An often overlooked gem. Most people don't realise but like many other airfix motors, this one is 5 pole, and with sensible gear ratio drive. It also has all 6 wheel pick ups on the trailing bogie, so with a little care with cleaning it can be run very slowly and smoothly. However like many other hollow diesel bodies, if your controller is of the pwm type (and many modern hornby ones are), it will make that growl noise. Switch to a pure dc type and it will be much quieter. This I feel is another fact that isn't generally realised and applies to many other makes not just Airfix.
Thanks a lot for the comment - yes indeed, incredibly good motors really! That's true with the noise - but I really don't mind the loud noises! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Yes, my experience is that these run much better powered by a quality controller. I don't understand the technology differences but it seems the case. I had one of 31401 in my teens and it was elderly then (I believe these came out in 1976ish). I repainted it badly, dropped it, failed to get it working again and bought another one from ebay last year. It's delightful and I am considering trying to repair the other one now that I've been inspired to start collecting DC OO gauge again. Ebay is full of them. Such fun.
Have a Airfix 31 class mine is the green, bought it new in the 70s, very smooth runner, as you said not a lot of detail, but nice to play trains with. Keep up the good work Sam. Regards John Oz.
+Wilso 1947 Absolutely! I do enjoy the air-fix locos - even if they are a lot of trouble to service! ;) Thanks very much once again for the comment :) Cheers, Sam
+devon junction Yeah, that motor sound is fantastic! Although these are Airfix motors, they are extremely similar to the tri-ang style ones! Cheers, Sam :)
Sam, I think you could put another power truck in either or both off those Airfix diesels. I did this with some Mantua diesels "back in the day" and had three Santa Fe diesel locomotives with csix power trucks in them. I had to break them up and sell them because they would pull paint off the wall.
Hi Robert - that's not possible with these unfortunately - the non-powered bogey is fitted in a different way to the motor bogey, so you couldn't do that. Also, the motor bogey has plastic wheels - so if both bogies were driven, you wouldn't be able to pick up power! Good idea though - and it's possible with Hornby ones! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
MikesMovies there’s a recent service video not done by Sam, it seems a lot of them are noisy due to the screw acting as a bogie swivel point bring a tad long it hits the motor if wound right in. Gave my old 1977 one a service last night can’t remember it being so quiet 👍🏻
Hi Sam - great review!- I own 2 of these locos and ,considering they hark back from the middle/late 70,s era , they were very good for the day and more than stood the test of time - admittedly they are far from perfect ( by todays standards !) but I found them to be quite a good,, reasonable representation of this loco class - they also have a 5-pole motor which ,back then was un-heard of and as railway modellers ,we could have only dremt about - but as you say ,its just such a shame about that "thing" they like to call the middle "wheel " (???) on the power bogie which really does let them down -and a VERY large minus point ! I also found that with a bit of T.LC you can get them to run quite smoothly !! personally I would much prefer to spend £30/40 for one of these locos ,then a few extra pounds on super-detail and a re-spray rather than the extortionately priced Hornby version complete with Mazak rot !
Thanks a lot for sharing Tony - yeah that's right, hard to be disappointed in a loco that still runs well 40+ years after the fact! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Matthew - yeah this is a real oldie! No I haven't done a video on these - but they're very similar to the tri-ang designs, so you can use those as a reference if it helps! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hey Sam! Nice vid. Here is the thing, i got also that locomotive from airfix but he constantly stops by the switches. Do you got any advice for a solve? Greetings, Alex
Hi Alex, it all depends on the loco - a good fix is to thoroughly clean the wheels and pick-ups - that's always worth trying! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
An often overlooked gem. Most people don't realise but like many other airfix motors, this one is 5 pole, and with sensible gear ratio drive. It also has all 6 wheel pick ups on the trailing bogie, so with a little care with cleaning it can be run very slowly and smoothly. However like many other hollow diesel bodies, if your controller is of the pwm type (and many modern hornby ones are), it will make that growl noise. Switch to a pure dc type and it will be much quieter. This I feel is another fact that isn't generally realised and applies to many other makes not just Airfix.
Thanks a lot for the comment - yes indeed, incredibly good motors really! That's true with the noise - but I really don't mind the loud noises! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Yes, my experience is that these run much better powered by a quality controller. I don't understand the technology differences but it seems the case. I had one of 31401 in my teens and it was elderly then (I believe these came out in 1976ish). I repainted it badly, dropped it, failed to get it working again and bought another one from ebay last year. It's delightful and I am considering trying to repair the other one now that I've been inspired to start collecting DC OO gauge again. Ebay is full of them. Such fun.
