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When TT3 was the next Big Thing


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In the May 1965 Railway modeller(I think),There was a layout of the month Called Grandsmoor central which was built in TT.If anyone has access to these magazines of the 60s,perhaps they would take a look.The memory is a bit dim after all these years but a couple of illustrations would revive the memory.

 

                   Ray.

Built by the Manchester MRC, Jim Edgar and others.  I think each member of the team built a part and it came together for shows. The name comes from the pub where they used to go, last time I went past it was still there.

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In the May 1965 Railway modeller(I think),There was a layout of the month Called Grandsmoor central which was built in TT.If anyone has access to these magazines of the 60s,perhaps they would take a look.The memory is a bit dim after all these years but a couple of illustrations would revive the memory.

 

                   Ray.

There was a couple of that issue of Modellers on Ebay recently.  Longacre from Macclsefield was another in RM in the 60's.  There is a very nice TT layout from I think the Keithly or Bradford group called Aireworth that was in the modeller a few years ago.

 

Garry

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There is a nice TT layout here in an old Railway Modeller mag

 

https://archive.org/details/RailwayModellerJanuary1963

 

From this site

 

https://archive.org/search.php?query=railway%20modeller

 

I started my model railway interest back around 1959 with a TT set, a Jinty, two coaches and oval of track on a 4' x 3' board, gradually extending it over the years. I still have most of my stuff, but it's basically worn out. I changed to OO when we moved house back in 1972. I would have stayed with TT but the running over Tri-ang steel pointwork was always jerky, this together with the limited range of items and Tri-ang ceasing production made it for me a no-brainer - never looked back. Still, I enjoyed my TT years.

 

It's nice to see work being done again with Tri-ang TT, Golden Fleece 30 especially, doing some grand stuff I could not have dreamed of back then. I dug out my TT a few years ago, but it ran poorly, so I'll stick it in a display cabinet one day.

 

A few of my early TT layouts are on my Flikr Album here, my last TT layout being London Kings Cross, along with some photos of my first OO layout Sheffield Victoria(ish !!) built in 1972.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/136789710@N03/albums/72157680682249085

 

Happy days !!

 

Brit15

Edited by APOLLO
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There is a nice TT layout here in an old Railway Modeller mag

 

https://archive.org/details/RailwayModellerJanuary1963

 

From this site

 

https://archive.org/search.php?query=railway%20modeller

 

I started my model railway interest back around 1959 with a TT set, a Jinty, two coaches and oval of track on a 4' x 3' board, gradually extending it over the years. I still have most of my stuff, but it's basically worn out. I changed to OO when we moved house back in 1972. I would have stayed with TT but the running over Tri-ang steel pointwork was always jerky, this together with the limited range of items and Tri-ang ceasing production made it for me a no-brainer - never looked back. Still, I enjoyed my TT years.

 

It's nice to see work being done again with Tri-ang TT, Golden Fleece 30 especially, doing some grand stuff I could not have dreamed of back then. I dug out my TT a few years ago, but it ran poorly, so I'll stick it in a display cabinet one day.

 

A few of my early TT layouts are on my Flikr Album here, my last TT layout being London Kings Cross, along with some photos of my first OO layout Sheffield Victoria(ish !!) built in 1972.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/136789710@N03/albums/72157680682249085

 

Happy days !!

 

Brit15

Very nice, I remember a lot of those RM's first time around and some of the contents brought back memories.

 

Your layouts look good too, Finsbury Park in TT with type B track?

 

Garry

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Here is a Tri-ang TT loco not seen before, an ex LMS 0-4-4 2P tank.

 

This is a Jinty chassis with the rear end cut away for the bogie which is an etched one although a Britannia one would have worked.  One set of flanged wheels were fitted to the centre axle and the wheels tapped for screws.  Unfortunately the existing holes meant 8BA screws had to be fitted.

 

The body is a standard Jinty one with the angled bunker part cut off and a complete bunker from another Jinty glued on to extend it.

 

It might not be to scale but looks different and again is mainly Tri-ang.

 

Garry

 

ps another BEC kit was the 4F.

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Edited by Golden Fleece 30
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Having wanted the old BEC Brush type 4 for a long time and thinking one would never appear I set about modifying the Tri-ang Brush type 2.

 

First the cab ends were altered from 3 window to 2 and a headcode panel cut in, then the body had all detail filed off and was cut in half and two thin pieces of brass were glued to give a flat side and extend the body about 23mm.  The roof had one end cut off and a second roof cut to length to make up the body length. 

 

I know not quite correct but a reasonable representation and it kept the bogie mount positions.  It still needs handrails (hopefully will partly disguise the new side joints) and roof painting.

 

Garry

ps As luck would have it, I have today been offered the old BEC kit which will be a nice addition and a more realistic one I guess.

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post-22530-0-22098900-1501009661_thumb.jpg

Edited by Golden Fleece 30
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I built a BEC Brush 4 many moons ago, can be seen at Kings Cross in my above pictures. Not a very good kit, your modification of the Brush 2 above is better. Good luck with your kit.

