Class 31, by Accurascale - It's time 2 Brush Up!

[tractionman]

For D5803, with BR arrows and GFYE, worth a peruse of 

 

 

 

includes some good pictures (from Flickr) including:

 

OOC in Aug 1973--

 

 

and a Worcester-Padd train also in Aug 1973:

 

 

 

(pics embedded from Flickr, click image to see original)

 

Good to see these, looks like my D5803 will be seen in action with the odd Western, Hymek and Warship(?) too :-)

 

cheers,

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 24, 2022 by tractionman

[younGGuns7]

4 minutes ago, tractionman said:

For D5803, with BR arrows and GFYE, worth a peruse of 

 

 

 

includes some good pictures (from Flickr) including:

 

OOC in Aug 1973--

 

 

and a Worcester-Padd train also in Aug 1973:

 

 

 

(pics embedded from Flickr, click image to see original)

 

Good to see these, looks like my D5803 will be seen in action with the odd Western and Warship too :-)

 

cheers,

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seen a photo of this one at BTM but no date so a good one for WR modellers 

[andythenorth]

On 23/02/2022 at 13:40, Accurascale Fran said:

Deltic - EE

Class 92 - Brush

Class 37 - EE

Class 31 - Brush....

 

73/1 - EE then?

 

Like the Lima 31, the Lima 73 was outstanding for its time and price.  Like the Hornby 31, the Dapol 73 is best not discussed, not at the price it sells for anyway.

 

Gap in the market, but then we all say that about our favourites right? 

 

(Sorry for the off-topic)

[scottrains29]

15 hours ago, atom3624 said:

Only letdown is no opening doors - I like gimmicks.

I agree, it's a shame Accurascale aren't producing the opening cab door feature. Certain loco types are often seen with a door open, and it's nice to be able to model this. When done well, like on the Bachmann 37, there is very little gap around the door. I wonder how many people don't even realise the doors open on their 37. The forthcoming Dapol 59 will also have opening doors.

 

On the other hand, Hornby seem to be determined to make their top-range models worse despite ramping up the price. They have removed the rotating fan feature on many model types and have now started removing the opening door feature on the HST. It'll not be long before they get round to the 31. It's as if Hornby want you to go to their competitors!

 

I was thinking about buying a Hornby Network Rail 31 but will hold off until Accurascale do it. I'd much rather have an Accurascale 31 depsite the lack of opening cab doors.

 

 

[NHY 581]

On 23/02/2022 at 13:42, sulzer71 said:

I too feel a splinter project coming on now , will also be a good excuse to buy some Cavalex 56s

 

Bizarrely, I read this post and the previous post using the same phrase as 

 

"Sphincter Project".............

 

Standing by on the GSYE, class 31 not the sphi................

 

Rob. 

[atom3624]

24 minutes ago, scottrains29 said:

I agree, it's a shame Accurascale aren't producing the opening cab door feature. Certain loco types are often seen with a door open, and it's nice to be able to model this. When done well, like on the Bachmann 37, there is very little gap around the door. I wonder how many people don't even realise the doors open on their 37. The forthcoming Dapol 59 will also have opening doors.

 

On the other hand, Hornby seem to be determined to make their top-range models worse despite ramping up the price. They have removed the rotating fan feature on many model types and have now started removing the opening door feature on the HST. It'll not be long before they get round to the 31. It's as if Hornby want you to go to their competitors!

 

I was thinking about buying a Hornby Network Rail 31 but will hold off until Accurascale do it. I'd much rather have an Accurascale 31 depsite the lack of opening cab doors.

 

 

What have I started ..... !!!  

[97406]

22 minutes ago, atom3624 said:

What have I started ..... !!!  

When one door closes…..

[GD]

My own recollections of class 31s from the 80s were that they all looked knackered with oil stains and general grime and soot, will you be doing weathered versions or is that something accurascale are shying away from? I know weathering can have a fine line between looking amazing or awful.

Thanks for this model.

[rubber duck]

Fantastic announcement, will wait eagerly for a bog standard banger Blue /1 and an earlier /4 without headlamp etc.....they will come....

[AY Mod]

9 minutes ago, GD said:

is that something accurascale are shying away from?

 

I wouldn't say they shy away from anything, they choose to leave it to the modeller - better to knock out another livery/number than split existing sales.

[LaGrange]

25 minutes ago, GD said:

My own recollections of class 31s from the 80s were that they all looked knackered with oil stains and general grime and soot, will you be doing weathered versions or is that something accurascale are shying away from? I know weathering can have a fine line between looking amazing or awful.

 

They have said repeatedly that they wont offer factory weathered models, they would rather let the modeller do it to the amount/level that they want. Theres a difference between 'road dirt' and 'warhorse in its final days of operation', everyone wants something different, so better for the individual decision to be made

[Porcy Mane]

1 hour ago, atom3624 said:

What have I started ..... !!!  

 

A wish list?

[ERIC ALLTORQUE]

 

[PieGuyRob]

Just ordered the the regional railways version. The intercity version will be ordered on my next payday. I'm looking forward to these.

[Ian J.]

So close - a couple of 31/4s in TOPS Blue is what I'd be looking for, but unfortunately not with the orange cantrail stripe, or any bodyside white stripe. My wallet can breathe a sigh of relief.

Edited February 24, 2022 by Ian J.

[mat]

This is a good think that there will be two good versions of the model meaning there is price competition.

[Global]

9 hours ago, Accurascale Fran said:

Morning @PrestburyJack,

 

Your wish is our command (well Gareth’s!) 

 

Dates for the first ten Class 30/31 locos:

Class 31/1    5544    BR blue (pre-TOPS)     Early 1970s
Class 30    D5549    BR green (as delivered)     1959-early 1960s
Class 31/1    5803    BR green w/FYE, Double Arrow    Late 1960s
Class 31/1    31110    Railfreight (white cantrail stripe)      1985-1989
Class 31/1    31128    BR blue (privatisation era)     2009-present
Class 31/4    31409    BR blue w/white stripe    1980-1985
Class 31/4    31420    InterCity Mainline    1992-1995
Class 31/4    31421    Regional Railways    1992-1997
Class 31/4    31432    BR blue (cantrail stripe)    1989-1996
Class 31/5    31514    Civil Engineer's Dutch    1992-1996

Note that these are dates for the liveries as shown by the artwork. In some cases with slight livery modification the period can be extended.

 

Cheers!

 

Fran

After doing a bit more searching on 432 (disclaimer : it was on Flickr!) it looks like it got its headlight sometime early 1991 - there is a photo dated Feb 91 where it doesn’t have it but the other pics from 91 do! All pics from 1990 show it without a headlight so would seem to confirm fitting around Winter/Spring 91? 
 

[97406]

1 hour ago, Porcy Mane said:

 

A wish list?

It wouldn’t surprise me that opening doors find their way into a future release. I would say the tooling is too advanced for this one. Not that a little deft work with a scalpel is out of the question, for the more adventurous.

[Krieghoff]

4 minutes ago, 97406 said:

It wouldn’t surprise me that opening doors find their way into a future release. I would say the tooling is too advanced for this one. Not that a little deft work with a scalpel is out of the question, for the more adventurous.

Opening doors would just add the icing to the cake on this one or future releases. Cant understand why other manufacturers have stopped doing them They are yet a further addition to the high fidelity that we are now being exposed to and all the better for it !

[McC]

2 minutes ago, Krieghoff said:

Opening doors would just add the icing to the cake on this one or future releases. Cant understand why other manufacturers have stopped doing them They are yet a further addition to the high fidelity that we are now being exposed to and all the better for it !

 

Tbh, opening doors mean compromise. For them to work, you either need to break the fidelity of the door, or the cab, or, more likely, both. We'd rather accurate doors, and accurate cab interiors (especially with our accurate lighting, dash/console lighting and beautiful glazing) rather than a 'gizmo' for the sake of it. As has been commented, the braver can take a scalpel and a steady hand to the doors and create an opening version that won't compromise the design.

[Krieghoff]

1 minute ago, McC said:

 

Tbh, opening doors mean compromise. For them to work, you either need to break the fidelity of the door, or the cab, or, more likely, both. We'd rather accurate doors, and accurate cab interiors (especially with our accurate lighting, dash/console lighting and beautiful glazing) rather than a 'gizmo' for the sake of it. As has been commented, the braver can take a scalpel and a steady hand to the doors and create an opening version that won't compromise the design.

Fair Comment and one that i simply wouldnt argue against. 

 

[Pillar]

Is there a reason why the grilles are different on 31432 compared with the others?

[TomScrut]

1 hour ago, GD said:

all looked knackered with oil stains and general grime and soot, will you be doing weathered versions or is that something accurascale are shying away from?

 

There are several issues (in my opinion) with factory weathering.

 

1. If it is an exclusive release (i.e. not available pristine) then you're pidgeonholing the product into one part of the market.

2. It is done to a cost and standard typically lower than available commercially after the fact. That means it won't be good enough for some people, further pidgeonholing it. I expect the increase in sales due to the cost is more than outweighed by those who want a better job doing.

3. To what extent do you weather it? Some will want it lightly weathered, some will want it plothered. Further pidgeonholing again.

4. Plenty of people like doing this themselves how they want it, so won't pay extra for somebody else to do it.

 

So in my opinion (from somebody who won't consider factory weathered) I think it is a bit too niche really to be done at the factory because most people who want it weathered will have in mind how they want it doing so will probably want a pristine one to do/get done themselves.

[AY Mod]

2 hours ago, GD said:

My own recollections of class 31s from the 80s were that they all looked knackered with oil stains and general grime and soot, will you be doing weathered versions or is that something accurascale are shying away from? I know weathering can have a fine line between looking amazing or awful.

Thanks for this model.

 

Anyway, here you go - TMC will be happy to sort you out.

 

https://www.themodelcentre.com/searchanise/result?q=Accurascale+31

 

Sorted.

 

[franciswilliamwebb]

18 minutes ago, McC said:

 

Tbh, opening doors mean compromise. For them to work, you either need to break the fidelity of the door, or the cab, or, more likely, both. We'd rather accurate doors, and accurate cab interiors (especially with our accurate lighting, dash/console lighting and beautiful glazing) rather than a 'gizmo' for the sake of it.

 

Amen to that. The opening door end of the market is already well catered for IMHO and I certainly wouldn't buy an Accurascale product that had them!  Or giraffes