Survey - Hornby please provide TTS Kits

[choralc]

I have placed this in the General Discussion Area as it has the highest visibility by default.

 

So a King is available with TTS but it's BR Blue and you model pre-nationalisation. So you buy it to strip out the TTS module to fit into your GWR model. You then have to sell the BR model on. It's brand new but you won't get near the value of a DCCr King for it.

 

The 2P and Black 5 are on pre-order but also BR. Yes you could buy a Zimo for some of your models or even go ESU but some of us can't afford those or the TTS is sufficient for our wants.

 

The question has been asked for quite a while so let's let Hornby know what is the demand. Please identify loco type and to statrt with only include those that have already been provided or were to be avialbale before the cutbacks to models announced recently, e.g. Bl

[choralc]

I would buy TTS modules/Kits for:

 

A1 x 1

A4 x 2

Hall x 1

King x 1

Fowler 2P x 1

Black 5 x 2

[96RAF]

I would be happy with generic modules in these categories, as the steamers already appear to be based on 2-cylinder generic steam sounds. 

mainline steam (big locos - 2-6-0, 4-6-2, 8s @ 10s, etc)

branchline steam (small locos (0-6-0, 0-4-0, 4-4-0, etc)

big diesels

small diesels

All the above with an appropriate selection of whistles and horns, brake and flange noise and less choice of door slams, coupling noises, etc. Maybe one of these 'recovered' functions could be made into a proper brake applicator (if thats a word).

[St1ngr4y]

The Classes 40, 37 and 20 all have the distinctive "whistler" sound, so the TTS which is in the Class 20 or Class 40 could be used in a Class 37 too.

Ray

[Yelrow]

Ex hornby tts decoders/ speakers are selling for £70 on ebay. The whole reason for fitting them, was to sell more locos. Surely if they market seperately, loco sales will drop, as we will buy and fit to our existing locos. I am not against the concept, but think hornby will be. john

[poliss]

No John. Profits would rise as people would buy them to fit into their existing locos of whatever brand they happen to have.

[dynax]

I agree with Poliss, lets say 100 sales of £100 for a loco, or 1000 sales of a £25-£30 sound decoder, it's a no brainer as far as i'm concerned and there is no reason why Hornby can't do both, have a limited run each year of TTS locos, but make the decoders available as a seperate item, people who want the loco will still buy as will people who just want a decoder, everybody wins,

[james_nelmes]

 I would like:

Class 40

Class 25

Class 37

Class 47

I agree that everyone would win and could be a valuable new line for Hornby.

[WilliamDavid]

I have a need for 

3 x Hall

1 x Castle

1 x King

4 x A3

1 x Class 47

1 x Class 25

1 X Class 66

1 x B17

1 x K1

and for many others.

[Yelrow]

The point missing is that the sales of tts locos would reduce, as people take the option as poliss said. There is far more profit in tts loco, as is now. The other fact is that  some of these decoders, have to be returned.for replacement  Hornby are not geared up for large decoder workshop. It would be a total no brainer to  sell these seperately. Hornby make model trains, into which they fit these. Thats the core business, not  decoders. By all means if it makes any sense to them, licence out decoder sales.  That way, the licencee, is stuck with repairs. john

[dynax]

Hornby already sell the Sapphire and the basic decoder, having another decoder as a seperate item is not beyond them, these are made by a third party branded as Hornby, it would be no different with a TTS decoder, if anything it could become a staple product that keeps them in the black, there might be more profit in TTS fitted loco, but they would no doubt sell more decoders for retro fitting, after doing a bit of browsing, i found that TCS are producing a WOW sound decoder with 6 functions but it has a price tag to match, i don't think that Hornby would lose out at selling the TTS decoders as an aftermarket product, if anything it would provide a healthy bit of competition against the other manufacturers, there is also the My loco sound decoders which are a generic sound decoder which are currently selling for £55,  so from my research into the different decoders i would think that Hornby could quite easily market the TTS as a seperate item for around the £30-£40 mark,

[poliss]

I read a post from a model shop owner who said he made more money selling the bits and pieces than he did from selling train sets. You can't survive by just selling locos. Once a set is bought at Xmas, you need to sell everything that goes with it for the rest of the year.

[dynax]

Well getting back on topic for this thread, my list would be,

A1,A3,A4, B1 x 2, class 08 x 2 ( if i could get them to fit somehow), class 25 x 2, class 26, class 42, class 43 x 6, class 50, class 52, class 55, class 110, i think that's all my current decoderless locos, there might be a few more to add over the coming weeks,

[2e0dtoeric]

Sorry, I won't be purchasing TTS, fitted or separate.

In a diesel outline they are ok, but in a steam outline, the sounds and the motion don't match up, not even nearly.

[walkingthedog]

I think that goes for steam sound generally. Diesel sound just about works.

[dh2807]

Fitting the current off the shelf sound decoders to my 72 loco's would cost far more than I could afford. However, the ability to purchase a couple of TTS decoders every month would be possible. A sure winner for Hornby. 

[choralc]

Thank you to all those, who so far have entered in to the spirit of my original post as it was never about whether Hornby should or shouldn't, could or couldn't but to give Hornby an indication of TTS products already provided that might be purchased separately. Posters who do not want sound in any form can perhaps start their own survey so that I don't have to read the unhelpful to look for relevance to topic..

[walkingthedog]

Ah but then you'd only get one side of the discussion. 

[choralc]

Ahhh, WTD this topic is not a discussion now is it? It's a request for specific data.

 

Consider this post like some of the unsolicted phone surveys:

 

"This short survey will only take 20 minutes of your time."

 

"Question 1 - Do you own or enjoy using a Hornby TTS equipped loco?"

Your answer: No, I don't like any model train sound decoders.

"Thank you for your time." Click

[Yelrow]

Chloralc. Surely any topic on a forum, must be able to be discussed.  If not, you will have to put a Disclaimer on the start of the thread.   i only want people who agree to contribute to this thread. I have several sound locos, most with TTS. and would like to add sound to many of my other older locos, but, realistically, Know, that it is unlikely, Hornby will go down this route. john

[walkingthedog]

I've started another thread as requested. 

[poliss]

I think it's ectremely likely that Hornby will be sellingb TTS decoders as a seperate item sometime in the future.

They should have done so from the very beginning, but Hornby are always very slow on the DCC front.

[AndyMac1707817969]

If I was Hornby I definitely would not be selling these separately. They will only end up taking the hit on customer services when people start trying to fit them into locos where there is no room to fit them. It is not just plugging in a decoder to a board, there has to be enough physical room to fit the speaker and have something to attach it to or secure it.

[Yelrow]

Andy, i agree, tiny customer services team would need radical increase. john

[poppasmurf]

I now have what I consider to be a more or less complete fleet of locomotives on my layout (about 18 locos) and I don't envisage buying more than one or two more over the next year or so.

But I would be very interested in buying a couple of TTS decoders every month for many of my current locomotives.  I have four Bullied Pacifics, a Q1, N15, S15, a Standard 4 tank, two T9's and a few more that could be converted.  And I could offer the old decoders on eBay.

So come on Hornby.  Show that you are interested in making a profit.