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

[jonnyuk]

3 hours ago, Eddie the dog said:

It was a real shame that these loco’s seemed to sell out overnight with no warning of stocks being low.

I know there is always the possibility of buying through retailers, but personally I prefer to take

advantage of the reward scheme.

btw , models do look amazing !

support your local shop, this forum is always bashing for not supporting them, so rather than buy direct, go to your local.

[Suzy Sulzer]

A photograph of my limited edition D5578 manufactured by LIMA way back when, no longer available.  As yu an see it carried a unique colour scheme being painted in electric blue I believe.  Wouldn't i be nice if Accurasale would produce this an exclusive special edition - HINT HINT :)

Edited June 16, 2023 by Suzy Sulzer
typo

[ChrisMitchell]

With first deliveries at the end of Q3 (fingers crossed), any news of EM and P4 wheelsets for pre-order?  Would be great to get them delivered at the same time as my order, hopefully in time to get the model on my layout for an exhibition in November.

 

Chris

[Accurascale Fran]

6 minutes ago, ChrisMitchell said:

With first deliveries at the end of Q3 (fingers crossed), any news of EM and P4 wheelsets for pre-order?  Would be great to get them delivered at the same time as my order, hopefully in time to get the model on my layout for an exhibition in November.

 

Chris

 

Hi Chris,

 

They're currently being worked on and should come in with the locos on delivery like our Class 37 wheelsets. The 37 wheelsets have proven particularly popular so it's a no brainer to do same for the 31. We will offer them on pre-order soon. 

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

[ChrisMitchell]

Excellent news Fran.  I sort of knew they must be in the pipeline, but nice to have it confirmed

 

Chris

[WCML100]

Should we expect any further exclusives for this batch at all? 😃

[Melton Works]

14 hours ago, norfolkchinaclay said:

Oh that sound file takes me back to the late 80s watching Railfreight Grey 31s on Speedlink/Grainflow workings and pairs of them on the 30-odd wagon long BIS hoppers to and from Middleton Towers.

On a visit to Nuneaton once (1990s) there were two Petroleum sub sector 31s restarting an oil tanker train, sanding the rails and sparks flying… no doubt you’ll be including those features too at some point! 🤣

 

It was these beasts that got me hooked on my love of diesels! Remember as a 5 year old boy, standing at track level at Thetford station, looking up at a blue 31/4 pulling away at full thrash on a Norwich to Birmingham New Street. I was awe inspired! Also remember Railfreight grey freight workings,  as a kid at Dereham station (now Mid-Norfolk Railway) when it was a freight only branch, picking up grain at Ryburgh. Even had a cab ride into the head shunt! 

[Southernman46]

5 hours ago, Melton Works said:

a blue 31/4 pulling away at full thrash on a Norwich to Birmingham New Street. 

Yup - they struggled with 4 Mk2's ............................................. 🙏

[Ray M]

20 hours ago, newbryford said:

The left handgrille on the model looks odd - as if it has alternate slats in open/closed positions.

Compare here:

 

Yes i have to agree.

And the warning  yellow panel comes to far around the cab side.

It should stop nearly at the front point of the Quarter lite rather than in the middle.

But im sure this is 1 of the things they will put right.

[Ruston]

I'm a bit late to the party and there are now 40 pages to wade through, so I hope no one minds if I ask are these models powered on all axles?

Also, what is this, exactly and how does it work?

"Wheel flange squeal sensor on DCC sound fitted locomotives for automatic flange squeal on sound programme".

[Roy Langridge]

17 minutes ago, Ruston said:

I'm a bit late to the party and there are now 40 pages to wade through, so I hope no one minds if I ask are these models powered on all axles?

Also, what is this, exactly and how does it work?

"Wheel flange squeal sensor on DCC sound fitted locomotives for automatic flange squeal on sound programme".

Spec says powers on two axles on each bogie. 

As for flange squeal, the loco uses hall sensors to know when it is turning and trigger the squeal sound. 

Roy

Edited June 17, 2023 by Roy Langridge

[Rugd1022]

3 hours ago, Southernman46 said:

Yup - they struggled with 4 Mk2's ............................................. 🙏

 

Many's the time we had to set back into the carriage sidings at Old Oak to have another go when taking a set of empty stock up the flyover to Padd, some of them were utterly woeful but a few of our regulars seemed to be good performers  - the skinheads 31 117 and 31 121 in particular were good 'uns.

 

I think I might have to give in to one of these and do an Old Oak one in pre-Tops blue!

[Goodnight Sweetheart]

16 hours ago, WCML100 said:

Should we expect any further exclusives for this batch at all? 😃

End of life (with EWS) 31110 Traction Magazine in BR Green would be nice to go with 466 as part of the EWS heritage fleet. 

[Covkid]

5 hours ago, Goodnight Sweetheart said:

End of life (with EWS) 31110 Traction Magazine in BR Green would be nice to go with 466 as part of the EWS heritage fleet. 

