My journey in TT:120 begins

[gc4946]

A few years ago I bought a sizeable number of made-up N scale Faller and Vollmer historic buildings intended to represent the centre of a fictitious (West) German town. 

They were mounted on four 248 x 248 mm scratchbuilt styrene bases. 

The assembly of buildings shown here totals 496 x 496 mm.

Given that many older buildings had lower door and window heights I wonder if they're acceptable for TT:120?

If that isn't feasible I'll retain them as intended for N. 

Edited April 17, 2023 by gc4946

[gc4946]

Both my BR liveried vans arrived today.

 

TT6006 described online as https://uk.Hornby.com/products/br-vent-van-era-4-tt6006 is actually E 145685

TT6007 described online as https://uk.Hornby.com/products/br-vent-van-era-4-tt6007 is actually E 145841 

 

They're GWR 12T ventilated vans with planked ends, each containing twin louvres. 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/directory/vehicledetails?id=3144651

BR built many more to this similar design but with corrugated ends

https://quornwagonandwagon.co.uk/b763305/

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by gc4946
added photo, corrected prototype information

[rekoboy]

3 hours ago, gc4946 said:

A few years ago I bought a sizeable number of made-up N scale Faller and Vollmer historic buildings intended to represent the centre of a fictitious (West) German town. 

They were mounted on four 248 x 248 mm scratchbuilt styrene bases. 

The assembly of buildings shown here totals 496 x 496 mm.

Given that many older buildings had lower door and window heights I wonder if they're acceptable for TT:120?

If that isn't feasible I'll retain them as intended for N. 

A simple test is to employ a TT scale figure (preferably of a tall adult) and a TT scale vehicle and check how they look in front of each building and doorway. In my experience many N scale buildings are somewhat oversized, and many structures for H0 are under-scale and suitable for TT.

[NCB]

17 hours ago, gc4946 said:

Both my BR liveried vans arrived today.

 

TT6006 described online as https://uk.Hornby.com/products/br-vent-van-era-4-tt6006 is actually E 145685

TT6007 described online as https://uk.Hornby.com/products/br-vent-van-era-4-tt6007 is actually E 145841 

 

They're GWR 12T ventilated vans with planked ends, each containing twin louvres. 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/directory/vehicledetails?id=3144651

BR built many more to this similar design but with corrugated ends

https://quornwagonandwagon.co.uk/b763305/

 

Bodywork looks ok . Can't see a brake cylinder; an XP wagon should have one.  

Edited April 18, 2023 by NCB

[gc4946]

There's no brake cylinder on this ex-GWR box van, so strictly speaking it's unfitted.

The screws hold the kinematic couplings in place.

 

Edited April 18, 2023 by gc4946

[NCB]

16 hours ago, gc4946 said:

There's no brake cylinder on this ex-GWR box van, so strictly speaking it's unfitted.

The screws hold the kinematic couplings in place.

 

Think XP and bauxite implies fitted.

[D9020 Nimbus]

Interesting that versions of this van appear in the catalogue in (supposedly) LNER brown, but looking like GWR freight grey—but with "NE" lettering. 

[gc4946]

All but one of my German buildings are scaled for N, by checking door heights, etc.

The church is the only structure which could pass muster in 1:120.

I could fit that in a corner of my modular layout setup.

However it was an interesting evaluation whether N scale structures could be acceptable in this scale.

[gc4946]

Quelle surprise!

 

Hornby's parallel track geometry aligns perfectly with Heljan's engine shed's roads, track pieces just need sleeper ends trimmed back and between sleepers to create loco inspection pits.

[gc4946]

Hornby's blue 08s have arrived at their warehouse and my order is being processed. 

I'm eagerly looking forward to mine!

[gc4946]

Tonight I collected my 08 from DPD pickup point, I examined it for any damage in transit, there was none, then quickly tested that on a short piece of track, it ran OK without jerking or wobbling.

Then put it back in its box for now, another satisfied customer!

