Les1952

I said that both offspring had raided Gostude's eBay stash and bought me a beer van apiece for my birthday. Having collected the second one- the right hand one of the pair- from Manchester last week here they are together. Radeberger now has Easi-shunt couplings as has one end of Torgau. The other end will be done later but the V180 isn't a shunter and has Tillig couplers at the moment. The first level of fancy detailing on the front of the block of flats, and an attempt to see if it works further along the road. I think it might overpower this location. More thinking needed. Meanwhile lurking round behind the backscene is the pile of unbuilt kits.... Les

Hornby are attending three shows this back end- The Great Electric Train Show on 14-15 Oct at Milton Keynes The Great British Model train Show at Gaydon on 28th and 29th October and Warley on 25th and 26th November. IF there is to be an announcement of a set for Christmas my gut feeling is that Milton Keynes is the most likely time to announce it. By that time they'll know if it has made the boat in time. Alternately the Summer TT:120 Club mag must be due before all that long for a longer punt. Les

The station building and the toilet block are now painted, and the platform has its card surface with an initial coat of grey paint. The station is where it will be sited, astride the board join. As I'm basically working from the rear corners to the front middle bedding this in might be one of the last jobs to be done. Weathering also needed here and the ground around can be designed as I know where the station access road comes in. Closer view of the ladder on the station wall (trusting people) and the "Manner" sign on the toilets- the "Damen" loos are round the other side. I know this is supposed to be the front of the toilet block but it looks better than the back so is more interesting for the punters. Having finished the station and the shed, the next building in the pile of kits is the other big block for the town centre. It is a half-relief block by DM Toys/Modellbahn Union and laser-cut. No issues so far other than it is deeper than the space I'd allocated for it, so construction pics will show it moving up and down the road until I find where it looks best. The corner block still needs its roof finishing. Last for today, I saw this small 3D-printed shed building with lean-to on eBay, one of the myriad of folks making stuff for TT:120. It was cheap enough to take a punt on and would have been put aside for the next layout if unsuitable. Exactly what I need to be able to move the barrel roofed warehouse along the road slightly to where it is a bit wider, and still leave the chimney hiding the discontinuity in the backscene. It will be sited here, though the lean-to might be moved. I just have to decide what colours to paint it. The first building on the layout that is not a kit, and only the third structure after the tunnel mouth and the footbridge. Definitely a constructors scale- all my other layouts have included appropriate buildings recycled from other peoples' layouts and some ready-to- pant buildings. More soon. Les

I STILL don't have my Kerr Stuart (a maroon sound-fitted one at £215). It arrived in a badly bashed box with air included in the packaging amplifying the blow it had received, and didn't run so it went back. Two weeks later after an email to find out where it had got to it returned, in a different bashed box. This one at least didn't have the imprint of a foot on it. On the second attempt the loco was, if anything, worse than the first time. The valve gear on one side falls apart after half a revolution- the fault it was sent back for the first time. I sent pics back and was advised to remove the sound chip and install the blanking plug if I wished to test that the valve gear worked- not really on- the user should not be expected to dismantle a loco to check it- that is why we send them back. It also appears the valve gear as designed isn't strong enough to withstand the sort of blow this one has received. The image shows what happens after one revolution immediately after the thing had been put together properly. This image shows it as put back together. One more revolution and we were back to photograph one. Accordingly I sent it back again on 19th June, first class signed-for and correctly addressed. This time for a refund. Tracking shows it has not been delivered. PI say no card was left, though I have no idea whether, having had the tracking number supplied by me, any attempt has been made to see if it is at their local sorting office. If undelivered it should have been returned to me by yesterday. It has not appeared. Royal Mail want proof of contents and a statement of the value of the item, which I'm unable to supply. As a result there will be no compensation. They also say they will not compensate because the address is a PO box number and these often do not accept signed-for deliveries. Moral- use REGISTERED mail, and ask for an address that is not a PO box if returning stuff. Les

The 08 copes quite happily with Peco points where the frog isn't wired seperately and also with Hornby points. It does need its wheels keeping clean, however - like all locos do. Les

