British Rail Class 31

Brush Type 2 British Rail Class 31
31108 and 31190 at Sutton Cross (NVR)
Power type	Diesel-electric
Builder	Brush Traction
Build date	1957–1962
Total produced	263
Configuration	A1A-A1A
UIC classification	(A1A)'(A1A)'
Gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Standard gauge
Wheel diameter	Driving: 3 ft 7 in (1.092 m) Idling: 3 ft 3 1⁄2 in (1.003 m)
Minimum curve	4.5 chains (91 m)
Wheelbase	42 ft 10 in (13.06 m)
Length	56 ft 9 in (17.30 m)
Width	8 ft 9 in (2.67 m)
Height	12 ft 7 in (3.84 m)
Locomotive weight	106.7 long tons (108.4 t) to 113 long tons (115 t)
Fuel capacity	650 imp gal (3,000 l; 780 US gal)
Prime mover	Original: Mirrlees JVS12T Rebuilt: English Electric 12SVT
Transmission	DC generator, DC traction motors
Multiple working	D5500–D5519: ● Red Circle Remainder: ★ Blue Star
Top speed	D5500–5534: 80 mph (129 km/h) Remainder: 90 mph (145 km/h)
Power output	Engine: 1,470 bhp (1,100 kW) At rail: 872 hp (650 kW)
Tractive effort	Maximum: 35,900 lbf (159,691 N)
Train heating	31/0 & 31/1: Steam 31/4: Electric Train Heat
Locomotive brakeforce	49 LTf (488 kN)
Train brakes	Vacuum / Dual (Air/Vac)
Career	British Railways
Number	D5500–D5699, D5800–D5862, later 31001–31970
Axle load class	Route availability 5

The British Rail Class 31 diesel locomotives, also known as the Brush Type 2 and originally as Class 30, were built by Brush Traction from 1957-62.

Description

The Class 31 was one of the Pilot Scheme locomotives ordered by British Railways to replace steam traction. They were originally built with Mirrlees JVS12T 1,250 bhp (930 kW) and 1,365 bhp (1,018 kW) engines and Brush electrical equipment, but the engines were not successful and in 1964 a programme of works commenced to re-engine the fleet with the 1,470 bhp (1,100 kW) English Electric 12SVT engines. The locomotives were originally known as Class 30 under TOPS, with re-engined examples joining Class 31. The class was originally intended for service on the Eastern Region, but gradually became common in both the Western and London Midland regions too.

Several sub-classes of Class 31 exist:

• 31/0 - First batch of locos, fitted with Red Circle electro-magnetic control equipment - withdrawn in the late 1970s as non-standard
• 31/1 - The standard locomotive
• 31/4 - Fitted with ETH apparatus
• 31/5 - Former 31/4 with the ETH isolated for Civil Engineers Department use
• 31/6 - Standard locomotive through wired for ETH but without ETH apparatus.

Class 31/0

These first 20 locos, originally numbered D5500-D5519, were always easily recognisable as they did not have the headcode box mounted on the roof above the cab, leading to the nickname "Skinheads". They were also nicknamed "Toffee Apples" from the shape of the control key which had to be taken from cab to cab when changing ends. These pilot scheme locos were non-standard in having Electro-Magnetic Multiple-Working control equipment, and were limited to 80 mph (130 km/h). The Class 31/0s had a Route Availability of 5. After being involved in a serious collision D5518 was rebuilt as a standard loco with indicator boxes, blue star coupling code and 90 mph gearing.

They were allocated to East Anglian sheds throughout their service, ending up allocated to Stratford and latterly sporting that depot's trademark silver roof. Upon withdrawal four locomotives were converted at Stratford into train pre-heating units. Locomotives 31013, 31002, 31014 and 31008 were renumbered ADB968013 to ADB968016 in the order given; ADB968014 was allocated to Bounds Green depot on the Great Northern main line and ADB968015 was based at Great Yarmouth, while the remaining two were allocated to Stratford.