It'll be my last TT:120 loco for some time now - I also own a pair of A3s, an A4, Tillig DB V 162 (later BR 217), DB V 200 (later BR 220) and train set PKP Traxx diesel.

[spamcan61]

I've seen some photos over on FB of one of these 08s where the black chevrons at the bonnet end look incomplete / rather a mess, at least partially due to the presence of the ladder. Not sure if they're all like that or it's a one off.

 

Edit: this YouTube vid shows the odd effect:-

https://youtu.be/RBacElyOFz4

Edited May 19, 2023 by spamcan61

[Calimero]

21 minutes ago, gc4946 said:

Tonight I collected my 08 from DPD pickup point, I examined it for any damage in transit, there was none, then quickly tested that on a short piece of track, it ran OK without jerking or wobbling.

Then put it back in its box for now, another satisfied customer!

It'll be my last TT:120 loco for some time now - I also own a pair of A3s, an A4, Tillig DB V 162 (later BR 217), DB V 200 (later BR 220) and train set PKP Traxx diesel.

Just received mine, well impressed, need some track and some wagons now.

[gc4946]

For a start, many apologies for not posting anything in this thread for a long while.

The slower than usual introduction of British TT:120 hasn't helped matters.

I'm also carefully choosing which British models I'll own in the long term.

However, work's recently begun on a station. The only locations on my setup allowing anywhere like a decent station are the corner bases.

I've considered a bay platform but this'll be a single platform. 

Goods yard and possibly engine shed will be located on other corner sections.

 

Platform height of curved station is 10.5 mm, just enough clearance to clear a 26.4 m long DB carriage with protruding steps, running on Tillig pre-ballasted track.

 

For comparison a short British-style platform is 17 mm height, again using the same track.

 

 

[gc4946]

Hornby's recent announcement of a J50 tank loco means their steam and transition era stock, current and planned, is biased towards the ex-Great Northern section of LNER and Eastern Region.

With their planned Black 5, the best geographic combination for all their stock side by side - A3, A4, J94, classes 08, 31 and 37, and their LMS, LNER, BR Mk1 and Pullman carriages, would be on the approaches to Leeds from Settle & Carlisle line, Bradford, Huddersfield and Wakefield. 

Either Holbeck area or former Leeds Central station could fit the bill.

 

Edited April 14 by gc4946

[gc4946]

7 hours ago, gc4946 said:

Hornby's recent announcement of a J50 tank loco means their steam and transition era stock, current and planned, is biased towards the ex-Great Northern section of LNER and Eastern Region.

With their planned Black 5, the best geographic combination for all their stock side by side - A3, A4, J94, classes 08, 31 and 37, and their LMS, LNER, BR Mk1 and Pullman carriages, would be on the approaches to Leeds from Settle & Carlisle line, Bradford, Huddersfield and Wakefield. 

Either Holbeck area or former Leeds Central station could fit the bill.

 

Also Peterborough area, ex-LMS traction arriving from Northampton https://www.peterboroughimages.co.uk/black-five-at-oundle-station-1964/ though no J94s were allocated to New England shed

[gc4946]

Trial fitting of passing loop/goods yard. The station area will have single track.

 

Fortunately Tillig's straight points are very compact, however I'll need to buy six more pieces of 310 mm radius curves in order to keep the parallel outer line on the boards. 

Fitting 353 mm radii pieces pushes the outer circuit over the edge of the board.

In any case there'll be safeguards against trains crashing to the ground as part of my 900 mm square setup.

[Ravenser]

On 14/04/2024 at 10:27, gc4946 said:

Hornby's recent announcement of a J50 tank loco means their steam and transition era stock, current and planned, is biased towards the ex-Great Northern section of LNER and Eastern Region.

With their planned Black 5, the best geographic combination for all their stock side by side - A3, A4, J94, classes 08, 31 and 37, and their LMS, LNER, BR Mk1 and Pullman carriages, would be on the approaches to Leeds from Settle & Carlisle line, Bradford, Huddersfield and Wakefield. 

