Roy L S
-
Posts
1,610 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Blogs
Gallery
Events
Exhibition Layout Details
Store
Posts posted by Roy L S
-
-
2 minutes ago, jonnyuk said:
mine arrived today, forgot how small it was (last time i saw it was at one of the shows last year). one of the pick ups does not touch the wheel so i need to sort that. it does show every flaw in my track not been 100% level, i small stay alive would be ideal.
I have may missed something in regards the decoder, so the hm7000 wont fit? bought one for my a4
A stay alive will only work on DCC not analogue, but if it can be done in an N 08 then the larger volume of the TT120 one should make it even easier to do I would have thought.
-
17 minutes ago, Hobby said:
Yes I saw that, I've just tested mine over a 6ft length including an R2 and R3 reverse curve and a Hornby dead frog point. No issues and was getting smoother by the run, the Arnold Kof ran smoothly through the point as well.
As Roy said it's well detailed, other noticeable differences between N and TT ones is tge half open cab window and roof vent on the TT version. As I don't do DCC his comments on internals don't affect me. I suspect the weight is down to Farish using a metal body and Hornby plastic.
Tested mine on analogue on a short piece of track, slow running is very good and the mechanism is commendably sweet running. Looking at the diagram of the internals I would have thought that fitting DCC sound using a small 6pin Zimo MS500 and sugar-cube speaker could be achieved without intrusion into the cab.
-
2
-
1
-
-
Mine was delivered lunchtime, disappointingly one of the buffers was broken, but rather than return the loco for that I decided to glue it back in place.
Overall, my first impression of the model is pretty favourable, there are nice touches like an open roof-ventilator and cab window, the finish is very good and it has a reasonable level of detail. The rods are very fine indeed with tiny crankpins, I hope they transpire to be robust enough in use. It does seem fairly light for it's size and so how much it will be able to haul will be interesting, hopefully sufficient for reasonable shunting duties.
Someone mentioned how tiny they think it is, and that is I would expect from someone more used to OO. For an N Gauge modeller it isn't, and by way of another comparison, here it is next to one of my Farish 08s. As can be seen on the Farish loco the rods and crankpins are a bit chunkier, but in other areas it actually has better levels of detail than the TT120 model, with more separate handrails and lighting conduits. Of course what really sets the Farish loco apart is internal, this one has a Next 18 DCC socket, Zimo sound-chip and a speaker, so in a different league to the basic DCC spec of the Hornby model, however it is early days for TT120 and maybe a sound version will come in time.
Roy
-
5
-
-
On 17/05/2023 at 13:17, Steamport Southport said:
The new magazine just popped through the door.
Duchess expected in Phase 2 in September so that debunks the 2024/2025 idea. Class 66 around the same time.
Jason
If Hornby haven't even seen the first Engineering Prototype yet as I recall the mag saying then I would suggest there is zero prospect of the Duchess arriving in September. When the first EP does arrive they will need to review it, very likely tweak the tooling, further EP, then deco samples to review and approve before production can even be contemplated. Then 6 weeks for shipping on top of that, so is all likely to take many months and I would think it may actually be well into 2024 before they arrive.
-
And....I too have just received e-mail notification that my BR blue 08 has arrived in stock and will shortly be prepared for despatch....
-
4
-
-
13 minutes ago, andrewshimmin said:
There are a lot of people here a bit disgruntled that Hornby haven't released the stock for a coherent small branch terminus layout set in a particular region.
I think that may misunderstand the economics of model railways.
Hornby released Gresley pacifics not branch locos because they can sell many many more of them because they're glamorous locos.
The market for a coherent but relatively obscure set of stock is much less than for an eclectic mix of glamorous stock.
Most of that market is maybe playing trains not modelling, or is modelling but not spending time on forums, so we don't hear so much from them. Although we are out there!
If you don't believe me, look at Hornby's or Bachmann's or Dapol's or any other manufacturer's current range in any scale. It will not be a coherent range representing a region or era, and it will have big locos and fast locos heavily overrepresented. Because they can sell more.
The reason that you can build up a coherent range in say OO or N is because you can get stuff from various manufacturers, over a number of years of their ranges evolving, and supplement with kits from various sources, etc.
Of course that doesn't exist yet in TT120. For the scale to be a big success it would need to come in time. We just don't know yet whether it will.
