Hornby corroded class 31 chassis

[sharkman]

Ah Saturday.....after a totally hectic and pretty unpleasant week I thought I'd have a 1970s classic running day on my layout. Planning it over some Harveys Old Ale last night I decided to run a rail tour with a Blue/ Grey rake of mk1s with double headed 31s to power it. I swapped over the more modern stock to 1970/80s stuff to suit the era

 

Well that's now gone right of of the window as I've just found that all four of my Hornby 31s have chassis expansion / crumble and resultant body splitting.

 

They have been stored away in a cupboard in our house for the last few years, in all the original packaging, along with a load of other models. 1 x 31110, 3 x 31270.

 

I am gutted. They were all ok when I bought them and all ran well straight out of the box. What makes it worse is I can't find the receipts.

 

Searching the internet I've come across several articles about Hornby replacing or offering a payment for this type of issue.

 

Is it possible that Hornby is still doing this? Does anyone know if this is the case or has anyone first hand experience of getting some kind of compensation?

If so how easy was it and what happened?

 

Sorry if this has all already been covered but I need a fairly quick response.

 

What a waste of time and product.

A friend of mine had same issue he bought a secondhand one from a swapmeet which looked pretty good till we put a dcc chip into it and I pressed down on the cab and it broke. Looked as if the glue holding floor had given way!

 

He then went into melt down. i said lets put it on Ebay somebody is bound to want it for spares and surely some one did I think he lost about 15 quid but least he got some money back saving him from putting it in bin. Theirs a good motor  plus other bits which other people are crying out for so I would try that way.

[lochlongside]

Ah Saturday.....after a totally hectic and pretty unpleasant week I thought I'd have a 1970s classic running day on my layout. Planning it over some Harveys Old Ale last night I decided to run a rail tour with a Blue/ Grey rake of mk1s with double headed 31s to power it. I swapped over the more modern stock to 1970/80s stuff to suit the era

 

Well that's now gone right of of the window as I've just found that all four of my Hornby 31s have chassis expansion / crumble and resultant body splitting.

 

They have been stored away in a cupboard in our house for the last few years, in all the original packaging, along with a load of other models. 1 x 31110, 3 x 31270.

 

I am gutted. They were all ok when I bought them and all ran well straight out of the box. What makes it worse is I can't find the receipts.

 

Searching the internet I've come across several articles about Hornby replacing or offering a payment for this type of issue.

 

Is it possible that Hornby is still doing this? Does anyone know if this is the case or has anyone first hand experience of getting some kind of compensation?

If so how easy was it and what happened?

 

Sorry if this has all already been covered but I need a fairly quick response.

 

What a waste of time and product.

 In the nicest possible way this has actually been covered before  but as models continue to creep out blinking into the daylight from their storage cocoons it is a bit like the undead (mixing metaphors here!) - the b****** just won't die (or at least that what Hornby servicing must think!!).

 

Good luck with your approach to Hornby,!!! and in anticipation commiserations.....!! Let us know if you have any success there is probably quite a bit of pent-up demand

 

FYI I went to Hornby again in 2016 - having had a 2nd 31 (which was ok first time round) collapse in a welter of unravelling chemicals and given the elapsed time I even offered to pay for the parts so I could fit them myself.....

 

Hornby response as of 27 Oct 2016

was.....

Dear  xxxx

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

I guess I have written it off to experience - but I now keep a close eye on RMweb and if someone spots what looks like an intrinsic defect like this again then I would be inclined to leap on the band-wagon (even if I haven't actually spotted it in my own model )

[andyman7]

The issue was pretty much confined to the first three issues, in weathered BR blue, skinhead 'Dutch' and BR green. As stated above, over many years a solution was offered but assuming you get no joy from Hornby they can still be sold as seen for parts as the mechanisms get salvaged for example to re-motor Lima 31s as many prefer the Lima body moulding. 

 

You won't get back what you paid but it will still be a fair few quid for 4 locos and given that they will I assume have been bought over a decade ago when these were 60 or 70 notes new you won't be too far down. 

[37114]

When I bought a self destructing one recently the going rate was £35 - £40. I would personally keep them and chuck the mechanism in a Lima version

[Ncarter2]

A chap I work with recently contacted Hornby due to his Dutch one being in 3 parts.

The basic gist of the reply was sorry nothing we can do, well out of warranty and no spares. If you get anywhere please let me know.

[Grizz]

Thanks for getting back to me on this subject, I know it has been gone over before, but I hadn't realised that it has been quite a few years since I used them.

 

I figured that I had probably run out of time and therefore luck.....

 

So it's probably hack em to bits for the motors etc.......sad really.

 

I could stage a crash I suppose, if I can get them running and then smash em into something....and may be film it.

 

Might even be able to get a head on, if I can get two of them running.

[BrushVeteran]

Thanks for getting back to me on this subject, I know it has been gone over before, but I hadn't realised that it has been quite a few years since I used them.

