Hobby

23 minutes ago, Legend said:

Interesting. Do Piko do TT:120 ?  

Yes.

4 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

Being asked to join a club to be allowed to see it is a turn off for me, I don't join super market or petrol loyalty card programs and have never really been that interested in collector clubs

Nor me, I leave that to the Missus! But in this case I see no reason not to join as it's free and it gives me a 15% discount for the first year on stuff I will be buying, bit of a no brainer really! At the end of the year I'll see what offers are around.

1 minute ago, Legend said:

Yes, but to make TT:120 a success for all of us, we really need to attract other manufacturers. I know Peco is making track/buildings but someone else making locomotives would have been useful. I'm still generally keen on the TT:120 concept but I'm a little wary of Hornby's predatory tactics. 

They've been planning it for 5 years so, as proved, so they are much further down the line than other manufacturers. They have also decided to go in with a full range, unlike Heljan and others, thus enabling them to sell to newcomers as well as existing modellers. With a totally new scale I'd suggest that isn't "predatory" but a sensible way to launch a new scale. I've no doubt that in due course other manufacturers will get involved when it gets established. 

5 minutes ago, dagrizz said:

So I can't see the TT range in my local model shop. And I can't see the range at the few large shows where Hornby have a stand because I have to join a club first. How am I supposed to see it at my own leisure? Online does not count - I buy things I can see in the flesh first. I can't help thinking that Hornby are shrinking their potential customer base with these marketing tactics.

Graham 

There's a few of you, granted, but many of us have to buy stuff unseen. I've been modelling east European narrow gauge for years and have bought lots of things sight unseen and not been disappointed... There's also the point than most model shops don't stock every single item of stock!

In your case you'll just have to wait until a few of us get our layouts up and running and then you'll see them and you can decide then...

5 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

I have to say, limiting entry into a TT:120 room to people joining a club is not a marketing decision I'd make, but then again I won't work in marketing. I can see a logic when they're offering free club membership which does come with some good benefits but at the same time I am sick of ending up on junk mailing lists and such like.

It also limited numbers who could enter. Like Les i was in there when it opened so had a good view of the models and was able to talk to Simon about them. Later on when i walked past it was crowded and there was a queue to get in. Just imagine how bad it would have been if they'd have opened it up to everyone and there would have been crowds of people with no interest in the scale and only there to knock it, rather like this thread at times, at least the form filling got rid of most of the uninterested! I felt they did the right thing!

1 hour ago, Trainnoob said:

To my untrained eye the painting on those steam locomotives look terribly plasticy and toy-like. I sure hope that's not what your getting for 100+ pound.

Didn't to me, they looked quite good, but as pointed out they were pre-production samples.

It was emphasised that all the stock was pre-production and there may be changes in the production stuff. 

2 hours ago, Chuffed 1 said:

Exactly what competitive advantage over N and 00 does TT120 bring?

Short answer is space saving over 00 and easier handling and detail than N and a new market uncluttered by other manufacturers for Hornby! It sits in the middle very nicely and after seeing the pre production stock in the flesh and running this morning it's just what i expected and confirms I made the right decision to order a set!

3 hours ago, irishmail said:

Hi Les, if you can would you mind asking Simon if he can confirm if the production runs of the coaches will have body mounted kk couplings .  Thanks, John.

All the bogie coaches had body mounted couplings, two not very good photos of them:

One thing I did notice was that the coupler was a lot less intrusive in the flesh than it looks in photos.

What sort of kits? Just interested if there's anything I could use!

55 minutes ago, Rhys said:

No, its TT scale on 9mm gauge track. And being from New Zealand I've never called it cape gauge.

Perhaps you don't as it's your local gauge? In the UK 3ft 6ins is known as Cape Gauge though I see that it's called "Colonial Gauge" in NZ. See link below.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_ft_6_in_gauge_railways

Thanks Rhys, I wasn't sure as others have used TTn3 as 3mm scale/9mm gauge designation for 3ft gauge! your's is next step up from mine, then! I have some TT models of metre gauge German prototypes which also use 9mm gauge, designated TTm.

