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

[adb968008]

On 18/03/2023 at 14:49, Covkid said:

Thanks for the potted history link to 31276. 

Seems odd that the Calder Hall power station plates were transferred to 31130, even though it survived another eight years. Mostly locos which donated their plates tended to be withdrawn and scrapped.  Ironically 31130 is preserved at Bitton so may have been a more profitable choice. 

it moved from Railfreight Power station related duties to East Coast Infrastructure duties.

 

The work of the coal 31’s was taken over by class 60’s.

 

RfC obviously wanted the name, but not the loco, presumably it wasnt in the best condition, or as an infrastructure loco its life was lengthened by being less “front line”.

 

31’s in general are really knackered, even the preserved ones… they never got a mid life overhaul unlike 37/47/50 did, and really were no better than 25’s and 40’s for condition in the mid1980’s.. yet they ran most of them for another decade, and a few for another 3 decades !
 

Presumably despite being 5+ years older than 25’s, BR chose 31’s instead of 25’s because the engine was a decade younger, and more similar to 37’s…, but that youthful engine hid the decay of the rest of the loco… which was really an over weight (106t vs a class 25’s 73t, class 37 100t) middle aged Bo-Bo disguised by that centre axle (A1A-A1A) making it pretend to be a Co-Co, but a 37 it certainly was not… it was 4 powered axles dragging a 1/3rd more weight than a class 25 about, with a 1/3rd less powered axles with a smaller hp output of a 37).

 

 

By the 1990s even the 31/4’s were lethally unreliable… RR would regularly use them in pairs on 4 /5 coach trains, as insurance, but even moved them on to infrastructure work (31/5’s) as soon as 37/4’s came available.

 

 

Edited March 25, 2023 by adb968008

[black and decker boy]

15 hours ago, adb968008 said:

 

 

The work of the coal 31’s was taken over by class 60’s.

 

 

 

 

The main work for coal sector 31s was in pairs on nuclear traffic to / from Sellafield.

 

they didn’t generally work MGR coal trains though one was used for a time as the drawback Loco at Warrington to save on run rounds.

 

they were replaced in 1996 by the DRS 20/3 

 

the petroleum sector 31s, based at IM saw their work taken over by class 60s.

[adb968008]

22 hours ago, black and decker boy said:

The main work for coal sector 31s was in pairs on nuclear traffic to / from Sellafield.

 

they didn’t generally work MGR coal trains though one was used for a time as the drawback Loco at Warrington to save on run rounds.

 

they were replaced in 1996 by the DRS 20/3 

 

the petroleum sector 31s, based at IM saw their work taken over by class 60s.

you have to be careful of specifics when it comes Railfreight sectors in the 1990’s, hence why I chose “power stations”.. rather than Coal.

 

It did indeed do nuclear and Warrington shunts… but every time I saw 31276, or indeed 31275, it was on neither duty… I had it on a Manchester-Blackpool run, and have seen Coal 31’s on the Workington TPO, Engineers, trainload HEAs, PCAs. They have done MGRs to Stoke Gifford for instance. It was still BR and BR mentality to lending and borrowing locos existed.

 

I mention 31275 as it was also quite prolific, getting to Folkestone Harbour and London Victoria even!!!

 

 

Edited March 27, 2023 by adb968008

[97406]

Think I’ve worked out what the April 1st announcement will be… 

[Dagworth]

38 minutes ago, 97406 said:

Think I’ve worked out what the April 1st announcement will be… 

Sure it's not this one?

 

Andi

[nightstar.train]

Just seen on the Accurascale website that all the 31s apart from the 2 exclusives are showing as sold out. Is this accurate or just a website glitch? I was thinking of ordering the mainline liveried one, but now I seem to have missed out. 

[ruggedpeak]

14 minutes ago, nightstar.train said:

Just seen on the Accurascale website that all the 31s apart from the 2 exclusives are showing as sold out. Is this accurate or just a website glitch? I was thinking of ordering the mainline liveried one, but now I seem to have missed out. 

Accurscale stockists have them available to pre-order.

[Roy Langridge]

29 minutes ago, nightstar.train said:

Just seen on the Accurascale website that all the 31s apart from the 2 exclusives are showing as sold out. Is this accurate or just a website glitch? I was thinking of ordering the mainline liveried one, but now I seem to have missed out. 

Been sold out for quite a while, so no, not a glitch. 
 

Roy

[Pint of Adnams]

Perhaps Accurascale should hire Montana Hoeren to do their production estimating 🤩

[Redkiterail]

With Davidf permission the below shot shows a br blue 31 with a tablet catcher and intresting weathering on the green 31

[Derekstuart]

On 25/03/2023 at 23:10, adb968008 said:

it moved from Railfreight Power station related duties to East Coast Infrastructure duties.