 

When building it you have to decide wether you are going to use one or two power bogies (from the Tri-ang Brush 2) as the bogie retaining plates fit 2 ways (up for the power bogie and down for the unpowered one) - similar to what you can see to the RHS of the Brush 2 body above. Once they are glued / soldered in place that's it !! I left the roof unpainted white metal, and did a half decent hand painted job, I used Slaters plasticard raised numerals for the headcodes. Mine had two power bogies both with magnadhesion - on steel track it would pull anything - also it was the only loco that never stalled on Tri-ang points !!. 

 

My first visit to Kings Cross back in 1969 led me to try to model the station. Just about getting there & we moved house !! - I decided to go OO as I now had my own bedroom, I found 4 cheap Tri-ang OO CKD Woodhead Electric loco kits in a Southport model shop & decided to model Sheffield Vic in OO !!

 

Brit15

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I built a BEC Brush 4 many moons ago, can be seen at Kings Cross in my above pictures. Not a very good kit, your modification of the Brush 2 above is better. Good luck with your kit.

 

When building it you have to decide wether you are going to use one or two power bogies (from the Tri-ang Brush 2) as the bogie retaining plates fit 2 ways (up for the power bogie and down for the unpowered one) - similar to what you can see to the RHS of the Brush 2 body above. Once they are glued / soldered in place that's it !! I left the roof unpainted white metal, and did a half decent hand painted job, I used Slaters plasticard raised numerals for the headcodes. Mine had two power bogies both with magnadhesion - on steel track it would pull anything - also it was the only loco that never stalled on Tri-ang points !!. 

 

My first visit to Kings Cross back in 1969 led me to try to model the station. Just about getting there & we moved house !! - I decided to go OO as I now had my own bedroom, I found 4 cheap Tri-ang OO CKD Woodhead Electric loco kits in a Southport model shop & decided to model Sheffield Vic in OO !!

 

Brit15

The kit I am getting is already assembled so no idea if set for one or two motors.  If glued it maybe able to be removed, if soldered I don't know although I could possibly cut it out and make a new plate, time will tell.  I would like to use two motors in it though.

 

The Tri-ang electrics are nice models and unfortunately the only time I got to Sheffield Victoria it was being demolished.

 

Garry

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My first visit to Kings Cross back in 1969 led me to try to model the station. Just about getting there & we moved house !! - I decided to go OO as I now had my own bedroom, I found 4 cheap Tri-ang OO CKD Woodhead Electric loco kits in a Southport model shop & decided to model Sheffield Vic in OO !!

 

Brit15

  Triang EM2s go for a lot of cash these days.This my little slice of Woodhead,an ongoing development!.

 

                                 Ray.

 

 

                                   

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There was a couple of that issue of Modellers on Ebay recently.  Longacre from Macclsefield was another in RM in the 60's.  There is a very nice TT layout from I think the Keithly or Bradford group called Aireworth that was in the modeller a few years ago.

 

Garry

Last time I heard, about 3-4 years ago, the Macclefield club was looking to sell or give away the succesor to 'Longacre'

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Here is a Tri-ang TT loco not seen before, an ex LMS 0-4-4 2P tank.

 

This is a Jinty chassis with the rear end cut away for the bogie which is an etched one although a Britannia one would have worked.  One set of flanged wheels were fitted to the centre axle and the wheels tapped for screws.  Unfortunately the existing holes meant 8BA screws had to be fitted.

 

The body is a standard Jinty one with the angled bunker part cut off and a complete bunker from another Jinty glued on to extend it.

 

It might not be to scale but looks different and again is mainly Tri-ang.

 

Garry

 

ps another BEC kit was the 4F.

There is an article in one of the '58 MRN's about doing this to an 00 one. Tthe author fitted a new cab roof and bunker sides etc. From plywood and card.

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There is an article in one of the '58 MRN's about doing this to an 00 one. Tthe author fitted a new cab roof and bunker sides etc. From plywood and card.

I could have scratch built a body like the N7 but wanted to keep it Tri-ang looking as much as possible as I did with the 9F.  To be correct the body should still be longer which would mean the rear bogie moving back but then fouling the rear casting which is left to secure the body as normal to the chassis.

 

At times I will do something completely different and other times try to keep as much originality as possible.

 

Garry

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Alan Smith's Lydney was a well-known TT3 layout on the exhibition circuit in the 1960s. Starting as a table-top layout it expanded over the years into something of an empire. Quite a few articles in Railway Modeller.

 

The scale may be a minority one, but these days it's a healthy mix of anything from Triang-based on 12mm track, through other 12mm options, to 14.2mm finescale. Here's a snap of my (very) slowly developing 14.2mm layout, Port Aeron:

 

post-26119-0-12194600-1501091768_thumb.jpg

 

It's a great scale for those interested in doing their own thing.

 

Nigel

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Alan Smith's Lydney was a well-known TT3 layout on the exhibition circuit in the 1960s. Starting as a table-top layout it expanded over the years into something of an empire. Quite a few articles in Railway Modeller.

 

I saw this a few times as a youngster and I have a feeling in a couple of various forms as it grew, I think the Modeller used "Just like Topsy". As a youngster I was fascinated about the way I thought a loco should appear after going "underground" but obviously points or curves were inside doing the opposite to my thoughts. Are there any photos etc on line about this model railway?