Class 31/1

Class 31/1 on Sharnbrook bank with a short van train in April 1985

The first few locos externally had much in common with the original 31/0s as they lacked the roof mounted headcode box, and were also limited to 80 mph (130 km/h), but were otherwise the same as subsequent locos. The whole sub-class had steam heating boilers fitted, had the Blue Star Electro-Pneumatic multiple-working controls as found on many other BR classes, and were classified as Route Availability 5. The Class 31/1s could be found on a variety of secondary and relief passenger duties as well as parcels and freight traffic. While used in East Anglia, with locos allocated to Stratford and March depots, they were found throughout the Eastern Region of BR with Finsbury Park sporting a large allocation along with the depots at Tinsley, Immingham and Thornaby. Locos were also allocated to Bristol Bath Road and Old Oak Common on the Western Region, where they could be found working passenger trains as far west as Barnstaple and Paignton. In the early 1980s Healey Mills and Bescot on the Midland Region also gained an allocation as replacements for Class 25s.

Class 31/4

The Class 31/4s, numbered from 31400 to 31469, were conversions of 31/1s to which ETH was fitted. They had an ETH index of 66, equivalent to 330 kW, which was sufficient to power trains of up to eleven Mk 3 carriages, in order to allow them to power long trains, whose service run would be worked by a larger locomotive, between depot and terminus, although in actual passenger service loads rarely exceeded four or five carriages. 330 kW accounted for about a third of the total electrical power output, and the conversion was such that none of the ETH power was ever available for traction even if the ETH was not being used at all. The traction power output of the 31/4 was therefore limited to a maximum of two-thirds of that of the non-ETH variants, which did not help the performance of an already somewhat underpowered locomotive, and late running of 31/4-hauled services sometimes happened.

Commercial operators

English, Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS)

Before the introduction of class 66s, EWS took control of the class 31s from the Mainline and Trainload companies. No. 31466 was repainted into EWS colours for the Toton TMD open day in May 1998 and soon became the only one of the class to be in traffic running in the EWS colours. No. 31255 also received EWS colours but never ran on the main line and spent its life at Toton until preservation. In their final days of EWS ownership, no. 31110 (scrapped at TJ Thompson's, Stockton in April 2007) was repainted into BR green in the summer of 1999 and featured its original number D5528 to mark the end of their working lives with EWS and worked the last EWS class 31 hauled railtour. The final four EWS locomotives were withdrawn in February 2001. The two EWS liveried locos are now preserved.

FM Rail

In 1998, FM Rail (then known as Fragonset Railways) purchased four redundant Class 31 locomotives from EWS. The first of these, no. 31452, was quickly repaired and repainted in a new black livery with a red mid-body band. It was quickly followed by nos. 31459 and 31468. Several more locomotives were also purchased, and in 1999, the first of two modified Class 31/6 locomotives re-entered traffic. The Class 31/6 subclass is essentially a modified Class 31/1 locomotive with through electric-train heating wiring. This enables a Class 31/4 and Class 31/6 to work in multiple and still heat the train, even if the no-heat Class 31/6 is attached to the carriages.

In 1999, Fragonset won a short-term contract with Silverlink for two locomotives to work in top-and-tail mode with two Mk. 1 carriages on the Bletchley-Bedford line. This was to cover for the non-availability of Class 117 and Class 121 diesel multiple units. The trial was a success, and in 2000 it was repeated in the summer timetable. The locomotives were retained until displaced by more modern Class 150/1 units cascaded from Central Trains.

By this time, the Fragonset Class 31 fleet had expanded considerably to include three Class 31/1, three Class 31/4 and two Class 31/6 locomotives. Regular work at this time included use hauling Class 317 electric multiple units from WAGN's Hornsey depot to Bedford for use with Thameslink. As units were still maintained at Hornsey, this meant regular workings between the two depots to swap units when maintenance was due.

Mainline Rail

After the demise of FM Rail, several of their Class 31s passed to Mainline Rail, operated by RMS Locotec. As of November 2008, four 31/4s and one 31/6 are owned by RMS Locotec, which is a subsidiary of British American Railway Services, Ltd.

A Class 31 is now owned by Nemesis Rail based at Burton on Trent like 31128 was an ex Fragonset which at present is on loan to North Yorkshire Moors railway as a standby in case of steam loco shortage.

Network Rail

Network Rail operates a fleet of three Class 31/1 locomotive, nos. 31105/233/285, and one Class 31/4 locomotive,31465 to haul test trains around the network. The locomotives were purchased from Fragonset, and overhauled at their Derby workshops. They have been repainted in Network Rail's new all-over yellow livery.

