A Family TT Adventure

[andrewshimmin]

I wasn’t sure whether to post this in 3mm scale or 2.5mm scale, since it’s a mixture of both (if this horrifies you, look away now, this thread is not for you). But since it started with 3mm scale and that will predominate I’ve put it here.

This is intended to document my attempts to build a fun layout with my children (ages 8 and 6), to run the Triang TT stock I inherited from my late and much missed Grandpa.

This will be made much easier by the launch of Hornby TT:120, and I will be freely and unapologetically using their track system, etc. I will also be running their models – I know the scale’s different, but I’m not aiming for finescale here, only for fun. As it’s not compatible coupling wise, it won’t be intermingled with the TT3, instead I plan to have TT:120 and TT3 running times, but I make no apology if in some future photograph a Hornby TT:120 Black 5 is in one platform and a Triang TT3 Castle in the other...

The layout is planned to be based on the Hornby track packs “double track oval with sidings”, but somewhat tweaked (will outline my ideas soon). It will be modular, despite the full layout fitting under the sofa as one board. This is partly because I want to practice baseboard construction for future projects. It’s also to allow potential expansion (on which more anon), and because in future the “under the sofa” space might be needed for something else, and a modular layout is easier to find alternative spaces for.

[andrewshimmin]

At the outset I want to make clear how excited I am about the arrival of Hornby TT:120. I was brought up with TT and still have a collection which has seen little use in the last 20 years. Hornby TT120 seems like the perfect way to take this up again, as a family hobby with my daughters.

My grandpa had an extensive Triang TT layout in his attic which I was brought up with. I was very keen to have a layout of my own, and to be honest I think my father was pretty keen too! Of course, there was no TT by this time (mid-eighties) so it was a OO Hornby set (a Jinty in LNER green with some LNER teak carriages). I loved it, but even back then finding space to do much in a suburban semi was a challenge. I much preferred the size of TT and what could be achieved in that scale.

When my grandpa became ill he decided it was time to pass on the TT layout, so he and my dad constructed a baseboard along one side and round the corner of my bedroom, which I built a small end to end layout on. It was never properly finished, and by then the thirty year old track, which had been used on four layouts, was unreliable. I did join the 3mm Society, and expanded my collection with a few bits my grandpa never had (Boadicea!). I also built one or two aged whitemetal kits, inexpertly, with somewhat dubious results. The OO meanwhile went off to some cousins.

When I went away to university the layout had to be cleared away. That was last century! Since then I have never had a layout, although I’ve started a couple, the space has always needed to be used for something else (children!). The TT locos come out about two or three times a year to run up and down the dining table (reluctantly...) and then be packed away.

I am a proud member of the 3mm Society, and very impressed by what many other people achieve in the scale. But my feeble efforts at kit or track building have been frustrating. I don’t want to experiment in another gauge, which would be an expensive way to learn if I can’t run the trains! Plus I don’t have space for anything larger, and I don’t want to get rid of my grandpa’s stuff. I might work my way up to building the odd kit or two but I do envy those in other scales who can easily get locos and stock, certainly, but more importantly compatible track etc. to make layout building more straightforward. With the best will in the world, I’m not going to be up to building fiddly etched kits anytime soon, nor is that something I can do with young children.

So TT120 is a game changer for me! I’m not a finescale type, I’d have been happy with TT3 making a comeback, but I appreciate the advantages of compatibility with continental TT and the satisfaction of, finally, having a UK ready to run scale/gauge which is not a compromise.

 

[andrewshimmin]

So, let’s start by looking at my existing collection, which is all TT3 (i.e. 3mm scale, 12mm gauge, Triang or Triang-derivative).

The core and heart of the collection is my Grandpa’s TT stuff. He had several Jinties and Class 08 shunters, a Large Prairie, a Class 31 and a DMU. For some reason, these were handed over to me stored in a tin originally for Harrods biscuits!

 

He also had a collection of carriages – mostly Triang Mk1s in WR and SR liveries, and some of the slightly superior Kitmaster ones in maroon. My Grandpa being my Grandpa, these were naturally kept in the gutted case of a very old radio.

