Hornby announce TT:120

[Steamport Southport]

9 hours ago, natterjack said:

I have a probably wrong recollection that it took forever for a decent competitor to the Hornby diecast to arrive on the OO scene. The class is now well served and sells well in all main UK outline scales. Should be a no-brainer for Heljan - if they are interested in TT120.

 

1984 so not that long into the "better" detailed era.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/directory/versiondetails/1470/lima_oo_class_20

 

 

Jason

[idd15]

Hornby have increased prices on a number of TT120 items. 08 is now £136.99, rise of about 15%. 😪

 

Hey ho, don’t cha just lurve inflationary pressures…

 

idd

Edited June 20, 2023 by idd15
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[MartinRS]

On 18/06/2023 at 12:03, Gatesheadgeek said:

There seems to be no appetite for other manufacturers to dip their toe into producing a TT locomotive after Hornby announced their 5+ year plan last October. Do we think that there might be a gap for wagons or coaches as a lower risk way of testing demand & proving the concept?

Osborn's Models announced plans for a 3D printed RTR GWR Toad a few weeks ago. Though I'm more interested in BR (ex-GCR) green diesel rolling stock I'll probably buy one, subject to it getting good reviews. See https://www.osbornsmodels.com and navigate via the TT:120 Scale link. then follow the Osborn's TT:120 Exclusives link. (I can't post the direct link probably because it is served out via ASP).

Edited June 20, 2023 by MartinRS
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[Guest]

4 minutes ago, idd15 said:

Hornby have increased prices on a number of TT120 items. 08 is now £136.99, rise of about 15%. 😪

 

Hey ho, don’t cha just lurve inflationary pressures…

 

idd

There was a similar thing a few months back but prices corrected the following morning.  These price rises are very inconsistent with different liveries at different prices. Suggest waiting until the morning.   

[MartinRS]

1 minute ago, Gatesheadgeek said:

There was a similar thing a few months back but prices corrected the following morning.  These price rises are very inconsistent with different liveries at different prices. Suggest waiting until the morning.   

I was looking at the price of track this morning and thought it had increased. (I'm not at home so couldn't check the present prices against my receipts for items I had already bought).

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, MartinRS said:

I was looking at the price of track this morning and thought it had increased. (I'm not at home so couldn't check the present prices against my receipts for items I had already bought).

If you go to your account on the website, all your orders are listed there with prices of each item. I ordered a load of points and track last night that cost £50.88. On prices showing tonight, it would have cost at least £67.

[Pacific231G]

On 18/06/2023 at 11:02, The Stationmaster said:

Basically 'yes' with some. exceptions.

 

'Long hood' was the No.1 end on the various Type 1 diesel electrics.

On all (from a quick check of the Diagram Book) BR main line diesel electrics the fan end was the No.1 end.

BR Diesel Hydraulics had  'A' and 'B' ends instead of No.s 1 & 2 ends. (incidentally on a Hymek the fan was at the B end)

 

I can't receall ever seeing the end number/letter marked externally on any BR diesels.  There was clearly no need for it to be marked on any diesel electrics as you only had to look at them to know which end was which although something might possibly have been fdone on some in very early days.   Equally there wasn't really much need for anyone to know from outside the loco which end was which on a diesel hydraulic.

Operationally it makes no real difference on the big railway but my question was how modellers using DCC determine which way their motive power is going to go when you turn the controller. This is going to be particularly difficult on any layout with a reverse curve and in TT those are more practical than in H0/00 . It's worth recalling that CJF suggested a reverse curve instead of  a fiddle yard for his original Minories-which was designed for TT-3-  on the grounds that, when, working an intensive commuter service, the trains would likely be almost identical  but, for a sole operator, a reverse curve could alway supply the next train, It wouild probably hold two or three,  so you could focus on operating the station (a real challenge for an intensive service using turnover locos)  without spending half your time making up trains in the fiddle yard. 

Edited June 21, 2023 by Pacific231G

[natterjack]

3 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

No.1 end on the various Type 1 diesel electrics.

In my experience of viewing official drawings there seems to have been a convention of  the main side elevation being oriented with left end  being the 'front' or' No1' end  and the right end the 'rear' or 'No2' end. Doubtless there are examples of the opposite. With a number of double ended locomotives the distinction has importance as to the location of heating and power unit maintenance.

[The Stationmaster]

43 minutes ago, natterjack said:

In my experience of viewing official drawings there seems to have been a convention of  the main side elevation being oriented with left end  being the 'front' or' No1' end  and the right end the 'rear' or 'No2' end. Doubtless there are examples of the opposite. With a number of double ended locomotives the distinction has importance as to the location of heating and power unit maintenance.

All the drawings in the BR Main Line Diesel Loco Diagrams book put the No.1/A end on the left so anybody using those diagrams elsewhere is going to finish up using that orientation.

[Pacific231G]

20 minutes ago, natterjack said:

In my experience of viewing official drawings there seems to have been a convention of  the main side elevation being oriented with left end  being the 'front' or' No1' end  and the right end the 'rear' or 'No2' end. Doubtless there are examples of the opposite. With a number of double ended locomotives the distinction has importance as to the location of heating and power unit maintenance.

