Hornby corroded class 31 chassis

[richierich]

i have just bought a new condition r2963 class 31 in regional railways livery and im now worrying about the chassis. is this one of the models effected or is it modern enough to have avoided the issues?

also i see someone mentioned the class 50s, is the current r3471 indomitable affected by chassis or running prolbems? i hope these 2 models are not going to fall apart in my hands!

 

 

I've seen no reports effecting this model. Only the three initial releases from 2005 (R2413, R2420, R2421).

[Guest Midland Mole]

One of the regulars in the shop had 3 or 4 Class 31s with this chassis problem and he repaired them very well. You could hardly tell they had ever been damaged. As far as I know they were all models those earlier models.

Alex

[sb67]

One of the regulars in the shop had 3 or 4 Class 31s with this chassis problem and he repaired them very well. You could hardly tell they had ever been damaged. As far as I know they were all models those earlier models.

Alex

 

Do you know how he did it?

Steve

[Guest Midland Mole]

I don't, but I will try to remember to ask him next time I see him.

Alex

[sb67]

Ok, thanks Alex. 

Steve.

[Pandora]

I've seen no reports effecting this model. Only the three initial releases from 2005 (R2413, R2420, R2421).

 

My R2413  loco ( running number forgotten) disintegrated ,  but my R2413A  BR Blue weathered 31174 running number is not showing any signs of breaking up

[Pandora]

I've said it before and the mere suggestion was dismissed but surely some bright spark could make a 3D printed chassis with the exact same cut-outs,holes etc. as the Hornby one to allow owners to swap over their broken rotted mazak chassis for a plastic one. Sure there won't be as much weight as the mazak type and you could strengthen the new version around the cab floor weakspots. In the age where you can 3D print foodstuffs, body parts and god knows what else surely a 31 chassis would be a doddle??

Paul

I believe you can buy a replacement chassis casting for around £17 from Hornby and swap the mechanisms over

[adb968008]

I've read on a German forum that soaking the mazak in vinegar can slow (not stop) the effects of rot.

Don't know if this is true, maybe someone more qualified can comment, before all our layouts smell of fish and chips, and Sarsons declares a shortage.

[sb67]

I believe you can buy a replacement chassis casting for around £17 from Hornby and swap the mechanisms over

 

I swapped lengthy e-mails with Hornby about my Class 31 and the conclusion was there was nothing that could be done. I'd love to know if you could get a replacement chassis.

Steve.

[Fat Controller]

I swapped lengthy e-mails with Hornby about my Class 31 and the conclusion was there was nothing that could be done. I'd love to know if you could get a replacement chassis.

Steve.

You could try fabricating one out of Plasticard, using the original as a pattern.

[Fireline]

I believe you can buy a replacement chassis casting for around £17 from Hornby and swap the mechanisms over

 

I think you used to be able to, when Hornby still had the replacement castings. They don't any more. I am lucky, and I don't have one of the three affected, but I did check to see if I could get a spare chassis, just in case. 

[Freightliner Class 66]

I've seen no reports effecting this model. Only the three initial releases from 2005 (R2413, R2420, R2421).

 

that makes me feel better about it, now I can just enjoy the loco.

[lochlongside]

I believe you can buy a replacement chassis casting for around £17 from Hornby and swap the mechanisms over

Hate to be bearer of bad news but unless they have run another batch off since 27/10/16 -this is unlikely - I asked exactly that question - including the all important comment I am willing to pay and do the fitting myself, and the response was.....

 

Dear  xxxxxx,

Thank you for your email, we have no stock left of the replacement parts and are now unable to fix these loco's any more as the Scheme has also been closed due to the amount of time passed.

Kind Regards,

Simon Watkins

Customer Care Advisor

T:+44 (0)1843 233525

www.hornbyhobbies.co.uk

[GordonC]

 

Hate to be bearer of bad news but unless they have run another batch off since 27/10/16 -this is unlikely - I asked exactly that question - including the all important comment I am willing to pay and do the fitting myself, and the response was.....

