James Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 With all these issues, how do the old Airfix ones hold up/compare? They rather good - have a look at Monty Wells' article in one of the early MRJs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennine MC Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 (edited) I have old midels 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 Having had a few Airfix ones, they vary. If you get a good one, they can be very good runners. I like the body shape but I wouldnt call it 'crisp', certainly not next to a Lima one. TBH and all things considered, I think the 31 may just be shaping up to be one of those classes that still needs a 'future proof' model. IMO all are acceptable bodywise, but none is spot on. Edited September 14, 2011 by Pennine MC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 I still think the Hornby model is by far the best Class 31 As an out of the box products it has by far the most features, but that doesn't make it the best. IMHO the Lima model has the best body shape and the tooling is delightful - Hornby's tooling is rather chunky by comparison. If you're prepared to put in the work, the Lima has far more potential - if the Hornby model doesn't offend then it is the more sensible option but I'd still use the Lima body as a basis. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickL2008 Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Agreed, Although the Lima tooling is older now, there is some fine detail of which compared to the Hornby shell is nowhere near as good IMO ... the cut-away bufferbeam springs to mind NL Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltic79 Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 I wonder if the winning bidder of this loco realises what they might have bought --> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200651468905?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 I guess it could have just been damaged but it looks to me that its showing the first signs of chassis swelling. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bert Cheese Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 I wonder if the winning bidder of this loco realises what they might have bought --> http://www.ebay.co.u...984.m1423.l2649 I guess it could have just been damaged but it looks to me that its showing the first signs of chassis swelling. Looking at the droop on the buffer skirting I would imagine the chassis is already gone, as soon as the body is removed the chassis end will most likely drop off...looks nearly identical to mine a few months ago. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigwelsh Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Looks like an ex-parrot to me too.. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D605Eagle Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Surely whoever has bought it can just send it off to Hornby and get it fixed for free? Make it a cheap 31 if they can! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Accurascale Fran Posted September 25, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 25, 2011 Another 'cracker' here. Looking for a cheap one to transplant the internals into a Lima ped. This one might prove to be popular though with those bids already. No mention of the crack by the seller, they might not have noticed themselves. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrushVeteran Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Another 'cracker' here. Looking for a cheap one to transplant the internals into a Lima ped. This one might prove to be popular though with those bids already. No mention of the crack by the seller, they might not have noticed themselves. Although not directly my concern, I have e-mailed the seller in the hope they can do something about it before some unfortunate recipient finds out for themselves. I have no connection with the seller, other than a satisfied customer, but do feel a certain duty to try and help where I can. This chassis cracking problem has been discussed time and time again on this forum and the answer is quite simple...contact Hornby giving them details of where and when purchased. I have sent them back two and been perfectly happy with the outcome. The postage to return the model is a small price to pay I think. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D605Eagle Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 all rails 2nd hand sales carry a 3 month guarentee, so if somebody buys it not knowing, they do have a dregree of protection. Anyway, whoever buys it, cannot they get it fixed by Hornby for free? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggie Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Having returned my 31270 with cracked chassis during August, I got an email last week saying it had been fixed and was on its way back to me, however they have discovered there is a fault with the decoder. Who knows what happened to it, but I know it was ok when it left here! I'm just hoping I get a new body and get sent the old. There would be great a opportunity to do a scrap yard scene! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Absolute Aspects Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 So what does Hornby do? I'm literally about to post off my weathered class 31 as one of the cabs has two very large cracks just like the photos above. Am I going to get a new model? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium spamcan61 Posted September 28, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 28, 2011 So what does Hornby do? I'm literally about to post off my weathered class 31 as one of the cabs has two very large cracks just like the photos above. Am I going to get a new model? Given that the chassis and body are both knackered then I would think so. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Absolute Aspects Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Good good, I only brought it a few weeks ago. Had a test run with it and it was all fine and dandy, put it back in its box. Took it out a few weeks later and it had the two massive cracks... Not too impressed that day. thanks spamcan 61 ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggie Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Just to note, mine has arrived back today. It came complete with new body (31268) and they enclosed the old body too! So where can I get a chassis to create a dummy engine? Cheers Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Just to note, mine has arrived back today. It came complete with new body (31268) and they enclosed the old body too! So where can I get a chassis to create a dummy engine? Cheers Jon I was thinking the same or I might cut the cabs off and have a them on a flat wagon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren01 Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 HI I was going to get a green 31 for my layout , but with the body shell cracking and the chasse falling apart , no tahnks , i'll keep me money. Darren Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D605Eagle Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 HI I was going to get a green 31 for my layout , but with the body shell cracking and the chasse falling apart , no tahnks , i'll keep me money. Darren Its only D5512 of the green 31s that suffers from the chassis rot, and even if you do buy one and its subsiquently starts to rot, you can get it fixed by Hornby for nothing more than the cost of posting it to them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireline Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 Given that the chassis and body are both knackered then I would think so. Nope. No new models to be had! Hornby take all the gubbins out of your old chassis, and fit them into a replacement. A new body on top, and off you go. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed-farms Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 Well I am going to be posting off 2 31's tonight - both mine suffered badly. Finger crossed for 2 new one's soon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 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 Interesting development here chaps! You may recall that on the old RMWeb site I carried out a rebuild of my crumbling chassis, with photographs. More an exercise in seeing what could be done on my part I guess, and I have to say I was happy with the result. With the comments from all the other posters I took another look at it last week. There was evidence of "crumbledust" around, so the longterm future does look bleak for the chassis, though I have to say it is still at the moment in more or less the same rebuilt condition. But I decided to politely contact the Hornby Customer Services via their website . They actually called the contact a "complaint" which I suppose technically it was, but in my eyes was more of a query. Anyway, late last Friday evening I filled in the complaint form. On Monday afternoon I got an email asking for the model number, which I replied to. Then on Tuesday morning, I received another email, saying they would send me out a replacement chassis (! made me wonder what was coming), allow 7-10 days. TODAY! mid afternoon Wednesday, I received a replacement chassis block (ie just the casting as suggested by me) for me to rebuild into the loco. No charge even for postage. I have to put it in capitals, sorry, WELL DONE Hornby, MANY THANKS for the service. I have to add that I was (hopefully) polite; cross-referred with a link to my descriptive posting on RMWeb as proof; and asked if replacement chassis CASTINGS (not complete running chassis) were available for purchase. I also pointed out that as a former Hornby service engineer for a couple of shops, I was competent to rebuild it. With all the "Down" postings for Hornby recently, this has certainly recast my thoughts for the company. Off to rebuilt D5508 (aka D5512 in Hornby terms) in a little while..... Stewart Edited October 5, 2011 by stewartingram 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin_R Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 Great news! Had a phone call from Hornby last Wednesday to say 2 of my 3 Class 31's were on the way back to me. A box arrived today with two rebuilt chassis plus a new green body D5511 to replace the split D5512 body and a weathered blue body 31 268 to replace split 31 270 body. New sets of detailing parts were also included. Both have now been re-assembled and are brilliant runners with superb slow running and virtually silent mechanisms. Another plus is that 31 268 has the raised body side seam missing from the original issue 31 270. To marks to Hornby for great service, just waiting for my Dutch 31 110 to come back now. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 Prompted by this post and after my previous response I checked both my Hornby Class 31's 31 111 and 31 270, 31 111 was OK however 31 270 was cracked on 3 corners! I have not used 31 270 for a couple of years and I was going use it at the next time I took my Croxley WRD layout out. I will contact Hornby tomorrow. Xerces Fobe Ditto this Xerces Fobe as per my post this evening. Two class 31's have bitten the dust and I don't know how to get some form of compensation. A lot of money up front and two knackered locos... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickL2008 Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 Recently I brought a 31270 from Ebay and this has gone the same way, the ends of the Chassi with the bufferbeams have just fallen off, and the body cracked. Luckily I only require the model to cannibalise for the Motor drive components. Its a good job I brough it for this reason rather than someone else buying this one and having the same happen to them NL Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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