Doesn't the Airfix Class 31 scrub up well...

[andyman7]

I was at LFoRM at Ally Pally this weekend on the Junior MRC modular layout. Although we try and operate stock that has been brought in by members I normally dig around in my vintage conversions to have something to run as a standby. This weekend honours were taken by the Airfix Class 31 converted to 'skinhead' type with detailing and flush glazing. This was already good when I got it but I renumbered it as a 'Toffee Apple' 31/0 version and serviced it, it ran faultlessly today and I must say looked fabulous - a good reminder that models don't have to be £200+ superdetail wonders to bring pleasure

[Clive martin]

That old 31 looks superb its always a pleasure to see older models still working,and the best bit about this one is that it has been worked on and improved proper old school railway modelling !

[Peter Kazmierczak]

That Airfix 31 really was a game-changer when it appeared in the late 70s; smooth running, well-proportioned and nicely detailed.

[33C]

And no chassis rot!

[cnw6847]

I think sometimes there’s the zoomed in internet/magazine photo factor that quite a lot of is lost when items are running on a layout and seen bye eye a few feet away.

Your 31 looks excellent.

[Halvarras]

On 18/03/2024 at 14:54, Peter Kazmierczak said:

That Airfix 31 really was a game-changer when it appeared in the late 70s; smooth running, well-proportioned and nicely detailed.

 

That 5-pole motor certainly delivered, provided the rest of the drive train was up to scratch - I had one which was a good 'un, I repainted it as 5557 in green full yellow with cabside double-arrows around 1981. Sadly too many of them were "noisy runners".

 

When Hornby first released the ex-Lima 31 in the Railroad range as blue 31256 my initial pleasure at seeing the original bodyside details became dismay upon removing it from the box and finding it with refurbished cab fronts!? I contemplated back-dating these but remembered that I had an unpainted Airfix body so ended up putting this on the Railroad chassis instead. This was slightly too long so I sawed off the bufferbeams and used these to replace the plain Airfix 'beams. I also changed the engine exhausts to EE type, fitted an etched roof fan grille I had in stock and filled in the missing upper bodyside band sections across the cab and engine room doors with 10thou plasticard. The short centre valances remain however as I couldn't see how to fix these in a way which wouldn't be subject to repeated breakage. I also excavated the moulded cab door handrails but haven't resolved how to attach the wire replacements inside the body yet as the project has stalled for several years 🙄. Hopefully this year I'll get 31294 in green livery finished at last.......

Edited March 19 by Halvarras
Correction of system-induced error!

[stewartingram]

I handled a few in my repair shop days. I loved them (had 4 myself). Every one I handled was stripped right down, then re-assembled with "TLC". They all became quiet runners. I can't say exactly what I did, but the TLC definitely worked!

Edited March 19 by stewartingram

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Talking of older models, I still reckon you'd have to go a long way to beat John Philips' upgrading of the venerable Triang Brush 2, in, if memory serves, a 1970's MRC.

 

Mike.

[andyman7]

9 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Talking of older models, I still reckon you'd have to go a long way to beat John Philips' upgrading of the venerable Triang Brush 2, in, if memory serves, a 1970's MRC.

 

Mike.

Oh, I also have a Triang one stashed away too that someone did an incredible job with too. I'll dig it out at some point 🙂

[kevinlms]

1 hour ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Talking of older models, I still reckon you'd have to go a long way to beat John Philips' upgrading of the venerable Triang Brush 2, in, if memory serves, a 1970's MRC.

 

Mike.

If you're talking about the article in July 1977, it was the Airfix one. But possibly he did the Tri-ang one earlier.

[locomad2]

Ive one in green part of a special set sold by WH Smith with 3 blue BR coaches in early 80's rrp was about  £24, in a special offer was just £14, i think someone made a mistake and took £10 off instead of 10%.

 

Really popular model been on every layout since purchase, quite powerfull with no vices & good looking, far better than some of the modern rubbish sold now

[Halvarras]

10 minutes ago, locomad2 said:

Ive one in green part of a special set sold by WH Smith with 3 blue BR coaches in early 80's rrp was about  £24, in a special offer was just £14, i think someone made a mistake and took £10 off instead of 10%.

 

Really popular model been on every layout since purchase, quite powerfull with no vices & good looking, far better than some of the modern rubbish sold now

 

I bought one of those sets for my then very young son, IIRC from WH Smith for just £10.99 (it went into storage for a while!) The fact that the three Mark 2D aircon coaches were hauled by green D5531 instead of the more appropriate blue 31401 suggested a stock clearance exercise, which was probably necessary at the time. The mains controller supplied was a very simple device with two or three stiffly notched positions either side of centre-off which made it almost unfit for purpose - I let my son use my old H&M Duette instead! Sadly he never got into railways, but instead started identifying car marques from their badges while still in his pushchair and is now a walking automotive encyclopedia! Each to their own I guess!!

 

Here's a green one for sale with 'runs well' in the description (usual caveat), for anyone who's interested:

https://howesmodels.co.uk/product/airfix-54101-9-class-31-d5531-br-green-boxed/

[MattR]

Is this the one with plastic wheels and traction tires on the power bogie, or did they do an upgraded version?

[TheSignalEngineer]

On 18/03/2024 at 19:25, Halvarras said:

Sadly too many of them were "noisy runners".

I had one that didn't need a chip to sound like a Mirlees diesel.

