Triang Class 31 Diesel: Donation Repair

[@stephendavies6949]

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

[@oobill]

Good stuff. I always like to hear when someone successfully fixes their own locos after watching my vids.

[@muir8009]

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.

[@oobill]

Scottish countryside.. ;)

[@muir8009]

@@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

[@fenman1954]

Love these old Triang sets you can't kill them they will just keep going

[@Triumph_2000]

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 👍 👏

[@petersmith4455]

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,

[@stephendavies6949]

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...

[@darrenhillman8396]

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!

[@duncanrhodes4778]

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.

[@gregoryhale2202]

It is wonderful to see a master technician at work. Great to see the locomotive running like brand new. Cheers Greg

[@rolandblack2773]

I just fixed my one of these. The square blocks on the plastic motor bearings were broken/missing so the armature moved up and down. It ran but very slowly and made a right racket. I superglued the bearings to the chassis and that sorted it. It was getting really hot as well. The magnet was really weak so I changed it for a better one. Runs nice now and doesn't get hot. 🙂

[@chris_3636]

Just about the best running triang model I've seen. Excellent work.

[@JohnPW22]

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!

[@ianblackman2144]

Bill it's lovely to see the old lady moving well done

[@kenh3344]

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.

[@mikep4821]

Wow that was quite an overhaul, I might give my own old 31 and 37 a go, great job Bill.

[@BooklessT]

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.

[@stephendavies6949]

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.

[@paulnewnes1921]

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

[@modelrailwaynoob]

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.

[@jeffleigh3747]

Mesmerised by your detailing, sir. So glad I found your channel. Great work. Great narrative voice btw 👍

[@PaulinesPastimes]

Beautiful model, really stands the test of time. Very enjoyable to watch. 😊👍

[@petertate5741]

Running beautifully Bill,and its a real looker ! Well done mate.

[@PeterJewell2]

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!)

[@williamscates3915]

they need near weekly oiling on the plastic bearing on the armature. Without it they get noticeably noisier and wear quickly

[@robertmarsh3588]

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?

[@timsmith8189]

I've been waiting for this one. It was brilliant I enjoyed it as much as you did. 💫

[@russellbenton2987]

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

[@Cthulhu1970]

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. :)

[@Ratty_Rex]

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.

[@CyberFoxUK]

Great job done, good to see the restored class 31 :-)

[@grahamknight8994]

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.

[@MrSnooze]

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

[@mrspockmm8741]

Fantastic blast from the past!

[@paulathomas4944]

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.

[@oobill]

Good idea.

[@ashlybrown5341]

Another great watch Bill all very inspiring

[@bobtudbury8505]

great job and a great view out the window!

[@guyclark2975]

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.

[@supersprinter1564]

Wow thank you so much for this service video I've managed to get mine working

[@andrewhead6267]

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.

[@stephendavies6949]

Yeah. I have a blue version and a 37 of a similar vintage. They're unbreakable: no tiny intricate detailing parts to fall off!

[@myworld67]

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

[@brianmicky7596]

Hi Bill, lucky you, I've been trying to get one for a long time, nice one, All the Best Brian

[@fourbridgesmodelrailway]

This is how i got into model railways. 1960s my mum and dad bought me this set as a Christmas present.

[@stephendavies6949]

Yep. Mine too!

[@fourbridgesmodelrailway]

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.

[@stephendavies6949]

@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.

[@robertmarsh3588]

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.

[@stephendavies6949]

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.

[@ciaranburke3243]

Fabulous Job well done bill 👏 and you get to keep it 👍

[@alanbrookes8716]

I really liked the TT3 version, which had the off-white window surrounds and no yellow warning panel.

[@astolatpere11]

Nice editing on this. First rate all around. The rolling stock should respond really well with a little tlc. I'd watch that.

[@TheCrazyhorse1876]

I thought Merlin was the magician,great stuff Bill

[@thatmodellingbloke]

Nice video! Also, I have this set, I absolutely love it!

[@donniblanco5239]

Wow 🤩I thought my 31 was Smooth but that is Awesome 👏🏻

[@Hal-Zuzzu_Model_Railway]

You are gifted. Job well done :)

[@gerardburton3741]

Hi Bill, This obviously an original one. Same as the one I had 50 years ago. Great upgrade with the extra pick ups.

[@redbank542]

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.

[@dodgydruid]

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

[@mikeking2539]

Love the little doggy!

[@johnlumb3872]

Hi just been watching the class 31 very good nice and smooth what was the liquid you cleaner you used thanks John.

[@dialwright]

Lovely job, Bill.

[@timyoung7788]

Great result, where did you get the gear worm puller from? The one I have just bends before the gears move.

[@ajivins1]

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?

[@barra8771]

As we say on my side of the Forth it's like a bought thing of from the shops 😁

[@Easternspotteralfie]

I have the 31, I’m trying to get it to run better, sometimes it just cuts out

[@themodelshed7066]

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

[@oobill]

If I ever sort it all out.....

[@rmlyndall9857]

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

[@paulosman3369]

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

[@oobill]

Andy? Do you mean remove the wheels and hold the inner side against a grinder?

[@charlie1872]

Hi Bill, another great project and I have one of these too. I don’t have a re magnetized, any suggestions?

[@oobill]

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.

[@charlie1872]

@@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

[@lauriepocock3066]

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 ?

[@davidrichie9570]

Good dog!

[@dennismodelrailway7187]

Good job again

[@robglenn2606]

Great job Bill, how can one contact you re advice and possible repairs.

[@oobill]

Website in description 👍

[@johngibson4641]

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.

[@beeble2003]

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.

[@johngibson4641]

@@beeble2003 thanks for the info there m8 .. muchly appreciated. Cheers from John in Australia.

[@dj_efk]

What’s the liquid cleaner stuff you’re using to clean up the brushes and copper pieces?

[@oobill]

ko-fi.com/post/FAQ-C0C6E0UO4

[@charlie1872]

Can you expand a bit on the subject of the wheel sets? Do the new wheels have a part number fir reference?

[@oobill]

The replacement wheels are X336

[@charlie1872]

@@oobill I purchased replacement/remanufactured wheels from John's Trains for me E300 and he told me the class 37 wheels would also work

[@clivegoodwin8931]

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?

[@oobill]

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.

[@kevinscott4038]

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.

[@oobill]

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.

[@kevinscott4038]

@@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

[@User-3O3]

3:59 Awwwwwwhhhhhh(!) D: :3

[@sarawansingh5029]

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