Robin Brasher

Thank you for the information about the lack of lights in the Pullman cars in the Scotsman set. I wonder if it has occurred to Hornby that some modellers are not on the internet. As the TT 120 range is only available direct from its website these modellers will not be able to buy any Hornby TT 120 models. This will mean that Hornby will be missing out on nostalgia sales possibly mainly for people in the over 70s age group who are still active modellers.

According to to page 824 of the November Railway Modeller the Pullman cars in the Scotsman set do have illuminated table lamps but I did not know that the 'Flying Scotsman' was a Pullman train.

Hornby has not made a model of 'Silver King' in 00 gauge in BR cycling lion livery. It may appear in the next 00 gauge catalogue.

Lovely pictures in JonnyUK's post. My view is that the mistake on the loco is not putting the 'Flying Scotsman' in the 'Scotsman' train set.

Perhaps the numberplate on the model will reveal the prototype but it seems strange that Corgi and Oxford could independently produce a model of a prototype that does not exist. Turning to Hornby's website 7 items of track are currently available but there is no means of buying them. I tried to buy the track for the starter oval. Then I rang up Hornby and they said that they are not selling the track, although they have it in stock, as they have not produced any locomotives to run on it yet. They also said that there was a problem with their website and told me to try again in a few days time. It was a lot easier when I could just walk into my shop and buy my track over the counter

Thank you for the picture of the 'Flying Scotsman'. The locomotive looked splendid in that livery and it hauled my train from Kings Cross to Keighley in 1969. At £362.99 the Hornby Dublo 00 gauge 'Flying Scotsman' is more expensive than the Hattons Original 0 gauge 'Flying Scotsman' which is selling for £350 while the other Hattons A3s are £299.

It is easier to exhibit there than the Queen Elizabeth School because it is close to the town centre, the car park is run by the Council so we don't have to martial the cars and it has its own catering. The Wessex Hornby Collectors Association is exhibiting its layout at the 0 gauge exhibition there on Sunday 23 October. We had a good attendance last year and I think all the visitors and traders enjoyed it. The Mayoress of Wimborne also visited it.

I look forward to receiving information about Hornby couplings. Meanwhile I am beginning to have second thoughts about Hornby TT 120 which will encourage me to have a go. My main 00 gauge portable layout is 13' x 4' 6" which I regard as the minimum space for a meaningful layout. I find it hard to transport and it takes a long time to set up. In TT 120 this would be about 8' x 3' which could be divided into 4 baseboards: two 3' x 2' and two 4' x 1'6" that would be easy to carry on a flight of steps and to fit in the car. If all the boards were 1'6" wide I could even fit them through the hatch in my loft so I could run the layout there. Watch this space to see how it develops.

Kitmaster did make some locomotive and coach kits to go with the Tri-ang TT range. I have just watched Simon Kohler's interview with Howard Smith. I don't think that TT does anything that N gauge cannot do and I also think that TT gauge is too big. a 4'6" x 3'6" board is too heavy for one person to carry and I think the maximum size board that will fit in my car is 4' 6" x 3'3" whereas my 4'6" x 2'6" N gauge layout will fit in my car and I can carry it down my stairs. I did ask my group of the Hornby Railway Collectors Association if they would be interested in a TT gauge layout and their reply was that they have got no more storage space and if I wanted to make a TT gauge layout I would have to take it to the clubroom myself and to take it back afterwards. If no-one had invented model railways TT would be an excellent scale but 0, 00 and N gauges have already been invented and I don't think TT 120 does anything that N gauge does not do better already.

You will be pleased to see that the 'Flying Scotsman' arrived at Swanage Station at 11:53 this morning so there will be a prototype for a model of it hauling some green coaches.

Hornby made 2547 'Doncaster' as part of R1135 'Sheffield Pullman' set for Rails of Sheffield in 2011. Please see 9th Edition of Ramsay's British Model Trains.