But I can no more model an L&Y layout in 1920s Lancashire or a 1980s suburban station using just Hornby OO or just Bachmann OO or whatever than I can in TT120.
Maybe a 1960s steam/diesel transition if I buy from their output of the last 20 years and don't worry too much about precise details.
Anyway, I'm sure you get the point.
No, I do not misunderstand, I have been modelling for a very long time.
The initial TT120 set launch was obviously intended as some kind of "hero" products to entice people in and it was priced accordingly, however you cannot establish a new scale based around A3s, A4s and "glamorous" coaches alone.
Actually look at Bachmann and Dapol's OO steam ranges and your statement couldn't be further from the truth. In fact in terms of "big fast" the only steam ones Bachmann are currently listing are an A1 and a V2, all the rest range from heavy freight locos through mixed traffic types to tank locos. Dapol's current OO steam offer shows no "big fast" types, the largest is a Manor - firmly Mixed Traffic.
From both manufacturers diesels and electrics represent a cross-section.
In N, as far as steam goes all Bachmann currently list are mixed traffic types, rolling stock not glamorous and while Dapol's range does include express types, it is balanced with heavy freight and mixed traffic and tank locos at the other extreme. Nothing glamorous about Dapol's Gresley corridor coaches, they could be found on any kind of train, I have even seen pictures of a single coach forming a branch-train in the Borders, the same lack of glamour applies to their GW and southern coaches.
Again, diesels represent a mix, not just "glamorous".
Both diesel and Electrics from major manufacturers include the likes of workaday multiple units.
Yes of course the established ranges from different manufacturers complement each other and allow a more representative layout and nobody is realistically expecting Hornby to achieve anything like that in TT120 even in the medium term, my specific concern is the seemingly lengthening timelines and lack of clarity about what is coming and when. Without it I fear that people's patience will last only so long and they will turn their backs on TT120.
Roy
-
2
-
1
-
-
12 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:
Yet the Hornby TT range potentially has more available within three years or so than Graham Farish had in their N gauge range for 10 years...
Minitrix and Lima didn't exactly have much either.
Most model shops wouldn't touch N gauge. You weren't going into your local model shop and coming out with N gauge train sets or locomotives.
They didn't even have a diesel until about 1980. If you wanted diesels then it was whitemetal bodies by manufacturers such as Langley on foreign chassis. The same goes for almost any steam locomotive as Farish only had about five of them.
Not even BR Mark Ones in the range. Only Pullmans and freelance coaches (Hornby have more out already).
So by that scenario N gauge shouldn't exist as it was doomed to failure.
Airfix and Mainline also took about five years to get close to a coherent range.
Does seem like people are just trying to kick Hornby.
Jason
I don't think it is especially helpful to compare the supply v's expectation of N in the early 70s with the same for TT120 today, the World has changed very significantly in the intervening 50 years.
In any case, I think at launch, Farish committed to adding a new item of rolling stock every two weeks or so, it grew very quickly into a decent range. True. locos were fewer, but were at least compatible with the rolling stock that was being made available. They produced "Super Liveway" N track too, plus a battery controller of sorts and sets.
HOWEVER critically, they were not alone in the market, there was already Lima, Minitrix and Peco, each producing their own locos, rolling stock and track. Farish many not have produced diesels or MK1 coaches then, but Lima and Minitrix both did (we won't mention the quality of Lima but it was available).
I began modelling in British N in 1975 when just into my teens, and based on my own personal experience, far from not touching N, my local model shops stocked it comprehensively alongside OO, it was readily available and there was choice.
So with respect, your comparison with where N was then and Hornby TT120 is now is invalid. British N was never doomed to failure, it was even at the outset quickly supported by a number of manufacturers whose ranges grew to provide (by the standards of the time) a comprehensive level of products.
By comparison, aside from Peco covering track, accessories and in due course the odd wagon, Hornby is on its own and success of TT120 as a UK modelling scale is much more in the hands of them and their ability to bring a coherent range of models to the Market at speed and it is here where for me question marks are starting to develop.
From launch, Hornby have a certain "golden" period to bring in the TT120 range and develop the scale to a point where it is coherent and sustainable, and for sure I believe they are still within that "window" at the moment. However there is a dependency on a steady stream of products arriving and so far Hornby have managed that, but what concerns me slightly is the lead times for some of the other products announced seemingly slipping and there being maybe a year and a half or more before further locos follow the 08 as appears possible now.
