‘Late life' Class 31 locomotives

WITH Bachmann about to release its newly tooled Graham Farish ‘N’ gauge ‘refurbished’ Class 31/1 with cab roof headcode boxes as part of a new batch of six new Class 31/1 models in its winter release schedule, the diverse appearance of the class is given a photographic airing in this issue of D&E Files.

It is a taste of the liveries and condition the locomotives could be found after 1990 until their final days working on the privatisation railway.

The scope for modelling is vast, with the locomotives being found in numerous liveries and wide variation in external condition which can be used to add character and variety to the new Graham Farish models and forthcoming re-runs of the ‘OO’ gauge Hornby model.

During the 1990s, Class 31/1s were stored and disposed of including locomotives from the Class 31/4 subclass fitted with Electric Train Supply (ETS) for passenger duties which were displaced by the influx of new diesel multiple units of classes 155, 156 and 158. However, a fair number survived to see the private railway and new liveries.

Heavy general repairs