Hornby announce TT:120

[MartinRS]

16 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

I actually think it a very positive move to finally have a small scale RTR product using an accurate gauge/scale ratio that is internationally accepted. I can't help wondering how much more globally successful the British model railway industry might have been if it hadn't kept lumbering  itself with a false scale for each emerging gauge.  

That's an excellent point you have made. Perhaps some of the doom mongers haunting the various TT:120 threads would do well to consider that observation. Not only does TT:120 have the potential to bring new modellers to the hobby, it also opens up export markets to UK TT:120 manufacturers, all of them.

[Johan DC]

In the light of recent announcements by Modelbahnunion, I wonder if TT120 is growing in Western Europe as well. Houses here are getting smaller too, as some relative incomes. I think without Hornby going into TT,. it would be only a matter of time before a non-UK manufactor would try the water. 

[joe cassidy]

21 hours ago, Les1952 said:

While waiting for Hornby to get enough stuff together for me to buy - I've got all I can on pre-order (an Easterner, an A3, a couple of extra coaches and a rake of freight stuff I can re-livery to 1957-1968) - I've been investing in Continental - largely so the proceeds of Croft Spa's sale and its stock slowly selling don't disappear into non-railway projects.

 

Today's parcel was a Roco BR38 4-6-0.  A spur to get the layout back on its trestles and test the bits I've built so far.  I don't know how long 3SMR had it in stock but it took a lot of persuading to run at all.  I only got chance to run it in for 5 mins each way today - the instructions say 30 mins - and it now runs quite smoothly at 50 speed steps out of 128.  The loco is factory DCC Sound fitted.  Is it money well spent?  £350-odd.  It looks good on the front of the Pullman coaches, though it can't couple until I've swapped the Fleischmann Profi-coupling it came with for a Tillig one from stock.  Not the most expensive loco on the roster- the Arnold 2-10-0 was more, and gained me a pleasing number of Hornby points. 

 

Next loco in should be the A4 from the Scotsman set, which will be off for sound fitting almost as soon as it arrives.  There are 5 locos in the current roster to play with - one each from Hornby, Arnold, Tillig, Piko and Roco.  In the meantime I'm also waiting for Peco to get the small radius points onto market- I need a couple for the yard area.

 

But as I've said before I'm not really Hornby's target market for TT:120, and Simon Kohler agreed when I talked to him about it at Gaydon.  However he also said he would appreciate the sales he got to modellers like me.

 

No pics yet of the BR38, but here's one of Blink Bonny head to head with the 2-10-0.  Shows how much smaller UK stuff is than German, more noticeable when they are the same scale.

 

 

Les

 

Les I appreciate your posts on here because :

 

1) you know what you're talking about - you're not an armchair modeller and you are competent to compare N gauge with TT120

2) you put your money where your mouth is

 

I look forward to future posts about your progress 

 

 

[Taigatrommel]

4 hours ago, Johan DC said:

In the light of recent announcements by Modelbahnunion, I wonder if TT120 is growing in Western Europe as well. Houses here are getting smaller too, as some relative incomes. I think without Hornby going into TT,. it would be only a matter of time before a non-UK manufactor would try the water. 

I think I may have missed something... what have they announced please?  I'm very interested!

[Johan DC]

28 minutes ago, Taigatrommel said:

I think I may have missed something... what have they announced please?  I'm very interested!

A series of small accessoires, like barrels, toolboxes, waste bins. Also some bas-relief houses, but these might be older, and more for Middle European layouts. 

 

I also saw that Arnold showed a new Rail Adventure diesel at Nürnberg, Vossloh 18. Do these come to the UK as well? Not so into D&E myself. 

[Jeff Smith]

I notice that the digital train sets include DC controllers so assume that the chips are dual mode?

[Porfuera]

3 minutes ago, Jeff Smith said:

I notice that the digital train sets include DC controllers so assume that the chips are dual mode?

 

That is not my understanding - I believe the digital sets contain a 15V power supply but no controller. The controller is an app that you download to a smart device to control the DCC chip via bluetooth.

 

However I also believe that the locos will run on DC (but in DCC mode - I don't know if a CV change is required for this) and the loco is still controlled via the bluetooth app. You need to crank up the DC voltage to maximum initially to 'wake up' the chip but after that I assume that the DC voltage can be turned down to control DC locos.

