Hornby Railways R.357 Brush Type 2 / Class 31 A1A-A1A Diesel Electric Locomotive

[@redbank493]

I recently bought a used freight master set from Hattons, with the 357 loco. What a good loco. Hattons checked it was in running order for me and said it was a little noisy. (Wanted to make sure it ran as I’m in Australia) When it arrived, I did a quick run and it stuttered a little. However, after a complete strip down and service it runs brilliantly. I was fortunate to find a set of carbon brushes in my “odds & sods” box, so new brushes fitted. Still a little noisy, but no stuttering now. Runs up my gradient with no problems. Body is in excellent condition too.

[@oscarpaisley]

Good morning Red Bank, sounds like a great find. I think these can be a little noisy even when running well. Great items for their age. I've not bought anything from Hattons myself but they do seem to have an excellent reputation from what I've read. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Oscar

[@johnbill9201]

Great video thanks for sharing Oscar, got some class 31's in green livery, they have great pulling power, John

[@nickwood4776]

Another detailed review and of the first electric engine Father Christmas left for me - that early green one probably in '66. Your later version sounds so smooth whereas mine has always sounded like a tractor. Still got it wrapped in it's disintegrating yellow foam. Interesting to see the many variants that were sold. Thanks Oscar.

[@murrayjones2426]

Still enjoying watching Sunday evening in New Zealand. Didn't know about this Hornby version with extra pick up. Will have to get one sometime. Thanks Oscar for your dedication.

[@oscarpaisley]

Thanks Murray, it really does improve the running with the addition of this very simple extra pick up. I think it was also added to the Hymek R.758 and the English Electric type 3 R.751 in the early 70s. Glad you enjoyed the video. Oscar

[@jimmanyk]

Brilliant commentary! "wait for the signal to change & off we go" Not been an many trains, seems to be the way at the beginning & end of journeys though? Hurry up! & wait!

[@andrewr2825]

Murray Jones in NZ I think summed up your videos Oscar - dedication! And you’re quite right about the New South Wales (Australia) rendition of the Class 31, resplendent in maroon and cream (lining) released in the mid-70’s, attempting to be a Class 422 (it looked nothing like the real thing, but obviously made for the Australian market but given the catalogue number R307). Keep ‘em coming!!

[@oscarpaisley]

Thanks Andrew for watching again. It great to hear you are enjoying the videos. I've only seen pictures and video of the R.307 and read about it in Pat Hammonds book. Do you how the model was received in Australia at the time it was introduced by the buying public? Quit a sort after model now I think by collectors. Oscar

[@djdaz72]

Love seeing these classic old school models, my first train set was a blue class 31 but the Airfix one from the 70’s. And years later I bought myself the retooled hornby green 31. Great stuff love the videos

[@oscarpaisley]

Good afternoon Darren it's great to hear you are enjoying the videos. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment, it's hugely appreciated. Oscar

[@NorbertRoll]

Hi Oscar, again a really wonderful presentation.

[@oscarpaisley]

Hi Norbert, really glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching and commenting. Oscar

[@chorlton4]

Very nice Oscar, you wisely avoided the questions of liveries on the Brush- 2 0f the 4 of them were not quite accurate, is the politest way to put it. I like the way you pointed out how long the loco stayed in the catalogue and stayed available, quite a contrast to the batch production of today.

[@oscarpaisley]

Thanks glad you enjoyed the video. I've read that production is now in small numbers but often many variations as production techniques have evolved to allow this. And possibly built only based on customer pre-order numbers. Quite a change as you say. Oscar

[@trainsontuesday]

What a morning you've given me this Sunday Oscar. I've updated a considerable amount of my records as a result of the information in this video. My Brush type II is the overall blue with BR double arrow logo. It appears to be the "other" blue to your version. My ICI tank wagon has the plastic bogies, this is one of my "original" models meaning that I purchased it new. I have changed the wheel sets with Athearn wheels to be able to run it on code 100 track and thank you for clarifying the R. numbers on the guards van. Terrific video again, Thank you. Regards, David.

[@oscarpaisley]

Good morning David, glad you enjoyed the video and found it informative. Are the Athearn wheels metal? Oscar

[@trainsontuesday]

@@oscarpaisley Hello Oscar. No, these are plastic wheels that I had replaced with metal ones on another car. Your question has given me a subject for another video, thank you. Regards, David.

[@MrKlf1956]

One of my favourite models of any era. Not sure why but I think they just "look right" if that makes sense. The pick ups on the rear bogie certainly add to reliability. I'm looking out for an early blue one, the experimental livery looks a bit special I think. Thanks for sharing Oscar, I really enjoy what you do.

[@oscarpaisley]

Hi Kevin, it is a fine looking model especially for the time the model was designed. Thanks for watching. Oscar

[@24th1879]

Thanks Oscar for another very interesting and informative video. Must admit back in the day, late 60's although as a kid I never did progress to having any diesels on my layout other than the Hornby DMU's I always liked the look of the Brush Type 2's particularly in the green livery. Still have all the original catalogues and still pour through them as I did when I was 10 -12 years old..

