Size Comparison Photos between TT 1:120 and other scales: Standard Gauge and Narrow Gauge

[NCB]

11 hours ago, rodshaw said:

Another aspect of size is, of course, the overall area you'll need for a layout. When I first got into railway modelling and was trying to decide whether to go for OO, TT3 or N, the width I'd need for a continuous run was the deciding factor. I discarded N as too fiddly and worked out that I could make a double-track layout with sidings and a passing loop in TT 12mm gauge on a baseboard 5ft by 2ft 8in. in size:

My posting on 8 July shows the result, using 3mm Society track. I'd have needed at least 6ft by 4ft in OO, an increase in area of 60 percent which wouldn't have fitted comfortably into the limited space I had, crammed in between a freezer and storage shelves.

(The layout is pretty crude to my eyes now, being mostly Triang and Bilteezi, but might be a nice idea for modern 1:120 stock and the new building kits around the corner).

Nothing wrong with Bilteezi. The artwork itself is very good, and if you look at Mike Corp's excellent layouts such as Heybridge Wharf

https://sites.google.com/site/3mmpublic/members-layouts/heybridge-wharf

they can be adapted to provide an attractive and consistent look.

[Keith Addenbrooke]

A couple of comparisons with of the Peco Track I don’t think have been posted previously (apologies if I’ve missed some):

 

1.  The Peco Medium TT:120 point is 180mm long with a nominal 3’ radius.  Here it is with a Peco OO / HO Large point, which has a 4’ radius* (top of the picture).  It is the nearest equivalent radius, as 4’ in 1:87 HO Scale translates to 34.8” in TT:120, which is close to 3’.  Also shown (bottom of the picture) is a Peco OO / HO Medium Point which also has a nominal 3’ radius, the same as the TT:120 point in the middle.

 

Both OO / HO points diverge at 12° while the TT:120 point diverges at 11.25° 

 

 

I haven’t done an end-on comparison as my OO/HO points are all Code 100 - Finescale Code 75 would be a fairer comparison.

 

2.  Comparison between TT:120 Flextrack and Peco Code 75 H0m, as both are 12mm gauge:

 

 

 

The TT:120 track (lower and left) is noticeably finer and to me fits the job: standard gauge track in a smaller scale (in the second photo, both coaches are 1:120 European 86’ models).  Hope this helps, Keith.

___________ 

 

* The Peco OO / HO Large radius point is advertised with a nominal radius of 5’ (1524mm), but this has been discussed at length in the Layout & Track Design Forum and the consensus is that it is a 4’ radius point.

Edited July 26, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke

[Keith Addenbrooke]

A key driver behind TT:120 in the July 2022 Railway Modeller articles is the increasingly restricted space in modern homes.  As the largest of the commercially supported sub-HO scales, I found this comparison helpful in showing me the relative volumes when seen side on and end on.  Photos have been posted by others of British prototypes which are helpful, but without Z:  

 

Front to back: Z (1:220), N (1:160), TT (1:120):

 

 

The Continental Passenger Cars in N and TT both scale to 86’ prototypes.  The Z scale model is an 85’ US car, 1.4mm shorter in 1:220:

 

Left to right: Z (1:220), N (1:160), TT (1:120):

 

 

Hope this helps, Keith.

[Hobby]

That makes the TT look positively large! :)

[andythenorth]

Pretty inconclusive comparison, but worth a look…

 

Board was built for my kids, but I adopted it😛l 
 

i

Edited July 30, 2022 by andythenorth

[flubrush]

Just been messing around CNC milling some TT120 coaches and thought I would try a 3mm scale version as well.   TT120 in front and 3mm version behind.   The protoype is a Caledonian 48ft seven compartment first.

 

 

Jim.

 

Edited July 30, 2022 by flubrush

[Keith Addenbrooke]

TT:120 and N (1:160):

 

 

Not only a significant size difference, the TT has rotating wheels and axles, whereas the N wheels and axles are moulded as part of the chassis.

[irishmail]

Just for a bit of fun and I made a Scalescenes 20' container up in TT 1:120 scale just to see for myself what it would look like and If I want to 'dabble' in this scale.

 

Left to right  we have N, TT 1:120, H0 then 00.

 

The origional kit was the Scalescens 00 product printed at 100%

H0 printed at 87%

TT 1:120 printed at  63%

N  printed at   51%

 

Not the best of images, just a quick grab shot with my phone.

 

Hope this is of interests.

Edited August 22, 2022 by irishmail

[Keith Addenbrooke]

46 minutes ago, irishmail said:

Just for a bit of fun and I made a Scalescenes 20' container up in TT 1:120 scale just to see for myself what it would look like and If I want to 'dabble' in this scale.

 

Left to right  we have N, TT 1:120, H0 then 00.

 

The origional kit was the Scalescens 00 product printed at 100%

H0 printed at 87%

TT 1:120 printes at  63%

N  printes at   51%

 

Not the best of images, just a quick grab shot with my phone.

 

Hope this is of interests.

That is really helpful, thank you.  Can I just clarify which N Scale you used - I think the maths works out using British N 1:148, which is the comparison of most interest for TT:120 ?  Thanks, Keith.
 

(Continental / US N Scale is 1:160, while Japanese N Scale is 1:150, which Kato also use for their RhB Swiss Glacier Express range)

Edited August 22, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke

[irishmail]

1 minute ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

That is really helpful, thank you.  Can I just clarify which N Scale you used - I think the maths works out using British N 1:148, which is the comparison of most interest for TT:120 ?  Thanks, Keith.
 

(Continental / US N Scale is 1:160, while Japanese N Scale is 1:150, which Kato also use for their RhB Swiss Glacier Express range)

Hi Keith,

The ratio I have for the N scale container is 1:148. 

 

Regards,  John

[Keith Addenbrooke]

 

Three 3’ radius Peco Streamline points - top to bottom (cutting mat squares in cm)

 

00 - 16.5mm gauge, 914mm radius, 12° exit (sold as ‘medium’)

TT:120 - 12mm gauge, 922.6mm radius, 11.25° exit (sold as ‘medium’)

N - 9mm gauge, 914mm radius, 8° exit (sold as ‘large’)

 

Note that the clearance looks narrower on the TT:120 point than the N-Scale one (the N scale point is brand new, first time out of the packet - untouched).  Edit: additional photo showing tracks set to curved exit:

 

 

Keith.

Edited September 2, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke
Additional comment then additional photo.

[bradfordbuffer]

On 22/08/2022 at 07:34, irishmail said:

Just for a bit of fun and I made a Scalescenes 20' container up in TT 1:120 scale just to see for myself what it would look like and If I want to 'dabble' in this scale.

 

Left to right  we have N, TT 1:120, H0 then 00.

 

The origional kit was the Scalescens 00 product printed at 100%

H0 printed at 87%

TT 1:120 printed at  63%

N  printed at   51%

 

Not the best of images, just a quick grab shot with my phone.

 

Hope this is of interests.

Room for one more? 3mm scale....1:101...

[irishmail]

For anyone interested in the size comparison, Got my Tillig starter set out this evening just for a bit of fun.

From left to right, we have a Bachmann 00 class 25,  A Roco H0 class 216 diesel, then Tillig TT:120 Traxx loco.

Have to say that the Tillig loco is a nice quite and smooth runner.  To me it is a nice size and not as fiddly as N gauge!

Edited November 13, 2022 by irishmail
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