Hi Bill. Stephen here (the chap for whom you've fixed both my Crimson coloured Doublo "City of London" & re-motored my "Flying Scotsman".) I know this video is ancient in KZbin terms, but I wanted to let you know that after watching it I tackled servicing my own Class 31 from a Freightmaster train set and now it's running again! I've also had a go at my class 37, which is of a similar vintage (and sentimental value) to yours, and got that running too. But then one of the carbon brushes fell apart, so I'm waiting for a replacement to arrive from Lendons of Cardiff. Thanks for all the tips and entertainment. Stephen
@oobill9 ай бұрын
Good stuff. I always like to hear when someone successfully fixes their own locos after watching my vids.
@Triumph_20002 жыл бұрын
I've been binge watching your 00 gauge stuff. what a wonderful lay out and I would love to build something similar to your setup, the ballast, grass, trees and buildings are very inspirational/evocative for me. And to build something that was based on the station that was in our town and to recreate it would be amazing, keep it up mate 👍 👏
@fenman19543 жыл бұрын
Love these old Triang sets you can't kill them they will just keep going
@muir80093 жыл бұрын
if I'm honest, for me it's apparent the look of this old Triang brush type 2 running through the pleasant English countryside with it's contemporary goods conveys a far greater impression of the real thing on this excellently crafted layout than many of its more highly detailed modern brethren. very well filmed by the way.
@oobill3 жыл бұрын
Scottish countryside.. ;)
@muir80093 жыл бұрын
@@oobill oops! sorry! my memories when I was last in Scotland it was cold and snowing... and Glaswegian karaoke singers... but it is a very photogenic layout :) I'm a kiwi and paid a visit to Blair athol where it turned out 3 of the 4 staff there were also kiwis: it's a small world
@petersmith44553 жыл бұрын
hi Andy, i remember when these class 31s came out in about 1963, the 1st one was a special blue colour i think, any way at that time my mum bought me one, it ran really well,1964 they went in to green colour, now at 68 i have 2 of them as a reminder of those days and still play with them.very good video,you never know whats going to go into surgery next,
@stephendavies69499 ай бұрын
Mine's one of the blue examples. Just got it running again after watching this video. Might try to fit some trailing bogie electrical pickups next...
@paulnewnes19213 жыл бұрын
Love those old Tri ang class 31's, another loco that takes ,me back to my youth They were plentiful on the line form Grimsby to Peterborough when it existed, and regular performers on Excursion trains to where I live
@duncanrhodes47787 ай бұрын
Fantastic and inspiring. Over 50 years ago I had that very Triang set as a Christmas present. I still have it, though the diesel is in worse condition than the one you have. Not sure I am up to doing what you have done, but nothing to lose. Absolutely amazing to see you get it all back working so well.
@JohnPW223 жыл бұрын
Fantastic job! I have been looking at these old 31s online a lot over the past few day and recalling playing with them in my youth on various friends layouts. A classic set and great to see it running well! Nice one!
@modelrailwaynoob2 жыл бұрын
Very nice. I have the 1973 Freightmaster set with a 31 but different rolling stock. I have three sets in fact working and filmed the set with a new 31 with TTS sound. It brings back lots of memories.
@mikep48213 жыл бұрын
Wow that was quite an overhaul, I might give my own old 31 and 37 a go, great job Bill.
@darrenhillman83963 жыл бұрын
Made me smile watching this as I had the same loco on my train set way back in 1966. I think all the stock is still boxed up in the loft. Must dig them out one day. You certainly made a difference to the running quality of that old but treasured Class 31. Nice one!
@PeterJewell23 жыл бұрын
Amazing result. I've always steered clear of these old things because of the noisy motor, but this proves they can run very sweetly indeed. In a future video, can you please explain what you look for regarding the worm/gear mesh? ie how you know it's 'wrong' and how you know when it's 'right'. Cheers. (Favourite videos at the moment!)
@williamscates39152 жыл бұрын
they need near weekly oiling on the plastic bearing on the armature. Without it they get noticeably noisier and wear quickly
@robertmarsh35882 жыл бұрын
Surely it is free play/ movement, plus any signs of visible wear or damage to gear teeth (more relevant for plastic gears) that Bill is looking for in these videos?
@gregoryhale22023 жыл бұрын
It is wonderful to see a master technician at work. Great to see the locomotive running like brand new. Cheers Greg
@ianblackman21442 жыл бұрын
Bill it's lovely to see the old lady moving well done
@chris_36363 жыл бұрын
Just about the best running triang model I've seen. Excellent work.