 

And some goods vehicles – this time in a tupperware.

 

In the mid nineties I added to the collection with some acquisitions from Terry Smallpiece who was the 3mm Society second hand officer at the time. These include a Castle and a Merchant Navy, plus some maroon Triang Mk1s including sleeping and dining cars, and some of the suburbans.

 

A bit later I was able to get my hands on the prime of the Triang models: an open wheeled Brit (Boadicea, perfect for someone now living in East Anglia) and a Pullman coach. Again, all from the 3mm Society.

 

None of these have run much for two decades. They all run, just about, but generally with much growling and sparking and that lovely ozone smell...

 

As soon as I've got a serviceable loop of track I'm going to tackle lubricating and cleaning the locos, and lubricating the rolling stock.

Some people resort to re-wheeling the Triang TT stock for better running. I'm hoping that won't be necessary, as I'm only intending to run three or four coach trains. But if required that's another one for the list.

[PaulaDoesTrains]

The train set we (younger brother and i) had when I was little was TT3 and I've got a continuing affection for the 3mm scale even though I'm heavily invested in OO. I can't remember much about it except I had the diesel shunter and my brother had the Jinty. Not that either of us had a clue what they were. And dad knew nothing about trains; cricket was his passion.

[APOLLO]

Triang TT locos are like cockroaches, you can't kill em.

 

Your pictures remind me of my TT days in the 60's. I still have mine, like yours in various boxes in the loft. A few years ago I dug it out and ran it, yes after servicing / oiling they still ran great. My track though was bu**ered, the points especially. I've also been thinking a bit about getting just some track for a small portable layout, wondering if the old stuff would run on the new track. I came across this interesting video the other day

 

 

Nice to see TT return, but I'm to far into OO & O these days, perhaps a 4' x 3' oval.

Good luck with yours

 

Brit15

[andrewshimmin]

In terms of 3mm stock, I also have a few things I’ve managed to build or acquire over the years. Amongst my Grandpa’s things which I inherited I found an unopened GEM kit for a 56xx GWR 0-6-2T. I’m not especially a GW fan, but my Grandpa was quite keen (despite having always lived in LMS territory). This was the first kit I ever built, and while it's unlikely to ever impress anyone else, I was quite proud of it as a youngster. Unfortunately, I mounted the motor on the whitemetal chassis with a sort of mount but without a proper gearbox for the gears. Now the worm gear lifts up from the axle gear in reverse, so it doesn’t run very well... And the transfers have all either rubbed off or went on wonky anyway! I’ve got the numberplate somewhere...

 

I also built an Esanel (Bec?) whitemetal kit of a J11 about a decade or so ago, I can’t remember where this came from – a 3mm Society meeting probably. I’ve always had a fondness for the Great Central, mainly because of the Cheshire Lines (although I think the CLC tended to see J10s not J11s). It’s on a Triang 0-6-0 chassis. The dome went missing and I can’t find a spare one...

 

The second hand sales team of the 3mm has always been a good source of stock. My own particular enthusiasm is for the LNWR and L&YR (although I also really like the Midland, G&SWR, Highland, GCR and various others). In the glory days of TT3 GEM released kits for both the Precursor/George V 4-4-0 and the Prince of Wales 4-6-0. I’ve managed to acquire kitbuilt examples – although both need a bit of mechanical work to run properly.

 

In due time I’d like to expand my LNWR and L&Y collection – there is a whitemetal Coal Tank, and there was once a Cauliflower too although I think no longer available, and anyway the Belpaire version from LMS days which I’m not interested in. There are even etched kits of the Beames 0-8-4T and the Claughton, although both sound way beyond my abilities at present. Even more tempting, although still beyond me right now, are the Lanky kits available – a Radial tank (one of my absolute favourites), a Barton Wright 0-6-0, even an 0-8-0 and a Flyer 4-4-0! There was once a Pug kit too but it is apparently all but unbuildable. There is a 3D printed L&Y steam railmotor available online, and a railmotor chassis kit exists. All of these are too much of a stretch now, but interesting future possibilities one way or another.

