Hornby A2/2s 60501 "Cock O' The North" and 60505 "Thane Of Fife".

[Dave Horn 69]

I've just posted this query in the "General discussion" section but feel that it is more appropriate to post it here as a DCC matter. I've just bought the Hornby A2/2s 60501 "Cock O' The North" and 60505 "Thane Of Fife". Apart from the very poor representation of Brunswick Green livery and some moulded hand rails on the tender, I'm very pleased with them, especially the detail differences between the two on the engine and tender. I wanted them sound-fitted at source but there was no Hornby A2 TTS chip available, which appears to be a complete oversight on the part of Hornby, and I didn't want to pay £100+ for a "normal" chip, I had the choice of an A1, A3 or A4 TTS chip. The dealer advised the A1 chip and, as the A2/2s, by the period modelled, had Peppercorn boilers, I agreed and went with the A1 TTS chip. With hindsight, I suppose that it's mainly the cylinders and blast pipe that create an engine classes unique sound. Which TTS chip do you think would have been best for an A2/2? With hindsight I now believe that I should have gone with the A3 TTS chip or paid the £100+ for "proper" A2 chips.

[ColinB]

I put the A1/A3 TTS decoder in mine. I did the same as you and put a post in this forum asking which one people recommended. I got no responses, so as long as it makes a noise and more importantly the whistle is right then I am happy. Originally I was paying £29.95 for each one off a software games company which is not much more than a decent decoder, so that is what I bought. At that price you can upgrade to the £100 one when you are ready, although I must admit when I looked there wasn't one available. After Hornby's price rise and new terms and conditions, meaning no big discounts, TTS decoders are not so appealing.

[Dave Horn 69]

Thanks for the info, Colin. The T.T.S. decoders, bought at and fitted by Hattons with the engines, have gone up in price considerably from around £25-£29 to £41.50 each with the shop saying that no discount from that price could be offered, as it and other prices were notified by Hornby. I put a comment on this, which is effectively price fixing (which I said that I thought was illegal and abolition of which had been fought for long and hard) within my review of the Hornby catalogue. I also mentioned that at least one large retailer had refused to stock Hornby in view of this. I ended the review by saying that I thought that Hornby would not publish it and sure enough I cannot find it anywhere - it's vanished down the black hole of blatant censorship. Anyway, I'm glad that I presumably have the chime whistle, which I've always preferred. Next time, and in future, I'll be buying the "proper" £100 sound chips.

[ColinB]

I get my TTS sound decoders from Bure Valley Models, being a preserved railway trust it gets away with a lot more. There again I fit them myself. Hornby have to be very careful at about £30, I will put up with them having a reliability issue, at £40 they begin to not look as such a good option. I know Hornby has a no quibble guarantee for the first year, but after that you are on your own. Both Zimo and Loksound do a replacement for £30 if you need a replacement. When you realise you are getting a new £100 decoder for £30 then it looks a better bet, but in reality the more expensive decoders fail less. Give Hornby a couple of years when demand falls and it will return to normal, they "try it on" every so often.

[96RAF]

@colin

Have faith in future TTS decoders. All I can say is more for less.