[@oscarpaisley]

Thanks again Chris, glad you enjoyed the video. Perhaps its time to get yourself one of these Brush Type 2s? Oscar

[@andrewfanner2245]

Nice run down on the variants there Oscar, very enjoyable viewing.

[@oscarpaisley]

Thanks, Andrew, glad you enjoyed the video. Oscar

[@Cthulhu1970]

Personally, I reckon this is one of Tri-ang's very best products, particularly the gloss green one with the extra pick-ups in the trailing bogie.

[@Rob1972Gem]

A great video i love the triang hornby class 31 i have collected every variant as well they run so strongly and the motor bogie is so easy to clean .. I must say they look superb running around you layout .. once again a great video and lots of good information i have learnt a great amount about the early triang horny loco's and rolling stock from your videos a delight to watch as always

[@oscarpaisley]

Sounds like you have a great collection Robert. It's great to hear you are enjoying the videos. Thanks for watching. Oscar

[@scooby2142]

I just know it's going to be a great Sunday Morning when Oscar posts again . And here he is . Thanks again for a great video man !

[@oscarpaisley]

Thanks again Scooby2142, great to hear you enjoyed the video. Oscar

[@trainsontuesday]

Ha ha! My Sunday mornings with Oscar are like an addictive fix.

[@barryuk676]

Your collection is in such superb condition for something 40 or 50 years old I doubt that even the manufactures expected them to still be working so well after all of this time.

[@oscarpaisley]

Thanks Barry uk, you might be right. Oscar

[@clivecobbold6815]

Hi oscar I had one of tri-ang hornby class 31in light blue livery until the Lima come along great video mate clive

[@oscarpaisley]

Hi Clive, glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for taking the time to watch. Oscar

[@davehenshaw4657]

Hi Oscar. Although I have a modern layout, just love you're channel. So nostalgic as I remember these gems when I was growing up. How do you source all the old catalogues and models?. Must take a lot of shopping around. Wonderful stuff. Cheers.

[@oscarpaisley]

Good evening Dave, it's great to hear you are enjoying the videos and seeing these models from the past. I had a small collection of these items as a child in the mid-70s given to me by a family member who had grown out them as they say. I went on to lose interest in my teens also. Quite by accident, I became interested in model railways again a few years ago and it was these older models in the red and yellow boxes from my childhood that I found fascinating. Oscar

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

One of the finest models ever and one I always wanted and never did get. I'd need to sort those wheels out if i ever did get one.

[@oscarpaisley]

A great piece of modelling for its time. I was surprised to hear you don't have one in your collection. Thanks again for watching. Oscar

[@westerleighwerek1493]

Very interesting, I had one of those BR green 31's as a youngster, wasn't well looked after and went for scrap!

[@oscarpaisley]

Thanks, glad you found the video interesting. Oscar

[@ModelMinutes]

You just earned yourself another sub ☺️

[@oscarpaisley]

Thank you Model Minutes, glad you enjoyed the video. Oscar

[@ModelMinutes]

@@oscarpaisley :D

[@davidstrains4910]

Great video oscar the class 31 looks great

[@oscarpaisley]

Thanks for watching David, she's quite impressive in this gloss green. Oscar

[@paulgraves5033]

what a great video love your layout

[@oscarpaisley]

Thank you Paul, glad you enjoyed the video. Oscar

[@davidarnold2173]

I remember well R.307_ 44202 as it featured in the Australian edition of the Hornby Railways catalog 1974/75 on an extra page added to the centre of the book. On the facing page it was presented as leading the three car Southern Aurora passenger train_ R.546 - the carriages of which were a fair imitation of existing prototypes not available as models at that time. I saw the NSWGR R.307 for sale at 2nd hand tables for many years as I suspect folk replaced it with Lima’s 44 class or other more prototypical NSW & Victorian Railways locomotives 👍👍🇦🇺

[@oscarpaisley]

Thanks David for watching and the terrific information. I bet the Australian catalogue for with the extra page is a bit rare now. Thanks again. Oscar

[@leey7h]

Great video again. Of all the T/H locos I found these motors so noisy and temperamental I gave up with them. I now use them as "dummies" (having removed the motors) being hauled by another loco. they dont make a sound now! I think I saw some wrenn locos in the catalogue. Ive only got two of the tanks, they look great when you have a train of them. cheers

[@oscarpaisley]

Thank you Herb, great to hear you enjoyed the video, sound like you have come up with an effective way to quieten down these models. The design of the mechanism must have seemed like a good idea at the time. I think it should have had the armature on bearings at either end like there other motor bogies instead of the inboard plastic bearings. So far I have no Wrenn models in the collection. I do have a hand full of Hornby Dublo models 2 & 3 rail! Thanks again for watching and taking the time to comment. Oscar

[@tomo6368]

Hi Oscar great video again, if you ever get chance could you make one on the rs 604 night mail set? It was my firs set back in 1971 would love to see it run on your layout

[@oscarpaisley]

Good morning Paul, that's a great idea. I don't have the set but I do have the models. So I shall see what can be done. Thanks for watching. Oscar

[@tomo6368]

@@oscarpaisley If you are local to Coventry you could borrow mine

[@TomPrickVixen]

The curse of the axle(motor) securing "ring" is what issue of ALL of these bogies. Dough my solution is to cut a small part of a rubber seal (of the right diameter) and glue it in the ring, so far mine seems to be working fine!