@Cthulhu19703 жыл бұрын
The difference in performance between this and the ones with the pickups in both bogies is quite substantial. These things last forever too; great runners. :)
@BooklessT Жыл бұрын
Just getting back into model railways after a gap of rather longer than I'd care to say. I will say that the plug on my controller had two small round pins. I have acquired two Class 31 locos and was really worried about giving them a service. They've been in hibernation for a long time and I'm sure will benefit from the work. This clip has been just what I needed. Well presented, well explained. Now to watch the rest.
@stephendavies69499 ай бұрын
I got my ex-Freightmaster train set 31 working again after watching this video. It was my very first train set, bought for me, so seeing the loco run once again has brought back some very happy childhood memories of playing trains with my dad.
@russellbenton29873 жыл бұрын
Very nice indeed . This is my original loco from 1965 . I had a freightmaster set . I can tell you it doesn’t run anything like as well as your newly refurbished one . I’m inspired to have a look and try and get it running well again
@PaulinesPastimes3 жыл бұрын
Beautiful model, really stands the test of time. Very enjoyable to watch. 😊👍
@kenh33443 жыл бұрын
From England. Very nice video. How lovely to see the old triangle cl 31 in good nick running again. V nice job u done. Fantastic.
@timsmith81893 жыл бұрын
I've been waiting for this one. It was brilliant I enjoyed it as much as you did. 💫
@andrewhead62673 жыл бұрын
Triang produced superb products imho. For a toy that must be 53 or more years old, it’s pretty impressive stuff, even allowing for your excellent skills in servicing the mechanics. It looks the part too. Not the detail of a modern £150 loco, but the chassis has not rotted away, like some of the 21st century Hornby diesels.
@stephendavies69499 ай бұрын
Yeah. I have a blue version and a 37 of a similar vintage. They're unbreakable: no tiny intricate detailing parts to fall off!
@jeffleigh37473 жыл бұрын
Mesmerised by your detailing, sir. So glad I found your channel. Great work. Great narrative voice btw 👍
@petertate57413 жыл бұрын
Running beautifully Bill,and its a real looker ! Well done mate.
@MrSnooze3 жыл бұрын
Hello Bill, great loco. I did a five pole conversion on this bogie using an Airfix armature. I'm working on a ball race conversion of this bogie now too. If fitted with extra pickups they are impressive considering how old they are and run very realistically. All the best to you
@Ratty_Rex3 жыл бұрын
Another great video. And and a pretty cool loco too! Talked up wheel flange trouble for you the other day. :/ Funny thing about the tv interference capacitor. ... My computer mouse (usb wired) is near my work bench and has light up buttons on it. When I was test running a loco I was recommissioning the lights on the mouse kept flickering (computer was on..... as I was looking at the service sheet). When I pressed on the capacitor they didn't flicker though. When I removed it..... they flickered. A great example of why they were needed..... hut in this day and age...... (as you say) completely useless..... well, they stop my mouse lights flickering anyway.
@astolatpere113 жыл бұрын
Nice editing on this. First rate all around. The rolling stock should respond really well with a little tlc. I'd watch that.
@paulathomas49443 жыл бұрын
You've got that running impressively well Bill :) I ned to get my Class 31 running. It's the slightly later one with the extra bogey pickups. I bought it as a non-runner ages ago and haven't really done much with it. One modification I am going to make is to fit a 2-pin plug between the motor and the bogey pickup wires so that I can easily remove the motor for servicing without having to unsolder anything.
@oobill3 жыл бұрын
Good idea.
3 жыл бұрын
Great job done, good to see the restored class 31 :-)
@grahamknight89943 жыл бұрын
I have a pair of these, one of which has had a replacement roof supplied by Hornby many decades ago as the clips at either end can easily break off when removing the roof panel. As far as I can recall they have the extra trailing bogie pick-ups just like the one in the latest oscar paisley review. I found they generally ran better with the non powered trailing bogie leading at the front with no weight of the coaches to help derail its running.
@fourbridgesmodelrailway3 жыл бұрын
This is how i got into model railways. 1960s my mum and dad bought me this set as a Christmas present.
@stephendavies69499 ай бұрын
Yep. Mine too!
@fourbridgesmodelrailway9 ай бұрын
Snap included in a goods set UD tank wagon, cattle wagon, horse box, small container wagon, drop side wagon, guards van, track and transformer. Got up one Christmas morning and my dad had set it up on a board. Good old Father Christmas.
@stephendavies69499 ай бұрын
@fourbridgesmodelrailway Yep, that's how I remember it too! I still have most of it, including the light metallic blue transformer with the huge red control knob. Interestingly, the 31 is more relevant to me than ever, as I now live on the Suffolk/Norfolk border and the Brush Type 2s were a common site on the BR Eastern Region.
@gerardburton37413 жыл бұрын
Hi Bill, This obviously an original one. Same as the one I had 50 years ago. Great upgrade with the extra pick ups.
