Robin Brasher
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Posts posted by Robin Brasher
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An interesting interview. I thought it was going off topic about the Beatles so I skipped that bit.
It looks like Margate's perception of what trains will sell has changed since Tri-ang introduced TT gauge. TT gauge steam was represented by the Southern and Western regions whereas TT:120 is represented by the LNER and LMS.
I write updates on model railways for the Swanage Railway Magazine and I find it difficult to write anything about TT:120 that would interest the readers who are mainly interested in the Southern Region. It has not stopped me from putting in a brief mention as the Railway has had occasional visits from the Flying Scotsman and A4 Pacific locomotives.
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16 hours ago, Roy L S said:
A nice looking layout for sure, and you are entitled to your opinion, but in saying that TT120 locos are "better looking" that Graham Farish models, could I ask precisely what are you comparing given that Graham Farish do not make an A3 or A4? The only possible direct comparison is the 08 which is neither better or worse looking than the Graham Farish model - it is what it is - an 08 (I have both models), a thoroughly competent model but in reality (with rose coloured TT120 specs off) it is no better detailed overall than the Farish model. Comparing the A4 I have with the Farish Peppercorn A2 Pacific, I wouldn't say that overall it is better or worse, and in some ways (especially wheel standards) looks more crude.
In terms of running, the 08 is no better than the Farish model in my experience and to add to that, the TT120 A4, which is a beautiful model for sure and runs very nicely, but it absolutely isn't a better runner in any way when compared to any of my numerous recent coreless motor loco-drive Farish tender locos, which, it is worth noting, have a more advanced technical spec than the TT120 counterparts (coreless motor, Next 18 DCC socket, fitted speakers).
I do agree that the dead-frog Hornby points in the picture look better than Peco N Settrack points, but that isn't really a fair comparison as most serious N layouts you see will, unless an absolute minimum space layout, typically use Code 55 track and medium radius Streamline points as a minimum (With live frog or Unifrogs). My own experience is that far better than the Hornby Code 80 track that came with my Easterner set (if more expensive) is the Peco Code 55 TT120 track and point-work which really is excellent and what I have bought for when I get round to my own TT120 layout project (looking more likely to start sooner with the arrival of the J50).
Roy
I was comparing my Hornby Flying Scotsman with my Graham Farish Flying Scotsman. Another comparison would be my Dapol A4 Union of South Africa compared with my Hornby Silver King.
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The first TT:120 layout I have seen at an exhibition is the Hatley St George layout at the Lymington Model Railway Exhibition on Saturday 30 March 2024. This layout received a lot of favourable comments. I thought that the locomotives were better looking than the Graham Farish N gauge locomotives and they ran better. I also thought the Hornby points were more realistic than the N gauge set-track points. I think that TT:120 scale is the largest scale that you can take to an exhibition in one piece in a medium size hatchback, Once you go on to 00 gauge you need at least two boards and it takes me ages to align the track when taking an 00 gauge layout to an exhibition. My main interest is Southern but I have just made use of the existing north eastern region locomotives and Mk1 coaches for my own layout. I am still unashamedly playing with trains rather than counting rivets because that is what I and some visitors to exhibitions enjoy.
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It costs Hornby roughly the same amount of money to produce a TT:120 model as an 00 model yet their TT:120 Flying Scotsman is considerably cheaper than their 00 model. The TT:120 Flying Scotsman is a high quality model and Hornby are selling it at a low price to entice new entrants into the scale. As TT:120 becomes more popular I expect Hornby will put its prices up and their new HS 125 with just a power car and a dummy trailer costs over £200 which will not appeal to budget-conscious modellers.
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Hornby's latest version of the 'Flying Scotsman' as R30208A as a restored gold plated A3 in LNER lined green with two tenders as it appeared in the United States is probably the most expensive locomotive that Hornby has ever produced. The price is £534.99.
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On 21/03/2024 at 12:25, Steamport Southport said:
Took over 40 years though!
The only ones that probably were viable RTR at the time were the ones that got made - GWR DRC and Classes 50 and 56. Otherwise it was MTK and Q Kits with a lot of swearing!
Notice above. Is that R G Brasher in the other letter the one who posts on here?
Jason
I wonder what I wrote. The Railway Modeller used to publish a lot of my articles about the Swanage Railway in the 1970s but now my articles appear in the Hornby Railway Collector and the Swanage Railway Magazine.
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Hornby does need to improve its marketing of the Corgi brand. I was not aware that Corgi are still producing the Vanguard range although I did know about the Corgi Model Club models which, I understand, have been a huge success.
The Corgi Model Club marketing does not suit me as I am only interested in a few models which I like to cherry pick. If you join the model club you get a huge discount on the first models and then you receive a model each month at around 60% of the full price whereas if you just buy the models you are interested in you know that other people are paying a lot less. I thought that at around £34 plus postage the models were rather expensive compared with a discounted price of around £11 my Oxford Diecast Rolls Royce from Hattons but I understand that £34 is the going rate for diecast cars now.