 

Dear  xxxxxx,

Thank you for your email, we have no stock left of the replacement parts and are now unable to fix these loco's any more as the Scheme has also been closed due to the amount of time passed.

Kind Regards,

Simon Watkins

Customer Care Advisor

T:+44 (0)1843 233525

www.hornbyhobbies.co.uk

 

 

at the very least surely they should be able to add some more chassis castings onto the next production run at minimal extra cost for those of us affected to purchase and fit ourselves. I realise a long time has passed, but if the same part is still in production in one form or another then is it not the least they can do?

 

Its a pretty small market Hornby are aiming at so if they expect us to keep on shelling out £100+ per loco they need to be manufactured correctly and be assisted with faults.

[Jamiel]

 

Hate to be bearer of bad news but unless they have run another batch off since 27/10/16 -this is unlikely - I asked exactly that question - including the all important comment I am willing to pay and do the fitting myself, and the response was.....

 

Dear  xxxxxx,

Thank you for your email, we have no stock left of the replacement parts and are now unable to fix these loco's any more as the Scheme has also been closed due to the amount of time passed.

Kind Regards,

Simon Watkins

Customer Care Advisor

T:+44 (0)1843 233525

www.hornbyhobbies.co.uk

 

Simon Watkins does not answer your question. He states that Hornby are no longer prepared to fix the locos, which is fine, a long time has passed.

 

What you asked was if customers can buy a spare part, a question he appears to have ignored.

 

They may not have these parts in stock at the moment, but they still have the moulds for the chassis and these could be made fairly easily and sold at a reasonable profit.

 

The Class 31 does not appear to be in the current catalogue though, only the Railroad one.

 

I think the real test would be if an independent manufacturer made a run of a copy of the Hornby chassis, either by making a mould from one of the models, or even approaching their supplier in China, to see if Hornby took action for a breach of copyright. I think if they did that they would find themselves in a very poor light in preventing customers the opportunity to repair a poorly manufactured product.

 

I accept that all manufacturers have issues with some products, and up to a year ago Hornby gave a very good after sales service, but this issue is one that takes time to develop, so I do find Hornby's current attitude disappointing.

 

Jamie

Edited August 15, 2017 by Jamiel

[fezza]

Basically Hornby are telling us that they sold us junk but as time has passed we can't do anything about it. Really poor customer relations.

 

Just wish Bachmann would do a 31 and 50...

[thaddeus]

Basically Hornby are telling us that they sold us junk but as time has passed we can't do anything about it. Really poor customer relations.

 

Just wish Bachmann would do a 31 and 50...

Hornby, for many-many years offered a like for like replacement and then store credit when Class 31s weren't available. Bachmann have also had their own run in with zinc pest, particularly in the Class 42. New Class 31 chassis blocks were available last year but quickly sold out, those produced were only for the de-cowled refurbished models

[lyneux]

They may not have these parts in stock at the moment, but they still have the moulds for the chassis and these could be made fairly easily and sold at a reasonable profit.

 

What makes you think Hornby still have the moulds?

 

They've moved factory since doing the 31 haven't they? I understand that getting moulds out of factories in China under these circumstances is riddled with difficulties. Didn't they have to re-tool their Mk3s on the latest run for this very reason?

 

Anyway, just a thought. It means it might not be quite as simple as you suggest!

 

Guy

[Fireline]

Basically Hornby are telling us that they sold us junk but as time has passed we can't do anything about it. Really poor customer relations.

 

Just wish Bachmann would do a 31 and 50...

 

Perhaps you'd care to explain how Hornby were meant to know that, when these engines were made c.2005, that they would be failing ten years later. I am trying to think of a company, in any other industry, that would deal with a fault in such an old product in the way that Hornby were (i.e. a full rebuild or a refund). We have been round in circles on this, in this thread, time and again. Hornby were rebuilding chassis, then issuing a refund. The problem was well known, so to anyone who did not check their engines, I say simply "Why not?"