Have a Airfix 31 class mine is the green, bought it new in the 70s, very smooth runner, as you said not a lot of detail, but nice to play trains with. Keep up the good work Sam. Regards John Oz.
+Wilso 1947 Absolutely! I do enjoy the air-fix locos - even if they are a lot of trouble to service! ;)
Thanks very much once again for the comment :)
Cheers,
Sam
sounds like a diesel ! Love the class 31 -my favourite large diesel !
It really does actually - great sound from these! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
i have just ordered another Airfix 31 ,I have one already ,that was repainted in Railfreight colours ,it runs really well ,a bit noisy ,but looks good
Ooh fantastic - hope you enjoy it! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
this must be one of your very First videos, early days nice to see 👍👍😃😃
The traditional triang creaky motor a personal favourite the 31
+devon junction Yeah, that motor sound is fantastic! Although these are Airfix motors, they are extremely similar to the tri-ang style ones!
Cheers,
Sam :)
Its all looks so different! :D
haha I know!! xD
Sam, I think you could put another power truck in either or both off those Airfix diesels. I did this with some Mantua diesels "back in the day" and had three Santa Fe diesel locomotives with csix power trucks in them. I had to break them up and sell them because they would pull paint off the wall.
Hi Robert - that's not possible with these unfortunately - the non-powered bogey is fitted in a different way to the motor bogey, so you couldn't do that. Also, the motor bogey has plastic wheels - so if both bogies were driven, you wouldn't be able to pick up power!
Good idea though - and it's possible with Hornby ones!
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
Do you still have the airfix 31's?
Blimey things have changed mate lol just working on an Airfix 31, dam nosy mine
haha they certainly have! I wonder if they're inherently quite noisy - mine definitely are!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
MikesMovies there’s a recent service video not done by Sam, it seems a lot of them are noisy due to the screw acting as a bogie swivel point bring a tad long it hits the motor if wound right in. Gave my old 1977 one a service last night can’t remember it being so quiet 👍🏻
@@djdaz72 ah yes on Model Railways Unlimited, that is me :)
Hi Sam - great review!- I own 2 of these locos and ,considering they hark back from the middle/late 70,s era , they were very good for the day and more than stood the test of time - admittedly they are far from perfect ( by todays standards !) but I found them to be quite a good,, reasonable representation of this loco class - they also have a 5-pole motor which ,back then was un-heard of and as railway modellers ,we could have only dremt about - but as you say ,its just such a shame about that "thing" they like to call the middle "wheel " (???) on the power bogie which really does let them down -and a VERY large minus point ! I also found that with a bit of T.LC you can get them to run quite smoothly !! personally I would much prefer to spend £30/40 for one of these locos ,then a few extra pounds on super-detail and a re-spray rather than the extortionately priced Hornby version complete with Mazak rot !
Thanks a lot for sharing Tony - yeah that's right, hard to be disappointed in a loco that still runs well 40+ years after the fact!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Re-review this one, or a newer air fix one.
Maybe I could, great idea!! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Ooooooo an oldie that i do actually hav! Hav u gt a service guide for these like ur ringfield vid???
Hi Matthew - yeah this is a real oldie! No I haven't done a video on these - but they're very similar to the tri-ang designs, so you can use those as a reference if it helps! :D
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
Why did one line run in the middle of the loft? You could have tripped over it and gone flying.
That’s true! Partly why I removed it!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hey Sam! Nice vid. Here is the thing, i got also that locomotive from airfix but he constantly stops by the switches. Do you got any advice for a solve?
Greetings, Alex
Hi Alex, it all depends on the loco - a good fix is to thoroughly clean the wheels and pick-ups - that's always worth trying!
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
Sam'sTrains ok, thanks mate :)
I have no less than three class 31s in my collection
Wow! They must look grand together Paul! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi, Sam, just letting you know I was kindly given a model of 31 401 on July 30th.
Adam Tandy Very nice! Does she run okay?? :)
+Sam'sTrains Yes, it runs very well, considering it's 20+ years old
July 30th 2017 was when I got given a 2251, J72, Smokey Joe, 101 tank, class 25 and two blue Pullmans and lots of track and rolling stock
Caledonian restoration thingy
Yeah! :D
Goodness me that is some reckless driving diesels!!!!!!!!!
haha I know! ;D