Motorising an Airfix Class 31

[PGC]

Hello - I hope this is the right forum, there's not one for loco chassis!

 

I have an Airifx Class 31 body that has no chassis and I want to motorise it.

 

Years ago Bill Bedford produced a chassis kit for the Cl. 31 which is what the body was bought for, but now Bill Bedford's catalogue doesn't list the kit, nor does Eileens catalogue of Bill Bedford components.

 

So, what I'm asking for is suggestions on how to motorise the body. I work in EM so if I choose a ready to run chassis it must be suitable for conversion. My pet hate is loco's that don't run well and won't pull properly, so I won't consider going down the Lima chassis route (I have a Cl37 that needs re-motoring, but that's another thread for another time).

 

I know the Hornby Cl. 31 chassis are available as spares, as are motors, bogies etc., so I know I could buy a complete chassis or buy the components. If I buy the components, I then have to make a chassis and I haven't got any ideas on how to do that yet, so suggestions (and preferably not the "throw the body in the bin and buy a Hornby" type!) are welcome.

 

I also know the Athern PA1 chassis fits almost without modification and the bogie frames are very close to accurate, but I don't know how easy it is to convert the chassis to EM.

 

Any thoughts (apart from stupid idiot!  ), suggestions etc. that you good folk produce will be most welcome, and thanks in advance for all offerings.

 

Phil

 

 

 

[Adam]

As you say, the Hornby bits are readily available from the spares suppliers at reasonable prices. The service sheet for the Hornby model would give you an idea of which bits you will need (basically, I think it's bogies, worms, cardan shafts and motor - the latter two bits can be sourced from Branchlines, etc but the Hornby parts are available). Building a subframe to mount all the bits on is reasonably straightforward using bits of brass box section but you'd have to work out the design yourself and scratchbuild some fuel tanks - I think that's what they are - between the bogies.

 

Dad has a similar project on the 'to do' list at some point and I know he has a set of the Hornby bogies. I'm not sure exactly how the frame will work; I don't think he's designed it yet. Basically, a braced oblong of brass section, wwith some form of pivots for the bogies and a cradle for the motor. If you think how modern diesel models are built but with the brass sections instead of the mazak casting.

 

Adam

[Ravenser]

I've also got a spare Airfix body in the cupboard, and an Athearn PA-1 chassis. However it does look to me as if lumps will have to be removed from the mazak casting which is the frame at the "blunt end" to get it into the body. Which will mean stripping the thing down to protect the motor from mazak filings ... Also in my case it will need DCCing and though someone long ago told me how it could be done I've forgotten . Added to which I think the bogie centres aren't quite right to it may require cutting and shutting. As far as converting the thing to EM - I don't know as I'm in OO

 

Hornby 31 motor , bogies etc may well be available from someone who bought one of the first release - the ones where mazak fatigue affects the chassis block . Stripping and recovering the drive train and bogies from a fatigue victim would give you the bits. The Hornby 31s run beautifully