Either Holbeck area or former Leeds Central station could fit the bill.

 

 

 

Leeds Central was a notoriously cramped major terminus - no doubt one reason why Beeching closed it. It would be quite interesting to see how big a mildly compressed version designed to take an A3/A4 plus 8 Mk1s  would be in TT:120 - a J50 would be perfectly reasonable as station pilot. Once the 37 is released it should not be beyond a moderately ingenious modeller to stretch the chassis and fit it under a Deltic body from Lincoln Locos.

 

This is one prototype location that might well be do-able as early as the start of next year. Certainly if you wanted to tackle an ECML location in TT:120 it looks like one of the best candidates

[Flying Pig]

1 hour ago, Ravenser said:

It would be quite interesting to see how big a mildly compressed version designed to take an A3/A4 plus 8 Mk1s  would be in TT:120

 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17.4&lat=53.79543&lon=-1.55675&layers=168&b=1&o=100

 

https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/LNERDiagrams.htm  (look for Leeds 'A')

 

From the concourse to the scissors crossing 340m (~2.8m at1:120); to the River Aire 460m (~3.8m).  Still quite a lot of compression needed, I think.  Some of the pointwork will need to be built or redesigned to use proprietary items. Probably better to design an "inspired by" layout with some of the features of Leeds Central.

 

[Ravenser]

On 15/04/2024 at 22:59, Flying Pig said:

 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17.4&lat=53.79543&lon=-1.55675&layers=168&b=1&o=100

 

https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/LNERDiagrams.htm  (look for Leeds 'A')

 

From the concourse to the scissors crossing 340m (~2.8m at1:120); to the River Aire 460m (~3.8m).  Still quite a lot of compression needed, I think.  Some of the pointwork will need to be built or redesigned to use proprietary items. Probably better to design an "inspired by" layout with some of the features of Leeds Central.

 

 

That is quite a formidable tangle of tracks and installations . I counted at least 5 major goods stations at two levels, plus Holbeck MPD with several roundhouses.

 

2.8m equates to just over 9' - that's starting to look manageable

 

So - I'd lose the two bottom bays at Central , taking it down to 4 main platforms  + a bay. I would want to compress the whole thing, so that the longest platform would take a Pacific+ 4 x 61'6 Gresleys + 4 x 64' Mk1s . If an 8 coach formation of Mk1s hung out onto the platform ramp, that's ok.

 

I would retain the loco facilty with turntable shown on the OS  25" plan . Something like this is essential - Pacifics will need to be turned for their next duty

 

I'm not sure how long a train Leeds Central would actually take - I'm guessing at least 10 coaches. But the habit of splitting off Bradford portions at Wakefield Westgate hints that it probably didn't see extremely long trains...

 

In TT:120 you can run a Pacific round R2 = 310mm (a fraction over 12") . At 15" radius , you have something that equates to the 2' minimum radius accepted for decent OO.

 

So I allow 21" width to swing a double track mainline on viaduct round a U curve at the end on about 18"-16" radius , with a single freight line on the inside of the curve at 15" radius, falling so that it goes under the throat of Central on a skew.

 

This then leaves  10'3" for a compressed Central and approaches . I would put it on a slight diagonal across a 2' wide board, replicating the situation at Leeds in reality . The freight line goes into a goods terminal at low level behind the throat of Central - a representational impression of the actual low level freight stations. Scope for J50s as both yard shunter and working trip goods into and out of the goods station up the bank. To get sufficient headroom for the bridge carrying this over the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, the bridges over the Aire and the canal would have to be moved round onto the curve . So you'd be getting to something not too far off scale distance from the concourse to the River Aire (around 12' run)

 

The freight line joins the mainline through a ladder junction /crossover just before you enter the fiddle yard . That need only be about 5' long , so this side of the layout need be no longer than 7'6" to 8'. Plenty of space to take a door opening into the room

 

