Class 31 - Refurbishment of Tri-ang, Airfix, Lima Versions

[Jaggzuk]

I originally posted this on my layout topic, but realised that this is a bit of a mini side project in itself, so though I would post it here on the Skills & Knowledge forum.

 

I have, from old, three Class 31s, a green Tri-ang, a green  Airfix and a BT Blue Lima version.  Both the Tri-ang and Airfix versions are motor dead but the Lima is a fairly good runner with its Ringfield motor (currently DC only) and the bogies on this one look fine. I also have one of Hornby's new Class 31 offerings, 31130 in Railfreight Coal Livery.

 

Triang top, Airfix middle Lima bottom

 

 

Triang right, Airfix middle Lima left

 

Now it could be said that I am desperate for a couple of good BR blue Class 31 to run on the layout I am building and for my my collection.  My childhood memory of 31s is that they were such a versatile loco back in the the 70s, and 80s and could be seen hauling long and short rakes of passenger coaches and all sorts of freight and departmental trains.

 

So whilst I wait for Hornby to produce another version of R2649, as they are like hens teeth second hand and well over £110, I am left with a bit of a dliemma.  My loco MR shop has one of the current Hornby Railroad BR blues for £44, It sounds like a good buy, but I know it will have to be super detailed to look good.  Or do I buy all the spare parts (chassis, dummy and motor bogies) all the super-detail parts and then respray the old ones I have got; considering they are pretty much same moulding as the Railroad version (Tri-ang excepted) and having read a lot of post on this forum, the old moldings do look better.

 

I recon I can get a chassis, dummy and motor bogies, new spares for about £34 ex postage, but from two different supplies due to stock availability issues  So, do I go the recycle option or buy the railroad version?  As its going to work out a similar price before I get any of the super detail bits.

 

As I want to super detail the 31 which ever way I go, hand rails, roof vents, grills etc it may mean that the new Railroad version gets resprayed anyway.

 

I am not very experienced in RTR upgrades or super-detailing, but was inspired by my first efforts upgrading a old Horny/Lima HST for my eldest sons Christmas present and so messing up the old ones feels safer and maybe more satisfying.  Oh yes, for me, my first super detailing project will hopefully also include flush window, wire hand rails, lights, fan, buffer beam detail.

 

Anyway my current thinking is this.  Leaving the Tri-ang to one side, may be one day turn it into a static model representing a scraped/parts/body donor cameo. Buy as new spares a chassis and bogies for the Aifix version superdetailing and converting this in to a 31/4 version.  Convert the Lima to DCC and see what the motor is like.  If not very good then get a Railroad motor bogie and then super detail this up to be 31/0.  Finally get the railroad version anyway cos of the price and super detail that.  So, I should end up with three different BR Blue 31s.

 

It is likely to be a bit of a slow burn project as I want to get it right and sourcing parts looks like it will take some time but any thoughts on which way I should go would be most welcome.

 

 

 

[John Tomlinson]

Lots of questions there.

 

Is your Hornby 31130 a Full version or Railroad. If a Full one then you might find purchasing the Railroad Blue example to be informative, in terms of getting a feel for the new mechanism. Plus you'd have a Blue 31, which you want.

 

The Railroad 31 is basically a Lima body on a Lima chassis, which has been tweeked to accomodate a new power bogie. The cognescenti will tell you the shape of this body is more accurate than the new Full Price Hornby model, particularly around the cab.

 

The Lima and Railroad bodies will need some detailing work, wire handrails, and probably the exhaust ports on the roof, which should run across the bodyline not parallel to it for a Blue period example ( the parallel ones were for Mirrless engined Brush 2's as built). Maybe also needing tweeks to the front cab door area and fitting etched roof grilles. If you're careful you might get away with just respraying the front, i.e. the yellow, plus patch spray the roof grilles blue - if you weather a bit any shade difference will be covered.

 

If you really only want Blue ones, I'd say its questionable touching a non-working Green Airfix example at all, the cost of all the bits plus your time and a complete respray make it probably a better bet to go for another new Railroad example. You could always try your luck selling it on Ebay in case someone wanted a Dummy loco for double heading, or had a spare chassis to use up.

 

The old Triang is really a heritage item, but it might be possible to get it working as the motor components, especially the central armature winding, do come up for sale on Ebay as spares, and for a small cost it might be fun to seeit go again!

 

John.

[SRman]

Agreeing with other comments above, the Lima or Hornby RailRoad bodies are the best starting point, with the RailRoad chassis and motor (IMHO), plus a bit of extra weight for traction.

The Lima bodies don't need that much done to them to really get the best out of them. Shave off all the front end handrails and replace with wire ones. They already come with very fine separate door handrails. Add flush glazing if you want to go the extra yards. Fix the exhaust ports if necessary for the era/livery you want (I have not yet done mine).

Add a cab interior: the Lima/Hornby class 73 cab interiors just clip in, although probably not accurate, or else buy some of the spares for the Hornby super-detailed versions.

Finally, if you really want to go the whole hog, add lights. I have some for my disc headcode version from Jason Edmonds (AKA Stickswipe on eBay), but I am yet to actually fit them.

Lima did most of the body features for the different eras and modifications the 30/31s went through, so it is also a matter of finding a body with the features you want, such as beading/no beading around the waist, buffer beam cowls or none, exhaust ports for Mirrlees or English Electric, etc.

 

One small detail I have also missed on my models, which was added after a few years in service on the real ones, is the rectangular 'ears' on either side of the communication doors; I believe they shielded the windscreen washer jets, but am open to correction on that. Some small rectangles of plastic card would suffice for this detail.

Much as I like the original Triang version of the Brush type 2, I would leave them as is, although, as someone said earlier, it isn't too hard to get working motor bogies or components for them. I have two of them in the early blues, just for the nostalgia. Both of mine run, but they are really mainly for the display case.

[mcowgill]

If you are looking to super detail the model beware the Railroad 31, I've used the chassis from them but under Lima bodies.  

 

The Railroad 31 is a dogs dinner of incompatible tooling options providing an unprototypical loco (refurbished cabs with an as-built body and Mirrlees exhaust ports), I would stick with the Lima body which is also a better shape than the expensive super-detail Hornby version.

 

Martin

[Albie the plumber]

I recently bought a Hornby railroad chassis married up with a Lima body in Golden Ochre..... I just love the colour scheme !

Most of the suggested improvements i.e. Lighting, etchings, laserglazing etc. are on the to do list.

 

For me however, the biggest attraction of using the Railroad chassis is the sheer amount of space inside the body that allows

installation of a huge  speaker for digital sound .

I'm very much looking forward to the new 'Earth Mover' speakers that Charlie (DC Kits) and Legomanbiffo are currently waxing lyrical about,

​landing on these shores. 

 

There should be enough room for decoder, speaker and , if considered necessary, a stay alive module .

All this in a bodyshell considered by most 'Baby Brush' ( At least that's what I knew them as ) aficionados as superior in terms of body/cab shape

when set against its more expensive sisters.

 

Bring it on !