FARISH NEW 31

[Crepello]

Pics on Bachmann site today!

[Guest bri.s]

Just had a quick look and they do look good a lot better than the old one I have think am going to get 2 in blue and then 2 37's in blue when they come out

[mcowgill]

A class 31 that looks like a 31 - that's novel!

 

I wonder if Bachmann might upsize it for me to 4mm scale...

[woodenhead]

Looking good.

[justin1985]

I'm sure the experts will find some faults, but these are looking great to me! If anything jumps out at me, I'm wondering whether the gap between the bogies and body is a bit large, as per the 37 - but this could just be shadow exaggerated by the grey body/black bogies. Also, I'm not sure why pickup is only from four axles? Fine only four are driven, if the central ones are prototypically smaller diammeter, which would make the gearing difficult, but surely they could still pick up?

 

Its a shame that the first batch will only be in green and blue, but this does seem to be a standard approach from Farish these days. The 47 and 37 came in blue or green only in the first year, and the more interesting liveries followed. We're still waiting for something different on the 20 too. I'll certainly buy a 31 in blue, but I'd really love Railfreight red stripe on both the 20 and the 31!

 

(I've also moaned about Dapol releasing too many liveries at once, making it difficult to justify buying all the ones you want at once, but then not getting the chance again, so neither approach is ideal!)

[TomJ]

So do I take my existing Farish 31, detail it, convert the couplers to NEM (for Dapol magnets?) and pay someone to hardware a DCC decoder or cut my losses and get a new one? Either way I feel some overtime coming on!

[Benn]

Looking like a very good model to me.

One thing that I would like to ask incase anyone knows the answer on here;

The website update states;

"The Class 31 will be available as 371-110 No.D5563 in BR Green livery, 371-111 No.D5596 in BR Green with small yellow panel and 371-112 No.31173 in BR Blue livery."

 

However, on the 'Products' page, where all the locos are listed along with their RRP, "371-110 Class 31 5826 BR Green Full Yellow Ends" is listed, which incidentally is the one I actually want... Can anyone shed any light on this? I hope they haven't swapped them out, I'll be mighty P****d off if they have as it was perfect for my layout, number and everything. If they have, I thought it was too good to be true...

Cheers,
Benn.

[Dr Al]

Its a shame that the first batch will only be in green and blue,

 

I suspect these are the liveries that they think will sell fastest and be most popular for the first runs, to recoup the tooling cost fastest.

 

Cheers,

Alan

[grahame]

I suspect these are the liveries that they think will sell fastest and be most popular for the first runs, to recoup the tooling cost fastest.

 

 

Not only that, but I suspect that those liveries are also the most commonly applied to the locos, the most numerous and covered the biggest time period.

 

G.

[Robert Shrives]

Hi . looking at pics they look to have the middle cover strip thus good for green and blue non refurb. TPM does a set of grills to help conversion and selected engines got a cowl on exhaust, plus headlamps - two postions, sealed /plated front and cut back buffer cowls so plenty to be going at in any refurb livery having removed side /end mid body strip.  I am told tooling allows for skinhead version so that gives further fun/purchases.

Class 31 photo file by Martin Loader and Rich Norris ISBN 1-900872-06-4 essential reading folks ! and with cover price £9.95 a snip.

 

looking forward to purchases and forthcoming "modifications- It would be good if cowl around buffers an add on part.

 

The said book shows 31/4  409/411/417/422 as blue with body strip and no headlamp, quick view could not find a headlamp fitted with body strip but would need to plough a lot of pics to confirm.  

 

Robert    

[Adam1701D]

Finsbury Park BR Blue 31/4 with white stripe on a rake of grotty Mk1s....can't wait!

[ThaneofFife]

im sure the 31/4s with white stripe will emerge maybe as a special commission?  these new N gauge models  look very good indeed.

i like the fact that they have detailed cab interiors which maybe a first for N gauge diesels. i dont think the cabs have any lights.

the rapido couplers look smaller than i remember them to be.  they certainly arent off putting on this model.

 

I really like your layout Ben - another reason to tempt me from 00 to N.

[Crepello]

Hi . looking at pics they look to have the middle cover strip thus good for green and blue non refurb. TPM does a set of grills to help conversion and selected engines got a cowl on exhaust, plus headlamps - two postions, sealed /plated front and cut back buffer cowls so plenty to be going at in any refurb livery having removed side /end mid body strip.  I am told tooling allows for skinhead version so that gives further fun/purchases.

Class 31 photo file by Martin Loader and Rich Norris ISBN 1-900872-06-4 essential reading folks ! and with cover price £9.95 a snip.

 

looking forward to purchases and forthcoming "modifications- It would be good if cowl around buffers an add on part.

 

The said book shows 31/4  409/411/417/422 as blue with body strip and no headlamp, quick view could not find a headlamp fitted with body strip but would need to plough a lot of pics to confirm.  

 

Robert    

That's the first time I've seen that tooling allows for skinheads; that's great news indeed.

[Revolution Ben]

 

Hello all,

 

I gather that the First EP shown on the Farish site will be tweaked a little to ensure that final production models sit lower on the bogies.

 

Cheers

 

Ben A.

[richierich]

Looks good to me for a 1st EP. A model no eastern region 70s to 90s modeller can do without! So looking forward to 371-112.