@robertmarsh35882 жыл бұрын
Lovely job! A Hornby class 31 just like this was one of the first locos I bought as a teenager, roughly 1977 though I did have some much earlier Triang stuff from almost 10 years before which I was bought as a very young child. Stupidly traded the Class 31 plus an Hornby Evening Star 9F for a new blue Wrenn class 20 diesel a few years later.
@stephendavies69499 ай бұрын
My 31 was a Triang example from a Freightmaster train set. It's now working again, thanks to this video. My main worry when tinkering with these venerable old locos is whether they will need re-magnetising, as I don't have the means to do it.
@supersprinter1564 Жыл бұрын
Wow thank you so much for this service video I've managed to get mine working
@mrspockmm87413 жыл бұрын
Fantastic blast from the past!
@myworld672 жыл бұрын
Nice repair fairly easy swapout itruns fine now I've got to get me one of those Triang class31 diesels to run and to work on Once again a very good Job . "Kudos" & "Happy Rails" Gman
@TheCrazyhorse18763 жыл бұрын
I thought Merlin was the magician,great stuff Bill
@guyclark29752 жыл бұрын
Excellent Video again Bill. Just bought one of these off eBay in good boxed condition but needs attention and a good clean up. Looking forward to bringing it up to scratch though the spider assembly looks like a challenge.
@ashlybrown53413 жыл бұрын
Another great watch Bill all very inspiring
@brianmicky75963 жыл бұрын
Hi Bill, lucky you, I've been trying to get one for a long time, nice one, All the Best Brian
@Hal-Zuzzu_Model_Railway3 жыл бұрын
You are gifted. Job well done :)
@bobtudbury8505 Жыл бұрын
great job and a great view out the window!
@thatmodellingbloke3 жыл бұрын
Nice video! Also, I have this set, I absolutely love it!
@donniblanco52393 жыл бұрын
Wow 🤩I thought my 31 was Smooth but that is Awesome 👏🏻
@barra87713 жыл бұрын
As we say on my side of the Forth it's like a bought thing of from the shops 😁
@ciaranburke32433 жыл бұрын
Fabulous Job well done bill 👏 and you get to keep it 👍
@alanbrookes87163 жыл бұрын
I really liked the TT3 version, which had the off-white window surrounds and no yellow warning panel.
@mikeking25393 жыл бұрын
Love the little doggy!
@themodelshed70663 жыл бұрын
Nice video bill you should do a behind-the-scenes video and a video of your parts box and what you have got that would be a good and interesting video
@oobill3 жыл бұрын
If I ever sort it all out.....
@dialwright2 жыл бұрын
Lovely job, Bill.
@redbank5422 жыл бұрын
I have the same set which I got from Hattons. The motor is a real pain. I also have the DMU with the same motor. Pretty noisy.
@paulosman33693 жыл бұрын
Hi andy I have watched with interest your servicing you do on loco ,but one trick may help you. When you get to the wheels buy yourself a 6 inch bench grinder and just grind down the flànge as far as you need , i have done it many times and it works perfectly and you dont have to buy wheel sets off ebay that someone has probably done the same thing . Hope this helps you.. Regards Paul osman
@oobill3 жыл бұрын
Andy? Do you mean remove the wheels and hold the inner side against a grinder?
@dodgydruid3 жыл бұрын
I have my very early class 101 on the bench at mo, brushes are wafer thin and just needs a thorough clean inside the armature area, also have to replace the early through axle wheels on the dummy car as flanges are snapped off in places. Surprisingly other than the decals worn off, everything else is in very good condition but am cutting off the weird open tension locks on driving cab ends and my plans to Kadee it have ended in tatters as the Kadee's I have won't work with the open hook tension lock types :( So instead I have a nice concertina gangway to put in the middle so it doesn't look pants with a mile wide gap between coach ends lol
@ajivins13 ай бұрын
So sliding the worms along a little is to allow the gears to sit better in a none worn part of them which quiets them down?
@timyoung77883 жыл бұрын
Great result, where did you get the gear worm puller from? The one I have just bends before the gears move.
@johnlumb38722 жыл бұрын
Hi just been watching the class 31 very good nice and smooth what was the liquid you cleaner you used thanks John.
@Easternspotteralfie3 жыл бұрын
I have the 31, I’m trying to get it to run better, sometimes it just cuts out
@lauriepocock30662 жыл бұрын
I recently brought a Triang Deltic and its missing the screw which holds the body to the chassis. Do you know where I can get a new one/what size is it ?
@davidrichie95703 жыл бұрын
Good dog!
