Hornby announce TT:120

[Dunsignalling]

1 hour ago, Trains4U said:

Local toy shops DO exist, just not in the way you remember 

Smyths & The Entertainer are huge chains

plus Argos and the superstores…

Argos stores are a thing of the past round here. Order online for home delivery or pick up from your nearest Sainsbury store.

[AY Mod]

16 minutes ago, Ravenser said:

How does this A4 in TT-120 compare with the current/new Dapol A4 in N gauge? Because that is what it will be competing with.

 

I'll let you do the legwork on that as it's absolutely nothing to do with my point that what the customer will get is not what has been portrayed.

[meatloaf]

After thinking on it ive decided to cancel my order for the A4 set. 

 

Not to say i wont maybe pick one up at a later date when the reviews are out. 

[Steamport Southport]

20 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

Argos stores are a thing of the past round here. Order online for home delivery or pick up from your nearest Sainsbury store.

 

Still about half a dozen open here.

 

But why do you really need loads of Argos stores if they stock the items in the larger Sainsburys?

 

All you are really getting extra in Argos is a few touchscreen catalogues and the chance that it might be in stock.

 

 

 

Jason

[CF MRC]

I wonder what the relationship is to the Corgi 1:120 die cast locos: there are some similarities in body details.

 

Tim

[Dunsignalling]

4 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

Still about half a dozen open here.

 

But why do you really need loads of Argos stores if they stock the items in the larger Sainsburys?

 

All you are really getting extra in Argos is a few touchscreen catalogues and the chance that it might be in stock.

 

 

 

Jason

The Argos presence in all the Sainsbury stores I've been in amounts to no more than a pick-up point for internet orders. My nearest one is eight miles away, so I don't bother. 

 

Your area may, of course have larger Sainsbury outlets that do carry Argos stock.

 

TBH, when our local Argos closed during the pandemic (it didn't reopen afterwards), I switched to buying from Amazon and have only looked at the Argos website on a couple of occasions since. I can predict to +/- 15 minutes when the Amazon "round" will pull up outside my house,

 

John 

Edited October 11, 2022 by Dunsignalling

[AY Mod]

13 minutes ago, CF MRC said:

I wonder what the relationship is to the Corgi 1:120 die cast locos: there are some similarities in body details.

 

Tim

 

A very close one I'd say Tim.

[Barry Ten]

59 minutes ago, GordonC said:

 

Dont believe everything you see on Hornby box artwork,

 

The scale/gauge relationship will be spot-on, though, regardless of any finer details of the model and that immediately puts it ahead of 00 and N.

[PaulRhB]

2 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

A very close one I'd say Tim.

Interesting, we’re the Corgi ones diecast then? I can’t see any reference to materials in the brochure for these. 
 

Were the world of railways images supplied by Hornby Andy? Just wondering if there are any of the 08 without the body on?

[Dunsignalling]

3 minutes ago, Barry Ten said:

 

The scale/gauge relationship will be spot-on, though, regardless of any finer details of the model and that immediately puts it ahead of 00 and N.

For me, the rail height and the coarse wheels (that don't look significantly finer than those Hornby fit to their OO range) make the "accurate" scale/gauge relationship pretty irrelevant.

 

John

[Steamport Southport]

16 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

The Argos presence in all the Sainsbury stores I've been in amounts to no more than a pick-up point for internet orders. My nearest one is eight miles away, so I don't bother. 

 

Your area may, of course have larger Sainsbury outlets that do carry Argos stock.

 

TBH, when our local Argos closed during the pandemic (it didn't reopen afterwards), I switched to buying from Amazon and have only looked at the Argos website on a couple of occasions since. I can predict to +/- 15 minutes when the Amazon "round" will pull up outside my house,

 

John 

 

Definitely. They are more like an Argos section in store. Usually with a member of staff lurking about.

 

But you can also get your eBay and Amazon orders delivered to it.

 

 

Sorry for going off topic, but people are discussing where you can buy things such as train sets.

 

 

 

Jason

[009 micro modeller]

33 minutes ago, Trains4U said:

I’m not suggesting for a moment that everyone is an idiot, but we do live in a world where disposable barbecues have to have  “food not included” warnings printed on them.

And warnings to not eat car batteries, mustard that ‘may contain mustard’ etc. 😂

 

But seriously, I mentioned this earlier and I wasn’t implying anyone was stupid either, just that understanding about different scales and gauges is often one of the hardest things for beginners. And in a way they’re right to be wary about running other manufacturers’ stuff on the same layout - even though for British 00 gauge these days it’s fine, at other times, or in other countries (think Marklin stud contact) or other scales that hasn’t always been the case as different manufacturers’ equipment has been incompatible. There’s sometimes a lot of branding and information written on RTR stock boxes that perhaps isn’t especially important to a beginner, but obviously stuff like scale, gauge and control system is very important. It’s about branding and making it easy to distinguish between the ranges, and to see the important information first.