[@TomPrickVixen]

Still planing to build a 2 motor version of this.

[@oscarpaisley]

I have fiddled with this in the past. However, I was using a cut section of plastic tube glued it to the broken ring. Which brings the function of the motor back but still very noisy. I shall try rubber as you suggest. Oscar

[@KevBygrave]

11:28 I wish Hornby would use these type of wires on their current models instead of the ultra thin wires they are using today, They are thinner than a hair and prone to coming adrift.

[@oscarpaisley]

That sounds very frustrating. thanks for watching. Oscar

[@nigelsparks6491]

Hi Oscar , have you noticed the changes on e bay ? tried to buy a green R751 , but gave up ! made a right mess i think ! what do think ??

[@oscarpaisley]

Good morning Nigel I haven’t noticed any specific changes with the eBay process. But I may have missed something I did buy something earlier this week but it seemed to be the same process. What is it you’ve come across that has changed? Mostly I use the app on my iPhone so if it’s changed on the desktop version I may not have seen it? Oscar

[@nigelsparks6491]

@@oscarpaisley Hi, OSCAR , well i'm no good at these things but all i can say is i have purchased some briil items off ebay the last six years no bother , them all of a sudden BANG !! tried to send feed back for a tonka truck i purchased for grandson , first it asked me to sign in , but when my screen lit up ,well i did not recognise anything at all! now when i try , it shows a list of flags , i press gb , then i have to sign in again , then press subject item , like hornby locos , you then get some many listed at a time , then you have keep pressing the next box to find more , thought it was only me , but have looked further into it and found a lot of people have the same probs ! my son says i need an upgrade as the one i have now is 6 years old , i do not what to do ? may just get a new want and see , Nigel !,,,,,,,,,,,

[@robertbowen1052]

Hi Oscar, I have the 1968 R357 that came with in the Freightmaster. The set has a 3x 4.5v battery powered controller with 3 speeds. My question is can the R357 be powered by a AC mains supply? Whether that be 12v or 16v controlled or uncontrolled? Any help is much appreciated cheers

[@oscarpaisley]

Hi Robert, great set, I think that should work on any controller designed for model railway that plugs into a mains wall socket and gives 12V dc output to the track. Take care. Oscar

[@rmlectronicsuk2410]

In the opening section, is the last Loco you show, in all over blue, a shorter model?

[@oscarpaisley]

Great question. And sadly they are all the same overall length 230mm buffer to buffer give or take a fraction of a mm which put I down to the vagary of the way the buffer heads have been pushed into the plastic moulding. But your right in the video the blue model at the bottom of the frame definitely looks to be shorter. Will just have to put that down to the angle of view and being on the edge of the frame. Thanks again for watching and taking the time to comment. Oscar

[@lfewell2161]

It's a optical illusion caused by the lining and the lighter coloured roof, most noticeable on the blue without lining and the green with lining deltics, even with the locos placed parallel to each other your eye sees one as noticeably longer.

[@johne5854]

Great to hear all the Triang history again.

[@oscarpaisley]

Thanks John. Oscar

[@marrrtin]

Good old Oscar. He collects it all so you don't have to. Although I still have sme bits. And the catalogues, God, the catalogues. But actually, while these later vids are informative and all, I still very much like the ones which were just a train running around the layout to a bit of soft jazz.

[@oscarpaisley]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Oscar

[@lisalewis9237]

Hi Oscar, I enjoyed this video as I do all the others. I would like to see a video comparing the motors on the two EM2 models. The Green version runs so well and is so smooth in your video. The blue version is growling and horrible to listen too. Tri-ang's power bogie design could have been better on the EM2 and Class 37, 31, etc. While searching for other Tri-ang related models, I happened onto a website discussing models proposed, but never built. Some interesting stuff www.eastbank.org.uk/models.htm Fitting a panto to one of the TC single ended diesel locos might be an interesting conversion. I wonder if the panto can be made to work on such a conversion? Probably with a little engineering. Last, I've been wondering what the glue is that was used to fix your Winston Church Hill model and used on the AL1 detailing project someone did? Seems maybe this was the stuff? www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234996674-1970s-paint-glue-a-trip-down-memory-lane/ Lisa

[@oscarpaisley]

Good evening Lisa, these motors could definitely be have been better thought out. There are some interesting alternative to the Tri-ang standard-issue models on the eastbank site. And again thanks for the interesting link to the pictures of the 70s cement tubes. Oscar

[@smithge4uk]

Australian Class 422....looks nothing like a 31 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_South_Wales_422_class_locomotive

[@oscarpaisley]

I had thought that maybe the case, thanks for the link. Oscar