Dix120

Anybody have any comments on the Hunt Magnetic Couplings? They have a TT-Scale size.

Decided to try and figure this out from the model building dimensions and what I could see in pictures. I went with enough space on the platform side to match the straight platform pieces and five feet on all the other sides. This gives me a footprint of a scale 89' by 50'. Is this anywhere near correct for the prototype station?

The Settle & Carlisle Dent Station model needs a platform to raise the model up to the same height as the platforms. The height is easy but how wide should the platform be around the station? Also should the platform edges around the station be stone lined like the platforms?

The weather being reasonable early this afternoon, I set up two tables on the sundeck. I set up the display I am planning on taking to the Nanaimo show on April 2nd. The inner loop is train set curves and the outer R4. I ran both my train sets. Both ran well. They got a good run in forwards and reverse. No issues. Short videos are on Youtube. Both locomotives had DCC decoders, one a basic ESU and the other a SoundTraxx US Steam. Both will be replaced with SoundTraxx UK Steam decoders when adapters I have ordered arrive. When the Hornby BlueTooth decoders are available, I will try those. The display needs to be a bit longer. The station needs a platform. Setting up the track loose like this is not ideal so I think I will have to make a lightweight baseboard. I didn't have anything that would plug into the Hornby power tracks so I cut the cords of of the two Hornby power packs that came with the train sets (leaving enough length in case I ever want to reconnect them) and used them to connect to my Digitrax Zephyr. Things ran well until after 4 PM when the sun went behind clouds, the rain started and a cold wind started blowing. It went from cool shirt sleeve weather to F'n cold. Did a fast clean up and went inside to the warm It was a good day. My trains ran well. I am Happy.

As I said in a previous post "Haters gotta hate". We should just keep calm, refute the haters and keep supporting TT-120. As for me, my Easterner Train set arrived Thursday. Once again DHL tried to charge duty on the train set. I was able to get on that early and get that fixed. I like my second set just as much as the first. As an experiment I decided to install sound in the model. I used a SoundTraxx Next18 Steam decoder and an ESU sugar cube speaker. The sounds are US steam of course, but the install was easy and the sound good. My next effort, until the Hornby Bluetooth decoders arrive, is to install a SoundTraxx TSU-1100 UK Steam wired decoder with a wire to Next18 adapter. I had to order the adapters so it will be a week or two before I can continue. There is a lot of space in the tender so I am wondering if I can cobble up a small keep alive to fit. I have just ordered some track (radius 4 and turnouts) so I can run a double track display at shows. And some buildings, and a pair of coaches, oh and another locomotive. Obviously I like my Hornby TT-120 and hope it is successful.

Has anybody looked at their shipping box, specifically the sides? If I am reading this correctly, I have set 599 of 828. I wonder who has set #1. Not being an expert on UK equipment, I wonder if anybody has measured the models to see how dimensionally correct they are? What are the prototype dimensions for the passenger cars and the locomotive?

It's cold outside but not too bad. I was hoping to set up two tables on the sundeck to run the train but Mother Nature had other ideas. Oh well tomorrow I will take over the living room and set up two tables and play. First impressions on the models - very nice. Look very good. Nice and clean. Those people I showed them to in the store yesterday, were very impressed. I think we have a winner here and will buy more. I have enough Peco track to make a Minories setup with a small goods yard in front, but need two more trains, a pilot engine, a freight engine and a few good wagons. I'll have to wait until next year to buy those. It would be nice to have three appropriate passenger trains but I will run what I can get until the correct equipment is released. I know that is sacrilege to the purists, but having been displaying TT Scale since 2011 with whatever equipment we can scrounge, I am not too bothered by that (yet). The curves in the set are a bit sharp, equivalent to Tillig BR2. In our first TT-Tracks setup in 2011, we used Tillig BR1 and BR2 curves on our corner modules. They were too sharp. The next setup we jumped to corner modules with BR4 (482mm 19") and BR5 (439mm 17 1/4") curves, and used those modules for years on our doughnut displays. In 2027 we changed to a "U" shaped display with two return loops with R4 curves. In 2017 I introduced 45 degree curves ( R6/R7 (nominal 20.7 in. and 22.4 in.). In 2019 much larger multi-piece return loop modules with R6 curves were brought into service. Also in 2019 the R10/R11 30 degree corner modules came into service. In April 2022 I introduced the 22.5 Degree curve modules with R15/R16 curves. The bigger the curves, the better the equipment looks. For a very small group, we have come along way since 2011.

