RMweb Premium spamcan61 Posted February 19, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 19, 2023 Had a quick photoshoot with mine, maybe some slight splaying outwards of the cylinders/valance but not particularly noticeable. Measured 25.2mm across the widest part of the valence. 1 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefen1988 Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 Your A4 looks fine to me. Looks like not all Locos have those bended valances; thats good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted February 22, 2023 Share Posted February 22, 2023 (edited) Hurrah! My Easterner turned up today (711/888). I told DPD to leave it at a local dropoff point, so I didn't have to wait around for them to arrive, and I could pick it up at my convenience. More to follow... Made an oval up on a temporary baseboard*, only 2 straights a side, I'll need something a couple of inches wider and longer to use 4th rad curves rather than the vaguely thought of 2nd rad solution. Coach wheels are chafing on the curves, so they will need to be sorted. WW runs smoothly, apart from the motor hum from the Hornby controller, so that's something else on the to do/to get list, unless I go DCC then the controller problem goes away. An option that is becoming more attractive! I'm not impressed by the "power track". The connector box is bulky and obtrusive, and having the controller plug entering parallel to the track is a recipe for disaster, its too close to passing locos, etc. Once I've done the roundy, I'll camoflage them under the station platforms. I've dug out some TT3 stuff for comparison, and to see if it'll run on the new Hornby track, though I don't envisage it passing through the points! When I get a round tuit, I may do a couple of photo comparisons between the old and the new... TT3 vs TT120 Triang 350hp shunter and Triang Brush Type 2 (Classes 08 and 31 in new money) vs Hornby A4. The Class 31 is standing on the new Hornby track for comparison with the A4. The 08 is on Triang type B TT track, which makes it look even bigger! Both the TT3 locos run happily on the Hornby plain track, though I haven't tried them through the points... * One that originally hosted a Hornby O gauge tinplate trainset, on ferociously tight tinplate track radii. Even that is too small for 4th radius TT120 curves, with a reasonable run** between the bendy bits, so a better baseboard will be forthcoming and I may reinstall the tinplate track... ** That is, I want the A4 and all three coaches to be in a straight line when paused at the station! Edited February 23, 2023 by Hroth Just a bit more, etc. More etc. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefen1988 Posted February 22, 2023 Share Posted February 22, 2023 The Set is sold out and "available to Pre-Order" again. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted February 22, 2023 Share Posted February 22, 2023 (edited) 3 hours ago, Stefen1988 said: The Set is sold out and "available to Pre-Order" again. Hornby are now showing "last few" rather than "Available to Pre-Order". It'll be interesting to see if it goes to pre-order or to out of stock... Edited February 22, 2023 by Hroth Tidy up... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Johan DC Posted February 22, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 22, 2023 Back to 'pre-order'. I would think this is something together with 'The Scotsman' that would be in the range for quite some time, like the OO cousins. There is a lot of interest for it and TT120, on Instagram and YT, even Sam's Trains' video about it is amongst the more popular ones. So if Hornby wants to keep this going, they'll need these kinds of sets. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefen1988 Posted February 22, 2023 Share Posted February 22, 2023 (edited) Interesting; The UK Website of Hornby says "last few". The german/international Website of Arnold says "available to Pre-Order". Both should get the Sets from the same pool in the UK? I think the "The Easterner" Set is a perfect Starter Set; A big Pacific Express Steam Loco and three common Mk1 Coaches. There should be similary Sets for the Midland, Southern and Western Regions which stay permanently. Also a BR Blue Era Set with a Diesel and three Mk1 or Mk2 Coaches would be nice for the Range. Same goes for further "Big Four" Starter Sets. Edited February 22, 2023 by Stefen1988 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted February 22, 2023 Share Posted February 22, 2023 4 minutes ago, Stefen1988 said: I think the "The Easterner" Set is a perfect Starter Set; A big Pacific Express Steam Loco and three common Mk1 Coaches. All we need is a Brush Type 2 in green to go with the mk1s too! I won't mention the need for a green 350HP diesel shunter... Oops!!! 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefen1988 Posted February 22, 2023 Share Posted February 22, 2023 (edited) Isn't the Class 31 part of Phase 3 or 4? Hornby could follow an old Arnold concept from the 1970s & 1980s; Many Starter Sets, offered at the same time, some with different radius, to combine them to a double track oval (one set with a main line Train and R3 and another with a shunter train and R2 ect.). An old Arnold Catalogue of my uncle from the early 80s had 12(!!!) Starter Sets listed. Edited February 22, 2023 by Stefen1988 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted February 22, 2023 Share Posted February 22, 2023 If Hornby did a green Brush Type 2 and a green 350hp shunter, then I could have a Minories layout, but until then its going to be Roundys all the way! A shunter set with a green 'un, a plain mineral wagon, a plain van and a brake van would be the ideal. Issued as a Train Pack without track, but including suggestions for shunting planks, it would be even better as "A layout for the smallest of homes"! 