What's TTn3.5? I guess 3mm scale scale using 10.5mm gauge track to represent Cape Gauge?

Not sure there's anyone telling anyone they've been doing anything wrong, I've been modelling in TTe (1:120/6.5mm gauge) for several years as well, and certainly don't feel that, more a sense of relief that we are now likely to get some 1:120 scale stuff rather than having to consider compromising with 3mm! I suppose it depends how you read things, Hornby are pushing a new scale so it's inevitable they'll push it hard but I haven't see any of the "we're right and you're wrong" element other than the scale/gauge bit.

Evidence so far is that they are being allowed to get away with anything, as someone else said, the new Ferrari. 

Sorry, but the punishment doesn't fit the crime.

Nope.... :)

1 hour ago, D9020 Nimbus said:

Airfix were new to RTR and most of the items they announced made sense — 14xx and auto-trailer, (large) Prairie and B-set, and so on. 

It does if they are launching into a scale which already has rtr, but Hornby aren't, are they! Those choices would be certain death if they were launched at the outset as models in a new scale. Look at what Hornby has announced and it makes perfect sense if you are aiming at creating a new scale with new modellers.

1 hour ago, Dunsignalling said:

 

I think Hornby really do need the new scale more-or-less to themselves for at least 3-5 years

Judging by the way Heljan and GM have dropped the scale there's no reason not to expect that! ;)

19 minutes ago, LNERandBR said:

I mean, a few places may move around below the top spot but that's about it. 🤔

Only after the race has finished...  ;)

2 hours ago, Dunsignalling said:

Fair enough but does that suggests that they consider their competitive vulnerability in OO might be replicated in O, N, or OO9 and that being the only fish in the pool is what they need to succeed.

Substitute first for only and I'd agree with you but as it stands I don't. I suspect they see looking for a better return than they would in the other three, which, if it does succeed,  they will get.

The idea is that it's the top of a hill where walkers get off and go for a walk whilst the more sensible stay in the restaurant at the station and drink and eat themselves silly!

Thanks Cam! I suppose the siding with the goods shed at the main station would count then, but I'm using that as a place for the railcars which go to the high level to terminate.

I'm on holiday so no further photos until I get back!

Ah, thanks! In answer to that, then, it's a present day setting and a passenger line, so no freight other than a train of wagons that heritage lines run sometimes. 

The loco depot is at the terminus and I've not modelled that!

Team tracks? Not sure what you mean.

We'll probably never know what really went on behind the scenes, the only things that will come to light will be what suits the person telling the story,  which could be true or fabrication... Rather like history.

7 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

It's counterintuitive to use such a small loco for clearance testing, but if you are building a layout, it's advisable to include it when adding new platforms or laying track alongside existing ones. 

I've always used the largest (width, height, etc.) loco I am likely to use on the layout for clearance testing, in some cases it could still be a small loco that happens to have a taller chimney than the rest!

It comes with extra injected money... ;)

1 hour ago, britishcolumbian said:

Photography is fantastic for bringing out the flaws.

Closeup photography certainly is! My layouts and stock are modelled to be looked at from normal viewing distance (in my case 2 to 3 ft away), by all means take close up photos if you wish but don't expect the detail or finesse you might see on a finescale model if you do. I will also be taking that approach on my TT layout, hence, unlike many on here, I am not getting hung up on the finer detail and whether the rods are completely to scale or if the cylinders a a mm too wide! 

29 minutes ago, 009 micro modeller said:

. Of course, in British NG modelling it’s more common to state the scale followed by model gauge in millimetres (hence 009, 016.5 etc. - 00n3 is a slight anomaly here). So then TTp could be called TT3… 😆

Peco used OO12 but those of us who modelled in it stuck with 00n3!