Porfuera

Hornby points are isolating i.e. when you switch a Hornby point from one track to the other, the diverging track that is not in use does not receive any power. So if you have (for example) a passing loop then the side of the loop that is not in use is not powered. They make little spring clips that get around this and provide power to both tracks. Obviously if you're wiring up a layout on a baseboard then you can get around this with wiring both diverging tracks, but if you're only setting up the track temporarily on a table or other surface then that's a little more difficult to do and the DDC clips get around this (whether you're using DCC or DC). Short 1 minute video here: https://youtu.be/w0mEDvLGB9Y

I was actually referring to Hornby points and DCC Clips now being available. I shouldn't have included the previous post as it was misleading. I was saying I had set up stock alerts to be notified when points were in stock but that I hadn't received any notification. Surely if they want to sell this stuff then they should be letting people know when it is available if people have asked to be notified? Or are stock alerts not via email?

Yes I just checked and L/H and R/H points and also DCC clips are now available. When did that happen? I set up stock alerts for all three but I haven't received anything. Not that I'd have anything to run on track yet... although I suppose I could always model a Beeching branch line until some stock arrives...

I blame autocorrect 🙄

As I mentioned I haven't seen the mail - I was assuming that the best sellers were for all sales across all outlets given it was 'best selling trainsets of 2022' but point taken that it could be just for direct website sales. In that case maybe TT:120 would outstrip them all given that it is not available anywhere else and also that OO sets will be cheaper on the High Street or almost anywhere rather than direct from Hornby.

I don't think I've had that email yet so obviously I'm commenting without having seen it, but I think I'd take those 'best sellers' with a pinch of salt if they're saying that a set announced in a new scale in Q4 this year has outsold their long-established and pre-existing sets in OO - things like Satan's Express, Coca-Cola, stuff like that. Plus if I were them I'd be trying to promote stock that isn't selling quite so well in order to get if off the shelves. It seems more likely to me that the 'best sellers' are something (randomly?) computer-generated and/or maybe based on your order history and marketing preferences... I'm not knocking it, just saying it seems a little counter-intuitive. I doubt we'll ever find out but I'd also be interested to know whether 'The Easterner' really has outsold 'The Scotman' given the prestige that the word 'Scotman' has with the public at large when it comes to railways and given that they're the target group that Hornby say they're trying to attract to the new scale. Cheers, Neil.

Or is @joe cassidy talking about Hornby track as he mentions the catalogue? I'd guess the holes in both Hornby track types (OO and TT:120) would be the same as long as the TT:120 sleepers are wide enough but I don't have any (yet!) so I can't confirm. However as Les says the Peco track pins would do the job for either Hornby or Peco track.

But as someone has already mentioned, for anyone thinking of modelling (for example) a preserved railway where the loco just runs around and doesn't get turned then they're going to be unlucky.

It hasn't existed as such in the UK - it has been mainly TT3 (around 1:101-ish scale) which runs on various gauges of track from 12mm (1:120 scale) up to finescale somewhere around 14mm+ (I'm sure someone will correct me and/or fill in the exact numbers). The 3mm Society caters for this. 1:120 scale started in the US (it is 1/10th inch to the foot) and is mostly found in Germany and Eastern Europe now. Hornby's and others' latest venture is the first UK outline TT:120. It is (pretty much) exact scale-to-gauge and compatible with the rest of the world's TT:120 if someone wants to mix trains from the UK and Europe (e.g. Channel Tunnel traffic assuming the models are available) or perhaps run UK locos that are found in Europe (not my area of expertise!) This is the sum of my knowledge from reading the "Hornby announce TT:120" thread! EDIT: I know that " (pretty much) exact scale-to-gauge" is somewhat of an oxymoron but as far as I can work out the exact scale gauge would be 11.9583mm so 12mm is pretty close.

Yes - how desperate do you need to be? There will be more available shortly. I hope the buyer isn't some sort of avid "Flying Scotsman" collector. 🙂

Its not very big - it is only 1:120 😄

I've just read an eBay alert that I received yesterday at 15:23 for a Hornby TT:120 The Scotsman set - it has sold already for £229.00 plus £10 postage. First one I've seen... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-TT120-The-Scotsman-Train-Set-/185721825355?mkpid=0&emsid=e11021.m43.l3160&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=44039f203dba49b898331a0d581e1b0b&bu=43179658310&ut=RU&exe=0&ext=0&osub=-1~1&crd=20230102082248&segname=11021&nma=true&si=WbqLe%2Bh3hpW7PhJmacCRBjjStMg%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 EDIT: I think the price direct from Hornby would be something like £183.59 with the TT:120 club 15% discount and free postage but the first two batches of ~2000 sets have already sold out (I posted this already on the "Hornby announce TT:120 thread" - I know some people read both threads so apologies for the duplicate post)

I've just read an eBay alert that I received yesterday at 15:23 for The Scotsman set - it has sold already for £229.00 plus £10 postage. First one I've seen... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-TT120-The-Scotsman-Train-Set-/185721825355?mkpid=0&emsid=e11021.m43.l3160&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=44039f203dba49b898331a0d581e1b0b&bu=43179658310&ut=RU&exe=0&ext=0&osub=-1~1&crd=20230102082248&segname=11021&nma=true&si=WbqLe%2Bh3hpW7PhJmacCRBjjStMg%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Always with the negative waves, Moriarty... You just don't seem to be able to help yourself - those long winter nights must really drag in your household.

