Hobby

23 minutes ago, Dick Turpin said:

so Rhubarb is short for 'rhubarb and custard'

So he's got a split personalty then! ;)

Considering Hornby have said they've been developing it for five years I suspect it's actually Heljan that are duplicating, though why they just couldn't have chosen another loco I don't know, perhaps cold feet and this gave them the chance to jump ship?

54 minutes ago, Ravenser said:

The trade are furious about not being allowed given the opportunity to sell a product that they simultaneously say they have little interest in and nobody much wants

Perhaps?

TBH if it does take off enough and other manufacturers also come on board I can see Hornby TT being sold in shops in due course, if they want to stock it. I see this as a way to keep initial costs down by Hornby, whether I am right or others are with differing views I don't know, the only person to be able to answer that is SK. Wonder if anyone has asked him and if he gave a response?!

1 minute ago, Legend said:

Yes, I am quite surprised they didn't actually model the Flying Scotsman in the TT:120 range, given that the aim is allegedly to attract first time modelers and families 

I agree but it looks the same to non enthusiasts, they see the colour and shape rather than the name/number!

5 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

You are; you're trying to knock back anything that doesn't suit.

This thread reminds me of a comedy sketch I saw years ago where people were lining up (in a corridor?) to interrogate someone, as one person finished and left the room they handed it over to the next person, ad infinitum. If you honestly can't see that's what's happening and why those of us who are genuinely interested in the launch, rather than the politics, are frustrated, then I despair.

OK I won't ask for people to stop any more, clearly that's not going to happen, I'll just respond to the comments and keep it polite!

In other words let them get away with it.

11 hours ago, AY Mod said:

The topic includes the whole spectrum of perspectives and no-one has been combative or offensive but you are now trying to dictate what can or cannot be said principally because it differs from your view.

 

Just leave the topic and set one up about what you intend to do with your TT choices etc.

No, Andy, I am not trying to dictate what goes on, just pointing out that the subject they are commenting on goes well beyond direct sales and would be better discussed in a thread that covers the whole subject rather than take over a thread on a different subject, direct sales it but a small part of the launch but has taken up a disproportionate amount of space, sadly.

I was thinking about another thread to actually discuss Hornby's TT range but it's obvious from this thread that any attempt to do so before we actually see anything in the flesh will result in the same comments from the knockers that we see here. When I get the set I will start up a new thread, though.

4 minutes ago, Trains4U said:

Opinion respected,  but its a conclusion drawn when people jump on any criticism.   Genuine views of very experienced people and evidence based facts are dismissed because they don’t match the rose-tinted views of some contributors.

Completey agree, but there's also a saying, " there's a time and a place". I was simply suggesting that as the issue us wider than just TT120 you set up another thread to air your grievance. 

I didn't expect to be insulted by doing so.

3 minutes ago, Jeff Smith said:

So, has anyone actually got their hands on anything yet?

Other than Hornby's throat? Probably not! They aren't due just yet (just in case you missed that bit amongst the froth!) ;)

18 minutes ago, Trains4U said:

Why?

 

the grievance is directly related to this announcement!

 

Opinions are not restricted to fanboys of the manufacturer in question.

I understand thiat there have been issues ongoing for some time and this is just the latest development. So a separate thread would be more appropriate.

I'm not suggesting that you don't discuss it, and I am no fanboy as you put it, I've no Hornby models at all in fact, but I'd would like to discuss the Hornby TT range without the thread ending up as a vehicle to slag off Hornby. 

What's wrong with a separate thread, that way you could discuss all the issues and not just the direct sales element and leave this thread to discuss the TT range.

Seems a perfectly reasonable request.

6 minutes ago, sncf231e said:

The Hornby TT Brochure mentions:

For example, the ‘00’ equivalent in Europe and the US is H0 (1:86), while European and US ‘N’ gauge is 1:160, but the UK ‘N’ gauge is 1:148.

 

As far as I know H0 is 1:87, so I wonder whether Hornby TT:120 will in reality be 1:119 😉

 

Maybe some of the Hornby people shoud read: http://sncf231e.nl/gauge-and-scale/

 

Regards

Fred

I doubt we'd notice the difference, well finescale modelers might I suppose!

There do seem to be some errors, though, they need to employ some better proof readers@

9 minutes ago, Trains4U said:

What is not hypothetical is the genuine grievance of the retail trade - note that this latest episode compounds three years worth of other unpleasant issues.
It also isn't hypothetical that there is next to no interest to date in the previous TT announcements from Heljan, Gaugemaster and Peco.

