Hornby announce TT:120

[Dunsignalling]

29 minutes ago, D9020 Nimbus said:

There was certainly collaboration between Peco, Gaugemaster and Heljan, though Heljan's commitment was the largest, given Peco can market the track in Europe, too. I get the feeling that they knew of Hornby's interest in the area, but not it’s extent or timing—or that it would ever actually happen.

 

Peco have admitted that they can't produce locos effectively in the UK at an economic price — their only attempt to do so, the Collet Goods, cost £140 back in 2008. They haven't tried it in 009, nor taken the obvious route of commissioning models from China. I was certain, given the GWR bias in Peco's offerings, that there was another partner. I was coming to the conclusion that the remaining player was Dapol. They certainly tend to have a GWR bias to their offerings, and they're capable of doing joined-up thinking too; an idea that they might have picked up from Airfix.

 

Take their initial N gauge range: 14xx and auto-trailer. Followed by 45xx/4575 and B-set. More recently they've done the same sort of thing in O. I'm still wondering if there's another part of the puzzle missing. The 57xx looks a bit like an afterthought, and it's not a loco that Hornby can have any existing work to draw on, unless they've been planning to challenge the Bachmann one in OO — a type which they've shown no interest in since Mainline introduced theirs in the 1980s. The old Triang-Hornby one isn't a good enough basis; the Dapol N gauge model is much better detailed than that (IMHO, the T-H one wasn't even a good model by the standards of the time).

I'd consider Dapol to be the least likely to get involved, they'd just be spreading themselves too thinly.

 

They are already pretty heavily committed in N, OO and O, plus some very juicy 7mm narrow gauge. temptations in the offing. 

 

N gauge fans commonly complain they are being neglected, already.

 

John

[APOLLO]

Not widely known but over in the US they have S scale, between HO (OO) and O. Lots of stuff available and even an interesting on line magazine.

 

https://sscaleresource.com/WP/

 

Brit15

[Miss Prism]

2 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

Have you looked at the PECO TT adverts in Railway Modeller?

14XX and proper GWR 4 wheel coaches lurking in the background.....

 

Has Peco confirmed it is doing a 14xx and 4-wheel coaches?

 

[Nile]

 

4 minutes ago, Miss Prism said:

 

Has Peco confirmed it is doing a 14xx and 4-wheel coaches?

 

 

1 hour ago, eldomtom2 said:

It was confirmed long ago that those were quick 3d prints used as an example.

 

No sales for TT in the US - even more obscure of a scale there than it is here.

[D9020 Nimbus]

Trying to establish TT in the US bankrupted Berliner-Bahnen. TT might have disappeared altogether had Tillig not bought the tooling and developed the German range.

[Edwardian]

2 hours ago, britishcolumbian said:

Sales are ultimately the important thing. If they can build a bit of a market in the UK, and tap a bit into the existing market in central/eastern Europe, they've already done better than once again making the mistake of going with a scale specific to the UK - and 3mm with 14.2mm track would be *truly* unique to the UK: the only thing 14.2 mm track would be useful for is maybe India or Ireland - in 1:120.

 

Yes, I mean but apart from the track, I wonder how much cross-over in European sales there would be?

 

I cannot see any overwhelming reason why a British outline range need conform to a Continental scale.  

[Jeff Smith]

I can hardly keep up with this thread although there are as many sceptical posts as positive ones.

 

Living in the US most of my UK model railway news is  via RMweb, however I am amazed that this bombshell news had not been leaked, especially with the Peco and Heljan announcements.  There has been all kind of speculation if any other manufacturers would be involved - well now we know although it is I think stretching incredibility that it is just coincidence.

[Allegheny1600]

10 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

I cannot see any overwhelming reason why a British outline range need conform to a Continental scale.  

Hi there,

In my orrible opinion, it’s so the ancillaries at least, can cross over - if not the actual rolling stock.
However, there are several instances of British rolling stock being used in Continental Europe, 58s in Holland, 20s in France, 86, 87 (&92?) in Romania and Bulgaria, not to mention 37, 56 & 58 helping to build high speed lines in France and Spain at least.

As has been mentioned several times, the Europeans would quite like to model British outline, having a fully compatible scale will help for numerous reasons. Familiarity with the scale being surely the prime reason.

 

 I have read on numerous European fora that people would like to have some British trains but up until now, the scale difference puts them off.

[009 micro modeller]

56 minutes ago, APOLLO said:

Not widely known but over in the US they have S scale,

We do here in the UK as well. But is it still a mainstream RTR gauge in the US? I knew there was some old stuff but wasn’t sure if there was anything still being produced or how finescale it was.

[britishcolumbian]

1 hour ago, Edwardian said:

 

Yes, I mean but apart from the track, I wonder how much cross-over in European sales there would be?

 

I cannot see any overwhelming reason why a British outline range need conform to a Continental scale.  

There are British locomotives running in countries where TT is popular (e.g. Poland and Hungary)

[daryll]

My maths is a bit lacking , if the platform height for 00 gauge is 12mm , what would it be for TT 120

[Steamport Southport]

40 minutes ago, Miss Prism said:

 

Has Peco confirmed it is doing a 14xx and 4-wheel coaches?