Prior to operating its own locomotives, Network Rail's predecessor, Railtrack, had hired two Class 31 locomotives from Fragonset. These two locomotives, nos. 31190 and 31601, were repainted in Railtrack's blue and lime green livery. With the overhaul and entry into service of Network Rail's own locomotives, these two engines were returned to Fragonset.

No. 31106 is privately owned by Howard Johnston, and after a period of lease to Fragonset and FM Rail is now managed by RVEL and in regular use with Network Rail. The same individual purchased three more of the class from EWS, but they acquired new owners; 31107 (scrapped by C F Booth at Rotherham in May 2009, following a crash with a Renault Espace on a level crossing during Top Gear Series 9, Episode 5 in 2006), 31289 (preserved at the Northampton & Lamport Railway), and 31301 (in store).

Preservation

Over 30 locomotives have been purchased for use on heritage railways, however some of these have been subsequently scrapped, see listings below. Of note are the first built, no. 31018, and the last built, no. 31327.

Numbers carried (Current in bold)				Name	Livery	Location	Notes
D5500	31018	—	—	—	BR Blue	National Railway Museum	First-built locomotive, now part of the National Collection
D5518	31101	—	—	—	BR Large Logo Blue	Battlefield Line	—
D5522	31104	31418	—	Boadicea	BR Blue	Midland Railway - Butterley	—
D5526	31108	—	—	—	Railfreight Grey	Nene Valley Railway	—
D5533	31115	31466	—	—	EWS Maroon/Gold	Dean Forest Railway	—
D5537	31119	—	—	—	Railfreight Red Stripe	Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway	—
D5548	31130	—	—	Calder Hall Power Station	Trainload Coal	Battlefield Line	—
D5557	31139	31438	31538	—	BR Blue	Epping Ongar Railway	—
D5562	31144	—	—	—	Civil Engineers	Privately owned at private site near Newton Heath in Manchester	—
D5580	31162	—	—	—	BR Blue	Llangollen Railway	—
D5581	31163	—	—	—	BR Green	Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway	—
D5600	31179	31435	—	Newton Heath TMD	BR Green	Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway	-
D5627	31203	—	—	Steve Orgam G.M	BR Green	Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway	—
D5630	31206	—	—	—	Civil Engineers	Rushden, Higham and Wellingborough Railway
D5631	31207	—	—	—	BR Green	North Norfolk Railway	One of final three locomotive operated by EWS.
D5634	31210	—	—	—	BR Green	Dean Forest Railway	—
D5662	31235	—	—	—	BR Blue	Mid-Norfolk Railway	—
D5669	31410	—	—	—	Regional Railways	Privately owned at Kirby Stephen	—
D5683	31255	—	—	—	EWS Red/Gold	Colne Valley Railway	Repainted in EWS livery for paint trials.
D5695	31265	31430	31530	Sister Dora	Civil Engineers	Mid-Norfolk Railway	—
D5800	31270	—	—	—	Regional Railways	Peak Rail	—
D5801	31271	—	—	Stratford 1840-2001	Trainload Construction	Midland Railway - Butterley	—
D5814	31414	31514	—	—	Gatwick Express Intercity	Ecclesbourne Valley Railway	Fitted with 'Pink Circle' for operations similar to Class 73
D5821	31289	—	—	Phoenix	BR Blue	Northampton & Lamport Railway	—
D5830	31297	31463	31563	—	BR Golden Ochre	Great Central Railway	—
D5862	31327	—	—	—	BR Green	Strathspey Railway	Final locomotive built.

In addition, the following locomotives were previously preserved, but have since been scrapped.

• 31113 ex-Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway - scrapped in June 2008 at EMR Kingsbury after death of owner
• 31123 ex-Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway - scrapped in 2006 by A1A Locomotives
• 31166 ex-Wensleydale Railway - scrapped in 2009
• 31188 ex-Wensleydale Railway - scrapped in 2008
• 31421 ex-Midland Railway Butterley - scrapped in 2007 after deal fell through for loco to get power unit ex. 31405
• 31442 ex-Churnet Valley Railway - scrapped in 2004
• 31467 ex-East Lancashire Railway - scrapped in 2008 after being stripped by metal thieves. 31556 due to follow shortly.