So IF Hornby do have other products up their sleeve and in development and IF these will arrive sooner, then I feel it would be in Hornby's interests, not least because they have the Market to themselves at present and minimal competitive risk, to lower the cloak of secrecy and tell their customers what other unannounced products there will be and when.
For myself, and to be honest, I embraced the idea of TT120 and was keen to have a go alongside my other primary modelling interest (N) but nothing I am reading currently encourages me to spend any more or pursue the small layout I was planning further.
Perversely, from where I am viewing things at present, it seems that Hornby having the British TT120 Market pretty much to themselves may actually turn out to be a bit of a two-edged sword...
Roy
-
1
-
-
A shame about the duplication, I hope it doesn't impact sales for either manufacturer too significantly.
I am looking forward to the N Gauge Society model personally, interesting to find out it has been produced by Sonic.
Roy
-
1 hour ago, D9020 Nimbus said:
A very welcome set of announcements. Also pleasantly surprised to see the Ivatt has been given a sound upgrade. Most, if not all of the tender steam locos from that particular time of manufacture seem to have been treated by now. I don't expect to see the B1 or the J39 getting done (the sales of the former may well have been hit by the Dapol model, although the Farish one looked significantly better, and they said at the time the J39 wouldn't have been done but for the common tender drive), but hopefully the Stanier 5MT will be due an upgrade eventually …
If there is to be a newly tooled N gauge loco this year it will probably be in the August announcements to coincide with TINGS.
Definitely a "well done" for Farish this time round!
The fact that there is another run of J39s due June-July time, still tender driven and with 6 pin decoder socket (nothing wrong with that it is an excellent tender-drive) would indeed suggest no loco-drive/sound upgrade is imminent for that loco (and yes, if I recall correctly it was Colin Allbright who said to me that without the B1 there would have been no J39).
That said, the Dapol B1 was out of the equation long ago, having been thoroughly trounced by the Farish one, and I don't see any reason why a loco-drive B1 from Farish shouldn't feature at some point in the future, but with the availability of the Next 18 and sound fitted Stanier tender already, I would have thought a Black Five might be along before.
Roy
-
1
-
-
I have previously been critical so nice this time to say full credit to Bachmann for an excellent cross-section of models this quarter, the re-runs of Mk1s in "bread and butter" liveries in particular will be very welcome, and I think their availability is very likely to do a lot to boost N sales generally.
The Ivatt 2MT with sound upgrade is bound to be popular, it is such a versatile loco, and along with 5MT, 4F, J39 and Fairburn starts to bring a little more depth to the range of steam locos. Hopefully we will see the Jinty and 64xx next to improve this still further.
A totally new tool steam loco would have been very welcome, but with such a large suite of existing tooling it is perhaps understandable that Bachmann would choose to focus on those models first, hopefully something totally new will come along before too long.
Roy
-
Class 325 maybe?
-
It does say June/July so even if not finished for a few week yet and shipment say early June, July still looks perfectly possible.
Roy
-
On 31/03/2023 at 20:59, The Pilotman said:
I’m not @Revolution Ben but does this answer your question?Just checked and I see that the RevolutioN website is still showing the above delivery date estimate. Hopefully this means that production is close to concluding and they'll soon be on the boat.
Roy
-
1
-
-
17 hours ago, John M Upton said:
And don't forget about N scale too, they should get an announcement but you can tell how much us N gaugers are not really expecting anything by the distinct lack of any speculation thread again!
I was thinking the same, it is very notable that rightly or wrongly expectations are now so low as far as Farish is concerned that there is no longer much if any frothing at all. Assuming the announcement is on Wednesday at the usual time, I don't know that I will be able to dial in to watch anyway, so will catch up on the announcements at my leisure afterwards in all probability. My expectations aren't that high, I would love to see a new tool steam loco, but I am not sure that is realistic any more, I know the quarterly method of announcements means theoretically anything is possible, but the cold hard truth is that there hasn't been a totally new steam loco since the 8F, which first broke cover mid-2018 and was released in November 2020 so that's five years from first announcememt
Roy
-
My two pre-ordered vans arrived today, I must say that they are very nicely made and well finished, posed here with the brake-van on my part finished just for fun mini-diorama..
Of my initial pre-orders just the 08 to go now...
Roy
-
5
-
-
Just been notified that my two box-vans are on their way to DPD which is positive 🙂.