The N gauge Bulleid Pacifics have been on the way for a long time. Hornby's TT 120 range may spur Dapol to put them on sale sooner.

I thought you were going to say a bottle of Shell Lubricating Oil. I think that Tri-ang supplied this with their TT gauge locomotives.

I agree but it is less than 1/2 the price of ten Bachmann Bulleid coaches. Model railways are getting very expensive. It reminds me of when an assistant at the 'Engine Shed' said he could not afford to buy a Wrenn locomotive and then came back to the till with some coaches and accessories that cost far more than the locomotive. I am not going to pay over £300 for a 'Flying Scotsman' when I have got a serviceable model for £50. I

On the TT 120 thread admin said that the licence fee amounted to £30 per loco. I presume this would be higher for a limited run but it is less than 10% of the price of the locomotive.

I think that model was R2688 which made in 2008 and was just an ordinary A4 in a Hornby Dublo box: not one with a diecast body.

Perhaps Hornby have looked at the auction prices of previous models in the Hornby Dublo range. Recently a mint unused 'Sir Nigel Gresley' sold for £345 at a Hornby Railway Collector's Association auction so a 'Flying Scotsman' at £360 may be a good investment. There is no point in having firebox glow or a motor if you are never going to use it. I like to run my models. I bought my Hornby 'Flying Scotsman' in 1994 for around £50. After 28 years it owes me nothing even though I would probably only get around £20 for it if I sold it to a shop like Hattons. For me the advantages of a Hornby Railways model over a modern Hornby model are that the pony truck pivots and you can get the model repaired if it is over 10 years old as I have done recently.

Thank you for the information. I am planning to buy the oval separately and I don't want to end up with two radius 3 circuits. The Hornby website does not seem to mention a TT8027 Power Connecting Clip either.

I think that there is an error in the description of the track in the train sets. According to page 824 of the November Railway Modeller 'both sets will be supplied with a second radius (310mm} starter oval.' The curved track in TT8031 Track Pack 2 is described as TT 8004 2nd radius curves and goes inside the starter oval. This probably means that the starter oval has TT8005 third radius curves.

I should think that we will get some SR models as Tri-ang made a model of an airsmoothed Clan Line in Tri-ang's TT range and Margate is in SR territory. I hope they make a class 33 diesel as well.

I think that Duchess of Atholl, Duchess of Montrose, Silver King and Tintagel Castle will appeal to retired people who remember the Hornby Dublo and Tri-ang TT models. Most people like watching big named engines on a layout. I enjoy viewing Tri-ang TT layouts with Clan Line and Tintagel Castle hauling express trains.

It is not easy to cut and lay flexi-track or to join track over a baseboard joint. I have used set track for my 00 layout but the plastic is too hard to cut so I have used flexi-track for the joints and where I need a gentle curve for the sidings. Minitrix used to make some expandable track which was an excellent solution for laying track over baseboard joints and is something that Hornby could make in their TT range. Where possible I avoid baseboard joints so the layout I am planning will be a single sheet of 4'6" x 3' plywood which is much easier to take to model railway meetings and exhibitions.

Fleischmann made some ready ballasted track for 00 and N gauges and I used their track for my first N gauge layout. A lot of people liked their track. The original Hornby Dublo and Tri-ang tracks were ready ballasted but the ballast had a dubious colour. Tri-ang series 3 track did not have ballast and was cheaper to produce than ballasted track so most of the manufacturers followed Tri-ang's example. The foam ballast used to disintegrate and it takes ages for me to ballast track so I would like to have seen ready ballasted track.

Thank you for the information. It looks like Hornby are using 4th radius curves in their train sets and the track mat is about 4'6" x 3'. I think that I will need that space for a reasonably interesting layout. I will see if I can fit that in my car and if I can lift a layout that size. One of my N gauge layouts fits comfortably on a 4'6" x 2'6" baseboard.