Gallery

• 

  31018, at the National Railway Museum in York, on 3 June 2004. This was the first locomotive of the Class to be built in 1957. It was withdrawn from service in 1976. It currently carries BR Blue livery. Note the absence of over-window head code panel, which were only omitted from the first few locomotives.

• 

  31454, stabled at Westbury on 16 April 2004. This locomotive is painted in InterCity livery, and was at the time owned by Fragonset Railways. It was hired to Wessex Trains to haul trains from Bristol to Brighton and Weymouth.

• 

  31271 Stratford 1840-2001, pictured on 3 June 2004 at the York Railfest held to celebrate the 200th anniversary of railways. The locomotive is preserved at the Midland Railway - Butterley. It carries Trainload Construction livery, and was named to commemorate the former locomotive depot at Stratford.

• 

  31128 Charybdis at Bristol Temple Meads on 23 July 2004. This locomotive was owned by Fragonset Railways, but hired to Wessex Trains to haul trains from Bristol to Brighton and Weymouth.

• 

  31255 at the Colne Valley Railway in EWS livery

• 

  InterCity liveried 31414 running brake van rides on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway.

• 

  Regional Railways livery 31270 at Peak Rail, Rowsley, Derbyshire.

• 

  Network Rail 31285 speeds through Rugeley working a test train.

• 

  31601 in DCR green livery, working a Network Rail test train south of Chesterfield.

Media

Number 31107, seen at RVE Derby, was the locomotive used in the Top Gear crash

On 21 August 2006, Network Rail and the BBC Television programme Top Gear staged and filmed a crash between a Class 31 locomotive and a family car in order to promote rail safety. The off-limits event was the first of its type for 10 years and took place at Hibaldstow level crossing near Scawby in Lincolnshire, where the B1206 road crosses the Barnetby–Gainsborough railway line.

Two Class 31 locomotives and a parked Renault Espace were used during the crash. Network Rail's 31233 was used to propel 31107 up to a speed of 80 mph (130 km/h). The rear locomotive slowed down to a stop and 31107 continued to coast at a speed of 70–80 miles per hour into the road vehicle parked across the eastbound 'up' line.

For the crash, locomotive 31107 received a special black livery with the slogan "Level crossings — Don't run the risk" along the side in white lettering. The final 5 minute segment, presented by Jeremy Clarkson, was originally scheduled for 4 February 2007 but was rescheduled, apparently due to a fatal crossing crash at Dingwall two days earlier. It was eventually aired on BBC Two on 25 February 2007, shortly after the Cumbria derailment. A repeat of the programme was pulled following a further level-crossing accident.

Another Class 31 was used in an episode of Dalziel and Pascoe, where it crashed into a coach. This was filmed at Wansford railway station level crossing on the Nene Valley Railway.^{[citation needed]}

Class 31 no. 31420 was also used in a train crash in the ITV series 'The Royal', though locomotive was tipped over onto its side and separated from its bogies.^{[citation needed]}31414 has been used in the ITV drama Mobile and also in the BBC series Casualty with the former Gatwick Express coaches at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway.

Class 31 no. 31108 appeared on 1 November 2010 in the BBC soap opera Eastenders. The scene shows Janine Butcher nearly being hit by a train on a level crossing, and was filmed at the Nene Valley Railway.^{[citation needed]}

Models

The first model of the Class 31 was made by Triang. Airfix model railways also chose to produce a Class 31 when Airfix entered the model train market in the mid 1970s. Lima also produced a model.

Currently the only 00 Gauge model of the Class 31 is that produced by Hornby since 2004.

2011 is expected to see the return of the Lima model under the Hornby Railroad banner.

An N Gauge model of the Class 31 is currently produced by Graham Farish, while Lima have also produced a model.

References and sources

Sources

• Stevens-Stratten, S.W.; Carter, R.S. (1978). British Rail Main-Line Diesels. Shepperton: Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 0 7110 0617 2. 
• Williams, Alan; Percival, David (1977). British Railways Locomotives and Multiple Units including Preserved Locomotives 1977. Shepperton: Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 0 7110 0751 9. 

Further reading

• McManus, Michael. Ultimate Allocations, British Railways Locomotives 1948 - 1968. Wirral. Michael McManus. 

External links

• The Class 31 Photo Gallery
• Video
• Class 31 Photos