Accurascale OO Scale Class 31 – 31602 ‘Chimaera’

Accurascale OO Scale Class 31 / English Electric Type 2 – 31602 ‘Chimaera’ in Fragonset livery

No heat 31191 was one of seven Class 31s acquired from EWS in April 1998 by Fragonset Railways along with 31186, 31459/468 and 31549/552/558. Originally stored from Toton in October 1995 it was returned to the fray courtesy of the Birmingham Railway Museum at Tyseley in June 1999 renumbered as 31602 the second member of the new Class 31/6 sub class, which included a repaint in Fragonset’s striking black livery with maroon/gold stripe and the mythical creature-themed name Chimaera. The only modification to justify the renumbering was the fitment of through ETS wiring allowing double heading with an electrical train supply-equipped Class 31/4, or for shutting down the ETS on the rear locomotive in case of fire while leading in a top and tail formation. Its first passenger use was on Silverlink Train’s Marston Vale branch between Bedford and Bletchley in summer 1999, which ended that same year, leaving 31602 with a regular diet of railtours and stock transfers until 2003 when Wessex Trains hired in loco-hauled sets for Cardiff-Brighton and Bristol-Weymouth diagrams, while 2004 saw it seconded to First North Western for Lytham St Annes-Greenbank and Manchester Victoria/Chester-Blackpool North commuter services. From 2005 Fragonset became FM Rail and when that collapsed into administration at the end of the following year it was put up for sale, eventually joining RVE at Derby, for Network Rail test train use, gaining that organisation’s house yellow in April 2007. That November it gained the new name Driver Dave Green and the following month it became one of just three Class 31s to gain brackets for UV spotlights for use with the Structure Gauging Train. It’s NR Service ended in November 2012 when it moved to DC Rail, which sidelined it at the end of 2013. It was put up for sale in 2017 but with no takers it was scrapped at Wolsingham by J Denham Metals in June 2018.

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