[Andy Y]

One thing that I would like to ask incase anyone knows the answer on here;

 

The website update states;

"The Class 31 will be available as 371-110 No.D5563 in BR Green livery, 371-111 No.D5596 in BR Green with small yellow panel and 371-112 No.31173 in BR Blue livery."

 

However, on the 'Products' page, where all the locos are listed along with their RRP, "371-110 Class 31 5826 BR Green Full Yellow Ends" is listed, which incidentally is the one I actually want... Can anyone shed any light on this? I hope they haven't swapped them out, I'll be mighty P****d off if they have as it was perfect for my layout, number and everything. If they have, I thought it was too good to be true...

 

Cheers,

Benn.

 

 

Hi Benn,

 

Bachmann have sent some further information on this to me:

 

Having read the Farish class 31 posting, post No 7, it mentions our website showing EP samples and lists 371-110 No D5563 BR Green, this is an error, it has previously been changed, the running No shown in 2013/14 catalogue is correct.

 

It should read 371-110 running No 5826 BR Green FYE, with double arrow symbol.

 

The website has now been updated.

http://www.Bachmann....hp?id=139&vis=2

[oreamnos]

Green FYE with double arrows - what an oddball livery.  But I was actually able to find a photo on the web though of this very loco in that guise:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/picture_gallery/8370478523/

 

I think of 31s as ER locos.  Did many of them make it to the WR by the early 1970s?  Clearly 5826 did as the photo at the link above was taken at Bath Spa.  I guess Bachmann have chosen this loco number/livery to broaden the both the temporal and geographical range its model of the 31 could justifiably be found in to appeal to WR modellers.

 

Matt

[DaveF]

Green FYE with double arrows - what an oddball livery.  But I was actually able to find a photo on the web though of this very loco in that guise:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/picture_gallery/8370478523/

 

I think of 31s as ER locos.  Did many of them make it to the WR by the early 1970s?  Clearly 5826 did as the photo at the link above was taken at Bath Spa.  I guess Bachmann have chosen this loco number/livery to broaden the both the temporal and geographical range its model of the 31 could justifiably be found in to appeal to WR modellers.

 

Matt

A few more in green with arrows - and I do know some of these have been seen before, but it may be relevant for some of you.  So I hope no one minds my posting them now in this thread.

 

York Class 31 D5802 light engine Note maroon Mk2a coach March 67 J812

 

 Burton Lane Level Crossing Class 31 D5518 down empty iron ore Nov 68 J1496

 

Bottesford West Junction Class 31 D5803 up mineral July 69 J1785

 

 Little Bytham Class 31 5870 down pass Oct 70 J2419

 

Colsterworth Class 31 up iron ore crossing old A1 April 72 C 915

 

David

 

 

.

[Benn]

That's excellent news about the FYE release, that means I'll be buying two now, one blue and one Green FYE, perfect for my early 70s WR layout! Top stuff Bachmann, nice to see a bit of 'outside the box' for a change!

 

A few more in green with arrows - and I do know some of these have been seen before, but it may be relevant for some of you.  So I hope no one minds my posting them now in this thread.

 

York Class 31 D5802 light engine Note maroon Mk2a coach March 67 J812.jpg

York Class 31 D5802 light engine Note maroon Mk2a coach March 67 J812

Dave, I think that Mk2 might be a little more massive than it appears... I'm 99.9% sure that's not a Mk2a, but a vac-only steam heat Mk2z which is even earlier. Take a look at the windows, they look to be the Mk1 style "quarter light" design, rather than the 3-pane single-sliding type that the production Mk2s had, plus, as far as I'm aware, Mk2a coaches arrived in Blue/Grey, were air braked and electric heat only, only the z's carried maroon.

The Bath Spa picture is exactly the vibe I'll be going for, especially with the SR CCT thrown in the mix!

Cheers,
Benn.

[scorpion]

double arrow on a GSYP class 31, not seen that one before

[Carl. H.]

Green FYE with double arrows - what an oddball livery.  But I was actually able to find a photo on the web though of this very loco in that guise:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/picture_gallery/8370478523/

 

I think of 31s as ER locos.  Did many of them make it to the WR by the early 1970s?  Clearly 5826 did as the photo at the link above was taken at Bath Spa.  I guess Bachmann have chosen this loco number/livery to broaden the both the temporal and geographical range its model of the 31 could justifiably be found in to appeal to WR modellers.

 

Matt

The late 1960's and early '70's saw quite a few oddball livery variations, a good book to see some of these is BR Traction in colour 1968-1980. As far as I understand 31's were transferred to the western as early as 1972, presumably as a replacement for warships.

 

Carl

[D1059]

as far as I'm aware, Mk2a coaches arrived in Blue/Grey, were air braked and electric heat only, only the z's carried maroon.

 

 

Mk2a were dual heat - they were the mainstay for years on the Liverpool Street - Norwich run behind boiler equipped Stratford 47/0's

[bingley hall]

The late 1960's and early '70's saw quite a few oddball livery variations, a good book to see some of these is BR Traction in colour 1968-1980. As far as I understand 31's were transferred to the western as early as 1972, presumably as a replacement for warships.

 

Carl

 

More for the 35s I think. Warships were virtually gone when the 31s started arriving.

[Crepello]

I notice both Cheltenham's and Hattons' are still showing item 371-110 as D5563 in BR green; I'm hoping Bachmann have had second thoughts about the FYE one! (Takes cover in haste!)