 

Garry

Edited by Golden Fleece 30
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Does anyone know if any information and or photos exist of George Mellor's TT layout which I think was called Rhos-on-Wye which was where his company was based. The only photo I have seen is on a corner showing a 2P on shed a long time ago, 60's, in some book I used to have. The same photo was also in a booklet by Edward Beal on TT kits.

 

Garry

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'Rhos-on-Sea' Garry.  You're getting your Rhos's and Ross's mixed up.  I think the layout was featured in the RM at the time, I must have it in my collection - but it's difficult to get to at the moment.  I saw it at the Chester Exhibition when I was a lad.  A bit 'clinical' but that was the style for 'trade' layouts back then.

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OK, I thought I could get away without comment on this topic but no luck, had a dig around to illustrate some of the ads in the first post..

 

Utility vans, just a bit heavy being all white metal

post-6952-0-74396900-1501148421.jpg

 

GWR shunters truck

 

post-6952-0-18605500-1501149012.jpg

 

MR brake vans plastic kits

 

post-6952-0-22471200-1501148493.jpg

 

ESANEL MR white metal kit

 

post-6952-0-09506600-1501148530.jpg

 

Peco wagon kits, geat conversion fodder as the chassis is almost as good as the 00 version. I have a few Triang cattle wagons, 12T vans and 16T minerals with peco chassis. Strange thing is they are not all numbered/finished. Was this a way to use up unsold stocks of body shells?

 

post-6952-0-82248500-1501148714.jpg

 

BEC type 4, not the most accurate model, especially front on but easy to motorise with 2 bogies.

 

post-6952-0-46203600-1501148783.jpg

 

Accessories, the GEM signals for TT are excellent looking models

 

post-6952-0-95549200-1501148860.jpg

 

Wrenn accessories, uncoupling ramps, or a 2 inch piece of acetate and buffers

 

post-6952-0-53814200-1501148941.jpgpost-6952-0-97385100-1501148951.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

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OK, I thought I could get away without comment on this topic but no luck, had a dig around to illustrate some of the ads in the first post..

 

Utility vans, just a bit heavy being all white metal

attachicon.gifIMG20170727191733.jpg

 

GWR shunters truck

 

attachicon.gifshunt.jpg

 

MR brake vans plastic kits

 

attachicon.gifBvans.jpg

 

ESANEL MR white metal kit

 

attachicon.gifmrbv.jpg

 

Peco wagon kits, geat conversion fodder as the chassis is almost as good as the 00 version. I have a few Triang cattle wagons, 12T vans and 16T minerals with peco chassis. Strange thing is they are not all numbered/finished. Was this a way to use up unsold stocks of body shells?

 

attachicon.gifpecowag.jpg

 

BEC type 4, not the most accurate model, especially front on but easy to motorise with 2 bogies.

 

attachicon.giftyp4.jpg

 

Accessories, the GEM signals for TT are excellent looking models

 

attachicon.gifgemsig.jpg

 

Wrenn accessories, uncoupling ramps, or a 2 inch piece of acetate and buffers

 

attachicon.giframp.jpgattachicon.gifwrennbuff.jpg

Here is my 42' parcels van awaiting touch ups to the steps and possibly Tri-ang bogies, I am undecided on that at the moment. This shows the poor roof side that did have a lot of flash to remove.

A BEC cattle van, looks like aluminium wheels that were the rage at one time, They were not successful (especially on locos) so i will swap these for brass/nickel ones.

An unopened Peco wagon kit which came as part of the collection I bought recently, this was one of the unmentioned spares.

What appears to be GEM signals.  Height wise they look a little tall but the arms look correct compared to Dublo ones.

 

Garry

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post-22530-0-73836500-1501178072_thumb.jpg

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At one time some Tri-ang bodies were sold with Peco underframes. They were a considerable improvement on Tri-ang's die-cast version but were probably too light and the wooden solebar was inappropriate for most (all?) of the Tri-ang wagons.

Edited by Il Grifone
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'Rhos-on-Sea' Garry.  You're getting your Rhos's and Ross's mixed up.  I think the layout was featured in the RM at the time, I must have it in my collection - but it's difficult to get to at the moment.  I saw it at the Chester Exhibition when I was a lad.  A bit 'clinical' but that was the style for 'trade' layouts back then.

Found it, it was RM March '60.  There are photos inside  - but are they going to be copyrighted?

 

post-807-0-29922800-1501244896_thumb.jpg

 

In this issue is a notification of the later release of the Triang TT Britannia - and the Lone Star 000 range.  The Next Next Big Thing!

 

EDIT - the layout is called 'The Rhos Valley Railway'.  You can't see the sea.  And is that a K's Prairie Tank on shed?

Edited by 5050
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Found it, it was RM March '60.  There are photos inside  - but are they going to be copyrighted?

 

attachicon.gifRM 1960 TT3.A.jpg

 

In this issue is a notification of the later release of the Triang TT Britannia - and the Lone Star 000 range.  The Next Next Big Thing!

Shouldn't that be the Next Small Thing? :jester:

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