I do have a few LNWR carriages – mostly bodged by someone from Triang Mk1 – and some rather nice L&Y carriages which someone has built from etched kits.

I also have various unfinished or not yet started projects. I bought a second hand A4 – GEM whitemetal body on a Triang chassis – which I repainted in garter blue (someone had already painted the wheels red rather inexpertly) but is awaiting transfers etc. I have an unopened GEM Royal Scot, and long ago I bought an etched chassis to go with it.

In a flush of youthful enthusiasm long ago I bought a LMS 2P kit from 3SMR. This was originally a BEC kit I believe. Unfortunately, the castings are not great – for the tender in particular the outside of the casting is alright but the inside is very poor, thick and undefined, and so it’s very difficult to put the kit together. The kit was originally intended to be tender driven, and then later to have the motor in the tender with a shaft through to the driving wheels. I found it a bit of a pig and abandoned it – rather reluctantly because while I’m not an especial fan of the type it would be a nice model to have. I intended to finish it as a Midland 483 Class in Crimson Lake (just to provide some colour variety). One day I might try again, but I suspect I would need to find another kit (ideally an original BEC one) as I’m not sure the 3SMR kit is really buildable. I don’t know if I was just unlucky and buying another one from 3SMR would be the way forward – I would welcome any suggestions here.

 

Edited February 3, 2023 by andrewshimmin
Typos

[andrewshimmin]

I also inherited various scenic bits and pieces. I’ve got a big crate of buildings and structures – mostly card kits and some scratchbuilt in wood, card and plasticard.

 

I also have a collection of scenic bits and pieces, passed on by my Grandpa in what seems to be an old cutlery box?

 

Some of these are not very sophisticated but I hope to use a good selection of them in the new layout – so it will be partly a tribute to my Grandpa, and using his stuff, partly a project for me to do with my daughters, and partly something for me myself. I’m even hoping to rope my Dad into helping with baseboard construction when he visits in a few weeks – and hopefully getting him to help with the electrics later.

 

[andrewshimmin]

While I'm in retrospective mood I am about to demolish these two baseboards. The first uses some of the old TT track I inherited. This probably comes from the 60s, I think. It was used on at least two layouts by my Grandpa in the seventies and eighties, then one by me in the nineties. Then it sat in various lofts and cupboards for a long time. A few years ago, I tried to make it into a layout again. But it had gone too brittle, and didn’t really stand up to being reused. None of the points are at all useable really.

 

I then switched to trying to use the Peco HOm 12mm gauge track (this was before anyone in the UK did TT:120). This was more successful – it’s good quality track – but the Triang locos don’t like the check rails on the points much. I know a lot of people use this track with Triang stock, and either file the check rails or adjust the back-to-back on the rolling stock (on locos some people shave the inside of the wheels – not sure I’m brave enough!).

I never got round to that but this did provide a running track of a sort, which is what I’ve used for a few years to exercise my Triang stuff.

 

In fact both of these boards were originally shelves made by @cctransuk which I repurposed!

 

[andrewshimmin]

So as the previous posts will show I’ve got an inherited TT3 collection, which is meaningful to me because it was what I used to run with my beloved Grandpa. It seemed for so long that I was never quite going to be able to get round to having a layout or running anything, because the effort required to acquire compatible track (or modify it), somehow find space for a layout, refurbish the rolling stock... It was too big a hurdle with small children apparently everywhere all the time.

Then suddenly, out of the blue, Hornby announced TT:120! The 120 bit is a little bit of a shame from a personal perspective – I don’t care really about the scale/gauge compromises of TT3 (it gives room for things like outside valve gear which don’t scale properly anyway). 1:120 means the locos and stock are a bit smaller than ideal, in my opinion. But – much more importantly – it means a 12mm track system. An affordable and self compatible system. This is great news.