Hopefully more news of the 08 will follow before too much longer (fingers crossed).
Roy
-
1
-
-
My two vent-vans are also in the process of being prepared for despatch which is good news, but like others news as regards the 08 would be welcome. It looks like the GBRF and BR blue ones are still due for "Spring" but the Schenker one now shows "Summer".
Incidentally there seems to be something odd re: pricing and it seems that Hornby may have put up the prices of TT120 items but it is confusing. If you go to the "Locomotives" pages the price against the thumbnail images there is different to what shows when you click through to individual items, for example the 08 is now showing will a list price of £142.79 on page 1 of locos, click on the item and price shows as £118.99 on the individual selection. Does this mean a price hike is on the cards or is it some kind of error I wonder?
Roy
-
2
-
-
33 minutes ago, TomE said:
I hope assembly of the production models is a bit more carefully done than some of these examples, note the horizontal gaps between cab moulding and the lower loco body, and also (I have mentioned this elsewhere) the raised Ross safety valves are not properly seated in a number of the shots.
Yes, I know the pictures are cruelly enlarged, but even still there looks to be room for improvement assembly wise.
Roy
-
3
-
-
Thanks Hobby, that is really helpful. It seems to run very nicely indeed, hopefully it is geared so as to allow for slow speed and shunting, as I suspect a fair few will find their way onto "inglenook" type layouts. It also appears to confirm that the loco has indeed been tooled for a while now (as with some other items in the clip) which suggests delays are very likely solely down to production capacity.
Hopefully we will see the 08 shortly, I am thinking mine will probably end up being resprayed plain black, in which case I hope Hornby leave the ladders on!
Roy
-
4
-
-
Just something that dawned on me, the TT120 08 is supposedly due for delivery within the next two months but I haven't seen any footage of one actually running yet. Has anybody else and if "yes" can they point me to it?
Many thanks
Roy
-
I ordered an Easterner set without any clear vision for the use I would put the loco and coaches to in a model railway sense, but the A4 is a favourite, and that was reason enough, especially at the price after the Collector Club discount.
However, even though the prices do look very keen at present, unless someone were absolutely desperate to start in TT120 regardless of any other consideration, personally I can't see the point in ordering from what is available simply because it is there and nothing else is.
Each to their own I guess!
Roy
-
14 minutes ago, Porfuera said:
Agreed. But the point I was trying to make (probably very badly) was that at the end of January SK mentioned two 0-6-0s and at that time I think everyone was assuming that this was in addition to the Class 08 because we all thought that the Class 08 was on its way and would be arriving in February. So where people have been talking about a 57xx and a J94 arriving some soon then maybe it will only one of these.
Ah, I see what you mean, probably just me not grasping what you were saying properly, now I understand your point. In the absence of info to the contrary the 08 being one of the two 0-6-0s cannot be ruled out I suppose. It is hard to fathom why Hornby won't just come out and say what the loco(s) mentioned actually are instead of talking in riddles, especially given that there is no direct competition (and from what other manufacturers have said unlikely to be any for the foreseeable future).
-
1
-
-
3 hours ago, Porfuera said:
That's a very good point - and neither did SK when he mentioned the two 0-6-0s at the end of January.
I think at that time everyone was assuming that the 08s were already in production and maybe even already on the boat on their way here. So maybe the one he mentioned as being in tooling was actually the 08 - in which case that would only leave one other...
Judging by the deco-samples that have been produced and Hornby's own customer service desk advising me of delivery end May/start of June independently of what SK has said, personally, I feel reasonably confident the 08 has been tooled and production is either finished or close to it. Put it this way, if this isn't the case and that came out after all that has been said, the harm it would do to the credibility of Hornby and TT120 could be pretty damaging and I don't think they would risk that.
-
2 hours ago, natterjack said:
That's what kit bashing is all about- otherwise wait until perfection turns up at your door.
To an extent I would agree, but there has to be a degree of suitability in the first place. The 08 has quite a lot of internal volume to the body and I would be amazed if that is not exploited to the full for traction-weight, in which case the chassis wouldn't be a lot of good for anything bar a very large saddle-tank and possibly not even that.
Hornby announce TT:120
in Hornby
Posted
That's a bit of a blow, we can but hope Hornby come up with a solution, I feel sure they will with other small 0-6-0 types in the process of development.