Hornby announce TT:120

[Porfuera]

1 hour ago, Les1952 said:

There's been a lot of total carp talked by various people about how Hornby and Peco track are incompatable etc etc etc.

 

The Simon's Shed YouTube channel did quite a good comparison of Peco vs Hornby which ended with his Scotsman running around a loop of alternating Peco and Hornby track, including points.

 

It was quite precarious at the end because his loop of track was longer than his table (IIRC he didn't want to cut his Peco flexi) so one end of the loop was supported in the middle by a pile of books on a chair with his Scotsman running over a couple of bits of unsupported track that were two or three feet up in the air. He was risking 150 quids-worth of model train because he didn't want to cut a £5 piece of flexi! Madness!

 

Go to about 14 minutes and 25 seconds and you'll see what I mean.

 

Moderators: I hope it is OK to post this here - if not then please delete.

 

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by Porfuera

[009 micro modeller]

8 hours ago, ixionmodels said:

None at all that I've ever seen, unless there are some enthusiast modellers doing European TT120 at home. It's too close in size to HO, which is the dominant scale with large RTR ranges available.

OK. I was just wondering if anyone might have adapted any of it to represent an Australian prototype (or even done the same in the past with TT3 - I know Triang sold some 00 in Australia but not sure about the TT stuff).

[leonk]

1 hour ago, 009 micro modeller said:

OK. I was just wondering if anyone might have adapted any of it to represent an Australian prototype (or even done the same in the past with TT3 - I know Triang sold some 00 in Australia but not sure about the TT stuff).

TT on N gauge is quite common in New Zealand. They call it NZ120.

[Hobby]

That's for 3ft 6ins (Cape Gauge) isn't it?

[leonk]

Yes, sure is.

https://nzr120.blogspot.com/

 

Interesting note, they imported a bunch of Mk2's and put them on narrow gauge.  So technically, Hornby TT:120 will give them an almost RTR model in that scale!

Edited February 18, 2023 by leonk

[009 micro modeller]

4 hours ago, leonk said:

TT on N gauge is quite common in New Zealand. They call it NZ120.

Yes, I already knew about that. I remember seeing Te Ara at Swanley several years ago and with my 009 background and the new TT:120 stuff I’m almost tempted to have a go myself (maybe not NZ prototype though). I also wondered whether anyone would use the Mark 2s to represent those that got exported. I was asking whether TT had been used at all for Australian standard gauge prototypes.

Edited February 18, 2023 by 009 micro modeller

[britishcolumbian]

21 hours ago, ixionmodels said:

None at all that I've ever seen, unless there are some enthusiast modellers doing European TT120 at home. It's too close in size to HO, which is the dominant scale with large RTR ranges available.

The ones I know of are doing North American and one is doing Russian narrow gauge.

[britishcolumbian]

7 hours ago, 009 micro modeller said:

Yes, I already knew about that. I remember seeing Te Ara at Swanley several years ago and with my 009 background and the new TT:120 stuff I’m almost tempted to have a go myself (maybe not NZ prototype though). I also wondered whether anyone would use the Mark 2s to represent those that got exported. I was asking whether TT had been used at all for Australian standard gauge prototypes.

I've also seen (online) a few models of South African and Rhodesian prototypes in 1:120 on 9 mm.

[Legend]

22 hours ago, Porfuera said:

 

The Simon's Shed YouTube channel did quite a good comparison of Peco vs Hornby which ended with his Scotsman running around a loop of alternating Peco and Hornby track, including points.

 

It was quite precarious at the end because his loop of track was longer than his table (IIRC he didn't want to cut his Peco flexi) so one end of the loop was supported in the middle by a pile of books on a chair with his Scotsman running over a couple of bits of unsupported track that were two or three feet up in the air. He was risking 150 quids-worth of model train because he didn't want to cut a £5 piece of flexi! Madness!

 

Go to about 14 minutes and 25 seconds and you'll see what I mean.