This is going to be a very tough hill to climb for Hornby, and they can't count on the retailers bailing them out this time (As we have before - If anyone from Hornby does read this, PLEASE look up your not-very-secretly-codenamed "Wedding Show" on the 6th December 2016) - The goodwill evaporated many moons ago...

I fully understand where you are coming from.

What I would question is why people need to hijack this thread.

If you have a grievance please set up a thread for it and leave those of us who are genuinely interested in TT120 to discuss that in peace rather than to constantly need to deflect criticism of Hornby and try to drag the thread back on topic.

Please.

Might ask about those balls, but for the moment we'll see how we go. She had the full blood tests which ruled out diabetes and thyroid thank goodness.

8 minutes ago, Tim Dubya said:

It's all mostly hypothetical at the moment anyway, 

 

And there's the reason for 46, sorry, 48, pages!

53 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

 

The problem with these is they get found out, 46 pages of this thread suggests it already has been.

It suggests nothing of the kind.

What it does prove, though,  is despite protestations to the contrary  there is a hard-core of forum members who hope it will fail, for various reasons, and come up their reasons which have been repeated and debunked every few pages. Hence 46+ pages!

As we all know is that we simply don't know how it will pan out, that's the only definite!!

3 minutes ago, Tim Dubya said:

 

Thanks, I was hoping that would be the case, not that I'm in the market for the work of the devil, that is digital sound.

 

WOO WOO!

 

If course it depends on if they fill the things with weight, but I'd have thought the tenders might have room?

2 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

FWIW (nothing), my wish list for this scale would be full of Type 1, 2 and 3 diesels, which is why the Heljan 31 caught my attention, but I don’t think Hornby have good 00 ones of those to work from.

25 from a while ago? Wouldn't mind one either!

10 minutes ago, Tim Dubya said:

Are sound fitted locos available in N gauge?, just thinking out loud about the available space in a TT model for the chip and speaker(s).  I'm thinking tank locos and small diseasels.

 

They are in 009 locos that are smaller than TT so shouldn't be an issue.

2 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

What difference is 3.5mm HO and 2.54mm TT really going to do ?

 

The space thing is a bit misnoma to me.

 

Here we go again  same old, same old, this must have been covered so many times already both here and elsewhere. Look on the size comparison thread, there's a large difference in size between H0 and TT. Space wise its obvious, H0 will give you a layout the same size as 00, TT is smaller. Round and round we go...

3 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

 

I have just watched the SK "interview" part of the video again, and I'm still not convinced by his faith that this will draw in new entrants in a big way. He knows his stuff, even if I do find his style a tad abrasive at times, and presumably they have done deeper market research than him chatting to people at exhibitions and having a flash of inspiration, so who am I to double-guess?

 

But, here I am, thinking of all the people I know who don't have model railways, including the smattering who are a bit 'railway minded', parents of my children's peers, friends, neighbours, the rest of my family, and I'm trying to get my head round how this particular thing will flip the switch from "not model railway" to "model railway", and I just don't see it happening to any significant extent. I can see it abstracting from N and 00, attracting new starters who would otherwise have gone in one of those directions, especially because it has the Hornby brand and 'total system concept' around it. I can see already commited (I avoided saying "hardcore") enthusiasts who fancy trying something a tiny bit different (including me), but not acting as a big attraction for the rest.

 

I hope I'm wrong, and that SK is right, because it would be nice if toy trains became an "everyone" hobby again in the way it was c1950-65, but is lack of space really why people aren't into it? My gut feeling is that its deeper than that.

Depends on how many they gave to sell, bearing in mind that they will get sales from existing modellers and collectors it could well be kess than you think.

Thanks Pete. She's eaten all of her first pouch of the new food anyhow!

Re Southern stock in the catalogue it says that in phase 2/3 there will be a British Pullman Electric set, era 3 (Big 4?)...

2 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

They've always done decently well when they've stuck to doing what they do well. 

 

Their record once they step away from that has been somewhat less illustrious.

5 minutes ago, Hobby said:

So they should stop all thoughts of trying new markets and concentrate on 00 and nothing else... Another way to go bust i suppose when that market gets saturated and there's no longer any profit in it...

Sorry, John, I added a bit which was missed in your quote which I hope clarifies my thoughts!

It is, but in an established scale. This is a launch of a new scale, so the larger sets make more of an impact. 

As i said before I've no doubt they'll appear but I feel Hornby think that the large sets will sell better initially and I think they are right, you don't, we'll just have to wait and see who's right!

(Reply to Melmerby!)

4 minutes ago, spamcan61 said:

How many times have Hornby gone bankrupt or near as dammit in the last 50 years though?

So they should stop all thoughts of trying new markets and concentrate on 00 and nothing else... Another way to go bust i suppose when that market gets saturated and there's no longer any profit in it...