What’s more, Hornby have played a blinder. If they’d started with a little tank engine and a few wagons I wouldn’t have been so bothered. I’ve got some of those in TT3 and can imagine myself graduating to making some more. But while I hope to be able to build a decent tank engine kit eventually, I have always secretly coveted express passenger locos – the stars of the steam age – which I cannot see myself achieving in 3mm in the foreseeable future, if ever.

And what a delicious opening range they’ve announced! Although I’m LMS by inclination who doesn’t love a Gresley A1/A3? Probably the most beautiful steam locomotive ever designed. The Scotsman set includes an A1 with GNR style tender, my favourite variant of the A1/A3. I’m also pleased it’s not 4472, which is somewhat ubiquitous. Obviously it’s not really the (Flying) Scotsman at all, but it’s a very nice Harrogate Pullman or Yorkshire Pullman.

Then there’s the HST coming – again, who doesn’t love an HST? It goes without saying that the Duchess, and the future Black 5, have me absolutely salivating. The Duchess in original condition without smoke deflectors are I think the finest of all LMS engines. In the meantime, there’s the A4 coming soon... the epitome of steam era glamour! I have my 3mm whitemetal one, so properly speaking I absolutely cannot justify getting a TT:120 one. But one in garter blue would match the Pullman carriages, as they ran with the Yorkshire Pullman etc... So I’m sorely tempted... Obviously the Duchess needs some LMS coaches and the Gresley A1 or A4 really needs some Gresley teak coaches (promised in a later phase).

There have also been hints of other fun stuff in future. As I said above, a small tank engine as an opener wouldn’t have drawn me in. But if I’ve acquired some more Hornby TT rolling by then, I might need something to shunt them... I can’t use the 3mm locos as that’d look weird and the couplings are incompatible. So I can see myself getting something like a Terrier and/or an Austerity.

In other words, Hornby have cleverly hit on a range of stuff which will keep me interested and wanting to buy. Blast them!

You’ll have worked out by now that I’m not really attempting to model any particular era or location. I just like what I like! This is supposed to be a family fun activity for us. Rule 1 will be forcefully applied...

 

[andrewshimmin]

I should also add I’ve been quite impressed by Simon Kohler and the Hornby team through the launch of Hornby TT:120. For some reason, some people on RMWeb seem to dislike SK. I’ve found him enthusing and genuine. He put out his email address on one of the YouTube videos, and I’ve been in touch a few times. He’s been open and helpful and seems like a great guy, as do the rest of the team. My experiences of dealing with Hornby customer service and customer technical support have also been very positive.

They can't always answer our questions ("when am I getting my Duchess??!?") because often there are too many variables to give a meaningful answer. But I think they've put their heart into this and want to do it properly.

Edited February 4, 2023 by andrewshimmin
Typo

[Joseph_Pestell]

I don't think that I have come across any RM webbers who dislike SK, or even doubt his enthusiasm. But that does not exempt him (or Hornby) from criticism.

[andrewshimmin]

11 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

I don't think that I have come across any RM webbers who dislike SK, or even doubt his enthusiasm. But that does not exempt him (or Hornby) from criticism.

 

No one's exempt from criticism but some people on here seem to think Hornby and SK are on a mission to destroy them personally...!

[andrewshimmin]

By dropping a lot of very unsubtle hints, I was able to get Father Christmas to get me a Scotsman set. I wasn’t in the first tranche or pre-orders so I had resigned myself to not getting it until January sometime, but then suddenly I got an email just before Christmas to say it was on its way, and it arrived the next day! Just in time for the Christmas holidays.
It’s a nice box, classic Hornby trainset style. It’s a nice touch that they’ve used yellow to show it’s TT, just like the old Triang TT boxes (you can see a few of those up thread). Calling it Scotsman is presumably a nod to the brand recognition of that loco and train, although of course it wasn’t a Pullman train – something like Yorkshire Pullman would have been better (but maybe they were worried about losing those vital Lancashire sales?!?!?!?).
 
It’s rather fun that they can show the loco and stock at full size on the box. At the moment this is irrelevant as they’re only doing online sales! But if the set was in a shop it would be helpful for new people to get a better idea of the size of the scale. I wonder if that’s a hint that they do have shop sales in mind eventually?
 