A lot of posts bemoaning how late stuff is- but NOBODY has mentioned the latest news that is being reported from China. Source Reuters, CNN, BBC and others. China is currently suffering a heatwave of the same magnitude (or maybe even greater) than the 50 degrees Celsius heatwave affecting Europe. They also had a heatwave last year. The one last year closed factories all across China and significantly delayed exports and development of products for a large number of customers. The heatwave this year is already closing factories, which will remain shut until the temperature goes down. This will again delay products to everyone. Stuff will be late again- no doubt including TT:120 stuff for Hornby. Of course RMWebbers will insist that the heatwave is all Hornby's fault, or that they should have factored it in, or invested in factories in Greenland or Iceland etc... Les

The best BIG model railway show in the East Midlands... South Notts Show is the best medium-sized one...... Les

Given my experience of them Heljan's equivalent could be "Heljans rarely lives up to their potential, and frequently fall apart". The same works for many manufacturers. Most just don't seem to have a large RM chorus of bashers...... Les

A little more progress... The roof of the tall building is now finished apart from the guttering. More urgent is sorting out the ground so it stands level and working out what to do with the road at this end. The top of the roof will be repainted to blend in with the lower part. Looking across the layout to the town end showing the layer effect I'm trying to achieve. I'm not worried about roofs over the top of the backscene. The scenery on the bit that this faces in the box is low so there isn't a clash. The station platform has been replaced with a lower one, which will sit nearer rural German platform height. Testing with a set of coaches is fine, though I've had to take a little off the front edge to allow loco cylinders to pass safely. No progress yet on the building, which will sit over the board join here. Lastly, the engine shed has chimneys, not exactly as in the instructions- each has 13 parts rather than the 17 in the instructions, but putting bands round the circular section was beyond me. I've used a square section instead. The smoke vent over the long roof won't be done. One of the vital support pieces snapped beyond repair while I was trying to glue the main rooftop beam to it. It has been rebuilt for diesels.... All for now. The layout will need to be packed up next Sunday to allow me to get Bregenbach sorted for Loughborough Show next month and get a week's holiday in before that happens. Before then I want the town end good enough to take a photograph for the layout leaflet. Les

When I talked to Simon Kohler at Gaydon last year he said a J94 was in the pipeline, and that they would include high and low bunker, standard, fibreglass and Geisl chimneys, and would also possibly go into Arnold for an NS version. I don't think he realised how much tank carving the Geisl chimney takes. I'd intended to take one of my OO Geisl austerities to show him at Gaydon or Warley this year but have been overtaken by events. Arnold version? Maybe/maybe not. Les

Are they in the batch of spares Hornby have sent to Peters Spares, or do they sell similar? Les

On my layouts (all 6 in 3 scales now) I've used Peco N-gauge track pins to put the track in. The track the punters can see is ballasted and glued and then (most of) the pins on this area are removed. I cut the ends flush under the baseboards - something I've learned the hard way. This time I've used a pin pusher for the first time- something I wish I'd bought 5 layouts earlier..... Les

With limited resources the initial offering had to be directed somewhere and newbies seem to prefer roundy-roundies. Not yet really directed in my direction which is why I'm building the Continental layout first to get the hang of the scale. One thing I AM finding is that the only ready-to-plant structures I have are a footbridge and a small 3D-printed garden workshop, and for the first time EVER I am unable to add buildings salvaged from toyfair bins and upgraded on to one of my exhibition layouts- this is exhibition layout number six. I've made 5 plastic and 4 laser-cut buildings so far with another 6 laser-cut buildings in the pile to make after I've finished the current one- and that won't provide all of the buildings. I'll probably need another three after that but until the current spasm has finished I'll not know which. Someone mentioned earlier that TT:120 was a builder's scale. This dyspraxic individual is finding exactly how true that is..... Les With about 40 trees waiting assembly and planting to follow the buildings. At least the ballasting and about 50% of the static grass is done....