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Some of the Corgi Toys are useful accessories for 0-gauge layouts.
I have heard that the recent Corgi replicas of the Corgi Toys of the 1950s and 1960s have been very successful,
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The preserved 01 is going to visit the Swanage Railway from 22 March 2024 so I will be able to run it on my model of the Swanage Railway
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I bought a set of three as I am modelling the Swanage Railway and I wanted to make sure that the Co-op did not run out of bananas.
I should think that most people would just want one banana van so it would be in Accurascale's interest to sell them individually as well.
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Thank you for the advice about removing the wheels.
You will be pleased to see that my banana vans have reached Evercreech Junction on the Somerset and Dorset Railway.
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Thank you for the information. I made the goods shed from a Metcalfe kit which is no longer available and I have made some Kingsway cardboard kits. I will look out for the others.
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All this talk about Terriers has encouraged me to buy a couple from Rails together with a Peco ST-701 starter track set. There is some variety in performance. My Southern Terrier is quieter than my British Railways version and has brighter firebox glow. Surprisingly the British Railways version is faster than my Southern version. After I had run in the British Railways Terrier I put a drop of oil on the connecting rods and axles which was sooner than recommended in the instructions. This is my first two-rail 0 gauge electric train. I started in 0 gauge about 70 years ago with Hornby clockwork and more recently I ran Airfix and Darstaed course scale. O gauge benefits with a huge range of model cars and vehicles but there are not many buildings to choose from. There are lips on the tables at Winterborne Kingston village hall so I put some card down under the track to provide a level surface.
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My Southern banana vans arrived last Thursday. I was impressed with the packaging and leaflet. I have not had a chance to run them on my Southern layout yet but I took them to Winterborne Kingston village hall on Friday and they ran behind some friends' locomotives on their test track. Although the locomotives don't match the era for the wagons I was able to see that the wagons ran faultlessly. I also displayed them on a short length of ballasted track.
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Still available on Rails site.
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Sold out of all types of banana vans on their website. I ordered mine from Hattons on 14 December 2022. I had no idea that Hattons would cease trading before the banana vans came out. I cancelled my Hattons order and reordered from Accurascale on 12 January 2024 as Acurascale told me that they are not taking pre-orders redirected from Hattons, This means that I am at the back of the queue.
Accurascale took the money from my credit card on 12 January 2024. The vans are being despatched now but I have not heard when or if they were going to be delivered.
I am surprised that they have all sold out. It looks like Hornby have left an open goal by not producing Southern banana vans of that quality in the first place.
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I was touched by my message from Richard Davies. It is the first time any model shop has thanked me for my custom and probably the first time anyone has thanked me for doing anything.
I started ordering items from Hattons in August1966 when I ordered six Hornby Dublo Pullman cars which I have still got. They arrived while I was on holiday in the Isle of Wight with my 0'level results as my post had been diverted to my holiday address.
Over the last 20 years I have been keeping my Hattons receipts which amount to 100. I was surprised by how many model cars I had ordered.
I have also kept a couple of their Best Sellers Brochures.
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I am very impressed with the Dapol Mk1 coaches. The interior is so well detailed that I feel that I could walk into the coach and sit down. I will have to buy some 1/43 scale passengers.
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Does anyone remember the opening sequence of the Six Five Special Steaming Down the Line on BBC1 on 16 February 1956? The opening sequence was 'Coronation' heading off on an express train.
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Rails are now advertising themselves as UK's Largest Railway Supplier.
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Thank you for the information about exports.
You may be interested to read that the chairman of the Hornby Railway Collectors' Association has written about Hattons closing down in the February journal. As with me his interest in Hornby Dublo was reignited with items purchased from Hattons 50 years ago. My first purchases from Hattons were a set of Hornby Dublo Pullman coaches which were considerably cheaper than the Pullmans from my local model railway shop even allowing for postage.
I had been shopping from Hattons ever since until Hattons had problems with Bachmann and Hornby. Then I pre-ordered my models from the Swanage Railway shop but continued to use Hattons for existing items like 1/43 scale Oxford cars and Dapol goods wagons. I also used Hattons for selling model railway items and they offered me more money than Rails or local traders,
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Following my recent experience I looked very carefully at the price before buying the Hornby Magazine and I was delighted to find it was not a special issue and did not have a DVD attached. Instead it had some interesting articles about a southern region layout called Redbridge Wharf, Dawlish, the Great Gathering and a show guide.
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My final order this morning was a circle of R609 Hornby 00 gauge radius 3 track. Hattons stock level is now 3,008.
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I wonder if I will get a 75% reduction on a circle of Hornby R609 3rd radius double curves if I wait to 1, 45 pm on 31 January.
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Simon Kohler Interview
in Hornby
Posted
Tri-ang probably made the Merchant Navy and Castle locomotives in their TT gauge range because they were large locomotives which did not have Walschaerts valve gear so they were easier to manufacture.