[andyman7]

2 hours ago, MattR said:

Is this the one with plastic wheels and traction tires on the power bogie, or did they do an upgraded version?

Yes, that's the one and this example still has the original mechanism. The plastic wheels etc were a clear reflection that this was being built down to a price but the design was (and is) good - if it was being employed on heavy duty work I would look to replace the wheels with metal ones.

[Railpassion]

One axle was a fake. I had one whilst at school, it was a much better runner than anything Hornby.

I bought a double-motored super detailed one on ebay in 2008. It was terrific and I sold it when I went HO in 2011. I got three times the amount I paid for it. 

I'm looking forward to the Bachmann version.

[Mike Buckner]

I had 3 of those W.H. Smug Specials sets. All 3 had the same fault - the factory assembly of the motor had not properly attached the upper and lower steel plates surrounding the armature to the motor frame. Consequently, they were attracted by the magnet, obstructing rotation, resulting in very slow running with a hell of a clatter. Easily fixed with suitably placed Araldite. They then ran very well without much noise. They could pull far more than any other of my loco's - including a 6-axle heavy Fleischmann diesel. They easily hauled all my rolling stock at the time of about 35 coaches and wagons.

[roythebus1]

We had a couple on New Annington back in the day. I had one numbered 31401, one of the FP locos I worked on at the time.

 

the Triang 31 was wonderful when it was introduced in the early 1960s. Part of their advertising highlighted the legible lettering on the makers plate on the cab side. I don't recall any other models having that level of detail and that old model stands up well to some of the modern equivalents, like no zinc pest. I've just done a Lima model with Hornby mechanism. the Hornby one succumbed to zinc pest.

 

What's missing from the super-detailed models is the secondman's feet in the cab window.

Edited March 19 by roythebus1

[cypherman]

Hi all,

When the Airfix class 31 came out I always thought it was a major improvement over the Triang/Hornby one. It is not just the class 31 that scrubs up well. With a bit of work nearly all the old Lima and Hornby 1980's locos can be made to look really good.

[Halvarras]

13 hours ago, Mike Buckner said:

I had 3 of those W.H. Smug Specials sets. All 3 had the same fault - the factory assembly of the motor had not properly attached the upper and lower steel plates surrounding the armature to the motor frame. Consequently, they were attracted by the magnet, obstructing rotation, resulting in very slow running with a hell of a clatter. Easily fixed with suitably placed Araldite. They then ran very well without much noise. They could pull far more than any other of my loco's - including a 6-axle heavy Fleischmann diesel. They easily hauled all my rolling stock at the time of about 35 coaches and wagons.

 

Interesting and ta muchly, I still have a 'noisy runner' and will investigate this!

 

IIRC during the launch of the Airfix model railway range in 1976/7 it was claimed this model could haul 105 of their Mark 2D coaches. That's how I remember it but I can't help wondering about the veracity of such a claim........

 

I bought a blue one (which eventually became the above-mentioned 5557) plus a WR 'Toad' brake van at a shop in Bristol, the name of which escapes me now, at around 4pm on Saturday 26th February 1977. How do I recall it so well? I'd just watched the final Western diesel-hydraulic tour pass Bedminster Park behind D1013 + D1023 and felt in need of a little retail therapy 😞!

[F-UnitMad]

I had an Airfix 31 back in the day. Detailed it up following an article by Chris Ellis in Airfix Model Trains magazine.

It was finished as 31 415, blue with the white stripe as per Finsbury Park 31s, although 415 was an Old Oak Common machine. I didn't like the look of the power bogie at all, that and the short side fairings did spoil it a bit, but hey ho it's what we had at the time.

I still have 'white stripe' 31 415, but nowadays it's a Heljan O Scale model. Yes I know the nose doors aren't strictly accurate, & should be welded up, but I chickened out of a full nose repaint job!!

 

[roythebus1]

I note on the latest Hornby email newsletter they're offering the "skinhead" 31 in green for £139.99. Few left... a big drop in price from £214-something. I hope the latest incarnation doesn't suffer zinc pest like my other one did. The mech and bogies for that are now in a Lima body and chassis.

[andyman7]

1 hour ago, roythebus1 said:

I note on the latest Hornby email newsletter they're offering the "skinhead" 31 in green for £139.99. Few left... a big drop in price from £214-something. I hope the latest incarnation doesn't suffer zinc pest like my other one did. The mech and bogies for that are now in a Lima body and chassis.

The only ones affected were the first 3 versions issued (green skinhead, weathered blue and grey/yellow civils 'Dutch'), made nearly 20 years ago. There hasn't been a problem with any of the many variants made since.

[Clive martin]

Back in the mid 80 s me and some of the lads in my local model railway club were very keen at rebuilding our airfix 31s as refurbished machines then being out shopped from Donny works ,removing the centre body stripe bands plating over the headcode panels etc and in some cases a repaint into the then new Rail Freight livery ,great days!

[Halvarras]

4 hours ago, Clive martin said:

Back in the mid 80 s me and some of the lads in my local model railway club were very keen at rebuilding our airfix 31s as refurbished machines then being out shopped from Donny works ,removing the centre body stripe bands plating over the headcode panels etc and in some cases a repaint into the then new Rail Freight livery ,great days!

 

Ah, proper modelling! I had no need to go that far but I have panelled over a few bodyside steps/boiler fillers and revolved a few engine exhausts in my time 😃!