As an eBay seller of many years, and as a watcher with TT:120 and as many variations as I can think of saved as searches (largely so I can get a Roco BR144 coal or oil) I see every Hornby A1, A4 or A3 that is listed. There are VERY few. Given that there aren't huge numbers out there I would expect very few. But to put it in context you will usually find more Hattons Barclays, used EFE claytons or WD saddletanks, and more used Rapidos or Revolutions of any type - all produced in similar-sized numbers. A look today gave more Dapol Lembergs than Hornby TT:120 A1s or A3s, and there were only 300 Lembergs made- DJ let me see the A4/A3 spreadsheet for the first run. Given that TT:120 isn't really a showcase scale (though my Pacifics are in the showcase while I build the German layout first) it would appear that most are in use with an overall low rate of dissatisfaction in the world outside RMWeb. Les

A little more building work. The chimney base is done- and I've got some extra grey paint to touch over. This is where it will sit to hide the join in the backscene, but I'm hoping to find a smaller building to fit between it and the warehouse as the latter fits the space better further to the left. The station building is now under construction- yes it really is that small- it is a private railway after all. This is the first attempt at putting down a platform and I'm not happy with it. When I run a passenger train in behind it the platform is too high, almost to UK height. I'll look to see if I have some thinner Balsa to make it from. A disaster has struck the tall building..... The pieces for the lower part of the roof were missing from the box. I've cobbled a set of parts to fit (or as near as I can) out of Redutex but they are darker than the upper half of the roof (which IS in the box). I'll continue building as it cost too much to throw away, but I'm not best pleased. I'll paint the upper roof to match the lower and apply strategic weathering. The building is right at the back and the roofline is the highest part of the scenery, which makes this especially annoying. All for now. I've already had an email from UPS to say my next lot of buildings are in transit. I'd better get a shift on.... Les

As another birthday passes a pair of beer wagons are incoming. This is the first one, from Mr Simon. A Tillig wagon with NEM coupler pockets making changing to modern couplings or to Easi-shunts much easier. A view of the other end coupled to the BR280 after changing the couplings.. Next building in line is the tall one that is to sit behind the block of flats. The ground underneath needs firming up and levelling. As the building is a corner block but not 90 degrees I've got to think carefully about the roadway in front of it. The gaping corner has now been welded together- the joy of photos that show all the defects... The roadway might turn through 90 degrees to disappear. The green area in front will be well endowed with trees. Looking at it over the top of the flats block- the idea of buildings banking upwards is what I wanted to achieve. More can be done on the road surface when I have the buildings sorted out. I've sent an order to Modellbahn Union for five low-relief buildings to go along the high level road. They may not be enough and one of them loos a little tall and a little deep. Les

Oddly enough it couples quite happily to rolling stock, the video was taken with the Tillig couplings still in place- it ran through the R2 curves at the end of the layout, and through reverse curves in the pointwork in the fiddle yard. The loco is short and there is little room between the air tanks for sideways play in any case. Now with Easi-shunts. Les

Back in business after Ruddington show with Bregenbach and a visit to a wet Manchester to see my daughter and granddaughter. The shed now has its roof, but no celerestory, doors or chimneys yet. Note the coal stage under construction next to it. Also in the pack from Kelvin were some more cars and a digger. A pair of the cars placed on the road above the tunnel to see if it is actually wide enough. Slightly on the narrow side but it will work. I'm thinking of getting some Noch self-adhesive roadway to improve the surface. More difficult to lay but any joins can be disguised by traffic and rough edges can have pavement or foliage. Going slightly round the bend as are most folks these days we see two more of the cars and the digger. The chimney just visible at the top hides a discontinuity in the backscene. Wall capping still desperately needed and buffers, ground cover etc etc etc... Back to the shed with the digger posed for me to decide it looks better somewhere else. There were two diggers came from Kelvin, the other one is going onto eBay as surplus. The celerestory won't now be added to the shed- I'm too ham fisted to get the small parts together without breaking them. So far the chimneys are going together reasonably well- photo when added- but as each chimney is 14 pieces they are best described as fiddly. Next job is to put in the station platform and roadway at the front so I can do the messy part of the groundwork (plaster bandage) at this side before getting on with bits that would suffer badly if plaster got on them. Les

