Hornby announce TT:120

[markw]

10 minutes ago, Pacific231G said:

I'm not really convinced. I can see why someone creating a new TT range primarily for the German market would include post WW2 DR stock for the reasons you give but not why they'd base it on less than a third of Germany as a whole and do so to the general exclusion of DB. A lot of items, wagons and steam locos in particular, would just need to be offered in both liveries but, with the exception of the Kof II, they are not.

The refrigerated ferry van is available in DRG DR and DB liveries.

[britishcolumbian]

7 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

I'm not really convinced. I can see why someone creating a new TT range primarily for the German market would include post WW2 DR stock for the reasons you give but not why they'd base it on less than a third of Germany as a whole and do so to the general exclusion of DB. A lot of items, wagons and steam locos in particular, would just need to be offered in both liveries but, with the exception of the Kof II, they are not.

Most things that can be offered as both *have* been offered as both over the years; the Western stuff generally ends up being smaller batches, because there's less interest. Over the past ten years there's been a lot more being offered in era 4 and later DB, even types exclusive to DB, but the biggest sellers seem to remain era 3-4 DR and DBAG. I've been following TT closely since the 90s and actively working with it 20 years now, so I'm pretty well acquainted with the goings-on. In Germany as a whole TT is at best third but more probably fourth or fifth in market share, but it is solidly second in der DDR, so it's very natural that that's the market manufacturers will focus on. The Köf is kinda an anomaly in that it was designed and released by Arnold - still a West German company at the time - and one might well imagine that they had been hoping to eventually produce more in the range of DB models. But modelling the Bundesbahn was really a fringe thing until the later aughties, and I think still is.

 

Not to mention that the ex DDR isn't the only market for DR-East models - a lot of modellers in other ex-Soviet bloc countries model DR-East, I know of several in Hungary and Romania who do that, and this is probably similar in Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia, too.

Edited November 1, 2022 by britishcolumbian
clarification

[frobisher]

4 hours ago, Ravenser said:

And you couldn't buy goods from the Soviet Bloc online.

 

Mostly due to the lack of internet anywhere in the 1980's...

[frobisher]

46 minutes ago, Pacific231G said:

I'm not really convinced. I can see why someone creating a new TT range primarily for the German market would include post WW2 DR stock for the reasons you give but not why they'd base it on less than a third of Germany as a whole and do so to the general exclusion of DB. A lot of items, wagons and steam locos in particular, would just need to be offered in both liveries but, with the exception of the Kof II, they are not.

 

Isn't it as simple as TT was THE scale in the DDR and there's a huge hump of modellers in the scale still in the former DDR (and early adopters outwith)  That's your established base you have to cater for.  On my school trips to East Berlin in 82 and 84, I did a bit of model browsing and there was oodles of TT available which was annoying as I was looking for N gauge at the time.

[adb968008]

2 hours ago, Hobby said:

 

Bit late in the day for that, I'd have thought, considering how much Hornby will have spent already, unless you know something we don't? Unfortunate timing, granted, but I feel too late in the day to back pedal.

There was considerable economic risk that could be foreseen throughout this year, but to be fair on Hornby theyve been planning this for years.

 

No one would have predicted the last 2 years and no one was expecting upended energy prices, but if it wasnt that, the UK was at the end of an economic cycle anyway.. something was always going to implode.

 

Given they are so far down the road, their options really were Go or Stop, whilst Stop might not have been money wasted, it would mean money delayed. If anything starting in a downturn gives them a better position for the upside, especially as right now the field is exclusively theirs.

 

If they had done this years ago, the current UK economic state may have killed the range this year. Personally I wouldnt have ventured this path at all, but if I were to go down such a road I wouldnt be starting right now, unless I was financed enough to survive 5 years.

 

 

Edited November 1, 2022 by adb968008

[CME and Bottlewasher]

12 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

No one would have predicted the last 2 years and no one was expecting upended energy prices.