 

The work of the coal 31’s was taken over by class 60’s.

 

RfC obviously wanted the name, but not the loco, presumably it wasnt in the best condition, or as an infrastructure loco its life was lengthened by being less “front line”.

 

31’s in general are really knackered, even the preserved ones… they never got a mid life overhaul unlike 37/47/50 did, and really were no better than 25’s and 40’s for condition in the mid1980’s.. yet they ran most of them for another decade, and a few for another 3 decades !
 

Presumably despite being 5+ years older than 25’s, BR chose 31’s instead of 25’s because the engine was a decade younger, and more similar to 37’s…, but that youthful engine hid the decay of the rest of the loco… which was really an over weight (106t vs a class 25’s 73t, class 37 100t) middle aged Bo-Bo disguised by that centre axle (A1A-A1A) making it pretend to be a Co-Co, but a 37 it certainly was not… it was 4 powered axles dragging a 1/3rd more weight than a class 25 about, with a 1/3rd less powered axles with a smaller hp output of a 37).

 

 

By the 1990s even the 31/4’s were lethally unreliable… RR would regularly use them in pairs on 4 /5 coach trains, as insurance, but even moved them on to infrastructure work (31/5’s) as soon as 37/4’s came available.

 

 

 

EDIT: Posted in haste. Life is too short.

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by Derekstuart

[Eddie the dog]

I was hoping that todays (25/04/23) announcement would involve the further Class 31’s as promised.

”This pairing makes up one half of our Accurascale Exclusives Class 31 range, with another pair to be

announced soon”.

Were  the other two  exclusives referred to by Locomotion and RoS by any chance ?

[McC]

35 minutes ago, Eddie the dog said:

I was hoping that todays (25/04/23) announcement would involve the further Class 31’s as promised.

”This pairing makes up one half of our Accurascale Exclusives Class 31 range, with another pair to be

announced soon”.

Were  the other two  exclusives referred to by Locomotion and RoS by any chance ?

 

There is a little more to come with the 31 :)

[derekdoestrains]

7 minutes ago, McC said:

There is a little more to come with the 31 :)

I hope it’s yellow… 😂

[newbryford]

19 minutes ago, derekdoestrains said:

I hope it’s yellow… 😂

 

Don't........

 

[franciswilliamwebb]

20 minutes ago, derekdoestrains said:

I hope it’s yellow… 😂

 

But only on the ends 🤪

[newbryford]

19 minutes ago, franciswilliamwebb said:

 

But only on the ends 🤪

 

There are two shades of yellow here. Could be fun getting the lights to work.

My pic

 

 

Edited April 25, 2023 by newbryford
typo

[Hairy Bear Digital]

There infra red, so you won't see them lit.

[Chilly]

13 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

There are two shades of yellow here. Could be fun getting the lights to work.

My pic

 

 

Is that 31233?

 

[newbryford]

6 minutes ago, Chilly said:

Is that 31233?

 

Yep. Didn't always carry the lights. (Flickr pic)

 

[Chilly]

37 minutes ago, newbryford said:

Yep. Didn't always carry the lights. (Flickr pic)

 

Thanks - I would be happy with that or 31105, well actually both would be better 🙂

[Michael Hodgson]

Never mind the 31s.  I'm still waiting for my 30.  Shouldn't be too much longer.

[derekdoestrains]

What did I start😂

[97403_Ixion]

I would read Accurascales comment about extra 31s as two more 'Accurascale Exclusive' 31s, so the RoS and Locomotion ones would be in addition - bonus!

 

What I believe has not yet been confirmed is the Infrastructure 31116 for Model Rail... mentioned a number of magazine issues back.  Mind you, that opens the door wide open for them to follow up with the class 47 and therefore 47803!!!

 

Personally, I'd love to see the Network Rail yellow 31s (sorry Newbryford!) but a favorite of mine is 31601.  Happy to see it in Wessex Trains livery, but could be FM Rail branded purple-pink, Fragonset Black, DCR Green, DC Rail Grey... not sure if it ever was Railtrack blue/green...  or a multipack of all colours would be amazing!!!

 

Either way, I am eagerly anticipating to see what is announced in the future.

 

Am I right in saying the special front lights on the Network Rail 31s are in fact ultra-violet?  It always concerned me NR having them on a publicly visible loco, especially when so many enthusiasts get to stare at them like moths attracted to the light...!  (Probably not deep enough UV if so... for safety reasons I would imagine).

 

Cheers,

Ixion.

[younGGuns7]

All I want is a WR Blue Pre TOPS WR skinhead am I asking tooooooo much 🤷🏻‍♂️