Inside the box is a more stuff than you might imagine. It’s great that the track includes a siding. It’s a nice touch to include a railing ramp – the smaller wheels and narrower track do make this fiddlier than in larger scales.

I’ve seen some comments online that the track is “chunky” or crude. All I can say to that is that it depends what you’re comparing to! For me, used to ancient TT3 track, and seeing OO around, it seems almost finescale... It seems robust, goes together nicely (I’ve assembled and dismantled mine at least half a dozen times so far) and the point works well.
Most importantly for me, when I did an initial trial of all my Triang locos they all went through the point okay (neither the point or the locos have been modified). I haven’t done extensive trials yet – a correspondent a has reported that their Prairie and Castle derail on facing points. But for me, so far so good.

[andrewshimmin]

Turning to the locomotive, what can I say? It’s absolutely exquisite. I have never owned, or probably even held, so superb a model. Perhaps if you’re used to recent output in 4mm scale it might not be impressive (I don’t know I’ve not handled anything in 4mm for years) but for me, the most modern loco I own is from the early sixties!

 

I absolutely love Blink Bonny. It’s superbly modelled. As I said before I like the A1 with the GN style tender. Apple Green is such a cheerful livery on these locos. The modelling is very detailed and fine – there’s a detailing pack but I won’t be fitting that as mine is intended for the children as well as me.

 

I initially had some problems with the loco tripping the controller. I tried it with an old Graham Farish controller and it ran ok but the overload light was blinking ominously. I got in touch with Hornby and they replaced the loco with no trouble at all. I was quite impressed with the customer service. I’d have been happy with a repair but I suspect they actually replaced it.

 

The loco runs beautifully – even with the cheapo Hornby controller the slow running is very nice. I’m absolutely mesmerised by the valve gear. It happily pulls it’s three coach train and could clearly haul lots more with no trouble.

 

[andrewshimmin]

The Pullmans are also very well modelled. Quite a comparison with the Triang Pullman (see up thread) which is basically a tarted up Mk1. These are lovely models. The close coupling on straights is very nice but they happily go round the Radius 3 curves.

 

These are of course without internal lights. Doesn’t bother me – I may buy another one to strengthen the set eventually, apparently the standalone Pullmans will be with lights. While some people seem to be a bit miffed about the inconsistency I don’t think I’m that bothered. Maybe I’ll become bothered later!

 

Already the children have loved playing with the train set. In fact, the six year olds preferred running the Triang because shunting was easier! But the eight year old and the boy next door prefer “the Scotsman”. I’ll have them calling it the Yorkshire Pullman before long...

[andrewshimmin]

The new type of couplers used by Hornby couple well and give nice close-coupling. They are apparently a Tillig type? They are quite discrete compared to most couplers.

However it’s not very clear how you uncouple them on the fly. In one of the TT Talk videos this was asked and they said “uncoupling track” while is find for a platform end perhaps but doesn’t sound great for shunting or people like me who want to uncouple wherever we like.

I’ve tried with a metal wire bent into a hook but it’s not wide enough to lift both sides of the coupling at once, and of course it shorts the track if you’re not careful.

I was discussing the problem with my Dad over the Christmas period, we happened to be in his shed at the time and my eye landed on some of those labels you stick in plant pots to say what seeds you’ve planted. Just the right width and plastic! But straight is not great for uncoupling in platforms or sidings with the next one occupied.

Dad being Dad he immediately got some heated up on the hob and bent to shape:

This works very nicely!

 

[andrewshimmin]

So this is a confession. I have coveted the Piko ICE3 for 10-15 years since it came out (or since 3SMR started selling them in Britain anyway).

I really like modern high speed trains – my absolute favourite would be an original TGV in orange livery. OK so that’s not very modern any more – it’s about as old as me… So very young!

But for elegance I think the ICE3 comes close – it looks so fast and sleek and I love the nose shape and the white livery.

