Generic Hornby Username

Yeah, and if you're doing an order the incredibly good value Arnold Refrigerator Cars are still in stock at msl. They are Era III, and were used in Britain. The two vans are priced right around 40 Euros. By comparison, a single refrigerated van on the Arnold website is priced at 37 Euros. So you're getting an entire additional van for the price of one! https://www.modellbahnshop-lippe.com/Freight+cars+%26+Goods+Wagons/Refrigerator+cars/Arnold%2DHN9724/gb/modell_363397.html

Surprise- your TT120 Club Clock will be shipping! joy https://uk.hornby.com/products/hornby-tt120-clock-tt2004

I'll also give a shout out to the rapidly expanding Modelux range. They have been adding new British TT120 models pretty much every month. Very impressive commitment to the platform worthy of praise and attention from TT modelers. https://www.modelux.store/tt-gauge-1?page=2 And of course I need to mention West Hill Wagon Works. They have lots of accessories for buildings. The details do come unpainted, but they're very useful. https://westhillwagonworks.com/19-tt120

I think your reasoning is spot on. If there were to be a surprise product or products, I would lean towards it being TT1003M or TT1004M. These are the "British Pullman" and "LNER East Coast Mainline HST" sets. I have this suspicion for a few reasons. The first is that the original two train sets (Scotsman and Easterner) were supposed to be the original blockbuster releases out of the TT120 range for Christmas of 2022. While they would ultimately slip back to early 2023 due to the wheel problems, it shows Hornby's thinking. The train sets are their headliners. It would make perfect sense for TT1003M and TT1004M to drop in time for Christmas. We know the HSTs are pretty much ready to go based on the samples of the 43s and MK IIIs we've seen. Launching the new Class 43 tooling in a train set just like they launched the A1 in a set is consistent with their thinking. It also sets up 2024 for a good year of sales growth. The second reason is that we know the TT train sets are the absolute priority right now at Margate. The train sets are the entry point for many consumers into TT120. Increasing the selection of train sets makes total sense (especially before Christmas). Bachmann is also preparing an onslaught of N-Scale train sets for release. So, competition will be fierce. These two sets are just the ticket to ensure strong sales. If my conjecture is right, then Hornby might release the Era 7 Mainline Express set ahead of Christmas of 2024 with either the Class 37 or Class 47 to usher in Phase 3 in 2025. This is a pretty solid lineup. And I totally agree with your point on the TT120 Club exclusive model. Of course, there is a possible reason why they might announce a TT120 Club exclusive. Suppose they announce a club exclusive Class 08 shunter in green. They could announce preorders will open in late November. Suddenly, all the free TT120 Club signups will have a strong reason (in addition to the extra points) to renew their membership for another year. Hornby had really strong momentum and signups the first year. While they obviously can't expect every person is going to buy the membership, the Class 08 shunter in an attractive livery is an extra nudge to renew.

This all struck me as a transition month. TT Talk seems like it's being reinvented as a more polished video segment. I enjoyed the old format, but this one should be more pithy and direct. Instead of live interviews and Q&As, we'll get a few segments each month. It's good to see Hornby's marketing team posting again. They clearly had some turbulence due to Simon's departure. There was less content being posted in its aftermath. Now they've resumed posting, so hopefully we see more information going forward. We should get a more regular stream of content out of Margate about TT120. In long run this should probably be for the better, but right now I'm a little disappointed. Of course, I'm willing to be patient.

Yeah, I have to agree. I could be wrong, but I can't imagine those DCC clips add much cost at all to the set. It seems like it would be a few cents to include them, while saving the consumer any unexpected headaches. Because these are the introductory products, having some DCC clips to install would be useful as a way to teach consumers how to equip them.

Oh, now there's an idea. Looking at the release document, it describes the Mainline Express set as either a Phase 2 or 3 set. Seeing as it's at the end of the list I figured it would be Phase 3. That corresponded with the 37/47. This led to my suspicion that it would be a class 37 in BR blue. You'll note that the 37 is only being released in Era 6 (probably green livery) and Era 9 liveries. That leaves a hole in the lineup for a BR Blue Era 7 Class 37, which would make for the perfect train set. Pair it with Mk. 1 coaches in BR blue or MK2s, and they'd have a set I'd happily purchase. Your hypothesis is also compelling. I bet that Class 50 setup would sell super well- I'd pick one up myself! I'm hoping we get some information on the August 16th Train Terminal. Phase 2 is racing to the finish. It's time we got some new renders for Phase 3./

I double checked the catalog, and I can confirm the LNER HST is on there. The one I'm really curious about is the Era 7 "Mainline Express Electric Train Set." I'm curious as to what the composition of that set will be. I might get it if it has a BR Blue Class 37/47. I hope we get more information!

Same for me. I can access all the other Train Terminals, but not this one. At least we know there are decorated samples of Mark 3s, Class 43s, and Mark 2fs. Though, I would LOVE to read the whole article to see more! I'm actually starting to have hope that the HSTs might come sooner than the listed time! It seems like Phase 2 is almost finished... Then onto Phase 3!

The Arnold ferry boat refrigerator cars are on sale at this German hobby shop. Their normal MRSP is 75 Euros. They're on sale for just 36 Euros! They're useful for both British and Continental TT modelers because they made it to Britain too. It might be worth taking a look at. Sorry if this not allowed, I just figured someone modelling Era 3 in TT might like this. https://www.modellbahnshop-lippe.com/Freight+cars+%26+Goods+Wagons/Refrigerator+cars/Arnold%2DHN9724/gb/modell_363397.html

There have been some great suggestions so far! My layout is set around 1980, so BR Blue TOPS era is what I'm most interested in. Priorities for me are: 1) BR. 20 ton Brake Vans (CAR/CAO/CAP)- This one seems to be a "bread and butter" option. These vans are essential for many train formations and shunting. They also saw many liveries over the years allowing for multiple versions. This one is probably most important. 2) MK I. in BR Blue- With the existing tooling already created, it should be affordable while adding significant utility to modelers. A BR Blue MK I Buffet would be particularly excellent. 3) More TOPS-era freight wagons both vacuum and air braked 4) BR Blue Parcel Wagons- As others mentioned, this would be excellent. Those 4 points are some of the ones I think are most reasonable and most pressing. If I'm dreaming: 1) Class 121/122- Either of the Bubble Cars would be a great! 2) Class 20- The Class 20 is a workhorse that has seen many liveries in its decades of service. It also made its way to the continent, meaning that continental TT modelers could add it to their collection. A win-win for British modelers and continental modelers. 3) APT- This one might be a stretch, but it would be cool. The tilt action of the OO model could be jettisoned for a more traditional model. It would be a compromise, but I'm not sure how well the tilt would work on the smaller scale. This would also help keep prices lower. 4) Other DMUs- More DMUs would be great

I'm glad this is being brought up. I was going in to preorder a complete set of Intercity coaches. I'm American, so I have to pay an additional shipping fee for smaller international deliveries (which I totally understand). Imagine my surprise when each of the seven coaches included a 30 pound fee. 210 pounds in addition to the ~220 pounds for the actual coaches. I decided to hold off purchasing the coaches until they were in stock. Then three days later the prices went up. I would love an option to ship once the order is complete. It would have saved me some money. I'm going to go ahead with preordering HST locomotive pack since it has free shipping. Then, once the coaches are in stock I hope to be able to pick them up too.

Agreed on benefits of the common scale for international modeling. For example, if Hornby were to release a Class 20 in their TT120 range, they could also release it through Arnold for the French market (they had Class 20s for decades). If they developed a version of the Flirt trains in TT 120, Arnold could release the Flirt's German cousins that likely could use the same tooling resulting in lower prices. To say nothing of the Eurostar trains that could be cross marketed. There's also the possibility for other manufacturers like Tillig doing the same thing with their Continental models. Lots of options! As for United States TT120 models, things are pretty dismal. If you're interested I would point you in the direction of a forum called ttnut.com. They are a small, but dedicated, group of American TT120 modelers. It's probably similar to the people who model in the in the old British TT scale. Lots of skilled DIY and patience.

If you all are looking for slight discounts, Gaugemaster has their Hornby TT120 models just below RRP. It wouldn’t be enough to beat the 15% discount available to original club members, but it’s good to see other retailers picking up the range and offering different pricing. I suspect that more retailers will join up soon.

Interesting update. Both sound and non-sound variants of the Class 43 going up by £50. That represents an increase of nearly 30% for the non-sound variant. So this is a sizable increase. Also of interest, it appears they have changed their product pricing strategy. Before the mainline steam locomotives were all the same price at £145.99. Now there is stratification. The most expensive steam locomotive in the range is now the Flying Scotsman at £176.99 for the non-sound version. That’s a more than 20% increase. Compare that to the non-sound Mallard’s price of £163.99 which represents a more modest 12.3% increase. Overall these moves seem to indicate a new stratified pricing strategy. It will be interesting to see how people receive it. These pricing moves also should tell us that TT120 is being well received. You don’t raise prices by 20% overnight for locomotives that aren’t selling. I’m also seeing the Trigo Bundle has already sold out. Bonkers.

I've been enjoying the HighFell videos. I just looked up the shorts. Man, there's nothing like a long rake of wagons! Fantastic locos and rolling stock mixed with your fantastic scenery work. Superb!

As mentioned in the thread title, the entire range of Bassett-Lowke has been moved to outlet. This is an interesting move on Hornby's part. I would not be surprised if this signals the end of the Bassett-Lowke brand. That or a relaunch is imminent, but I find that doubtful. There has been no new information To opine a little... I admire the aim of expanding the appeal of model railways, but I am unconvinced that ventures like this are the way. By contrast, TT:120 and HM7000 seem like the far-superior method of growing the company. I'm planning my first layout because of those two wonderful new product ranges. They hooked in this guy in his mid-twenties. Ease of use, affordability, and compact size make these Hornby ranges incredibly attractive. Moderators, apologies if this has already been noted.