 

I figured that I had probably run out of time and therefore luck.....

 

So it's probably hack em to bits for the motors etc.......sad really.

 

I could stage a crash I suppose, if I can get them running and then smash em into something....and may be film it.

 

Might even be able to get a head on, if I can get two of them running.

I wouldn't be too hasty in hacking them to bits. There are further versions being produced for Kernow and there may be a chance that some additional chassis castings can be made. It is probably worth contacting Hornby to see if this is the case or whether they can consider providing some spares. Judging by previous comments on here I think they would sell quite a few. If you can get in touch with Simon Kohler at Hornby you may get some assistance into getting a positive outcome.

[rob D2]

How about claiming on your house insurance ?

 

I dont think Hornby will do anything now, which is gutting for those who carefully stored their stuff away . I had two crumblers, but everything I had was run a lot

[Andrew P]

I've said before, it's a pity either Hornby or some enterprising concern cant make Chassis, there are many of who would happily pay for a new chassis and repair the body's or pop a Lima body on one.

[fezza]

A chap I work with recently contacted Hornby due to his Dutch one being in 3 parts.

The basic gist of the reply was sorry nothing we can do, well out of warranty and no spares. If you get anywhere please let me know.

[fezza]

Are all the Dutch 50s affected? Mine is OK at the moment but now I am seriously worried. I knew the 31s were duds but didn't realise it affected Hoovers.

[adb968008]

I've said before, it's a pity either Hornby or some enterprising concern cant make Chassis, there are many of who would happily pay for a new chassis and repair the body's or pop a Lima body on one.

There was a member here who disassembled a Grange and sent the mazak chassis off for a Brass casting, iirc was about £40 but could make hundreds of castings off of it for a few pounds each.

Returned he had a pretty good job, put the chassis under a Manor and recently sold it off on ebay for way more than he paid for it.

 

Maybe some enterprising member could do the same with a 31 and make a batch for members ?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ONE-OFF-CUSTOM-GWSR-Dinmore-Manor-7820-Bachmann-Mashima-motor-Cast-Brass-Chassis/302690712793?hash=item4679c5bcd9:g:zJoAAOSw13ZawS4O

[Holmesfeldian]

As I've said before, if someone can supply an accurate dimension drawing of the block, I can have one milled out, drilled and tapped out of solid brass where I work on one of our all singing all dancing CNC machines.

Edited April 28, 2018 by Holmesfeldian

[sandwich station]

They still make the 31, so why can't they have an extra batch of chassis made and sell them as a spare part?

[phil-b259]

They still make the 31, so why can't they have an extra batch of chassis made and sell them as a spare part?

Because it is more profitable to use that production slot to make complete models.

 

Hornby do not own the maufavturing process any more - each time they get a slot they have to obtain best value from the opportunity.

 

Or to put it another way, do car manufacturers supply spare chassis units so you can transplant all the gubbins over after an RTA, do washing machine manufacturers supply spare chassis units and do Apple supply replacement handsets minus all the internals?

 

No they don"t - because it's far more effective to use the factory time to make complete products - which they can sell on to you for a higher rate of return.

Edited April 28, 2018 by phil-b259

[Jamiel]

Very good point Phil-b259. I have worked with a stuntman on a few occasions, and one time he said he was off to 'total' a few Lamborghinis. I asked do they make stripped down versions for stunt work when they know it is going to be written off, and he said no, it was more expensive to get a special run, so they just budgeted for the production models and then crashed them.

I think this probably shows that if it is the only way to do that for a car costing £200,000, then for a £130 model the difference in cost for a chassis run isn't worth while.

Now all I need is a film that needs a model railway building over 15 years with a budget of £500,000, but then again they would probably blow it up.

I did actually make a model railway for a film this , but with a budget of £400, and it has been stripped down and sold off on Ebay this last month.

Anyway, a bit of a digression, but perhaps it underlines Phil's point.

Jamie

[sandwich station]

Because it is more profitable to use that production slot to make complete models.

 

Hornby do not own the maufavturing process any more - each time they get a slot they have to obtain best value from the opportunity.

I know that Hornby don't manufacture their own products anymore but that's where this whole mazak rot problem started. It would not take much for them to have an extra 500 chassis cast but it would do wonders for their customer service when people know that at least a replacement was available.

 

In regards to washing machines and cars etc, you are talking about something completely different that gets a lot more use that a model does (some not being used at all) and anyway, if a car had a problem like this model has, all cars would have been recalled and had the parts replaced, as this problem came about not many years after they were made.

[stewartingram]

Because it is more profitable to use that production slot to make complete models.

 

Hornby do not own the maufavturing process any more - each time they get a slot they have to obtain best value from the opportunity.

 

Or to put it another way, do car manufacturers supply spare chassis units so you can transplant all the gubbins over after an RTA, do washing machine manufacturers supply spare chassis units and do Apple supply replacement handsets minus all the internals?