Of course for years I’ve had nothing to run it on, so have resisted. But in January, with a TT120 track to run it on sat on the dining table and festive cheer not yet quite worn off, I had a moment of madness and just ordered one from 3SMR…

It is a very nice model, it even has a driver. There are headlights and taillights which illuminate front and rear depending on which direction you’re running in. It really looks the part and gives exactly the impression of speed and elegance I love about the real train.

.

While this may not be a UK prototype as such one has run on HS1 to St Pancras so I feel fully justified in running it with my UK stuff. I’m running two scales anyway…

The loading gauge difference between UK and continental stock is quite evident:

This was pure spur-of-the-moment indulgence but I have no regrets, the model runs nicely from a slow crawl to very fast indeed, and the children love “driving the Ice” as they call it

 

[D9020 Nimbus]

The couplings are actually an NEM standard—NEM 359. They can be uncoupled using a movable ramp (Hornby have a manual one planned, Tillig supply an "electromagnetic" one in both their ballasted and Modellgleis ranges). Note that a sprung ramp as used with tension lock couplers is not suitable. They can also be uncoupled from above using a magnet (Tillig supply a suitable tool) provided there is sufficient room. On his review of the Easterner set, "Sam's Trains" demonstrated using a glue spreader to uncouple.

 

They are used by most European TT gauge brands. Piko used the previous type of Tillig/BTTB coupling, but are changing to this type for new (2023+) productions. Roco use the Fleischmann N gauge Profi-coupling.

[andrewshimmin]

In terms of layout plans, I have always assumed that a round-and-round layout would take up too much space, even in 3mm scale, and so my (mostly abortive) plans have always centred around termini (I wasn’t thinking so much of the children at that stage because they didn’t exist or were too small). Because I want to run big glamourous engines, not just a branch mixed train, I’ve always wanted double track (sorry heritage railway guys, but a pacific running backwards on a single line looks silly). But I couldn’t think of a sensible plan which fitted in the spaces I had available.

Now, though, the track plans which Hornby has come up with for their TT120 track packs look quite interesting to me. It’s a double track loop with some sidings, which sounds like a good balance of running and operating interest for family use. It also fits handily under our sofa...

I do however have a few things which I don’t like so much about the Hornby plan:

 

For running flexibility, I want to be able to park a whole train – say my ICE3 set or a Triang loco plus three carriages – in a siding while I run another one round the loops. And of course, I want to do a bit of shunting – this track plan only gives two useable sidings, one of which is R1, and neither of which is long enough for a whole train. The longest siding is the road to the shed/loco stabling sidings at the top right but of course that needs to be kept clear or it will block loco movements.

However, using the first four track packs (the first one comes in the Scotsman set anyway), there is enough track here to do something which is a tiny bit more compact, but also more interesting for me. I don’t fancy the R1 siding in track pack 4, so I started by drawing up the track packs 1-4 layout in AnyRail:

 

 

I then tried rejigging a bit to give me something a bit more like that I wanted. Using the same track, I can get two longer sidings (lengthening the top one and taking the shed sidings off the right one to make it a siding). I’ve also added two more points (additional track shown in orange colour) to give a second connection between the inner and outer loops in the other direction (otherwise you’d have to reverse to come back to the outer loop).

 

There’s also a point leading inside the loops to allow for some internal sidings. It would use a couple of leftover track pieces but mostly be new track (green colour). The idea is a coiuple of sidings which could be a loco shed (I have one my Grandpa made in my crate of buildings) and another which could be used for goods wagons.

 

 

The green lines are my baseboards – three 900mm x 500mm boards. I’ve made it modular so I could expand it later – in particular adding a station at bottom left (before the left hand curves) long enough for a four coach train and locomotive (or an HST set). I’d also like a scenic board at the top with some topography. For now the boards will be flat to slide under the sofa – but in future I might fit some legs and be able to have a dropped level scenic board here. These are just vague ideas.

 

The other reasons for making it modular are to make it easier to store elsewhere if the “under sofa” space is no longer convenient, and because I want to practice modular construction for other, future layout ideas...

My internal sidings unfortunately need to cross the baseboard join at an angle... Not ideal, so I asked about it on another thread:

 

I’m confident that I can make that work one way or another. I haven’t yet decided the best solution, it might depend on how that part of the layout develops. To start with I will leave that trackwork and lay it when I need to.