TT-Scale 120 modeler. Hornby TT120 owner Hornby TT120 pe order Hornby TT120 Interested Thinking about the complaints and criticism still coming, I can't help but think of the lyrics of a song from a current pop Diva: "And the haters gonna hate, hate. . .". I wonder how many of the posters here have any TT-Scale or are intending to buy any? It would be nice to know if a given poster fit in any of the above four categories, so I could determine if I care about their comments. If you have skin in the game, so to speak, then I am interested in what you have to say. If you are some random person who hates TT or the idea of TT or hates Hornby or just likes to piss and moan about everything, then your comments have no value to me. Of course if we didn't have all the moaners, this thread would not be as interesting as it is, so I guess we should keep them for entertainment value.

After teasing about a possible delivery yesterday (on my birthday) DHL delivered my train set today. I'll accept it as a delayed present. It looks great. I left it in the store for now for viewing by interested modelers. I'll bring it home tomorrow and see about getting a few pictures with the train on some TT-Tracks modules. Then weather permitting set up a few modules and run the train.

The big issue with the DHL paperwork is they have the wrong Tariff code on the Customs form. For some unknown (stupid) reason they used the code for a ride on tricycle (8% Duty) instead of Model trains (duty free). This will be straightened out!

As expected DHL has submitted an invoice to pay with Duty on the train set. There is no Duty on model trains imported to CANADA from the UK. I have sent the correct information to customer service and requested a corrected invoice. We will see what happens.

DHL has given me a scheduled delivery date here in BC of this Friday the 26th. I wonder what extra fees DHL are going to try and charge this time? It would have been nice if the delivery date was Thursday the 15th, my birthday, but I will be happy to receive a day late birthday present.

I just checked my order on Hornby and I see my C/C has been charged too! So maybe here by Christmas (Orthodox)? Either way looking good!

I see this as three boards. The left end is two feet long. That should give tracks long enough for three cars and a locomotive. The middle will be four feet long and have all the track work. The right end fiddle yard will be about two feet long. It needs enough length for the turnouts necessary to give four staging tracks. It could be made as a fully folding setup but I think transporting it as a four foot piece and two two-foot pieces bolted together would be a better idea. Thinking about the idea of having a curved section leading to the fiddle yard so the final setup is an L shape, but that is another piece to carry. Much to think about while waiting for equipment arrive.

Interesting discussion about paint colours. Reminds me of the never ending discussion of what is CPR Maroon? The answer is - it depends. What shop painted the locomotive/car. How weathered is the car? What side of the car is it? Most CPR Passenger cars were not turned so the North side weathered differently than the south side of the car. Has the car been washed with a finish restorer? and so on. A late friend of mine once contacted the expert on CPR Steam Locomotive and asked what the correct colour was. He got back a paint sample with the note that is what was being used now and would not necessarily match what had been used at other times. With multiple shops across Canada the colour would vary. In ancient days the older hands mixed up the paint as needed to a known basic recipe. Take one barrel of 'X', add two scoops of 'Y', a scoop of 'Z', and a half scoop of 'A'. Adjust colour to taste. So things varied a bit. It also depended on the under coat. In very early days when they were moving away from mahogany wood side panels, to painted panels, they used a yellow undercoat to get a richer colour. No idea how long that lasted.