 

If I've got that wrong feel free to correct me!

[Les1952]

9 hours ago, SeanTT said:

Great post, I really want an 0-4-0 or 0-6-0 but nothing from Hornby yet other then the 08s which i have one on preorder

 

if you see an 0-4-0 or 0-6-0 anywhere give me a shout, i had a quick look but most are sold out. 

 

I have the easterner set on pre-order and already have the scotsman set so looking to add to my locos as they release as well as track packs in April.

 

There are three varieties of Piko 0-4-0 diesel available at Osborn's Models.

 

Les

 

[Les1952]

1 hour ago, Johan DC said:

A series of small accessoires, like barrels, toolboxes, waste bins. Also some bas-relief houses, but these might be older, and more for Middle European layouts. 

 

I also saw that Arnold showed a new Rail Adventure diesel at Nürnberg, Vossloh 18. Do these come to the UK as well? Not so into D&E myself. 

 

The only Railadventure stock that fits the UK loading gauge are the two pairs of buffer-fitted HST power cars they bought.  Rule 1 wouldn't prevent you having the Vossloh on a model, however....

 

Les

 

[Porfuera]

1 hour ago, Johan DC said:

I also saw that Arnold showed a new Rail Adventure diesel at Nürnberg, Vossloh 18. Do these come to the UK as well? Not so into D&E myself. 

 

I don't know whether the Vosslohs run in the UK but In my case I'd be quite tempted and I think Rule 1 may well apply, especially as they are also available with sound. They can be seen in the catalogue here:

https://uk.arnoldmodel.com/new-2023

(link posted previously by @irishmail)

Apologies because I've posted the following before but Arnold's new TT releases are shown here (amongst the other releases by Hornby's other European companies):

https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/news/Hornby-2023-continental-range/

It includes two very interesting-looking sets not shown in the catalogue AFAIAA, one containing a Class 66 and the other a Vossloh, although details for the Class 66 set are a bit thin plus I'd imagine it is the 66 that is Colas Rail rather than the Vossloh but interesting to see that Arnold may well be doing sets in the future:

(Arnold) Train Sets

• HN9900 Train Set "Colas Rail", 4-axle diesel locomotive Vossloh DE 18 with 2 x 4-axle silowagons "Transcéréales", ep. VI HINT

• HN9901 Train Set Class 66 + 3 Container Wagons

 

EDIT: Does anyone know whether these sets were confirmed at Nuremberg? I'm pretty sure they're not in the catalogue.

Edited February 1, 2023 by Porfuera

[Hobby]

9 hours ago, Les1952 said:

that fits the UK loading gauge 

 

It rather depends on what you are going to be modelling, my layout, whilst based in the NW, will feature Continental stock like the Nene Valley heritage line does... I'll be visiting Slovakia in May and will be looking out for some suitable secondhand TT stock...

[Les1952]

27 minutes ago, Hobby said:

 

It rather depends on what you are going to be modelling, my layout, whilst based in the NW, will feature Continental stock like the Nene Valley heritage line does... I'll be visiting Slovakia in May and will be looking out for some suitable secondhand TT stock...

 

Rule 1, your train set.  I'm applying it the other way at the moment, with the first layout set in Germany but with some Hornby stock running on it until there is enough to stock a completely British TT120 layout.

 

Just a point about secondhand stock.  Check the coupler mounts.  I'm not sure there are compatable exchange couplers available for quite a bit of the older stuff.

 

Les

 

[SeanTT]

10 hours ago, Les1952 said:

 

There are three varieties of Piko 0-4-0 diesel available at Osborn's Models.

 

Les

 

Thanks Les,

 

Are these compatible with Hornby's rolling stock? NEM couplings etc?

 

[Hobby]

Good point re couplers, though if I do get some BTTB stuff I'll keep them in rakes... I suppose Rule 1 would apply, but in this case I have a British heritage line to follow, so not un-prototypical!

[Les1952]

18 minutes ago, SeanTT said:

Thanks Les,

 

Are these compatible with Hornby's rolling stock? NEM couplings etc?

 

 

They all have the old Piko couplers mounted in NEM pockets, so are swappable for the new Tillig style used by Hornby. 

 

Les

[Pacific231G]

1 hour ago, Les1952 said:

 

They all have the old Piko couplers mounted in NEM pockets, so are swappable for the new Tillig style used by Hornby. 