[juke]

Perhaps you'd care to explain how Hornby were meant to know that, when these engines were made c.2005, that they would be failing ten years later. I am trying to think of a company, in any other industry, that would deal with a fault in such an old product in the way that Hornby were (i.e. a full rebuild or a refund). We have been round in circles on this, in this thread, time and again. Hornby were rebuilding chassis, then issuing a refund. The problem was well known, so to anyone who did not check their engines, I say simply "Why not?"

Because you and some other enthuiasts knew, it doesn't mean that everyone knew. I had a stock of locos ready for building a layout when I retired. I bought magazines every now and then but didn't come across this problem being notified.

 

I lost a Bachmann 42, a 9F that I had spent a lot of extra money on and now the 31, I knew of this rot in 1950s locos, never crossed my mind that it might arise again.

 

Clearly people some people want to talk about it, what's wrong with hoping for a chassis run? If it's not possible so be it. If people, maybe new to the hobby or forums, want to talk about it they have every right.

[fezza]

Bottom line is the quality control wasn't good enough and the manufacturer admitted the product line was faulty. Refusing to accept returns or offer a credit note after a certain date may or may not be legal but it is certainly very bad customer relations.

 

We all buy locos for future projects - you have to in these days of limited runs. And a loco is not a dog - you shouldn't have to check it each day to see if it is ill...

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

One of the regulars in the shop had 3 or 4 Class 31s with this chassis problem and he repaired them very well. You could hardly tell they had ever been damaged...

I would expect by shortening the broken-off ends at the break line, so that when they are reattached in some way it all fits easily inside the bodyshell. It is a temporary fix, the effect will slowly continue, but that said the worst of the three 'rotters' I have acquired to power older bodies is only now beginning to crack around the motor mount and probably has years to go before I may need to glue the motor in.

 

Reinstating the drive line components on a sheet of thick brass is my 'fallback'  DIY option. Very simple indeed from a mechanism perspective, glue on motor, two holes as bogie pivots, two openings to clear the gear towers. The self aligning nature of the drive line means that other than the bogie pivots at a spacing that will put the wheels at prototype position, no great exactitude is required.

 

I've read on a German forum that soaking the mazak in vinegar can slow (not stop) the effects of rot.

Don't know if this is true, maybe someone more qualified can comment, before all our layouts smell of fish and chips, and Sarsons declares a shortage.

It would take considerable experimentation time to test if this is effective; using hopefully identically contaminated Mazak as trial and control specimens.

 

I would suggest that keeping the item at comfortable room temperature is the first treatment; avoid low temperature exposure, which is known to accelerate this failure mode.

[37114]

 

 

Reinstating the drive line components on a sheet of thick brass is my 'fallback'  DIY option. Very simple indeed from a mechanism perspective, glue on motor, two holes as bogie pivots, two openings to clear the gear towers. The self aligning nature of the drive line means that other than the bogie pivots at a spacing that will put the wheels at prototype position, no great exactitude is required.

 

 

I have previously mated a broken chassis centre section with Lima Bufferbeam sections in a Lima shell, but for the next one I will stick the Hornby mechanism/Bogies in the Lima chassis directly as was done some years ago by one forum member (search for "Brush type 2 rebirth" on the forum). Looks a very straightforward answer and you can build a loco for half the price of a new superdetailled model, my last one gave me change from £70 and that included etched grilles and Laserglaze.

[Graham456]

If any one is feeling rich I suppose one answer is to take a good chassis along to a machine shop and do as Peter spairs has done for the M7 and mill one or two dozen up in brass?

Edited August 17, 2017 by Graham456

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

If any one is feeling rich I suppose one answer is to take a good chassis along to a machine shop and do as Peter spares has done for the M7 and mill one or two dozen up in brass?

If there was mileage in it for a spares supplier, an alternative route to cost out would be an outfit with the capability to bring in scanned and cast replicas at a low price. I am thinking of the GBL items, which must have been got very cheaply for the retail price they sold at. Their castings based on scanned RTR are definitely in the frame for replication of a chassis block, if the piece under the A2 is anything to go by.