 

[andrewshimmin]

TRIGGER WARNING – THIS POST CONTAINS MIXED SCALE IMAGES

 

While the baseboards for my layout are under construction, we’ve been running on the dining table, which I suppose is the spiritual home of TT anyway!

Here’s some photos of a combined TT3/TT120 running session:

Prairie, runs quite well considering age and lack of use. My Grandpa (or a previous owner) removed the front pony truck and hacked off the front because of a tendency to derail. I replaced it twenty years ago and bodged the extension in plasticard. I do like a Large Prairie. 

 

Britannia on WR train. A very good model indeed considering its age.

 

Scale comparison of TT:120 and TT3. Not as gross as I expected.

 

It really is a splendid model.

 

The TT120 Pullmans are really nice. The shortness of Triang Mark 1s is more obvious compared to the physically smaller TT120 carriages.

 

With the TT120 in the foreground the difference isn't so apparent. But that power track is quite nasty isn't it?

 

1925 trials? The Castle does look appreciably bigger than the A1, but not ridiculously so in my opinion.

 

And here’s a video of various running sessions, sorry only hand held phone camera and not very good quality, but hopefully conveying that fun was being had:

https://youtu.be/cB--5dJkQuw

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by andrewshimmin
Typos

[D9020 Nimbus]

The Tillig Modellgleis power track (83143) is a lot neater and can be connected to Hornby without issues.

[andrewshimmin]

29 minutes ago, D9020 Nimbus said:

The Tillig Modellgleis power track (83143) is a lot neater and can be connected to Hornby without issues.

 

Interesting, thanks.

I normally just go for soldering on power wires directly where I want them!

[andrewshimmin]

I haven’t done any updates for a while. Not much playing with trains, sadly, due to being busy, and not yet having a layout set up. But we have been building baseboards...

As mentioned above the concept is a modular baseboard. This is partly to make it more flexible for storage if the current plan (under the sofa!) proves to be inconvenient or we need to move things around. It’s also partly to give us some practice at modular construction.

 

The baseboards themselves are plywood pre-cut panels from https://www.woodsheets.com/. I’m not overwhelmed by the quality of the plywood but they are perfectly adequate.

 

The timber for the frame I got from my local Travis Perkins. They no longer cut it for you, I had to do it myself in the shop! It’s 25mm x 50mm which is metric 2-by-1.

I went for a pretty robust frame which wouldn’t be needed for a fixed layout but should make it more resilient to being taken down and put up repeatedly.

 

We managed to make it a family activity – 8 and 6 year olds with proper supervision were perfectly able to measure, mark, saw, pin, glue, etc. I didn’t let them use the power drill, though...

We pinned and glued the board to the two long sides, then cut and screwed in the short sides and the bracing.

 

The boards are located with dowels and clipped together. Dowels and clips are from www.stationroadbaseboards.co.uk and were good to work with – I would use them again.

It fits together pretty well although I’d like one of the sides to clip a bit tighter, so will try some adjustment before taking off the clips for painting.

I’m planning to use a grey primer all over.

 

 

 

 

 

[philg]

On 04/02/2023 at 20:46, andrewshimmin said:

 

No one's exempt from criticism but some people on here seem to think Hornby and SK are on a mission to destroy them personally...!

The only concerns I personally have is that Hornby think the road to success is exclusivity. As industry everywhere shows, just the opposite is true. They’re also cutting the model shop community out of their endeavours so at a stroke they’ve turned potential advocates into detractors 

 

And as for announcing such a broad range of “eventually available” items, they’ve just turned off all other potential companies who could help build momentum

 

All somewhat strange decisions

[D9020 Nimbus]

18 hours ago, philg said:

And as for announcing such a broad range of “eventually available” items, they’ve just turned off all other potential companies who could help build momentum

Why? Surely, this also indicates the items that Hornby are not producing in the next 2–3 years so giving someone else an opportunity to produce something that's not on the list?