 

44 minutes ago, Trains4U said:

However… a sizeable proportion of model shop customers are not, these customers “have a Hornby”. Much like they “have a Hoover”

Wasn’t Hornby Magazine so named because their market research told them (following surveys) that Hornby was the word/phrase/brand most commonly associated with model railways by the public in Britain?

 

On the other hand, did the original Triang TT have any issues with less knowledgeable people accidentally buying a mixture of 00 and TT before finding it was incompatible? It seems that this could potentially happen in any situation where other stock to the appropriate scale is not available or where it’s completely enclosed in a box, or purchased as a present by a relative who might not realise, so it’s not necessarily a problem that’s restricted to the modern era of buying everything on line. If there weren’t many issues then then we might be overthinking it now. Even the couplings in TT were more similar to 00 the first time round…

[AY Mod]

8 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

Were the world of railways images supplied by Hornby Andy? Just wondering if there are any of the 08 without the body on?

 

@Howard Smith took them. I don't think he cracked anything open. 😎

[APOLLO]

4 minutes ago, 009 micro modeller said:

Even the couplings in TT were more similar to 00 the first time round…

 

For the record when Tri-ang TT was introduced in the late 50's the couplings were the "new" style, and never changed over the years.

 

 

It was the OO couplings that changed from the photo below to a same (but larger) coupling as the TT one just a couple of years or so later.

 

 

Brit15

[Dunsignalling]

11 minutes ago, 009 micro modeller said:

And warnings to not eat car batteries, mustard that ‘may contain mustard’ etc. 😂

 

But seriously, I mentioned this earlier and I wasn’t implying anyone was stupid either, just that understanding about different scales and gauges is often one of the hardest things for beginners. And in a way they’re right to be wary about running other manufacturers’ stuff on the same layout - even though for British 00 gauge these days it’s fine, at other times, or in other countries (think Marklin stud contact) or other scales that hasn’t always been the case as different manufacturers’ equipment has been incompatible. There’s sometimes a lot of branding and information written on RTR stock boxes that perhaps isn’t especially important to a beginner, but obviously stuff like scale, gauge and control system is very important. It’s about branding and making it easy to distinguish between the ranges, and to see the important information first.

 

Wasn’t Hornby Magazine so named because their market research told them (following surveys) that Hornby was the word/phrase/brand most commonly associated with model railways by the public in Britain?

 

On the other hand, did the original Triang TT have any issues with less knowledgeable people accidentally buying a mixture of 00 and TT before finding it was incompatible? It seems that this could potentially happen in any situation where other stock to the appropriate scale is not available or where it’s completely enclosed in a box, or purchased as a present by a relative who might not realise, so it’s not necessarily a problem that’s restricted to the modern era of buying everything on line. If there weren’t many issues then then we might be overthinking it now. Even the couplings in TT were more similar to 00 the first time round…

But Tri-ang OO came in red boxes, TT in yellow ones. Simple.

 

It remains to be seen how clearly the new packaging will be differentiated from Hornby OO.

[37079]

I think overall this has to be a good thing: a big vote of confidence and investment in the hobby. Like many I’m too invested in 4mm to change now but still to be welcomed.

 

In the minutiae there are a couple of things I pulled out:

 

- almost everything shown/suggested for the range is already produced in one form or another by Hornby in 4mm scale, except…BR MK1 horsebox, VGA and 57xx pannier. Pointers towards future 00 offerings maybe? All replicated by Bachmann of course, but if that 57xx didn’t have a top feed…

 

- I know it’s been alluded to on this thread but the presence of a clearly scaled down ex-airfix 7-plank really annoys me (more than it should) especially as they have a scale length RCH version from Oxford. They’ve scaled down the Oxford 14t tanker and replicated the liveries. Does it matter? In the grand scheme probably not but it’s cutting out an element of the potential market for no reason other than apparent ignorance of the accuracy of their current 4mm range. Would it cost more? Possibly it couldn’t share a chassis with the 12t van and the conflat so initial tooling cost would be higher but a drop in the ocean within the announced range, and the more accurate version is smaller so would use less plastic in the long run!

 

Mike

 

 

[John M Upton]

4 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

But Tri-ang OO came in red boxes, TT in yellow ones. Simple.

 

It remains to be seen how clearly the new packaging will be differentiated from Hornby OO.

