Attractive livery which I plan to get, but definitely needs a stay alive as the sound cuts out at 5:09. One should be included at the deluxe price point.
Agreed, the pickups of the Bachmann 30/31 leave a lot to be desired! Its easy to fit a small stay alive to these models. I use the new AE models micro, which just about squeezes in either side of the fan motor and gearbox unit, but you really should not need to so modify a £300+ model.
You'd have thought Bachmann would fit one considering their newly tooled 08s would have one. Quite embarassing if i'm honest, you wouldn't expect locos to have sound cutting issues in this day and age!
@@SprattyHeath There is precedent for these pickup issues within Bachmann. When they retooled the class 40, they were notorious for the pickups being awful as they switched to an axle bearing based pickup that just seemed to eat lubricating oil and cause the models to cut out. I still have a 40 from that batch, which is next to un-runnable even on freshly cleaned dead straight track with the bearings cleaned out and lubricant to an absolute minimum. The 31 however, uses traditional wiper pickups, so they should be no problem even with the curious decision made to only have pickups on the outer 4 wheels on each bogie and not all 6. Again, this is nothing unusual as it has been done like this successfully before on earlier models, but you would think they would maximise pickups. I can only think that due to the relatively long length of the wipers, they don't exert enough pressure to clean off the wheel blackening and get through to the metal beneath. After a lot of running and a slight tweak to make the pickups more positive in their contact, the models I have modified run fine where initially they struggled even with a stay alive! What the 40 did prove however was that Bachmann listens to constructive criticism, they revised the pickups on that model for future batches; so there is reasonable basis to believe that they could revise the class 31 pickups. Stay alive on a bogie diesel should not be necessary whereas for an 0-6-0 shunter it is very necessary.
I'm not enamoured by the auto uncoupler. In my experience so far it works 90% of the time with Bachmanns own couplers, 50% of the time with Dapol slimline NEM couplers and with Revolution, Hornby, Cavalex and Accurascale stock I have a 0% success rate. Part of the problem is most other manufacturers coupling hooks are stamped from ferrous material, so the magnet lifting the platform that lifts the wagon/coach coupler attracts the hook down just enough that it doesn't lift fully clear of the loop. This problem is exacerbated where the bottom of the item of stocks hook is not rounded off so it snags into the gap in Bachmann coupler between the little rising platform and the loop when the magnet pulls it downwards. Another problem I've encountered with more than one class 30/31 is that the couplers seem to sit too low as well. To make matters more awkward the timing of the coupler operates just is not enough, it is variable across several models I've seen. When mine fails with other Bachmann stock, its because the coupler drops too quickly as the loco draws off. With longer coupler hooks such as Hornby and Accurascale, the loco never clears enough distance before it re-engages the couplings. It would be handy if the paperwork supplied with the models outlined CV adjustments to the uncoupling sequence. I'm glad I use Kadees, if I relied on tension locks these would be a pain in the backside.
If you contact Bachmann, they will send you hook couplings free of charge to fit to your other rolling stock, so that there arent issues with the magnetism.
@@nickg2762 A moot point in my case as I predominantly use Kadees, as I mentioned already, as well as Hunts between coaching rakes. Although the too low NEM pocket IS a problem that I have to deal with. For those who do use tension locks however, they will send a few. They won't cover a typical layout with usually dozens items of rolling stock from other manufacturers. And it certainly doesn't help those who use older items of rolling stock with archaic D type couplers, which are still included in certain current ranges.
Lovely loco but why 9f all the namers did they pick 'Minotaur' when that is the one Hornby did (and I have). Surely Charybdis, Cerberus or Hydra would have been a better option.
Yet another Class 31... Christ alive... doesn't any of these companies want to produce something different?! Lovely looking model but so boring for us modellers.
You have to consider that development probably started over 5 years ago, long before AC announced theirs, and at which point it's too late. There were hundreds of Class 31s in many liveries, so it's a good thing for consumer choice
I remember seeing this engine and the pink one at Westbury
Attractive livery which I plan to get, but definitely needs a stay alive as the sound cuts out at 5:09. One should be included at the deluxe price point.