 

Moderators: I hope it is OK to post this here - if not then please delete.

 

 

yeah don’t like the book support . But this video is very good proving that Hornby and Peco TT120 is compatible . The loco seemed to have no difficulty on either track or at the joints . Interesting that Hornby track more expensive than  Peco except for the points where Pe o substantially more expensive . I suppose that’s because they are unifrog 

 

[ejlp]

14 hours ago, 009 micro modeller said:

Yes, I already knew about that. I remember seeing Te Ara at Swanley several years ago and with my 009 background and the new TT:120 stuff I’m almost tempted to have a go myself (maybe not NZ prototype though). I also wondered whether anyone would use the Mark 2s to represent those that got exported. I was asking whether TT had been used at all for Australian standard gauge prototypes.

The Victorian Railways had a TT scale display layout at the Melbourne Showgrounds many years ago, though I suppose it wasn’t technically standard gauge. I vaguely remember there was a separate track where a Hitachi EMU could be driven by visitors to the Royal Show.

[philsandy]

On 17/02/2023 at 15:58, philsandy said:

 

Gets better, email from DPD, it's being delivered Monday.

 

Actually arrived yesterday. Very impressed with it (Class A3 "Night Hawk"), the detail is excellent for a small model, to my eyes as good as on a 00 model. Runs smoothly (on DC, will be converting it to DCC).

Slight gripe, one of the tender axles (nearest the loco) is only rotating intermittently. Removed the keeper plate to have a look, thought it might be too much tension on the pick ups, eased them off slightly  but has not cured it.

[Les1952]

9 minutes ago, philsandy said:

 

Actually arrived yesterday. Very impressed with it (Class A3 "Night Hawk"), the detail is excellent for a small model, to my eyes as good as on a 00 model. Runs smoothly (on DC, will be converting it to DCC).

Slight gripe, one of the tender axles (nearest the loco) is only rotating intermittently. Removed the keeper plate to have a look, thought it might be too much tension on the pick ups, eased them off slightly  but has not cured it.

 

is the loco to tender lead rubbing on the axle?

 

Les

 

[philsandy]

10 minutes ago, Les1952 said:

 

is the loco to tender lead rubbing on the axle?

 

Les

 

 

When I looked at it initially that was my first thought, but no it isn't.

[andrewshimmin]

1 hour ago, philsandy said:

 

Actually arrived yesterday. Very impressed with it (Class A3 "Night Hawk"), the detail is excellent for a small model, to my eyes as good as on a 00 model. Runs smoothly (on DC, will be converting it to DCC).

Slight gripe, one of the tender axles (nearest the loco) is only rotating intermittently. Removed the keeper plate to have a look, thought it might be too much tension on the pick ups, eased them off slightly  but has not cured it.

 

Would love to see photos!

[Stefen1988]

I also noticed on the Hornby Commercial (which you can see on their website) that on the running A4 only the last axle of the Tender is spinning.

[TomE]

On 17/02/2023 at 22:03, Les1952 said:

They choose not to even attempt them in N.

 

Bachmann have produced plenty of Graham Farish 'train sets' in N Gauge. Recent ones have included:

 

370-065 Newspaper Express

370-070 Cornish Riviera Express
370-090 North Eastern Freight

370-130 The Night Mail

370-140 The Steel Worker

370-185 A Day at the Races

370-275 The Merseyside Express

370-280 Regional Commuter

 

All of the the above have included loco, rolling stock, track & controller, the very definition of a train set. 

 

Tom. 

 

Edited February 19, 2023 by TomE

[frobisher]

9 hours ago, TomE said:

 

Bachmann have produced plenty of Graham Farish 'train sets' in N Gauge. Recent ones have included:

 

370-065 Newspaper Express

370-070 Cornish Riviera Express
370-090 North Eastern Freight

370-130 The Night Mail

370-140 The Steel Worker

370-185 A Day at the Races

370-275 The Merseyside Express

370-280 Regional Commuter

 

All of the the above have included loco, rolling stock, track & controller, the very definition of a train set.