 

Les

Are the Tillig style couplings (I think they're now the NEM standard coupler for TT) very height sensitive?

 

I ask because I've had endless trouble with Kadees (my preferred type of coupling) in H0 NEM boxes because so many of those in "kinematic" close coupling units droop and if TT material appropriate to me ever appear am hoping to not have the same problem again (OT but I've actually had less of that sort of problem with retro-fitted non kinematic NEM boxes) They may also be relevant to my H0m modelling as I'm pretty sure that current Tillig H0m stock use the same boxes and the couplers look a lot better for NG than the traditional hinged loop type.

Edited February 2, 2023 by Pacific231G

[britishcolumbian]

6 hours ago, Les1952 said:

Just a point about secondhand stock.  Check the coupler mounts.  I'm not sure there are compatable exchange couplers available for quite a bit of the older stuff.

I do believe Tillig have replacement couplers that fit old BTTB stock that have the coupler tongue held/sprung by a wire.

[Taigatrommel]

2 minutes ago, britishcolumbian said:

I do believe Tillig have replacement couplers that fit old BTTB stock that have the coupler tongue held/sprung by a wire.

They produce them for a variety of mountings:

 

https://www.tillig.com/eng/Zubehoer_Sonstiges-Seite-2.html
https://www.tillig.com/eng/Zubehoer_Sonstiges-Seite-3.html

[teletougos]

On 30/01/2023 at 18:31, Ravenser said:

 

 

 

 

Useful to know that the wagon wheel size is more or less standard with the Continent. If we get plastic wagon kits, then that could be a resource. Alternatively Hornby could sell packs of their own wheels - as they do in OO

 

 

 But -  spoked wheels were much used in the UK. Not so on the continent. Far as I know there are no 1:120 3' spoked wheels available right now. Hakl make an 8.3mm one which is nice but it certainly ain't cheap.

 

[britishcolumbian]

19 minutes ago, Taigatrommel said:

They produce them for a variety of mountings:

 

https://www.tillig.com/eng/Zubehoer_Sonstiges-Seite-2.html
https://www.tillig.com/eng/Zubehoer_Sonstiges-Seite-3.html

Yeah, I was vaguely aware of that. But wasn't fully certain as I've rid myself of most of the BTTB I had so it's not relevant to me, and I try to avoid the old equipment as a lot of it doesn't hold up next to newer models - particularly the old passenger stock, they're shorter than scale so you can't mix them with the modern scale-length stock.

[Jeff Smith]

Presumably Peco will have 3' spoked wheels for its TT:120 wagons, hopefully metal tyred?

[britishcolumbian]

6 minutes ago, teletougos said:

 But -  spoked wheels were much used in the UK. Not so on the continent. Far as I know there are no 1:120 3' spoked wheels available right now. Hakl make an 8.3mm one which is nice but it certainly ain't cheap.

 

I would've sworn Modmüller had spoked wheels but I don't see any on their site. I know I've seen them somewhere... but outside of the Continental Era I yeah they're not going to be super common.

[Ravenser]

4 minutes ago, teletougos said:

 But -  spoked wheels were much used in the UK. Not so on the continent. Far as I know there are no 1:120 3' spoked wheels available right now. Hakl make an 8.3mm one which is nice but it certainly ain't cheap.

 

 

3 hole disc wheels were normal on new construction from the 1930s onward

 

In 4mm I would only fit spoked wheels to specific pre-grouping wagons - the great bulk of the wagon fleet has 3 hole disc wheels

 

When TT:120 enjoys kits for pre-grouping wagons it will become an issue, but till that happy day it can be worked around. Bigger compromises than that are accepted in an adjacent scale, and for any wagon built in the last 90-odd years disc wheels are fine

[teletougos]

11 minutes ago, britishcolumbian said:

I would've sworn Modmüller had spoked wheels but I don't see any on their site. I know I've seen them somewhere... but outside of the Continental Era I yeah they're not going to be super common.

 NWSL made one, weirdly enough, for logging prototypes.  Probably .088" profile. 

[teletougos]

Believe Hornby have gotten the General Public  to think TT120 is a revolution, removed  from the whole scale and gauge thing. That there's something innate in the 120-ishness of it,  or is it the TT of it (?)  that means the track's the right gauge, it fits in your flat, and all that.

 

Think that's quite a coup.