andrewshimmin Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 All the TT120 stock I currently own: I have a Duchess and HST on pre-order, and one of the 2024 release Arnold containers. I will need to get LMS carriages for the Duchess and Mark 3s for the HST. I rather fancy a Class 66, and might find it difficult to resist a Class 50 too... Like everyone else, I'm also longing for a small tank engine. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewshimmin Posted March 7 Author Share Posted March 7 Not much to report lately - hardly any running sessions, let alone much layout progress 😕. I have managed to get the switches and diagram on the control panel (with, ahem, a minor woopsie towards the bottom) but no wiring as yet. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewshimmin Posted March 17 Author Share Posted March 17 After a long hiatus, a Triang running session today. Quite frustrating - with not much running for quite a while (possibly not for three months approx) many of the locos were rather reluctant to run. They need a clean and lubrication and more frequent operation. One of them didn't run at all, and another shed a bit of bodywork on the track - the glue from an old repair has obviously gone again... The track, temporarily screwed in it's final configuration, and fed only from the Hornby connector track, has developed quite a lot of poor or unreliable connections. I really need to get on with wiring it up properly and re-laying the track sections. It all rather reminded me why I've so often run out of momentum before - the little annoyances which are so frustrating and feel like setbacks. Still, I will persevere. I think track wiring and proper laying is the first priority. It's not worth trying to get the stuck running well without somewhere to reliably run it. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewshimmin Posted March 17 Author Share Posted March 17 Meanwhile, here's a couple of shots to show how the layout stows out of the way under the sofa (I've nowhere else in the house to keep it): Can you see it? Pulled out, it seems quite spacious: This for me is where the advantages of TT over OO really show. I know it's not for everyone. But it works for me. 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewshimmin Posted March 21 Author Share Posted March 21 My HST finally arrived! Or rather, the Class 43s did... No sign of blue and grey Mark 3s yet. It came in a nice box: Inside it was packed in a sort of foam, different from how the steam locos and carriages have come. It seemed quite good packaging: As we've come to expect with Hornby TT120, they are exquisite models: After much internal debate about whether to go for the Intercity Swallow or Blue and Grey livery, I'm very pleased to have got this one. Of course, the problem is, no carriages yet. So I had to do a substitution: This is the length of train I'm planning to run, and it seems good. Absolutely no problem power or speed wise. It runs really nicely. Let's try a longer train: Yes, that's an absurd formation! But the power car has no problem with eight bogies. Bit too long for the layout though... Really pleased with it. I did notice one minor thing I'll need to keep an eye on. When running powered end first, round the bends at the end and over the crossing (in other words, over the reverse curve/points) with the Pullmans, there was a strong tendency to derail the rear bogie of the second or third carriage. I think this may be because of the weight of the unpowered Class 43, pulling back on the curve. I'll need to see if this is an issue when I finally get some Mark 3s. 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TT100 Diesels Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 Wow, they look absolutely superb, I just like to aim the 0.5mm / ft "growth ray" to them ! Actually the back to back power cars look ace, reminded me of when they came off Derby Loco as b2b power cars for a light engine test run to Saltley and back before final release over to the Carriage works for pairing back up with overhauled trailer vehicles. Kind of what you got at the moment, clearly lots of test running till the trailers are ready! Cheers D. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewshimmin Posted March 22 Author Share Posted March 22 8 hours ago, TT100 Diesels said: Wow, they look absolutely superb, I just like to aim the 0.5mm / ft "growth ray" to them ! Actually the back to back power cars look ace, reminded me of when they came off Derby Loco as b2b power cars for a light engine test run to Saltley and back before final release over to the Carriage works for pairing back up with overhauled trailer vehicles. Kind of what you got at the moment, clearly lots of test running till the trailers are ready! Cheers D. Ha ha, there's a prototype for everything! Yes, these TT:120 models are great, but I would have preferred them to be in 3mm scale... However, I think a lot of the attraction of 3mm for many people is it being a modellers scale. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewshimmin Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 I'm pleased to say that at our next running session, the HST (with four Pullmans between the power cars) didn't exhibit the same derailing tendencies on the reverse curves. I tried it with the powered power car at either end but it went through OK even at quite high speeds - well, it was children doing the driving, I can never persuade them to do a crawl! The HST is quite a hit with them, both in terms of looks and running, and they love the lights. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewshimmin Posted March 28 Author Share Posted March 28 Oooo, it's been a long time since I did any wiring... 😬. For family nostalgia and sentimentality reasons, I'm using wire and chocolate blocks recovered from the layout my Grandpa built for me in the early nineties... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewshimmin Posted April 18 Author Share Posted April 18 (edited) Well this is really fun... They are really nice models. Absolutely captures the real thing, and runs very nicely. The Mark 3s are slightly less free rolling than the Pullmans, but still very free rolling I would say. Absolutely none of the problems I had with derailing when using the Pullmans for testing. I originally planned to get just three carriages (no restaurant car) as I thought the four car train would be a bit silly, given (as you can see) it's far longer than any of the straights on my layout. But then I realised it would *just* fit in my long curved siding with four cars, plus the restaurant car is very nice model, oh and I had enough Hornby points to very nearly get it "for free"... I'm pleased I did, I gives it the gravitas of a proper rake without being totally absurd for a very small layout. Edited April 18 by andrewshimmin Typo 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewshimmin Posted April 18 Author Share Posted April 18 Blue record breakers 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TT100 Diesels Posted April 19 Share Posted April 19 Hi Andrew, The HST looks fab. Are you going to renumber the power cars to the record breaking pair, 43102 and 43149 ...... 😉. And who would have thought that HST's ended up in the 2020's as 2 + 4 on GWR and Scotrail. The A4 and pullmans stand well too 👍. Cheers D. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewshimmin Posted April 19 Author Share Posted April 19 20 minutes ago, TT100 Diesels said: Hi Andrew, The HST looks fab. Are you going to renumber the power cars to the record breaking pair, 43102 and 43149 ...... 😉. And who would have thought that HST's ended up in the 2020's as 2 + 4 on GWR and Scotrail. The A4 and pullmans stand well too 👍. Cheers D. Ha ha, that's a fun idea! I hadn't thought of that. They are all very nice models. Just need to make some progress on the actual layout... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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