 

Some of us did/have (hoped it wouldn't come true) it's not hard to follow the TPTB and their machinations when gets their head around such. Even if not, decent management can use basic analytical tools such as; PEST and SWOT👍✌️😉

Edited November 1, 2022 by CME and Bottlewasher

[CME and Bottlewasher]

4 hours ago, daryll said:

Membership arrived this morning

 

 

 

I've not seen mine yet, joined several weeks ago🧐🤔🤔

 

I'm looking forward to seeing how the 08 pans out, if it's as nice as their OO version it should be cracking 🤞👍😊 I've a few ideas for a Shelfie layout. Not sure what can be used in conjunction with the 3mm society - I'd prefer to use DG couplings etc.

 

[maico]

2 hours ago, D9020 Nimbus said:

Märklin/Trix do N, too (Minitrix). And Roco do (some) TT.

 

Yes, slipped my mind most of my collection is Trix Ho

[009 micro modeller]

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

 

 

I have several Lone Star OOO electric locos, most are the EL.60 Derby Sulzers, a couple hamilly repainted by a previous owner.  I've also got an EL.61 Baby Deltic which was made for me by Lone Star on request in the early 70s.  It was probably a parts-bin special and may be one of the last ones they made!

 

None work. The drive belts have long since perished and the wiring between the bogie frame pickups and the motor have parted at the brass screw the bogie frames are secured to the cross beam by.  In addition the wiring is hard with age and turning of the bogies is stiff.

 

I also used to collect them, but have only recently obtained a motorised loco (a class 24, bought as a non-runner). I think some people have had some success using Nigel Lawton drive bands etc. to get them going again, but not sure about other things that might have gone wrong.

[Steamport Southport]

1 hour ago, NCB said:

Obvious. Part of the modern railway scene.

 

In what way?

 

70 plus years isn't modern era and I'm an Archaeologist that thinks that anything in the CE era* is modern.

 

 

Not one of those models are preserved examples apart from the two 9Fs. Unless there is a shed full of hidden LNER and LMS Pacifics somewhere they all went generations ago.

 

Even the Flying Scotsman is in pre 1928 condition.

 

 

*And yes I realise that is a tautology

 

 

Jason

Edited November 1, 2022 by Steamport Southport

[Hobby]

Outside the enthusiast circles most people just see a streamlined steam loco and a light green one they know as Flying Scotsman, regardless of what it says on the nameplate, more to the point they "know" them. So as NCB and I have said they are part of the modern scene, same as heritage railways are, but they are better known than most heritage locos. It's got nothing to do with how old they are, it's just what people are familiar with and so likely to buy. So simply something that's likely to sell to non enthusiasts as well as enthusiasts, which is what they want. 

[peak experience]

11 hours ago, AY Mod said:

 

Oh give me strength, we haven't the first products yet. Just no 

i see my light hearted comment missed the spot. ho hum. ne'er mind 😁

[Hobby]

34 minutes ago, CME and Bottlewasher said:

I've not seen mine yet, joined several weeks ago🧐🤔🤔

 

I joined on the 10th, same as Daryll, but nothing yet. I'd heard they have been taken by surprise at the numbers joining and weren't set up for the numbers, I'm in no rush and I collected a paper copy of the catalogue at Gaydon. I'm sure someone has said that the magazine is being sent out by the publishers rather than Hornby to relieve the preasure, it'll be interesting to see which gets to me first!!

[Steamport Southport]

3 minutes ago, Hobby said:

Outside the enthusiast circles most people just see a streamlined steam loco and a light green one they know as Flying Scotsman, regardless of what it says on the nameplate, more to the point they "know" them. So as NCB and I have said they are part of the modern scene, same as heritage railways are, but they are better known than most heritage locos. It's got nothing to do with how old they are, it's just what people are familiar with and so likely to buy. So simply something that's likely to sell to non enthusiasts as well as enthusiasts, which is what they want. 

 

What a daft comment.

 

 

Where's that brick wall.......

[Hobby]

We were simply answering your comment:

 

"LNER A1/A3/A4 and Duchesses, Castles, etc are modern now?"

 

Acknowledging that whilst they aren't "modern" they are still around and known outside modelling circles and so will sell to non enthusiasts... 

 

Perhaps you need to explain where you are coming from because I think we may be misunderstanding one another! ;)

Edited November 1, 2022 by Hobby

[daryll]

I noticed in the Hornby TT 120 catalogue Phase 2/3 TT1003M , it states " British Pullman Electric Train set " 

era 3 , any ideas what this could be ,Brighton Belle maybe , or is that wishful thinking

Edited November 1, 2022 by daryll

[Hobby]

As it said Era 3 (Grouping) that's the only electric Pullman I could think of as well, so yes, it would appear to be so. We shall just have to wait and see. Not my scene but will please the Southern enthusiasts!