 

Although if all Hornby TT is being sold online only then differential packaging will be less crucial as they won't be alongside OO Hornby boxes on retailers shelves.

 

The whole online only sales means the whole thing is a no sale from the start anyway, I want to see the product in the flesh before I commit money, give it a good look over and support bricks and mortar shops wherever possible.  Hornby have flagged big time their intentions to move to an online sales almost exclusively model that will one day include their OO scale range bar a few basic starter sets.

[Dunsignalling]

7 minutes ago, 37079 said:

I think overall this has to be a good thing: a big vote of confidence and investment in the hobby. Like many I’m too invested in 4mm to change now but still to be welcomed.

 

In the minutiae there are a couple of things I pulled out:

 

- almost everything shown/suggested for the range is already produced in one form or another by Hornby in 4mm scale, except…BR MK1 horsebox, VGA and 57xx pannier. Pointers towards future 00 offerings maybe? All replicated by Bachmann of course, but if that 57xx didn’t have a top feed…

 

- I know it’s been alluded to on this thread but the presence of a clearly scaled down ex-airfix 7-plank really annoys me (more than it should) especially as they have a scale length RCH version from Oxford. They’ve scaled down the Oxford 14t tanker and replicated the liveries. Does it matter? In the grand scheme probably not but it’s cutting out an element of the potential market for no reason other than apparent ignorance of the accuracy of their current 4mm range. Would it cost more? Possibly it couldn’t share a chassis with the 12t van and the conflat so initial tooling cost would be higher but a drop in the ocean within the announced range, and the more accurate version is smaller so would use less plastic in the long run!

 

Mike

 

 

 

Presumably the same reason Airfix stretched the damned thing in the first place.

 

I bet the Mink is (just like the OO version) too wide also! 🤡

Edited October 11, 2022 by Dunsignalling

[MartinRS]

9 hours ago, Phil Parker said:

 

I've been in a lot of model shops over the years and can only think of one establishment that sounds like this - and it has long since closed down. However, I've been to a lot where people have enjoyed excellent customer service, even if they haven't spent a grand.

 

 

It was embaroged until yesterday, that's why you haven't seen it in any magazines yet. However, there is plenty on the leading model railway news channels, including an interview with Simon K, and a closer look at the models themselves.

The Pullman coach Cecilia shown on the World of Railways site is breaking my heart.

[whart57]

14 minutes ago, John M Upton said:

The whole online only sales means the whole thing is a no sale from the start anyway, I want to see the product in the flesh before I commit money, give it a good look over and support bricks and mortar shops wherever possible.  Hornby have flagged big time their intentions to move to an online sales almost exclusively model that will one day include their OO scale range bar a few basic starter sets.

 

How many "bricks and mortar" model shops are left? The last one here closed down thirty years ago. Now I do live within an hours drive from Gaugemaster's big shed next to Ford station so I can go and see product "in the flesh" without too much trouble but half the population do not live that sort of travel time from one of the remaining big box shifter outfits. The internet plus "in the flesh" viewing at shows is how sales will go in the future.

[Trainnoob]

It looks like Hornby might actually do something properly for once.

 

Although I'm not paying hornbys extortionate website prices for these, it's quite literally shrinkflation.

Edited October 11, 2022 by Trainnoob

[andythenorth]

25 minutes ago, John M Upton said:

I want to see the product in the flesh before I commit money, give it a good look over and support bricks and mortar shops wherever possible.

Each to their own, but the internet has pictures....my eyes find those good enough.  Won't work for everyone (meaning this genuinely, some people just don't have the eyesight, or can't make sense of a 2D picture for other neurological reasons).

 

Less genuinely, could the mods add a poll: "And I won't be buying TT:120 because [Option A], [Option B], [Option C]."

 

Would save wear and tear on the server.... 🤑

 

[melmerby]

2 hours ago, andyman7 said:

Lines Brothers (Triang) bought the entire share capital of Meccano Ltd in 1964 but the Triang-Hornby range was not announced until May 1965

Presumably at the same time that some of the Dublo range became Triang-Wrenn, even though the sets still had Hornby Dublo items for sometime to use up excessive stocks.

(I bought several wagons that has been from a broken up new Triang-Wrenn 8F set, all were Hornby Dublo)

 

[Nearholmer]

Does anyone who is close enough to all this to give a valid answer know how “real” it all is?

 

I ask for two reasons: because we can all think of catalogues filled with pictures of models that never made it into production; and, it looks like a pretty big gamble, even given the nature of modern tooling creation.

 

 

[MartinRS]

3 hours ago, TomE said:

 
You’ve been catfished! 
 

Tom. 

Im finding this part of the thread riveting !