Accurascale OO Scale Class 31 – 31271

Description

Accurascale OO Scale Class 31 / English Electric Type 2 – 31271 in Railfreight Construction

One of just five Class 31s to gain Railfreight livery with Construction sub-sector decals, 31271 also has the distinction of being the only surviving example to retain the iconic Roundel-designed scheme into the present day. Built as D5801 and new to 30A in June 1961, it completed its heavy general overhaul at Doncaster in April 1987 emerging in the soon to be obsolete Railfreight Red-Stripe and was notably the last member of the class to be dual-braked as part of the ‘refurbishment’ programme. Allocated to Stratford’s FAGS aggregates pool in March 1989 it was repainted in triple grey at Vic Berry Limited, Leicester, the same month, complete with that company’s trademark black grilles, receiving embellishments such as decals and depot plaques – but no double arrows – later that year. Having been fitted with miniature snowploughs only a few months earlier it happily retained them throughout the rest of its BR career. It was finally stored unserviceable in May 1997 after being sidelined and reinstated several times and was acquired by A1A Locomotives Ltd exactly a year later as a source of spares for the restoration of 31108. Having survived a proposal to section the bodyside, it was reprieved and followed its ‘skinhead’ partner back into service, hauling its first passenger service in preservation in April 2002, incredibly still in its 1989-applied paint, albeit with a few touch ups and the reapplication of the squadron markings. It underwent extensive bodywork repairs and a full repaint into Railfreight Construction in the first months of 2004 ahead of its naming as </span><i data-stringify-type=”italic”>Stratford 1948-2001</i><span> at the York Railfest event in May, becoming the fourth locomotive to be given a Stratford-themed name after 47007, 37023 and 31165. It is currently based at the Llangollen Railway.

Class 31 Common Features:

• Highly-detailed OO scale model, 1:76.2 scale on 16.5mm track
• Minimum radius 438mm (2nd radius set-track)
• Heavy die-cast metal chassis
• One truck (bogie) styles with separate footsteps, brake cylinders, speed recorder and end brake rigging
• RP25-110 profile OO gauge wheels
• Brake blocks on bogies in line with wheels
• Scale width wire handrails
• Etched metal/plastic detail parts, incl. grab handles, steps, wipers, etc.
• Etched metal roof grille
• Etched metal pre-painted nameplates, plaques and arrows (if applicable)
• Accurate high-fidelity miniature snowploughs, chassis fitted
• Full underbody battery box/air tank detail with pipework
• Extra cab front details for Network Rail locomotives
• Fully sprung buffers, multiple pipework variations and screw couplings
• Kinetic NEM coupler mounts at correct height with mini-tension-lock couplers

Deluxe Features:

• All models feature a fully working, scale speed roof fan, that will run on DC and DCC. On DCC control, the fan speed is fully programmed to simulate accurate motion
• All models feature a PowerPack supercapacitor Stay-Alive system for uninterrupted power and flicker free lighting and uninterruptible sound (works on DCC)

DCC Features:

• DCC ready [21-Pin MTX Socket]
• Factory-Installed DCC Sound available with ESU LokSound V5 fitted with large EM2 style speaker and sugarcube style speaker, with large sound capsules for best possible sound (DCC Sound models only)
• Wheel flange squeal sensor on DCC sound fitted locomotives for automatic flange squeal on sound programme

High Performance traction features:

• High quality 5-pole motor with two large flywheels
• Helical gearbox for maximum performance and slow speed running
• Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve a scale top speed of 90 mph (145 km/h)
• Outer axles on bogies are driven (sprung dummy centre axle) and all wheel pickup

Fully detailed Lighting Pack features:

• Directional lighting, DC and DCC
• Lighting clusters with appropriate day and night-time settings
• Switchable red and white marker lights (red can be switched individual lights or both on)
• Separately switched cab lighting and illuminated, driver’s desk with auto/off on movement