Airfix Class 31
John Thørholm
an auction. Just for the fun of it. I had never
heard of model railway products from Airfix.
Text on the box :
A1A-A1A class 31/1
Diesel Locomotive
(B.R. Green livery)
Airfix Railway Systems
Scale OO
Text under the locomotive
Made in Hong Kong 1975
My opinion:
Nice detailed body, nice small couplings and nice
metal buffers - but otherwise pure C***
C*** motor
Far too high speed
C***py performance
I was amazed when I investigated the motor truck.
It has Plactic wheels ! And the middle axel was a dummy.
Recently I fell over it again and got currious. Can anyone tell
me how this model was prized and regarded back in the
´70, in comparrison to other products on the UK marked.
Regards
John
Mick Bryan
"John Thørholm" <jthoe...@mail.tele.dk> wrote in message
news:93un3t$epo$1...@news.inet.tele.dk...
> Years ago, I bought an Airfix Class 31 during
> an auction. Just for the fun of it. I had never
> heard of model railway products from Airfix.
>
> Nice detailed body, nice small couplings and nice
> metal buffers - but otherwise pure C***
> C*** motor
> Far too high speed
> C***py performance
> I was amazed when I investigated the motor truck.
> It has Plactic wheels ! And the middle axel was a dummy.
>
> Recently I fell over it again and got currious. Can anyone tell
> me how this model was prized and regarded back in the
> ´70, in comparrison to other products on the UK marked.
>
In comparison to other diesel models available at the time IMtypical
Brit UK modellerO, it was a pretty good model. Apart from the dummy
centre wheels on the powered bogie. I had a couple and they were both
good runners and the haulage capability was relatively way ahead of the
real thing. Can't say I noticed that it was fast, but one of mine would
crawl really well apart from the growling armature. Maybe you had a one
with a dodgy motor/pickups?
I always thought that the motor bogie was a clone of the original
Tri-ang A1A bogie. If it's got traction tyres, who cares if it has
plastic wheels?
Cheers,
Mick
J.L.E
<snip>
>
> My opinion:
> Nice detailed body, nice small couplings and nice
> metal buffers - but otherwise pure C***
> C*** motor
> Far too high speed
What voltage were you using, 24 ?!.. The 3 I had were all able to just
crawl along, but I must admit the motors were a bit notchey at such a
slow speed.
> C***py performance
I think you might have a bad example there..... Possibly why it was in
the auction ?
> I was amazed when I investigated the motor truck.
> It has Plactic wheels !
Even so it was still 100 time better than the Triang-Hornby attempt !
> And the middle axel was a dummy.
>
> Recently I fell over it again and got currious. Can anyone tell
> me how this model was prized and regarded back in the
> ´70, in comparrison to other products on the UK marked.
>
When introduced in the mid '70's, bloody highly, a true scale model by
the standards of that time. Remember that Trix was not with us
anymore, Triang-Hornby had only just worked out what the phrase 'A
scale model' meant (but not really producing anything of worth yet) &
Lima was producing 'HO' scale models for an 'OO' scale market (!!).
--
sca...@MAPSONmadasafish.com
Please note the SPAM trap
Location.........West Sussex. United Kingdom.
Pat Hammond
tools offered to Hornby by Dapol in 1996 but, as I understand it, Hornby
decided to exclude them from the deal. I suppose they are still with
Dapol.
Incidentally, Trix WAS still around then only it was being sold as
British Liliput. Also the reference to the Airfix Class 31 being based
on the Tri-ang model, while incorrect, had some truth in it. At the
first Toy Fair they attended after anouncing that they were going into
model railway production, Airfix had the Tri-ang Hornby model running
round on their track with the name on the underside errased! They had
booked a place at the fair only to find that they had no models to
display when the time came.
Let us be fair about the Tri-ang model. It had already been around for
13 years and, at the time it had been released, it pleased modellers
very much (read the reviews at the time). In 1976 the public were not
clamoring for them to re-tool it. What was being demanded was new
subjects and that was where the money was spent.
Pat
>When introduced in the mid '70's, bloody highly, a true scale model by
>the standards of that time. Remember that Trix was not with us
>anymore, Triang-Hornby had only just worked out what the phrase 'A
>scale model' meant (but not really producing anything of worth yet) &
>Lima was producing 'HO' scale models for an 'OO' scale market (!!).
>--
> sca...@MAPSONmadasafish.com
> Please note the SPAM trap
>Location.........West Sussex. United Kingdom.
>
>
>
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John Thørholm
I bought my model in the beginning of the ´90. The box had some
schratches, but the model showed no signs of having been used.
The former owner died and his family had decided to put his
large mixed collection on auction.
As I stated - I only bought the model for fun. I compared it
to Roco and Fleischmann models from the ´90. I admit this
to be unfair. (I was member of a club modelling a German
layout around 1945-70.)
"Pat Hammond" <P...@mremag.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:K4vTRrAq...@mremag.demon.co.uk...
> I wonder who has the tools for this. I know they were on the list of
> tools offered to Hornby by Dapol in 1996 but, as I understand it, Hornby
> decided to exclude them from the deal. I suppose they are still with
> Dapol.
You can still buy bodies from Dapol (Unpainted and Blue livery).
See
www.dapol.co.uk -> Dapol model railway world
-> Spares -> Miscelaneous Bodies
You might get a well running model if combined with an Athearn
chassis.... There is a table in another thread.
Regards
John
J.L.E
>
> Incidentally, Trix WAS still around then only it was being sold as
> British Liliput.
Yes, of course, but they where a trite thin on the ground......
Pat Hammond
<sca...@mapson.madasafish.com> writes
>
>Pat Hammond <P...@mremag.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:K4vTRrAq...@mremag.demon.co.uk...
><snip>
>>
>> Incidentally, Trix WAS still around then only it was being sold as
>> British Liliput.
>
>Yes, of course, but they where a trite thin on the ground......
True and did you know that they are still being assembled by Ernst Rosza
at his place in Bala (Wales). When I saw him in the summer he said he
was assembling approximately one a year! He is having great difficulty
get the parts for the chassis out of Marklin since they took over the
German Trix company.
Pat
Francis Knight
> I Thank Mike Bryan and J.L.E. for their answers.
>
> You can still buy bodies from Dapol (Unpainted and Blue livery).
> See
>
> www.dapol.co.uk -> Dapol model railway world
> -> Spares -> Miscelaneous Bodies
>
> You might get a well running model if combined with an Athearn
> chassis.... There is a table in another thread.
There again, the Class 47 (Brush Type 4) had the same bogie
wheelbase as the Class 31 (brush Type 2).
I wonder if Heljan will sell spare Class 47 chassis?
Cheers,
Francis K.
--
[Remove Trailing'Z' from mail address to reply.]
John Thørholm
"Francis Knight" <fra...@pinza.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1enj4xr.qz04vp1v3ov8iN%fra...@pinza.demon.co.uk...
> John Thørholm <jthoe...@mail.tele.dk> wrote:
>
> I wonder if Heljan will sell spare Class 47 chassis?
Heljan got an email address. My advise: ask them.
(Look at www.heljan.dk)
Regards
John
Ray
is unmarked....never run, probably from a deceased estate. I got it for
$40 Aust. just for the heck of it. Under the lid of the box, the
owner(?) had written......" 8 Pound.50.....Beaties.....1979".
Cheers
Ray
AUSTRALIA