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinRS Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 (edited) My Easterner set arrived exactly one week ago, last Thursday. I managed to find time to open the box set it up on Sunday and spent 20 minutes testing it. Like others I did find some distortion in the geometry of one of the R3 curves. That might be a problem for anyone treating it as a train set, but not a problem once the track is pinned down on a baseboard. The A4 ran well, without stalling over the additional Hornby points I had already bought. I wasn't able to test the Peco points because I forgot to buy some TT:120 rail joiners! I didn't have time to test the R4 oval I also bought. As others have noticed there is some grinding noise on the R3 curves. Perhaps it's Hornby's attempt at authenticity. I can remember an S&T senior technician showing me how the balance weights worked on a slotted signal at Woodburn Junction, when a freight train took the very tight radius curve, with much grinding and squealing! The loco and carriages look fantastic, so much so that I have ordered a circle of R2 curves, the 5 maroon mk1 coaches in stock, Night Hawk, and Falcon, giving me two A4s. I even put in a pre-order for the class 08, even though it is blue. (Where's my tin of BR green paint?) I'm very impressed by what I have seen. Edited March 2, 2023 by MartinRS Typo 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grovenor Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 So measured 25.2 mm over the valances, a scale 10 ft, or 10% overwidth. Which shows up the problems of a scale track gauge with overwidth wheels. Underscale track has been swopped for overscale locos. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Smith Posted March 3, 2023 Author Share Posted March 3, 2023 58 minutes ago, Grovenor said: So measured 25.2 mm over the valances, a scale 10 ft, or 10% overwidth. Which shows up the problems of a scale track gauge with overwidth wheels. Underscale track has been swopped for overscale locos. Just like HO......... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravenser Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 18 hours ago, Grovenor said: So measured 25.2 mm over the valances, a scale 10 ft, or 10% overwidth. Which shows up the problems of a scale track gauge with overwidth wheels. Underscale track has been swopped for overscale locos. It will probably be much less of an issue with inside cylinder locos. But I must admit I was slightly surprised when Hornby went in head-first with two big Pacifics as the first releases, given the inherent issues You pays yer money and you makes your choice... As Jeff says, HO is no magical panacea for British modelling's issues 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium spamcan61 Posted March 4, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 4, 2023 35 minutes ago, Ravenser said: It will probably be much less of an issue with inside cylinder locos. But I must admit I was slightly surprised when Hornby went in head-first with two big Pacifics as the first releases, given the inherent issues In a way yes, but then there's SK's predilection for big shiny steamers; and then the A3 and A4 are probably the only classes of steam loco the Sunday supplement reading target audience for TT:120 might recognise. Personally I'd have much preferred a Spamcan <shock> but there ya go. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Johan DC Posted March 4, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 4, 2023 I think SK made the right decision with the A1/A3 and A4. The first gives FS, loathed by some, but look, even Märklin/Trix make it now in HO, for it first birthday. Would have been quite the uproar here on RMweb if Hornby didn't. Shouts of missed opportunities etc .. The second gives the fastest steamloc ever, wouldn't be surprised if FS in HO is a succes, Mallard might follow. If you start a new scale/gauge, you want ROI, and sorry for the haters, but FS and M have the highest score. A gronk is nothing for me, but makes sence as well. Long period of use, all over the UK. And if I'm not mistaken, runs in the EU as well. Hornby/SK made/make a lot of strange decisions, but choosing their flagship loco's to start TT120 is, in my opinion, not one of them. 5 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-Lewis Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 Hopefully the sound Easterner will be back in stock soon. I’m really looking forward to getting mine. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-Lewis Posted August 8, 2023 Share Posted August 8, 2023 My set arrived at the weekend. Marked as #39/440 so if that's the number or Easterner sound sets in the shipment it's a healthy amount of sales. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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