 

Not sure if it has already been announced but 31135 was a nice "oddball" with it's "hymek" style wraparound yellow cab surrounds.  I think it was a BR(WR) loco when painted, but I remember it working a Scunthorpe - Brierley Hill train of steel coils with 31210, which was routed via Bescot, Galton Jn and Stourbridge Jn to run round.  The bobby at Stourbridge Jn found out that two 31s don't fit between the dummies in the neck leading to the branch platform. 

 

31135 Oxford 4 September 1982 (hondawanderer.com)

 

On the Honda wanderer site 

[Flying Pig]

On 16/06/2023 at 16:26, Suzy Sulzer said:

A photograph of my limited edition D5578 manufactured by LIMA way back when, no longer available.  As yu an see it carried a unique colour scheme being painted in electric blue I believe.  Wouldn't i be nice if Accurasale would produce this an exclusive special edition - HINT HINT :)

 

Popped up on the flickr thread recently:

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/165080-interesting-and-inspiring-photos-from-flickr/?do=findComment&comment=5188238

 

[PieGuyRob]

Can I ask if:-

31410 Granada Telephon in regional railways,

 

31455 Oor Eli in Regional Railways 

 

31472 in Regional Railways,

 

Will be offered in the future? I saw them all on Blackpool club trains way back when, when I was too young to get them for haulage, as I was still at school. I think they would be good follow ups to Wigan Pier. Also 37407 named Blackpool Tower, guess where I live......

[PieGuyRob]

 

 

 

 

Here is the delivery schedule from Accurascale's website. Thankfully all of mine are in batch 2. So it gives me time too pay for them.

[Southernman46]

15 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

 

Many's the time we had to set back into the carriage sidings at Old Oak to have another go when taking a set of empty stock up the flyover to Padd, some of them were utterly woeful but a few of our regulars seemed to be good performers  - the skinheads 31 117 and 31 121 in particular were good 'uns.

 

I think I might have to give in to one of these and do an Old Oak one in pre-Tops blue!

Yes - had '117 on one of those ex-Padd - Friday - "run as fast as physically possible behind an HST" reliefs in the early 80's (?) - should have been a 50 and the crew arrived as I was photographing it at Padd before catching it to Exeter via Bristol - their collective reaction was to be unimpressed with their given steed ........................... They did thrash the nuts off it though 👍

[adb968008]

I had two 31’s once from Manchester Victoria, 4 coaches, on a Blackpool didnt make it to Salford, both expired.

After a whimpered start, we sat there about 25 mins, whilst the Victoria banker. (31242) attached to the rear and dragged us back.

It then ran round, removed both 31’s and Railfreight metals 47 appeared and took over about an hour down in the path of a train scheduled an hour later instead of the booked dmu.

 

31’s in Manchester were knackered runts, with nice paint.

Edited June 18, 2023 by adb968008

[brushman47544]

8 hours ago, PieGuyRob said:

31472

Never saw that one :-)

[Michael Hodgson]

23 hours ago, Roy Langridge said:

Spec says powers on two axles on each bogie. 

Yeah, but the prototype was only powered on two of the axles on each bogie.

[Opelsi]

31/4's were regular turns on the locals from Scarborough, too many haulages to recount. Nice to here the last train on a night from a couple of miles away when trying to get to sleep.

31/1's often turned up on the summer turns out of Scarborough, nightly on the Wakefield and sometimes on the nightly Sheffield too (the later turn capable of producing an array of non-heat class [31/1, 37, 45/0, 47/0, 47/3]), needless to say I took full advantage of al the haulage opportunities, weather be damned or enjoyed.

One of my abiding memories however is a pair of 31/1's on a railtour I picked up at Preston for a run to Oban and back.

The best bit was going through Glasgow Central Low Level on what must have been something like load 13 and the pair opening up. I did feel a bit for the regular passengers on the platform getting all that wonderful sound and exhaust though for us lot hanging out of the windows is was sheer exhilaration.!

Needless to say, got 31018 and 31409 on order, the later of which will change to 31404 which was a regular favourite on our locals, so much so it was nick named 'Dennis the Demon' 

[97406]

3 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Yeah, but the prototype was only powered on two of the axles on each bogie.

 

A1A-A1A, quite a mouthful to say! Aren’t the centre axle wheels a smaller diameter as well (I seem to recall)?

[Dagworth]

6 minutes ago, 97406 said:

 

A1A-A1A, quite a mouthful to say! Aren’t the centre axle wheels a smaller diameter as well (I seem to recall)?

Yes, driving wheels 3’7”, carrying wheels 3’3.5”

 

Andi

[Michael Hodgson]

6 minutes ago, 97406 said:

 

Aren’t the centre axle wheels a smaller diameter as well (I seem to recall)?

If I recollect correctly on some the early models they were part of the bogie moulding and lacked flanges to help them go round train set curves.