 

 

No. But why make a GWR station and buildings when there is nothing to go with them?

 

I've not seen any official confirmation or dismissal.

 

Not a great shot and you'll probably realise why I don't post photos...

 

To my eyes that's a 14XX (or a 517) with GWR 4 wheelers. You can see the coach roof profile better in the magazine advert.

 

 

 

 

 

Jason

[Wayne Kinney]

15 minutes ago, Tim Dubya said:

Page 34 and I'm mostly finding that Hornby are getting hit with....

 

 

 

 

 

 

So beautifully, aptly, humorously and honestly illustrated!

[Steamport Southport]

1 minute ago, daryll said:

My maths is a bit lacking , if the platform height for 00 gauge is 12mm , what would it be for TT 120

 

3 x 2.5mm

 

7.5mm

 

 

Jason

[daryll]

3 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

3 x 2.5mm

 

7.5mm

 

 

Jason

thank you

[Hroth]

6 minutes ago, daryll said:

My maths is a bit lacking , if the platform height for 00 gauge is 12mm , what would it be for TT 120

 

3 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

3 x 2.5mm

 

7.5mm

 

 

Jason

 

But don't worry. Peco already have the TT scaled platform edges available, in brick and stone, though not Southern concrete.

 

[Dunsignalling]

10 minutes ago, daryll said:

My maths is a bit lacking , if the platform height for 00 gauge is 12mm , what would it be for TT 120

12 x 76.2 

    120         Which comes out at 7.62mm

Edited October 12, 2022 by Dunsignalling

[Matt C]

8 hours ago, R. Knowles said:

As others have pointed out, that's probably the reason why Hornby have bypassed retailers here, as a failsafe option in case it doesn't go as anticipated. At least that way, it won't be the retailers who are left burdened with millions of pounds of unwanted stock, only Hornby themselves.  

 

 

Not sure how I read this post but I really don't think, going by Hornby's past practice that any failsafe /wellbeing of the retailers factered ANYWHERE in the planning for this new range

[Dunsignalling]

6 minutes ago, Matt C said:

 

 

Not sure how I read this post but I really don't think, going by Hornby's past practice that any failsafe /wellbeing of the retailers factered ANYWHERE in the planning for this new range

Zero benefit, but equally, retailers will be carrying zero risk...

 

If Hornby ever do start pushing the new scale at them, we'll know it's not going well.

 

John

Edited October 12, 2022 by Dunsignalling

[ThaneofFife]

the diesels look to be single powered bogied models.

 

id like to know more about how close the couplings will be.

 

i think buyers of the trains themselves might look to others for a finer track system if they are of the modeller/enthusiast ilk and not the train set customer.......looks very robust but utterly detracts from the great scale of the gauge that H are trying for.

[Miss Prism]

20 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

No. But why make a GWR station and buildings when there is nothing to go with them?

 

Indeed, and it's unlike Peco to produce such imagery unless there is good reason. I enquired to ascertain whether I can include those rolling stock items on a gwr.org.uk page for the new scale. I think I'll wait for some more definite production news. (Which might not be too far away - the manufacturers all seem in an indecent rush.) Thanks for the pic.

 

[Nile]

5 minutes ago, ThaneofFife said:

the diesels look to be single powered bogied models.

This has been covered several times, the images are of existing OO models with TT couplings added. See the World of Railways site for some actual model photos.

[woodenhead]

I’ve been mulling TT over the since the announcement.

 

Would I replace my N, highly unlikely, it will take up more space and have less stock variations (for the foreseeable).

 

Would I replace my 00, probably not especially if I do purchase a Railmotor to go with my Hattons 4/6 wheelers.

 

I have a war chest built from EBay sales but at the moment I’m fighting whether to go Bullhead or reuse the code 100 from the last layout. Code 100 is kinda winning as I’d rather keep the war chest intact. But Bullhead looks nice and Bette that the TT track (at present)

 

I’m not convinced there is a plan for 4/6 wheel coaches, a 517 and a steam railmotor in TT so again a move to TT would restrict what I could have in the short term.  Long term these may appear, but I am too old to hold my breath and wait.

 

I think as per the initial announcement by Peco, I’ll watch from the sidelines and if something big happens then reconsider, but I’m not holding my breath.

[Nearholmer]

45 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

12 x 76.2 

    120         Which comes out at 7.62mm

 

This scale is a whole lot easier to work with in inches, that having been how it started, 1/10" to the foot, which is dead easy if you have an American engineer's rule, or a cheap plastic ruler, because both are usually marked in 1/10" gradations.

 

Standard platform height is 3ft above rail level, so 3/10".

 

I can measure and cut 3/10", but I'm blowed if I can do that to two decimal places in millimetres!

[Dunsignalling]

2 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

 

This scale is a whole lot easier to work with in inches, that having been how it started, 1/10" to the foot, which is dead easy if you have an American engineer's rule, or a cheap plastic ruler, because both are usually marked in 1/10" gradations.

 

Standard platform height is 3ft above rail level, so 3/10".

 

I can measure and cut 3/10", but I'm blowed if I can do that to two decimal places in millimetres!

And 3/10" x 25.4 = 7.62mm. 😉