mossdp Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 (edited) As I wrote somewhere on this thread or another similar, I received my green D5512 model returned in May suitably rebuilt with new chassis and body but now my other class 31, Dutch liveried 31110 has started to suffer in the same way. A tell-tale crack has now appeared at a cab corner. When I examined it before I returned the green one, probably almost a year ago, there was no evidence of a problem but now there is. Previous to this as reported on here it was green D5512 and blue 31270 that were effected with only one or few reports of Dutch 31110. All these models were from the first batch of Chinese made 31s made towards the end of 2004 or early 2005. To the best of my knowledge, no other later made 31s have been effected. It seems this problem is still developing in these first batch models and that those that did not seem to be effected before may turn out to be. Might be time to have another check of your class 31s if you have D5512, 31270, or 31110. Edited September 8, 2011 by mossdp Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin_R Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 Decided to check my Class 31’s last Sunday and found the following! D5512 R2420 dated [ 50 04 ] body split on corners at one end and chassis end broken away. 31 110 R2421 dated [ 52 04 ] cracks in body at one end and chassis end broken away. 31 270 R2413 dated [ 01 05 ] body splits / cracks on all corners and both ends of chassis broken away. I also have a second 31 110 R2421 dated [52 04] which appears to have no problems at this time. These were all in use in late June and showed no signs at all then. I called into my ‘local’ model shop on Monday and spoke with the owner about the issue. He had some brand new unsold D5512 and 31270 models in stock and got them out to have a look and guess what? Yes - some of these were affected in similar ways. I have just posted off 3 defective chassis to Hornby after speaking with them this morning - will now have to wait and see what happens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 Well, guess whose pilot scheme Brush type 2 (D5512) suddenly started making a scraping noise this afternoon? No1 end of the chassis dropped off and scraping on a flange top. No exterior damage to the body at all, but three out of four of the brass inserts to take the body securing screws are very loose (plastic cracked all around them) to the point of one not unscrewing at all , but simply coming free from the body. Think I am going for the 'glue the shortened chassis ends under the cabs solution' mentioned earlier as the chassis has been much tinkered with mechanically and is now a superb runner. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigwelsh Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 Think I am going for the 'glue the shortened chassis ends under the cabs solution' mentioned earlier as the chassis has been much tinkered with mechanically and is now a superb runner. The snag with that is that the rest of the block will powder away within the next year or so. The posts for the circuit board on mine had also failed by the time I sent it to Hornby as well as chips coming off the main block. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 Interesting that the prototype Class 31's were proned to developing dropped cabs as well! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the idea of a replacement chassis block being made freely available as a spare item. Surely as modellers we would be able to transfer the bits across to a new chassis block & eradicate the problem. Yes, I know about Hornby & responsibility etc but there comes a time when this is no longer needed or whatever. Surely a new block, already designed and tooled up, could sell for less than a tenner. Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted September 10, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 10, 2011 (edited) I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the idea of a replacement chassis block being made freely available as a spare item. Surely as modellers we would be able to transfer the bits across to a new chassis block & eradicate the problem. Yes, I know about Hornby & responsibility etc but there comes a time when this is no longer needed or whatever. Surely a new block, already designed and tooled up, could sell for less than a tenner. Stewart IIRC Hornby have acknowledged the problem and have aranged the manufacture of replacment chassis units (as an add on to the next batch of class31 releases) to replace those which have failed. Hornby have gone on record saying anyone having a problem should get in contact with them to arange getting the faulty chasis replaced under warenty and free of charge but go on to say they will not be 'selling' them on the open market Edited September 10, 2011 by phil-b259 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 Just as an aside, you can always use the chassis components as a basis for remotoring the Lima model - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/topic/19369-brush-type-2-re-birth-finished/ The Lima body is much better than the Hornby model, just needs a bit of effort, but it's very much worthwhile! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Trevellan Posted September 10, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 10, 2011 Just as an aside, you can always use the chassis components as a basis for remotoring the Lima model That's food for thought James, as I happen to have an old Lima 31 lurking in a cupboard somewhere. Frankly, returning my defective 31 to Hornby will be a lot of hassle and they won't be able to do anything with it other than bin it. Supporting other views on ths thread, before it began to self-destruct my 31 was a superb runner and even more so after conversion to DCC. Reading the notes of your conversion makes it look reasonably straightforward, but I'm not sure I'm that courageous! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RFS Posted September 10, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 10, 2011 My pilot version D5512 ran OK for at least a couple of years before the front cab part broke away. I took the body off and found that one of the 4 fixing screws had failed as well. Hornby asked for the loco to be returned to them. It came back as D5511 (so obviously a new body) and there was a replacement chassis as well. Whether the motor had been transferred from the old chassis I don't know, but everything is fine now. I only had to pay to return the loco to Hornby - everything else was free of charge. I was very pleased with that service. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 IIRC Hornby have acknowledged the problem and have aranged the manufacture of replacment chassis units (as an add on to the next batch of class31 releases) to replace those which have failed. Hornby have gone on record saying anyone having a problem should get in contact with them to arange getting the faulty chasis replaced under warenty and free of charge but go on to say they will not be 'selling' them on the open market Yes I realise that, but they are complete & fully working chassis. I'm asking for them to sell as a normal spare (via East Kent or wherever) a chassis BLOCK as they do/have done for other models in the past. Then up to the modeller to build it up to a working chassis using the good bits of his crumbled chassis. Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 but I'm not sure I'm that courageous! Look at it this way.. You have little to loose, currently you have one spare Lima 31 which would otherwise be sitting in a box and one shagged Hornby 31! If you get a spare Lima chassis frame you can try the new chassis using this before you even have to touch the intact Lima model. It's worth doing as it frees you of the slab sided Hornby body and leaves you with a much better model which combines the best of both the Lima and Hornby models 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigwelsh Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 That's food for thought James, as I happen to have an old Lima 31 lurking in a cupboard somewhere. Frankly, returning my defective 31 to Hornby will be a lot of hassle and they won't be able to do anything with it other than bin it. Supporting other views on ths thread, before it began to self-destruct my 31 was a superb runner and even more so after conversion to DCC. They'd pretty much send you a new one so its worth doing really. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Trevellan Posted September 11, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 11, 2011 Thanks chaps. Decisions, decisions... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 having had a similar problem, with 31270,Hornby sorted that out in about 3 months. My dutch 31110 also developed the cracks.That went back in feb, Hornby procrastinated until May.Then I got an email saying there would be no new chassis for that loco until October.Hencethe loco could well be with them for most of 2011.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 They'd pretty much send you a new one so its worth doing really. But the body will still be wrong! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigwelsh Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 But the body will still be wrong! Well you can get a Lima one out then and flog the nice new Hornby one on eBay.. At least you have a working chassis to start with! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Even better, strip the new Hornby chassis and sell the block to someone with a warped one too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Well I'll take a new Hornby chassis block off anyone who's got one going! Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 What about one which had its buffer beams cut off? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 Would do me fine Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 I received a parcel from Hornby today in it was as good as new class 31 31 268 rather than 31 270 (I am not bothered about a different no) works fine only one very small niggle Hornby forgot to refit the couplings and they were missing, Thank you Hornby all done in less than 8 working days what a great service and I even got the damaged body back as well! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 With all these issues, how do the old Airfix ones hold up/compare? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 (edited) With all these issues, how do the old Airfix ones hold up/compare? I have old models of Class 31's from Triang-Hornby, Airfix ,Lima and Hornby. The Airfix model is crisp and clean but is let down by poor buffer beam detail and the motor is very poor. I still think the Hornby model is by far the best Class 31 Edited September 15, 2011 by Xerces Fobe2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed-farms Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 I suddenly looked at this discussion last night and straight after reading it dashe up stairs to check my 31270 which has 2 small cracks on the cab side and 2 of the cab doors won't close - I daren't take the top off to see but it will be on its way back to Hornby. I also have the green one from the first batch (D5512) no signs of crackin on that yet but I will be taking the top off to check that tonight. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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