[Ravenser]

29 minutes ago, daryll said:

I noticed in the Hornby TT 120 catalogue Phase 2/3 TT1003M , it states " British Pullman Electric Train set " 

era 3 , any ideas what this could be ,Brighton Belle maybe , or is that wishful thinking

A4 and 3 Pullman cars is my guess. It's an electric train set cos the set runs off electricity

[Hroth]

33 minutes ago, daryll said:

I noticed in the Hornby TT 120 catalogue Phase 2/3 TT1003M , it states " British Pullman Electric Train set " 

era 3 , any ideas what this could be ,Brighton Belle maybe , or is that wishful thinking

 

Arnold did do the Brighton Belle in N gauge, so perhaps they're inflating the CAD to TT or perhaps Hornby are shrinking their OO offering to suit???  🤪

 

6 minutes ago, Ravenser said:

A4 and 3 Pullman cars is my guess. It's an electric train set cos the set runs off electricity

 

If yoi've got the A4 set already, then it'd probably be cheaper to buy a few coaches...  🤔

 

[adb968008]

48 minutes ago, Hobby said:

We were simply answering your comment:

 

"LNER A1/A3/A4 and Duchesses, Castles, etc are modern now?"

 

Acknowledging that whilst they aren't "modern" they are still around and known outside modelling circles and so will sell to non enthusiasts... 

 

Perhaps you need to explain where you are coming from because I think we may be misunderstanding one another! ;)

Thats clutching straws that is…

aside of 4472 ( which is in a style not seen in 90+ years ).

Ok theres 4468, which last ran in 1988 for 1 year, and 92220 (1979-1989?)  and 92212…(2009-2019)

 

but everything else hasnt been seen since at least 1968, not even a preservation era renumber.

Quote

Take your time, it's not a race

Modelling railways is not necessarily associated with instant gratification but more the enjoyment attained from eventually obtaining that specific model that you want. This can be part of the joy and excitement of modelling railways.

https://uk.Hornby.com/community/advice/getting-started-hornbytt120
 

 

 

 

Edited November 1, 2022 by adb968008

[Les1952]

7 hours ago, Ravenser said:

I

 

By definition those committed to N gauge won't change - N works for them. Those trying N as a last resort might. I've seen a few comments of the "Haven't really got space for OO. Tried N but just couldn't get on with it" form: that's the target group here

 

 

 

I'm getting rid of anything up to 100 N-gauge locos to make the change to TT......   I'm also getting rid of about 50% of my OO.....

 

Les

[Les1952]

7 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

I wonder just what percentage of people in their 70s aren't on the 'net in one way or another. (i.e. including the fancier type of mobile devices that receive pictures and adverts)?   Don't forget that we are a generation which was very much in the front line of seeing things like the internet introduced into our daily working lives when we were in our 40s and 50s. True we didn't grow up with it as many younger people have but many of us got involved with it in order to do our jobs and then created or became involved in it in our leisure time and everyday lives.

 

I can think of very few people I know in their '70s who aren't using the 'net in one way or another.

 

Only ONE out of the 33 members of Bingham MRC doesn't have their own email address.

 

Les

wearing his chairman's hat.

[Les1952]

3 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

How can something built 100 years ago and was turned to razor blades in the 1960s be modern?

 

Worth bearing in mind A1s haven't existed since 1949.

 

 

Jason

 

GRESLEY A1's haven't.....

 

Les

 

[Hobby]

11 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

Thats clutching straws that is…

aside of 4472 ( which is in a style not seen in 90+ years ).

Ok theres 4468, which last ran in 1988 for 1 year, and 92220 (1979-1989?)  and 92212…(2009-2019)

 

Not really, I'm looking at it from a different angle to you, thats all. As I said non enthusiasts just see a steam engine, if the model looks similar they'll buy it.

 

Time to agree to differ? :)

[TEAMYAKIMA]

Regarding the Pullman coaches - I wouldn't want to mix lit coaches with unlit ones. So, will Hornby be offering unlit ones as well?