@dennismodelrailway71873 жыл бұрын
Good job again
@rmlyndall985711 ай бұрын
Hi OOBill I have one of these Class 31's an old R357 the motor does run but only with me turning the armature I shut the power off and restart it but almost every time it needs help to get it going, I have stripped it all down but I have noticed one thing on the armature white bearing there is a small piece of plastic broken off it's like a very small clip to hold the armature in position it will not even run at all with the wheels in the frame. Or could it be a bad sector on the commutator. any help would be great OOBill Thanks
@johngibson46412 жыл бұрын
Hi Bill , I only just purchased one of these from ebay only a week ago ($81.75) and lucky for me that is a great runner and in great condition too just like your one and has the same type of wheels as you replaced , and the same setup that you had fixed so i am lucky i dont need to replace the bogie like you had to although I need to do the same to my one loco so you said you found a replacement wheel set (with the smaller flanges) on eBay. Can you give us the item number so I can buy the same to my one please. Also you call it a class 31 but on the sides of my one has D5572 on it so does this having 2 different numbers on a loco the same in all of the locos in Britain or is it just this 1. We have say a 44 class here in oz ans it has the class number 44 then numbered from the first one made to 44100 as they made 100 of them. Anyhoo keep the good work and gr8 video there Bill and thankyou for all the good advice you post for us to watch and enjoy so thankyou. Cheers from John in Australia.
@beeble20032 жыл бұрын
The "class 31" nomenclature and 31xxx numbering were introduced with the TOPS (Total Operations Processing System) computer system in the early 1970s. Before TOPS, diesel locomotives had four-digit numbers prefixed by D and were known by their manufacturer and power rating. When built, these locomotives were referred to as Brush Type 2s -- they were built by Brush Traction and were in the range 1000-1500hp -- and were numbered D5500-5699 and D5800-5862.
@johngibson46412 жыл бұрын
@@beeble2003 thanks for the info there m8 .. muchly appreciated. Cheers from John in Australia.
@charlie18723 жыл бұрын
Can you expand a bit on the subject of the wheel sets? Do the new wheels have a part number fir reference?
@oobill3 жыл бұрын
The replacement wheels are X336
@charlie18723 жыл бұрын
@@oobill I purchased replacement/remanufactured wheels from John's Trains for me E300 and he told me the class 37 wheels would also work
@clivegoodwin89312 жыл бұрын
Hi Bill, I've just bought the same class 31 as a non runner for £10 and cleaned it thoroughly and eventually got it going again. However, the brushes are well worn, so I've ordered a couple of sets (1spare). When running, it sparks at the wheels, but all the wheels and track are clean. Any ideas on what would cause it to spark?
@oobill2 жыл бұрын
The drive wheels on these sorts of motors are notorious sparkers. Probably minute metallic dust attracted by the traction magnets It'll stop with running.
@dj_efk2 жыл бұрын
What’s the liquid cleaner stuff you’re using to clean up the brushes and copper pieces?
@oobill2 жыл бұрын
ko-fi.com/post/FAQ-C0C6E0UO4
@charlie18723 жыл бұрын
Hi Bill, another great project and I have one of these too. I don’t have a re magnetized, any suggestions?
@oobill3 жыл бұрын
To be honest I have found the magnets in these motors don't lose their magnetism too much. I only recently re-magged my 37 for the first time since 1976! You could try a neodymium but I found the armatures get pulled up too much in these motors if there is play in the bearings. Only other option is to send away to be remagged. I could do it.
@charlie18723 жыл бұрын
@@oobill Thanks Bill, I just thought it would be a good idea to have one around as you know I have many of the same locos. living in Toronto we are at the mercy of high priced postage rates and it is getting ridiculous trying to purchase the smallest of spare parts: some of the marked costs are horrendous. I am trying to compile a list of bits and pieces and then ask Peter's Spares how much it will be otherwise, when the covid is gone I will get back to Glasgow and make arrangements. Really enjoy your shpow. Keep up the good work
@robglenn26063 жыл бұрын
Great job Bill, how can one contact you re advice and possible repairs.
@oobill3 жыл бұрын
Website in description 👍
@sarawansingh50292 ай бұрын
Hi Bill, my name is Terry. I'm just getting back into the Hornby railways and have a few locomotives that I need looking at. I am registered with a visual impairment so find it difficult to repair these locomotives myself. I would like to know if it's possible for you to look at them I also do not work at the moment and cannot find anybody in the local area who's prepared to look at them so I would be very grateful if you would do so. Of course I will pay whatever it costs for them to be repaired Could you please reply to my email and let me know where you are located so I could send these engines to you call Angie guards. Terry
@kevinscott40383 жыл бұрын
Does any body know what the coating is on the poles, as I have cleaned this off and the loco has stopped. Stupidly as it was yellow and appeared burnt.
@oobill3 жыл бұрын
Pretty sure it was Shellac that was used to insulate the anvils. Not sure what else could be used but they need to be insulated.
@kevinscott40383 жыл бұрын
@@oobill great thanks for getting back to me I will try to find it or something comparable once again thank you and keep up the video's