For the hell of it (and to avoid the U curve swinging round at just 4' width) you add a short straight bit, and I'd have a double track junction in the far corner, to pull off a second double track mainline turning through 90 degrees (representing the LMS/LYR)   and heading into a back section of the fiddle yard 

 

Split highlevel/lowlevel layouts are a bit of a fashion these days. Operationally Central functions as a very grand Minories with Pacifics and 8 coach trains: the Pacifics go to the loco yard to turn for their next duty, and there is also the possibility of splitting off a 3/4 coach "Bradford portion"  (I know this actually happened at Wakefield - but it might be a Harrogate portion or something) . I think the Queen of Scots Pullman reversed at Leeds - so a Pullman comes in by one route, a new engine backs  on and takes it out down the other route... The LMS presence means that the imminent Stanier Period3 stock is totally in place. A Black 5 would be ideal, we don't have one - Stanier Pacifics never reached Leeds Central but a Duchess on 7 bogies (57') and a 50' BG would look quite sensible in this setting. Parcells trains casn be accomodated.

 

You'd need to do some cut and shut work to get other types of Mk1 in the short term (I think 2 x BSK to 1 x SK + 1 x BG was a recognised cut and shut exercise on Triang Mk1s?)

 

The low level freight depot gives you a shunting /ftreight operation for J50 and in future J94, and unlike mode split level layouts it's actually connected tro the main layout.

 

So - Leeds Central in a 12' x 6' shed??  With mainline trains haul;ed by Pacifics displayed on a viaduct for train watching?

[gc4946]

Back to my home situation ...

Today my extra half-circle of Tillig 310 mm radius curves arrived by post.

Tonight I've partly reorganised the spare room to make it easier to extract both tables to mount the 90 square cm layout in the living room.

Tomorrow I'll rig up my layout for the first time in nearly a year to see how my latest iteration stands up.

[gc4946]

At last, this afternoon I erected my 90 x 90 cm setup.

A few teething troubles especially with uneven railjoints and having to adjust Hornby's A3 60078 Night Hawk's front bogie bar because the bogie constantly derailed, now largely sorted.

This layout is more suited to smaller locos, hopefully a J50 and/or J94 will be in my hands at some point.

[gc4946]

It took me about three hours this afternoon and tonight to rectify both my Hornby's A3 60078 Night Hawk front bogies because they rode badly and derailed on plain track.

Earlier on, my ex-Easterner set A4 60004 William Whitelaw needed similar work, but was less of a problem.

I now own three mechanically optimised Gresley pacifics.

On the other hand all my diesels ran OK out of the box (Hornby 08, Tillig DB V162, V200 and PKP train set loco)

 

[gc4946]

Making progress on my cut and shut Mk1 FK made from three corridor composites.

 

There's still work to do, adding centre footboard on corridor side, touching up the lining, renumbering and painting over where the old vents stood. I sliced off some replacement vents from the surplus bodyshells.

 

I must admit the cuts aren't perfect, but I only had a fairly coarse Xacto razor saw, knife and files. 

It's very likely it'll be my only cut and shut project in this scale.

I can't see Hornby producing a FK, they've only done a FO in OO scale which hopefully in time will be shrunk to 1:120.

Edited April 23 by gc4946

[TT100 Diesels]

On 23/04/2024 at 18:25, gc4946 said:

Making progress on my cut and shut Mk1 FK made from three corridor composites.

 

There's still work to do, adding centre footboard on corridor side, touching up the lining, renumbering and painting over where the old vents stood. I sliced off some replacement vents from the surplus bodyshells.

 

I must admit the cuts aren't perfect, but I only had a fairly coarse Xacto razor saw, knife and files. 

It's very likely it'll be my only cut and shut project in this scale.

I can't see Hornby producing a FK, they've only done a FO in OO scale which hopefully in time will be shrunk to 1:120.

 

Good for you gc4946, it takes courage to show a razor saw to a lovely rtr coach, but kudos to you for getting on with it. And now you have created a unique model, well done.

 

And I have to say, its more than I have done, I kitbash but have never actually done a cut and shut yet.😟

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels