D9020 Nimbus

Of course, Triang never did an 0-6-0 tender engine in TT-3, and the only 0-6-0 engine they did in OO for many years was the 3F which could share the "Jinty" chassis. The next time they actually produced such a loco would be the Dean Goods and 4F from the Airfix/Dapol tooling. But I don't see the logic behind some choices they've made. Why the LNER Toad B/E? There's no LNER freight loco in the range other than the J94 — a postwar loco and the brake van is in pre-1936 livery. If an A3 ever pulled a goods train in LNER days it would have been an express goods which would have used the Toad D—almost identical to the BR standard variant, which they've done in OO recently and which would be a better choice. Why the 21 ton mineral wagon? This type was used mostly for power station traffic (a few were later used for scrap metal traffic). The 16 ton version was far more common. At least Peco might produce this—they are re-tooling their N gauge version. As for diesels, they have planned the class 31 which is a type 2, although it's the longest (and also the longest-lived). They haven't modelled the 25 in OO for a long time, although it was highly regarded in its day. 31s were used on branch lines in East Anglia; they'd be more common on such lines than class 20s would be.

The 12 ton tank wagons seem to have been more numerous than these 10 ton ones and in their various variants lasted for a long time. By the 1960s, capacity was up to 35 tons (c.f. the old Airfix—now Dapol—kit). The modern TTA tank wagons planned for the range have a capacity of 45 tons.

Well, a couple of days ago actually but my pre-ordered BR brake van and a Mobil tanker have arrived. They're pictured here with an Arnold refrigerated ferry van (one of a pair I received a while back). Motive power is a Piko DR V60 (an 0-8-0 unlike the DB V60 which is an 0-6-0), one of a number of TT DR locos I have for a planned German TT layout. Most of the stock uncoupled fine with the Tillig hand uncoupler (front right), with the single exception of the refrigerator van and brake van, but they yielded to the "shovel" tool. This was issued many years ago with a Hornby OO shunter's truck (not the 21st century version) which I obtained from eBay a couple of years ago. The track is a test track made from Tillig "bedding" track.

The Dapol signals are said by N gauge modellers to be a bit overscale so might be particularly suitable for TT:120. There is a range of different types. The only snags are,: They're not cheap. They need sufficient clearance below the baseboard. Some reliability issues have been reported. Some have removed the original servo mechanism and replaced it with a third party alternative.

People have used Dapol N gauge signals with 3mm scale so they should be usable with TT:120 too. They are working signals. They do need sufficient clearance under the baseboard.

My pre-ordered brake van and a Mobil tanker ordered on Friday are both marked as dispatched. I've received one email from DPD telling me they're expecting my parcel. But which one? Surely they aren’t going to send them together?

I use sectional track (Fleischmann N gauge up to now) and in the past have used Peco pins together with a pin-pusher. The main problem I've had is that the pins are long enough to stick through the baseboard (6mm plywood). I don't have any problem lifting track if needed (Fleischmann is ready ballasted) but have switched to Fleischmann track pins more recently (they're shorter and less liable to bend). I'll probably use something similar when I build a TT:120 layout depending on what track I use. NB The word I wanted to use — pene****e — appears to be banned.

I have a DPD delivery today — at first I thought it might be the brake van which was "released" on Friday but that isn't marked as "dispatched" yet, so it must be the two half straights that were "released" on Tuesday and, according to the website, dispatched on Friday. Model shops and other manufacturers (thinking here of Rapido Trains U.K.) let you know when an item is dispatched — this seems to be beyond Hornby. I did receive an email notifying me of an order being dispatched from CCL Logistics — but it didn't say which order. It contained a DPD Local tracking link—which didn't work. Hornby really ought to do better than this—even the majority of eBay sellers do! Oh, and I was able to order a Mobil tanker on Friday. Didn't get an email acknowledgment but it's shown as "processing" on the website.

There is a bigger range of track pieces in the Tillig Modellgleis range than just the Hornby full/half/quarter straight, though nothing the length of the "extended short straight". In particular there are 36.5mm and 43mm pieces; there's also a variable length "module linking track". They connect fine to Hornby track and make some combinations possible that otherwise wouldn't be.

Before ordering anything, you need to make sure that it is just the coupling that is missing and not the pocket as well—compare the appearance with the other end of the coach to tell.

It's perhaps worth remembering that ballast in steam days wasn't always the same as today, especially on secondary lines. If you can find some colour photographs of your chosen area at the time (or, any time up to say 1960) they may be helpful. Ballast would vary depending on where it was derived from. In steam days each length of track had someone directly responsible for it—a "lengthman"—and there were prizes for the best kept length of track, so ballast was generally much neater than today—no weeds in the "four foot" (the bit between the two rails) except, perhaps, on light railways).

It might be worth pointing out that Tillig do an uncoupler track in their Modellgleis range; it is described as being "electromagnetic" but looks like a lifting plastic ramp; it's 83mm long. Obviously it can't be hand-operated. Curiously the similar item in the ballasted track range is described as "electromotive". I assume these are both electrically operated ramps.

N gauge models — even U.K. prototype — are generally cheaper than OO now — probably because of the greater level of detail in modern OO models (including even luggage racks in coaches — how you are supposed to see them I don’t know). They are generally more expensive than the new TT:120 models are at least for now. I have interests in N gauge (U.K., European and US) as well as TT:120. I still intend to have involvement in N as well as TT, my interest in TT comes from realising that I can't get a planned Minories-type layout in OO in the space I have available. The main problem with N gauge — especially U.K. — is the couplings. They can be hard to couple, hard to uncouple yet also prone to unintended uncoupling. Many U.K. N gauge models have couplings which don't lift far enough, and there are some where they don't lift at all. And it doesn't help that Bachmann/Farish have their own unique interpretation of NEM 355 coupling boxes. The QC problems being experienced by Hornby are not unique to them. Rapido Trains have had problems with their recent N gauge models, and even a batch of faulty sound decoders from ESU. And a number of people have reported issues with Dapol steam tender locos—including the A3 and A4 which they do in N. Rapido seem to be attributing some of the problems to being unable to supervise production in China in the way they usually did pre-COVID.

That would require models of the mark 3 coaches with modified sliding doors—Hornby have done these in OO.

It is curious—although for a short time in 1961-2 the principal trains were hauled by A3 Pacifics based at Leeds (Holbeck) which by then had been transferred to the NE Region. On occasion, A4 and A1 Pacifics, as well as A3s, were used on relief trains for a while post 1962, but the principal trains were by then hauled by class 45 "Peaks", a type of locomotive that Hornby have never modelled. Britannia Pacifics and 9Fs were used, as were 5MTs, but most passenger trains were hauled by "Royal Scots" or "Jubilees", none of which are yet planned. But there are other oddities too—LNER wagons and brake van but no LNER freight locos planned to haul them—though the LNER van doesn't look like one to me, and its brown livery looks an awful lot like GWR freight grey… Apart from the train sets, they don't seem to be giving much thought to providing a cohesive range.

BR did indeed run Pullman coaches in the traditional livery. During the blue era the remaining Pullman coaches were painted in blue and grey colours but different from the standard livery—mostly grey with a blue band around the windows. Apart from the "Blue Pullman" sets, the only Pullman coaches reliveried were the mark 1 based Pullmans made by Metro-Cammell — these are much more recent than the Hornby offering.

There are a few brands of "paint pen" available too — Posca is one brand and used to be stocked by Hobbycraft and Rymans. There is a wide range of colours including white and different widths too.

Most of the locos likely to be used as bankers (0-6-0Ts) would probably have a front coupling—as would the last coach in the train. Even if not, you would still have to be careful of buffer-locking if the incline was on a curve. Early in the BR period, "Jinties" were the regular bankers, together with the MR 0-10-0. The LNER 2-8-8-2 Garratt was tested on the line but doesn't seem to have been particularly popular, so the 0-10-0 was eventually replaced by a 9F. When the route passed to the Western Region, the Jinties were replaced by 94xx Pannier tanks (a different type from the 57xx planned by Hornby). Later they were replaced by class 37s, then Hymeks, then class 37s again.

The European manufacturers make figures for TT, and there are a number of vehicles too from Tillig and Busch in particular. I was under the impression that Zvezda were to a scale of 1:100.

Peco have platform edges and surfaces for TT:120 in their range.

There are also several codes for restaurant cars. These start with "R" and you might find "U" (unclassified) in the codes as well as MB (miniature buffet) for example.

At the moment the range of coaches announced is somewhat limited — for example the only mark 1 coaches available so far are the brake second (BSK) and composite (CK). An all second and a "parcels coach" (presumably a BG) are planned for phase 3 or 4. No restaurant cars announced yet, though they will surely follow, as they have made them in OO. You can't go "elsewhere" at the moment as far as RTR TT coaches are concerned. In all guides to train formations, the BR standard codes are used. The letters mean: F = first S = second (post-1956, before that this would be T = third) C = composite (contains both first and second/third class accommodation) K = corridor O = open G = gangwayed (usually only used in BG "brake gangwayed" — modellers often refer to this as a full brake) T = tourist (applies to open coaches — a TSO has more seats than an SO)

I think "winter 2024/5” is probably a mistake on the website. SK said on one of the TT Talk videos that spring 2024 was likely. At that time (January) the tooling was out to tender.

It's available to download as a PDF from the member's area of the website.

There were several types of Gresley designed coaches in teak—besides the ones announced by Hornby in TT:120 so far. There were various non-corridor coaches, some of which Hornby has done in OO, although there were many other types. In particular the LNER had a number of articulated sets — twins and triplets, especially containing restaurant coaches. There were of course also the special sets of coaches for the Silver Jubilee and Coronation. Post-war there were the Thompson coaches. These were steel-bodied but painted in "ersatz" teak livery. Hornby has done the non-corridor coaches in OO; Bachmann the corridor stock in both OO and N. There would also be bogie stock from the constituent companies—some of these lasted until around 1960. Including the GNR "quad-art" sets used on services to Moorgate. There's a video on the World of Railways YouTube channel of an operating session on Tony Wright's Little Bytham set in 1938 (not the most recent video of the layout which is set in the 1950s, the layout's usual setting). It shows a wide-range of trains from the period, culminating in… well, you'll have to watch the video for that, but there's a reason for the choice of 1938!