Right now my plan is to model the WR in the late 1970s/early 1980s. This was partially driven by the HST that is being released coming in the 7 coach configuration consistent with the Great Western Mainline. Right now, between the HST and the Leviathan (if you want to be depressed, I found pictures of her before scrapping) that region and time period is well covered. And with the Class 47, it will only get better. I agree with the other posters that DMUs be a great addition. In particular, I would be delighted to see one of the Class 121 or 122 "Bubble Cars." That would open the possibility of creating a small branch line using one of those models. I think I would get a kick out of that. And this is obvious, but as many accessories as possible. I'm excited to see everything that will be released. I'm especially interested in things like Diesel Sheds and station platforms. I know more is in the pipeline, so I'm excited to see what comes next!

That is a fantastic resource, Johnathan! Thank you for linking to that website- that's exactly what I was looking for! I have sent off an email to Hornby. Let's if we can clear this up! Very neat information, Hobby! And that's a cool job! And you raise an interesting question about the music, Daedalus... thinking_facewinkjoy Though, I'd hate to have to listen to orchestra playing over the Amtrak PA system!

Absolutely gorgeous! Well done!

Thanks for the responses! The world of HST has been fascinating to explore. I think one of my favorite facts was learning about the introduction of the 44XXX coaches for the guard. They originally had a compartment in one of the cabs, but the noise was so bad next to the engine, that they built the 44XXX coaches with a new guard compartment. I appreciated seeing that detail in the Hornby model! Though, I admittedly had no idea what a "guard" was because that term is not used in the United States. I was like "why do they need guarded carriages?" haha I think I might send an email to that Hornby address. I'll post any reply I get here so you all can see it too. Cheers!

I want to preface this by saying I am a total and complete novice on all things model trains. To make things worse, I am also an American so I am not familiar with British Rail. So my knowledge base in nonexistent. Anyway, I was looking through the website and fell in love with the HST Intercity 125 in its classic livery. I have no rational reason to be attracted to it, but it just instantly caught my eye. I love the British Rail logo, the livery, and of course the HST's classic bodywork. It's a lovely train that has me strongly considering buying my first rail model. I am a bit rigid on accuracy... So I went through and found the associated carriages in the TT:120 section of the store. It's been enjoyable learning about all the coaches and their specific functions. One of the things I do know about trains is that they are typically ordered in certain ways. So I went and searched for how the HST would have been ordered. I found a helpful forum post describing a rake of coaches in an HST from 1980: 41015, 41016, 40007, 42023, 42022, 42021, 44009 41045, 41046, 40002, 42066, 42105, 42067, 42068 https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/126183-early-class-253-formations/ I thought these descriptions sounded perfect, because the HST listed on Hornby's website includes seven coaches. According to Wikipedia (I know I know) the number prefixes would indicate: First, First, Buffet/Kitchen, Second, Second, Second, Guard Second and First, First, Buffet/Kitchen, Second, Second, Second, Second So how does the Hornby rake of coaches compare? Perfectly! First (TT4025), First (TT4025A), Restaurant/Buffet (TT4026), Second ( TT4023), Second (TT4023A), Second (TT4023B), Guard Second (TT4024) So all seemed to be making sense. And then I realized I must have made an error. The number listed on each locomotive doesn't seem to correspond properly to the values listed above. There should be two 41XXX train cars at the beginning of the train. Instead, if I built the train according to what I described above, it would be: 41071, 40172, 40728, 42139, 42140, 42141, 44048 So now there was an extra 40XXX carriage in the rake. According to the stuff I could find, this indicates another dining carriage. After more digging, I did find evidence that there had once been more dining carriages onboard the early HSTs. As many as three (2 buffet cars and a kitchen car) from what I read. So is TT4025A a dining carriage? Well, there is no indication of that. It looks identical to TT4025. I started to wonder if 40172 was a misprint, and in fact TT4025A should be labeled 41072. This would make sense, if someone just mistyped and switched the one and the zero. It would also make the carriages 41071 and 41072 sequential like the second-class carriages. So I zoomed in on the picture of TT4025A expecting to see 41072 on the bodywork. Nope. It carried the same 40172 number. So my theory on the website error was DOA. This lead me to do more research. Ultimately, I have come to three possible answers. Apparently, some of the 40XXX carriages ended up being reworked into other types of carriages when it became clear that the dining capacity was excessive (three dining cars on a HST is a lot!). So I wondered if the 40172 had been a dining car before being reworked into a first class carriage. But I would have expected it to be renumbered to match the 41XXX family. It's possible, but I feel unconvinced. Another possibility is that 40172 is in fact a first class dining car. I did find some references to this, but I don't know if they were on the HSTs. It also begs the question of why it would be visually identical to TT4025 and not bear markings that it was in fact a dining car. The third possibility is that Wikipedia is wrong (who could have foreseen this?) and some first class carriages also carried the 40XXX designation. After hours of research looking for good information, I am still unsure. I looked for a national registry of rolling stock, and all I found was the RSSB R2 listing that was unfortunately behind some sort special account access. And British Rail records from that time period in the National Archives haven't been digitized. I know this is probably the most boring post of all time, but I would love some clarity on this issue. I want to know the secret of TT4025A! What is that carriage? If any of you model railroading experts can help, I would be most appreciative!