Dads old 31 needs TLC

[Lawrence]

Guys, help me out here!  As an N gauge Japanese modeller I know nothing of British OO.  My old Dad's Hornby Class 31 (circa '68?) is very rough running and from what I have been able to find out I think I may need to replace X336 axles as the gears look pretty chewed and X 67 brush & springs.  I can find the X67 but not the gear and axles, can any one point me in the right direction.

Cheers

[Hroth]

Spare parts for the old Triang "A-1-A" motor bogie are becoming as rare as hens teeth nowadays.  Even the brushes are not as common as they once were.  Your best bet is to look on ebay for any spares.

 

A good thing to have is the service sheet, these are readily available for download online, eg:  http://www.hornbyguide.com/service_sheet_details.asp?sheetid=129

 

 

I would suggest that rather than looking for individual spares, you look on ebay for a replacement X337 motor bogie, which may have a little more life in it than your current one!

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Alternative thoughts, because finding these Triang / Triang-Hornby spares in decent condition is a real lottery.

 

Look for an Airfix class 31 complete model. Same nostalgic coffee grinder motor noises, and can be got in the £10 - £15 range with a little persistence, and the Airfix mechanism is much superior.

 

Then there's the heap of s/h Lima models. Does have its own distinctly different motor noises, and not likely to be that expensive, because:

 

Hornby's present 'Railroad' class 31 (when available) comes with a decently quiet motor bogie, but is otherwise based wholly on the Lima parts.

[RAF96]

Peters Spares do a gear set for the Railroad 31.

 

Looking at the service sheet linked to above if you have the X336 axles then you are home and dry as the worms on the motor shaft look like brass (plenty of X247 on Flea-Bay) and wont be worn out.

 

There is good thread on New Railway Modellers Forum, but this place wont paste the link in and if I use the link icon and paste it in the whole thing locks up. Search for Triang R357 Motor type in the Trade /Hornby forum.

[Lawrence]

Thanks guys, I did check out the service sheets which is where I got the numbers (I aint that smart!) much food for thought re the Airfix stuff, ebay it may well be then

[pheaton]

Triang 37 used the same bogies as the 31....you might find spares on there as it was a more common model.... and it lasted longer in the catalogue

 

type in triang 37 and theres a complete power bogie to be had!

[stovepipe]

Peter's Spares also do remanufactured x67 brushes, I think the ref is PS8. I have bought a couple of sets and the quality is good.

[andyman7]

These motor bogies were made in their tens of thousands but as others have said, the supply of certain spares is nowadays very hit and miss. Essentially, if the loco is good it's worth robbing/cannibalising another for spares, but by the same way I consider the best fate for any well used unboxed Triang A1A or Co-Co which is non-serviceable is quite frankly to break it for spares. As well as the plastic axle/gears, other weak points on the X337 motor bogie are the plastic 'top hat' moulding which can disintegrate due to attack from use of mineral oils, and the plastic keeper plate underneath ditto - both of these are not that easy to source any more. In contrast, the brushes, although dear at around £2 each, are easily available as they are re-manufactured nowadays by cottage suppliers.