 

No they don"t - because it's far more effective to use the factory time to make complete products - which they can sell on to you for a higher rate of return.

Actually, you can get replacement bodyshells for cars.

 

Stewart

[royaloak]

Or to put it another way, do car manufacturers supply spare chassis units so you can transplant all the gubbins over after an RTA, 

Actually yes they do supply spare body shells, mnay years ago when I worked in the garage trade I, well we, reshelled a nearly new mark 5 Escort that had been rolled.

 

As has been mentioned, next time Hornby order some class 31s it wouldnt take much to order an extra few hundred bare chassis to be shipped over with the next consignment of whatever is ready to be shipped.

Edited April 29, 2018 by royaloak

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Yes, but the value case for a car is two orders of magnitude greater than for a model loco, and there is a legal requirement for the maintanence for full sparing for at least ten years from introduction if I am not mistaken. For what is classified as 'toy goods' there is nothing like this requirement.

 

The people to coordinate getting such a bare chassis block production activity underway are not Hornby, but the retailers. Get sufficient of their retailers hammering on Hornby's door with the message 'potentially major loss of goodwill' and maybe, just maybe, that might get action.

[jjb1970]

I think the chances of getting Hornby to do anything about the mazak pest class 31's now is remote. In fairness to Hornby they did offer a good scheme to offer vouchers to those with affected models for quite a while and made more of an effort to compensate customers than some other hobby companies who have suffered the same problem.

[sandwich station]

I think the chances of getting Hornby to do anything about the mazak pest class 31's now is remote. In fairness to Hornby they did offer a good scheme to offer vouchers to those with affected models for quite a while and made more of an effort to compensate customers than some other hobby companies who have suffered the same problem.

Absolutely I agree with you. I'm not saying for them to give the chassis away but to make them available to purchase.

[Fireline]

Absolutely I agree with you. I'm not saying for them to give the chassis away but to make them available to purchase.

 

Which chassis? The standard one, for the Dutch version? The weathered one, for the blue version? Or the one with red buffer beams for the green version? Whatever Hornby did, they would be damned by the "they didn't do my one" lobby. They produced a previous batch of chassis, rebuilt them for you, and didn't charge for it. When those chassis ran out, they went on to the voucher scheme. This went on for a LONG time. They finally ended it when they concluded the affected models had been out on the market for a sufficiently long period. 

 

Another point that is missed here is that the Class 31 is no longer made at the same factory. I haven't sat one of the new and old chassis' together to compare them, but I suspect there are bound to be differences. You only need look at how some other locos have changed since they were moved. If Hornby produced chassis that were incompatible, doubtless the moans on here would be even louder. Frankly, I think Hornby can't win with some, no matter what they do.

[sandwich station]

Which chassis? The standard one, for the Dutch version? The weathered one, for the blue version? Or the one with red buffer beams for the green version? Whatever Hornby did, they would be damned by the "they didn't do my one" lobby. They produced a previous batch of chassis, rebuilt them for you, and didn't charge for it. When those chassis ran out, they went on to the voucher scheme. This went on for a LONG time. They finally ended it when they concluded the affected models had been out on the market for a sufficiently long period. 

 

Another point that is missed here is that the Class 31 is no longer made at the same factory. I haven't sat one of the new and old chassis' together to compare them, but I suspect there are bound to be differences. You only need look at how some other locos have changed since they were moved. If Hornby produced chassis that were incompatible, doubtless the moans on here would be even louder. Frankly, I think Hornby can't win with some, no matter what they do.

Now you are showing your superior knowledge of the Hornby 31. I just assumed that the chassis block was the same on all of them.

Edited May 1, 2018 by sandwich station

[thaddeus]

Which chassis? The standard one, for the Dutch version? The weathered one, for the blue version? Or the one with red buffer beams for the green version? Whatever Hornby did, they would be damned by the "they didn't do my one" lobby. They produced a previous batch of chassis, rebuilt them for you, and didn't charge for it. When those chassis ran out, they went on to the voucher scheme. This went on for a LONG time. They finally ended it when they concluded the affected models had been out on the market for a sufficiently long period. 

 

Another point that is missed here is that the Class 31 is no longer made at the same factory. I haven't sat one of the new and old chassis' together to compare them, but I suspect there are bound to be differences. You only need look at how some other locos have changed since they were moved. If Hornby produced chassis that were incompatible, doubtless the moans on here would be even louder. Frankly, I think Hornby can't win with some, no matter what they do.

 

You missed the different casting for the sound version of the XS suffix refurbished chassis and the red bufferbeam refurbished chassis for the DCR model. Hornby have commissioned and SOLD OUT at least two batches of non-sound refurbished chassis blocks - I bought 4. AFAIK they havent produced a non-refurbished buffer beam cowl fitted chassis block yet for the 5512 and 31270 models - at least I havent seen any.