natterjack

Whilst it should be reasonable easy to assemble a well designed coach kit, paint finishes can be quite another matter, especially in the smaller scales. I have wondered why vinyl sides have been fairly popular when water slide decals could also be an option that could retain 3D surface detail (using the various setting solutions now available). For the sizes of N and TT120 stock even a full side decal should be fairly easy to handle. Any decal producers care to comment?

I look forward to my 1/120 Batmobile.

Experience? Yes, and I was intending to be sympathetic to the situation.

A rushed photo shoot with a loosely assembled test example?

The question has already been asked (by me) some months ago. The answers were no to the scale and the moulds no longer available.

don't know how 'close' Hornby and Arnold R&D deps are, but Arnold has an 0-4-0 diesel shunter, so they should be ready. So what exactly what is going on here?

That may well be the case but you have to concede the spec of the supplied loco is unlikely to be the same as the same model a few years down the line. The point I clearly failed to make was that Hornby were not then or presently ready for the fully equipped small locos- the forthcoming 0-6-0 (s?) will demonstrate either way.

Heljan projected a lot and have thus far produced zilch. I suspect early customer pressure brought the 08 forward in the schedule.

I have wondered whether Hornby have their own smaller electronic kit in the pipeline for the 0-6-0's etc and if this influenced their loco launch strategy. The wonders that 'enthusiasts' have been achieved with the Class 08 point towards future 'all singing and dancing' small locos, most of which would have even less internal room to play around with than that little diesel.

A solution would be for the Hornby to adopt 2mm fine scale standards, the delicacies of which would doubtless be a major attraction to a rather small market and somewhat compromise the international nature of the enterprise. Nothing stopping the individual modeller giving it a go.

I am presently in the throes of scratch design and build of a TT120 tender loco and the balance of fidelity versus the actuality of minute detail needs a strong dose of realism . I have seen far too many rivet counters and reviewers praising this that and the other detail on a model that has otherwise all too clearly failed with the basics of shape and arrangement. Hornby seem to have it about right. Off topic- anyone else notice how slow this site's functionality has become? May have something to do with the pop-up videos.

Tempted to dip the Revolution toe in the water?

Advised today by Rails of Sheffield that the long awaited Peco coal wagon is about to become available @ £17 a pop. My pre-orders are in!

Very much a long shot, but I hope that in due course they replicate OO with the Turbomotive.

Luke, I have just had some TT120 wheel centres 3D printed by a third party at a cost and quality that obviates any notion of DIY. I would suggest that those that are able could draw up mods for these kits and have them available through such 'third parties' much in the manner of upgrades for plastic assembly models. That should lead to an eventual 'pick and choose' resource for TT120 modellers such as already exists in other gauges.

Interesting news and a probable fillip to the Hornby board. For those restricted to English, appropriate Roco Catalogues are available at; https://www.roco.cc/ren/catalogues/

To be clear, the B-to-B is a floating dimension at this stage and the 10.5mm comes from threads I've read on improving Hornby bogie and wagon track holding coupled with the 3mm Society recommended 'optimum' of 10.45mm and the fact I already have an accurate 10.5mm slip gauge. As it happens the B-to-B on my Hornby Merlin ranges from 10mm to 10.15mm (digital vernier measured) and I've not read of any track holding problems with these locos other than front bogies. My Gaugemaster TT120 gauge tool is 10.22mm and that is what I used for my GG1 with Romford wheels. As you've observed, thinner on coupled drivers makes for easier travel around smaller radii. I am no TT120 veteran and am more than happy to take advice from those who are. My only sample of Tillg (I think) came as the display track for a souvenir loco; all my other stuff is Hornby and Peco.

FWIIW I'm working on a scratch build using commercially available @ 14.2mm and 7.6mm N Gauge tyres (as measured) which are 1.82mm wide with flange depths @ 0.5mm. At this stage I'll be going for 10.5mm b-to-b. Having already used fine scale OO wheels on an earlier TT120 motorisation conversion I don't anticipate any crucial problems. Any rivet counters are free to point me in alternative directions that do not involve more than a kitchen table.

Not forgetting that USA O Scale at 1/48 is technically very close to scale- bit odd that world-wide 1/43 seems to be increasingly dominant for commercial r-t-r at that 'size'.

Looking at the MTB site suggests 'new models' are upgraded to ball bearings; anybody know what this refers to? '

Appreciating the project in hand is not strictly 3mm Scale, I hope the practical experience of this forum can answer my question. My Hornby TT120 coupled drive wheels have a b-to-b of 10mm, my Gaugemaster b-to-b 12mm gauge is 10.2mm (ish) and the 3mm Society standards suggest up to 10.7mm (0.4mm flanges). Now the Hornby spacing seems to work fine on current commercial track and I can see certain advantages for the slimmer option for rigid chassis around curves etc. In addition, the Hornby locos have @ 0.5mm side-play on all the drivers. What b-to-b ought I adopt for a scratch build 4-6-0 using 14mm N Gauge tyres with 0.45mm thick flanges for the drive wheels? Track and point-work will be a mix of Hornby, Tillig and Peco TT120 12mm. The pertinence of my question is that the wheels will be bespoke 3D printed together with a quartering assembly jig that includes the appropriate b-to-b spacing in its design. Thanks in anticipation.

In that shot the Staniers appeared to be the most advanced and we have not yet seen the larger tank wagons?

Thanks Jeff- I have only a very basic test track at present. If people are finding the Hornby driver back to backs are performing well through Hornby and Peco points I'll be happy to be guided by that. My A4 Falcon's drivers are all somewhat under the guideline minimum at 10mm, which is is surprising given their amount of side play.

I'm in the process of designing a 4-6-0 for TT120 which will require bespoke wheels, and in this case the drivers will be fitted with 14mm N Gauge tyres. I'll be gauging the bogie and outer tender wheels at 10.5mm B-to-B but I'm thinking this may be too wide for the coupled wheels- any suggestions from experience between this maximum spacing and what appears to be the minimum of 10.2mm would be welcomed.