 

It should be noted however that none of those are in the current catalogue or have been for the last few years.  I think Bachmann are relying on any previous production that is already out in the wild :(

[philsandy]

17 hours ago, andrewshimmin said:

 

Would love to see photos!

 

I only have a phone camera and the photos would not do the model justice.

[Roy L S]

I reached out to Hornby's customer support desk to determine if "Spring" could be defined a little more accurately in terms of delivery of my pre-ordered BR Blue 08. They have just responded: -  

 

"Thank you for your e-mail, I have looked into your purchase, and it looks to be in-between end on May to early June".

 

This seems to contradict what was put in the second edition of Hornby's TT120 magazine which said the 08s should have been arriving as the magazine landed on people's doorsteps. I am assuming what I have just been told is correct and more up to date which suggests schedules/deliveries are slipping. 

 

I have already ordered a baseboard flat pack for my planned TT120 "micro" layout, but I guess I'll put off buying anything else as I'll need a suitable test loco and the A4 I have ain't gonna fit!

 

Such is life I guess...

 

Roy

[NCB]

2 mk1  maroon composites arrived, just a brief look but the finish is superb. Night Hawk waiting to  be opened;'  planning for Wednesday.    

[meatloaf]

Easterner back in stock along with more mk1 coaches

[ThaneofFife]

What are peoples thoughts on the points in the train sets compared to 00 points?

What I mean is that from some review videos using 2 x tt120 points (are they mediums?)  Where a typical crossover is formed ive noticed that coaching stock ie the Mk1s flow through from one track to the next far nicer than we see in 00 in respect of minimal sideways sway meaning the corridor connections of gangwayed stock remain pretty much in line whereas in 00 the induced sway would if it happened in real life would have people falling out of the gangways!   I think this is such an inportant visual aspect on a model railway.

Is the geometry better or is it down to a wider more to scale gauge and the back to back giving less coach sway??

In TT the movement looks far more realistic than even large radius peco poi ts do in 00 imho....cant figure out why......is it better couplings?

[Hobby]

When I got the set I had a look at them and other than the dead frog, which I can live with, they looked fine. As I hadn't bought the Peco ones at that point I instead bought more of the Hornby ones, saving me a lot of money in the process as they are half the price. Whether that was a good idea or not only time will tell.

 

As for the radius, they are 631mm, which is actually close to their radius 6 curves (642mm I think) so they are most definitely NOT the normal  sharp radius we normally see with train sets. It would certainly explain why they look better when the coaches go through them. Why Hornby have done this I'm not sure, but as you say visually they do look far better and give Peco a run for their money. I believe that sharper radius points are on the cards, perhaps with a goods set using the 08, but that's just hearsay at the moment.

[Jeff Smith]

It may also be the way the couplings behave as they are not mounted on the bogies.

[frobisher]

36 minutes ago, Hobby said:

Why Hornby have done this I'm not sure,

 

It's because they are broadly following the established Tillig geometry, and Tillig's EW2 was the one that was the same length as the standard straight.  The shorter EW1 needed a whole bunch adjusting straights to get back to the standard length and would have been nearer to the radius we'd expect in 00. Hornby made an adjustment to their point so it formed a crossover in the manner we're used to in 00 set track and needed no special correcting straights (there are quite a few in the Tillig range...).  The correcting curve is a Hornby invention but would also work with the EW2 to get back to standard track spacing.

 

But it's good they've gone with wider radius point work to reduce the trainsetty feel of it all.

 

I suspect if we see curved points from Hornby they'll be different to the Tillig ones which seem to be a bit of a small radius after thought.

 

What might be nice if Hornby could evolve these points down the line to a self-contained unifrog like design (i.e. the live frog is switched by point itself, lose the self isolating behaviour and have yourself a DCC ready point with less plastic in the mix).