My class 08 came secondhand from someone who had lost the centring spring at the front end. I glued the coupling mount rigidly in place and it is quite happy with all my Continental stock on the German layout I'm currently building. There isn't much room for sideways movement at the nose end with the air tanks being in the way, so nothing lost. I'll try it on some Radius 1 curves before building the UK outline layout next year (ish) as this will be industrial flavoured and only use small tank locos and diesels. It is DCC fitted with the narrowest decoder I could find to fit the space. In a more ideal world I think I'd have chopped off some of the plastic either side of the channel the decoder is supposed to fit into. Video shows it and the rather strange class 670 railbus running on Bregstadt, which has had a lot of work done to it since then. The 08 will get a repaint as a mythical one sold to a German private line after BR or NS use. When the front of the layout is clear enough for me to mount the camera I'll try and get some video of it shunting. It now has Easi-shunt couplings which I'm standardising on for anything that needs to shunt actively. The pickups and slow running of the 08 are definitely good enough for it to be used for shunting. Les

I've been using the 08 as a test loco while building Bregstadt, largely as a short wheelbase loco it finds scenic grot that has glued itself to my nice clean track more effectively than a 2-8-2T or a Bo-Bo diseasel would. It has Easi-shunt couplings at both ends and is a very reliable slow mover which can be positioned from a crawl accurately enough for automatic uncoupling and coupling to take place. As a result, although bought largely to test concepts before I start my UK outline layout some time after Hornby get round to issuing their J94, it has gone into Bregstadt's roster and will get re-lettered suitably for a German private railway. As an aside, the Easi-shunts work better in TT:120 than in N, largely because the stock is heavier and there is more resistance, including a little more sideways resistance in the coupling mounts- the Easi-shunts open reliably on the magnet rather than being pulled bodily to one side by the magnet. Heavier stock also has a smaller tendency to run ahead and re-couple when being pushed into place. Les

Having 12 Dapol A4s I would rate them neck and neck. However I totally agree with you on the Farish A3 which failed to be as good as the Minitrix one. Dapol's is much better. The advantage that the TT locos have over the N gauge ones is that the plastic is thinner relative to the scale so looks finer at cab edges. This is one of the places where brass kits have a big advantage over r-t-r in OO gauge. N isn't a scale for viewing very close up- it works much better in the landscape. TT is somewhere between this and the showcase quality the OO gauge fraternity are demanding. Les

Comparing my three Blink Bonnys - one each in N, TT and OO, the TT:120 one definitely looks more to scale when standing on the track and looking from the front- that is also after removing the front couplings from the other two (placed in the box for reattachment when the loco is sold on or to be used on an end to end layout) I have a Continental layout under construction- and an 08 is part of the roster, though when we get enough small prototypes a UK outline layout will follow. I have exisiting exhibition layouts in OO and N, and I am finding that for TT I need to gain a new skill set- partly to do with the track actually being to scale gauge, and partly due to the amount that can/can't be fitted realistically into the layout's scenic area. I'm also properly learning laser-cut kitbuilding- I had to be rescued by LCut when building the shed on OO gauge NO PLACE. In my distant youth I actually built whitemetal kits by Ks and others, and they even ran. I remember the days of exploded diagrams which failed to show which bits wouldn't go past which others, and closely typed instructions which might just as well have been written in Czech. The laser-cut loco shed seen here close to completion takes me back to those days- sheet after sheet of exploded diagrams referencing part numbers not on the parts themselves, and lengthy instructions that ARE in Czech.... Les

Wasn't the Jinty on the list of locos Simon Kohler stated were in the pipeline for Hornby? Is there an alternative that might not be on Hornby's radar? Just a thought Les

and will be as long as they sell....

I think we will see more of the future of TT:120 in the overall Hornby stable when the full range of Class 66 liveries is announced- including the Arnold ones. Remember that there are more class 66 locos working overseas than in the UK, with distribution from Hungary and Croatia to France, the Netherlands and Germany. And with the Bulgarians overhauling and repainting their Class 87s at the moment, a class 87 in release 5 onwards would also sell quite well into the TT:120 market where 25KV is the power.. Les