Hi Natterjack. You're actally quoting my quote from The Stationmaster. I'm afraid I know little about no 1 ends on type 1 DEs. 

 

Clearly it is important to know which end is which when the locomotive or set goes into the maintenance shed- the exterior may be generally symmetrical but the internal working are not-  but not very important if at all in daily service.

I have noticed a preference, though with enough exceptions to not perhaps be a convention, in works drawings for steam locos to be oriented front to the left which is slightly odd as they are more commonly ilustrated or photographed travelling from left to right (probably because we read left to right so that direction of travel is preferred) so presumably that continued with diesel and electric drawings.

[natterjack]

21 minutes ago, Pacific231G said:

presumably that continued with diesel and electric drawings.

In the case of fixed rake multiple unit drawings (eg Blue Pullman), the right to left direction of travel usually holds- or rather I have not seen the reverse. So, the first drawing in a set will have a leading end to the left and similarly with direction/coupling specific vehicles.

[Covkid]

Nice to see images of the livery proof HSTs in the latest magazine. BR blue and grey,  IC Swallow and GWR green.

 

Got to be good for non Gresley TT:120 modellers !!!

[BachelorBoy]

From Hornby's 2023 annual report

 

[lapford34102]

It's been mentioned before but when I went in today looks as if the full range on sale at the visitors centre.

The 08's look very good.

 

Stu

[JohnR]

Gaugemaster have just announced they will be stocking Hornby TT:120

[Steamport Southport]

11 minutes ago, JohnR said:

Gaugemaster have just announced they will be stocking Hornby TT:120

 

 

https://www.gaugemasterretail.com/news/article/view/id/1259/

 

Maybe that is why Hornby prices went up a bit as these are about the same as the prices Hornby were previously.

 

 

 

Jason

[MarkSG]

18 minutes ago, JohnR said:

Gaugemaster have just announced they will be stocking Hornby TT:120

 

I did predict, earlier this year, that if TT:120 was successful then Hornby would soon drop their "direct only" policy. So I'm now off to award myself a bonus smug point.

[natterjack]

5 minutes ago, MarkSG said:

Hornby would soon drop their "direct only" policy.

For those not aware, Peters Spares is now  a source for Hornby TT120 PARTS- I've just bought some drive wheels for a scratch project.

[The Stationmaster]

23 hours ago, natterjack said:

In the case of fixed rake multiple unit drawings (eg Blue Pullman), the right to left direction of travel usually holds- or rather I have not seen the reverse. So, the first drawing in a set will have a leading end to the left and similarly with direction/coupling specific vehicles.

As the Blue Pullmans had a power car at both ends the BR reference drawings of them show both ends.  So they have an end facing left and an end facing right (I know that for definite as I have just checked the drawing in the  WR Instruction booklet for them).  

Jut add a little bit of spice on the WR sets Coach A for reservation purposes was the Bristol/Wolverhampton end power car (to the left) and Coach H for reservation purposes was the London end power car to the right.   So the WR sets had an A end and an H end.

[natterjack]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

As the Blue Pullmans had a power car at both ends

Ahem, did you see my mention of the first drawing in a set??  Most BP official sourced  drawings will include 3 or 4 vehicles per set as these were the 'fixed rakes'; so what you have in a train of two fixed sets and two number  1 ends- fun innit.

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, natterjack said:

Ahem, did you see my mention of the first drawing in a set??  Most BP official sourced  drawings will include 3 or 4 vehicles per set as these were the 'fixed rakes'; so what you have in a train of two fixed sets and two number  1 ends- fun innit.

Except the official drawing which I have shows a complete 8 car train.

[natterjack]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

Except the official drawing which I have shows a complete 8 car train.

We are dancing on the head of a pin; the left hand end of your drawing is a number 1 end and the right hand end of your drawing is a number 1 end. These trains were made up of two discrete sets that could be run independently and the bogie drive was split between the outer end 'motor car'  and its immediate trailer (subject to 6 or 8 car iteration) Thus, whichever way you want to put it, the motive power elements had a pointy end with a cab and a blunt end with no controls.

[Steamport Southport]

About half a dozen posts above....

 

😛

 

 

 

[luke_stevens]

On 21/06/2023 at 21:16, Covkid said:

Nice to see images of the livery proof HSTs in the latest magazine. BR blue and grey,  IC Swallow and GWR green.

 

Got to be good for non Gresley TT:120 modellers !!!

 

Just to check, the Blue Grey HST (ER) has the correct introductory 254 number but seems to have the electrification orange strip on the cab-end. I don't think that's correct for 1977.

 

Can anyone confirm when the HST's started to get the orange stripes?

 

Luke

[frobisher]

On 23/06/2023 at 00:17, luke_stevens said:

Just to check, the Blue Grey HST (ER) has the correct introductory 254 number but seems to have the electrification orange strip on the cab-end. I don't think that's correct for 1977.

 

Can anyone confirm when the HST's started to get the orange stripes?

 

The set numbers persisted well into 80's. But a quick trawl around seems to indicate that first ones didn't have them in 1977 but the stripe is present in PCs in 1979 so there is definitely crossover.