Agreed, the pickups of the Bachmann 30/31 leave a lot to be desired! Its easy to fit a small stay alive to these models. I use the new AE models micro, which just about squeezes in either side of the fan motor and gearbox unit, but you really should not need to so modify a £300+ model.
You'd have thought Bachmann would fit one considering their newly tooled 08s would have one. Quite embarassing if i'm honest, you wouldn't expect locos to have sound cutting issues in this day and age!
@@SprattyHeath There is precedent for these pickup issues within Bachmann. When they retooled the class 40, they were notorious for the pickups being awful as they switched to an axle bearing based pickup that just seemed to eat lubricating oil and cause the models to cut out. I still have a 40 from that batch, which is next to un-runnable even on freshly cleaned dead straight track with the bearings cleaned out and lubricant to an absolute minimum. The 31 however, uses traditional wiper pickups, so they should be no problem even with the curious decision made to only have pickups on the outer 4 wheels on each bogie and not all 6. Again, this is nothing unusual as it has been done like this successfully before on earlier models, but you would think they would maximise pickups. I can only think that due to the relatively long length of the wipers, they don't exert enough pressure to clean off the wheel blackening and get through to the metal beneath. After a lot of running and a slight tweak to make the pickups more positive in their contact, the models I have modified run fine where initially they struggled even with a stay alive! What the 40 did prove however was that Bachmann listens to constructive criticism, they revised the pickups on that model for future batches; so there is reasonable basis to believe that they could revise the class 31 pickups. Stay alive on a bogie diesel should not be necessary whereas for an 0-6-0 shunter it is very necessary.
great vid thanks for share keep up the great vid you do
I'm not enamoured by the auto uncoupler. In my experience so far it works 90% of the time with Bachmanns own couplers, 50% of the time with Dapol slimline NEM couplers and with Revolution, Hornby, Cavalex and Accurascale stock I have a 0% success rate. Part of the problem is most other manufacturers coupling hooks are stamped from ferrous material, so the magnet lifting the platform that lifts the wagon/coach coupler attracts the hook down just enough that it doesn't lift fully clear of the loop. This problem is exacerbated where the bottom of the item of stocks hook is not rounded off so it snags into the gap in Bachmann coupler between the little rising platform and the loop when the magnet pulls it downwards. Another problem I've encountered with more than one class 30/31 is that the couplers seem to sit too low as well. To make matters more awkward the timing of the coupler operates just is not enough, it is variable across several models I've seen. When mine fails with other Bachmann stock, its because the coupler drops too quickly as the loco draws off. With longer coupler hooks such as Hornby and Accurascale, the loco never clears enough distance before it re-engages the couplings. It would be handy if the paperwork supplied with the models outlined CV adjustments to the uncoupling sequence. I'm glad I use Kadees, if I relied on tension locks these would be a pain in the backside.
If you contact Bachmann, they will send you hook couplings free of charge to fit to your other rolling stock, so that there arent issues with the magnetism.
@@nickg2762 A moot point in my case as I predominantly use Kadees, as I mentioned already, as well as Hunts between coaching rakes. Although the too low NEM pocket IS a problem that I have to deal with. For those who do use tension locks however, they will send a few. They won't cover a typical layout with usually dozens items of rolling stock from other manufacturers. And it certainly doesn't help those who use older items of rolling stock with archaic D type couplers, which are still included in certain current ranges.
Lovely loco but why 9f all the namers did they pick 'Minotaur' when that is the one Hornby did (and I have). Surely Charybdis, Cerberus or Hydra would have been a better option.
Read up in October magazine??? I've just bought December's.
Yes, but we launch these videos to premium members of Key Model World first before we launching them to the general pubic.
@hornbymag Ok, thanks for that 👍
Yet another Class 31... Christ alive... doesn't any of these companies want to produce something different?! Lovely looking model but so boring for us modellers.
You have to consider that development probably started over 5 years ago, long before AC announced theirs, and at which point it's too late. There were hundreds of Class 31s in many liveries, so it's a good thing for consumer choice