAIL VARIATIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS MODEL 

GRAHAM FARISH STANIER 8F CLASS SPECIFICATION 

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LMS 8F HISTORY 

The first of Stanier’s 2-8-0 8Fs emerged from Crewe Works in 1935, one of 331 locomotives ordered by the LMS, however by 1945 a total of 852 8Fs had been built. The extra 521 came about as a result of their engineer Robert Riddles being seconded to the Ministry of Supply during World War Two. Riddles halted an order for ROD 2-8-0s, the engines that had proved so important during the First World War, and instead chose the Stanier 8F as the War Department’s standard steam locomotive for the Second World War. 

The ministry of supply ordered 208 for the War Department, meanwhile 245 were ordered for the LMS by the Railway Executive Committee who had taken control of the Big 4 during the conflict.  These were built by the SR, GWR and LNER, the latter pair effectively keeping the locomotives that they constructed on loan until peacetime returned. Add to this 68 locomotives that the LNER decided to order for its own fleet, becoming the Class O6, of which 43 were built in-house at Doncaster and Darlington and 25 came from Brighton Works. 

The War Department locomotives were shipped primarily overseas, serving with the Middle East Forces of the British Army. Many did not return, having been either lost in transit, lost in battle or sold to the state railways in the countries they had served in once their turn in action was over. 

In 1948 British Railways inherited 624 8Fs upon Nationalisation, these being the majority of the LMS fleet give or take a few dozen that were requisitioned, and those operated by the GWR and LNER. Following repatriations and the return of surplus locomotives to BR from military use, the 8F fleet peaked at 666 engines between 1957 and 1960, when the first succumbed to withdrawal. With few exceptions they were allocated to the London Midland Region and found plentiful work hauling all manner of goods plus summer weekend workings and excursion traffic where they turned their hand to passenger haulage with ease. 

It would be 1964 before withdrawals reached double figures and by the start of 1968, the final year of steam on British Rail, 150 8Fs were still in traffic, centred around the final bastion of steam in the North West of England. 8F No. 48518 would take responsibility for the final steam-hauled goods train on BR on 3rd August, followed on the 4th, the final day or ‘normal’ steam, by No. 48773 hauling a leg of the Locomotive Club of Great Britain’s ‘Farewell to Steam Railtour’. 

Preservation dealt the 8F a meagre hand with just eight of the 852 locomotives built still extant in the UK today. A further six can be found abroad in Turkey, Israel and Iraq, bringing the total to 14 survivors.