My point was that if a current continental manufacturer of TT:120 thought it worthwhile then they could start to produce UK outline. After all, Hornby produce a small amount of continental outline via Arnold, so why not the reverse? And Heljan (obviously not a TT:120 manufacturer) were prepared to give it a go until they found that Hornby were way ahead of them in their proposed developments. And Heljan's signoff seemed to imply that it was not necessarily forever.

I know I did - hence the "Whereas I'm equally sure..." And there are plenty of other continental companies already involved in TT:120. Not a big step to start producing British outline if they think they can turn a profit.

All true, but as @britishcolumbian keeps reminding the naysayers in the other thread, Hornby isn't the only player in this field - one of whom seems to consider it as their pitch (was it Piko ?). And I don't think any of Hornby's tactics will stop another manufacturer if they think they can make a profit in TT:120.

More supposition on your part. Whereas I'm equally sure that other manufacturers/suppliers will join in if they think they can turn a profit.

I'm pretty sure that in the end Hornby don't care who buys them as long as they sell, and if many people want to share their opinions and have their five minutes of "fame" then what's wrong with that? If you don't like the videos then stop watching them - or try Facebook instead... on one of the TT:120 groups there was a video of a nicely scenic'd and very large german-looking tailchaser layout with a Blink Bonny pulling an impresive 25 or so mineral wagons around. Another of the TT:120 groups had a picture of a guy who I'd guess was very much in his 60s proudly holding his Scotsman set with an earlier comment of "my first venture into the hobby so very much a novice". Maybe Hornby actually know what they're doing, contrary to many peoples' opinions.

I agree with much of what you said but maybe you should take a look at the "Hornby announce TT:120" thread that has been running since early October when this announcement was first made and is now up to 159 pages. There are a number of modellers on there that are modelling in various scales and gauges and are dipping a toe in the water to see what TT:120 has to offer. And not just UK modellers either. But then according to SK, the target market isn't established modellers anyway. It is supposedly aimed at getting new entrants into the hobby - space-starved people and families who won't worry about running the Era 3 Scotman set alongside an Era 7 HST and an Era 11 Class 66 that's pulling 21T minerals and a brake van. They must be doing something right because both batches of The Scotman have sold out (somewhere near 2,000 units) as has at least one of the resin buildings. It is just unfortunate that they couldn't release more of the stuff earlier, especially in the runup to Christmas.

Au contaire! I already had an order for an 08 and some wagons but in spite of that I've just this evening ordered an Easterner! I have to say I don't know why - I don't really have the space for a roundy-roundy and I don't do steamers and carriages - quite the opposite... I prefer smallish diesels and freight wagons. So I do agree that they will probably end up in a cupboard like most of the other stuff I buy. In the meantime I'll have to pray that the Domestic Authority doesn't find out what I've just done...

Regarding the modelling of a J70 with cowcatchers but without skirts, I emailed Rapido early in October to ask whether the cowcatchers would be available separately or (failing that) whether the sideskirts would be reasonably easy to remove without causing damage to the model - the reply I received was as follows: "We have asked the factory to make the skirts and cowcatchers modular so that different configurations can be modelled. However, with all these things, we won't know for definite that they have done this until we get the first samples. But it's our plan at the very least!" Cheers, Neil.

Another great video - I've just watched it with an early Christmas Day pint - model trains and beer make an excellent start to Christmas Day! Glad to see you back, thanks for all your videos and layouts throughout the years that have given so much enjoyment to everybody, and I hope your mojo picks up in the New Year. We all look forward to seeing more. Happy Christmas to you and your family. Cheers, Neil.

Good news but I would hope that this is because a new delivery has arrived in the UK rather than there being left-over stock from the initial 828(?) or so sets that were rushed over from China. However The Easterner is still showing as pre-order so this may not be the case but I hope not.

Apologies because I think this may have been been posted before but these always make me laugh - £8 (sometimes more) for an empty cider bottle plus £8 postage, when you can buy a full one at Tesco for £5 or so. I've lost count of the number of these I have put in the recycling. But then maybe I'm the mug for not trying to sell them on eBay! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294327054069?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338749401&toolid=20006&customid=GB_11700_294327054069.143193710335~1893258868034-g_Cj0KCQiA45qdBhD-ARIsAOHbVdG7ygrBgvh8S0Y4kQYJsL6_73u5oaQGDMuaFF-gRNhHXm6tj-hUWmMaAsluEALw_wcB