Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs
Prototype Eras
Era 9 (1995 to 2004) Initial Privatisation
Era 11 (2016 to 2026) The Last Days of Privatisation
With the recent announcement of the Brush Type Twos – Class 30s and Class 31s – in OO scale from Bachmann Branchline, the Bachmann Collectors Club has taken full advantage of this tooling to produce No. 31190 ‘Gryphon’ in the popular West Coast Railways Maroon livery.
Depicting a Refurbished Class 31/1, this locomotive has had its Mirrlees engine replaced with an English Electric 12SVT and the Branchline model faithfully recreates this, with the correct roof exhaust ports and 12SVT engine block detail visible through the bodyside windows.
With high fidelity mouldings, numerous separately fitted parts and countless tooling variations to capture the minutiae of the real locomotives throughout their lives, our new Class 31 is brought to life with an exquisite livery application using true-to-prototype colours, fonts and logos. Along with an unprecedented array of lighting features, our Dual Fitted speaker system is fitted to all models – bringing to life this SOUND FITTED model. For the ultimate experience, choose one of our SOUND FITTED DELUXE models with their motorised radiator fan, authentic tinted windscreen glazing and, for the first time ever, DCC-uncoupling – thanks to the Bachmann Auto-release Coupling System!
DETAIL VARIATIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS MODEL
BACHMANN BRANCHLINE CLASS 30/31 SPECIFICATION
MECHANISM:
DETAILING:
LIGHTING:
DCC:
SOUND:
LIVERY APPLICATION:
SOUNDS
F0 - Directional Lights - On / Off (plus Light Switch Sound)
F1 - Sound On/Off
F2 - Brake
F3 - Single Horn
F4 - Two-Tone Horn
F5 - Light Engine Mode
F6 - Engine Idle
F7 - Speed Lock
F8 - Cold Start
F9 - Flange Squeal (Speed Related)
F10 - Compressor
F11* - Uncoupling Sequence No. 1 End (Fan)
F12* - Uncoupling Sequence No. 2 End (non-Fan)
F13 - Remove talking from Uncoupling Sequence
F14 - On - Single Rear Red Tail Lights / Off - Twin Rear Red Tail Lights
F15 - High Intensity Light (If Fitted)
F16 - Guard's Whistle and Driver Response
F17 - Priming Pump
F18 - Speed Related Wagon Buffering
F19 - No. 1 End (Fan) Directional Lights Off
F20 - No. 2 End (non-Fan) Directional Lights Off
F21 - Cab Light On - No. 1 End
F22 - Cab Light On - No. 2 End
F23 - Engine Room Lights
F24 - Automatic Drain Trap
F25 - Shunt Mode
F26 - Detonators
F27 - Volume Down
F28 - Volume Up
*F11 & F12 will initiate a short forwards and backwards movement of the locomotive along with coupling sound effects and associated train crew chatter.
Analogue Users: Please note that normal load running sounds and any other automatic or randomised sounds will also operate when this model is used on analogue control (DC) straight from the box!
CLASS 31 No. 31190 BRIEF HISTORY
Like all 263 Class 31 locomotives, No. 31190 was built at Brush Traction in Loughborough, entering traffic in May 1960 as number D5613. As with many of its classmates, No. D5613 was initially deployed to the Eastern Region and allocated to Finsbury Park which saw it working out of Kings Cross.
In 1974 the locomotive was renumbered to 31190 with the implementation of the Total Operations Processing System (TOPS) and was classified as a Class 31/1 – a ‘standard’ Class 31. No. 31190 has carried a number of different liveries during its varied history, starting with BR Green and then BR Blue. Following refurbishment in 1987 the locomotive emerged in Railfreight Red Stripe livery and was later repainted into Engineer’s ‘Dutch’ Grey & Yellow.
Passing into EWS ownership at Privatisation in 1996, the locomotive was sold to the spot-hire company Fragonset and it returned to traffic in 2000 after another repaint, this time into Fragonset’s black and maroon livery and named ‘Gryphon’ – continuing the company’s theme of naming their locomotives after creatures from Greek mythology.
Winter 2002/2003 saw No. 31190 gain another new livery when it was leased to Railtrack, receiving the company’s striking vibrant blue and green colour scheme, before joining the West Coast Railways Company fleet in 2005 which prompted another repaint, this time into their Maroon livery, whilst still retaining its ‘Gryphon’ nameplates.
No. 31190 subsequently lost its nameplates and was repainted into retro BR Green livery, complete with its original number D5613, continuing to be used for spot-hire, in particular hauling Network Rail trains. Finally withdrawn from service in 2015, the locomotive was saved for preservation, first going to the Weardale Railway, where it received its latest livery (BR Experimental Golden Ochre), before moving to its current home in April 2021, the Plym Valley Railway.
* Class names often change over the lifespan of a locomotive, so this is not necessarily the class name used by the operator in the period modelled.
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