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If Hornby really wants to make a splash in US TT, there's one locomotive that makes sense... Big Boy. That thing would sell well to German TT fans, British TT fans, and potentially create demand for US TT fans. Hornby's Rivarossi brand has a long relationship with Big Boy. It's one of the most iconic locomotives with international appeal. That's the one I'd recommend they start with. HO and N have had solid Big Boy models for years. I bet the continental TT market would be ecstatic about having a high-quality tooling of Big Boy. But I need to stop going on tangents. That conversation just interested me. 😆

One intriguing part of the Q&A was the point on America. As an American, I'm not super interested in US prototypes. One of the reasons I chose this scale and region was because I wanted to model British prototypes (and because it's hard to get excited about modeling something that smells of sewage when you ride on it). However, I'm still heartened to hear that they're interested in making a push into America, because that means their US-based customer service and repair teams will be able to offer their services in America. It's a lot less hassle and expense to return something or get service when I'm trying to negotiate different time zones, dealing with export declarations, etc. Also, in order to get free shipping to the US you have to spend 200 GBP on the Hornby UK store. The threshold is significantly lower for the Hornby Hobbies US store. And that's not to say I wouldn't get an American locomotive. That sounded like it would years away though. But if they make the UK models available in the US store, I would be quite pleased!

The J50 is a great addition to the range! The J50 had a long service life next to the likes of the A1s and A4s. It's the perfect addition for those looking to build up a layout. I take this as a win. That pushes the total number of new toolings set for release in 2024 up to 5 locomotives, 4 coach toolings, and 3 (or 4 if you want to count the Arnold wagons... I'm inclined to stick with 3 myself) wagons. That's a solid 2024 if I do say so myself. In addition, we're getting the level crossing and a variety of signals. Things I'm perplexed that weren't announced were the new Mk 1 variants (strongly implied to be coming soon) and new A4 variants (also strongly implied to be coming soon). Very surprising. But beyond those two, I think everything here made sense. It is a little too bad the HST set leaked, because that would have been an exciting surprise. But that doesn't take away from more important point... It's going to sell super well! Finally, I'm glad to see the Class 37 is in the same capable hands that created the TTA wagons and the Duchesses. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on one!

I totally agree that product mislabelling is frustrating. For those wondering, he is referring to the Total Wagon which should be labelled Era 8 because it features the Sector logo for petroleum products. That iconography was only introduced in 1987, which falls outside the Era 7 period which ends in 1986. That's a definite mistake. I think the ESSO one is a little more debatable. While clearly in a livery that was implemented in Era 6, that livery was not phased out well into Era 7. I think it has the updated suspension, so it should fit in either Era 6 or Era 7. The TOPS codes were implemented on the TTAs incrementally, and you can even find some pictures of TTAs without TOPS codes as late as the early 1980s. So, it's not a stretch to imagine a TOPS Era freight train hauling the ESSO tankers. I'd be willing to take correction on this point though, since sometimes there are subtleties in details that I might overlook. But in general... Yeah, you're right.

Also, as a reminder, we can expect new edition of the TT:120 Club Magazine sometime very shortly. Spring edition was delayed to correspond with the range launch, and it will include information about the products announced. That could come sometime over the next week or two.

We don’t know for sure, but when TT first launched there was a commitment that the PDF copy of the catalogue would be available for free in perpetuity. It was actually listed as one of the advantages of choosing TT. So far, they’ve kept that commitment and we’re on the catalogue’s 4th iteration. It’s no guarantee, but I strongly suspect we will get a new one tomorrow.

While a petrol station is on the list of items that are coming, taxi booking office and bus station are not. They'd make a good addition! Just as a reminder, if individuals have TT product suggestion, make sure to post them in the pinned "TT:120- Loco's and Rolling Stock" thread in the Wishlist section of the board. That way Hornby won't miss out on anyone's suggestion! I also admit checking out that thread for fun, because I enjoy reading what people come up with. Here's a direct link:

That's a good summary! You could have saved me 25 minutes... 😆

Ultimately, Hornby TT:120 is about an additional option. It's no surprise that not everyone will decide to stick with TT. There are still plenty of people who will find N or OO are a better option for them. Different individuals have different preferences and needs. You need to do what's best for you and your enjoyment. There's no reason to do a layout if you're not having fun! Whatever you decide to do, I hope you'll still drop in from time to time! Cheers!

I've seen much of his OO content. I'm looking forward to watching his TT series!

I'm thinking this is some last-minute turbulence as they're getting the website sorted ahead of the launch. A lot of webpages are ready to go live on Tuesday! Yeah, they were always differently named. It let early TT buyers make complete trains. An option that will hopefully be restored in a few days!

Yeah, I'm feeling pretty confident about new Pullmans being announce. Pretty soon, they'll be two distinct sets with Pullmans. Both the Scotsman and the British Pullman set will feature the railway classics. In order to create full trains, we'll need some new Pullmans released. I'm looking forward to seeing the names they choose!

This post might be a little controversial, since it could be argued this is better suited for the "Hornby International" section. But I suspect that this will be of interest to the Hornby TT:120 crowd. If not, just comment below and I'll refrain from posting anything about Arnold TT:120 in this section again. I totally get that there are rules to these forums, and I don't want to cause mayhem. Now, onto the fun stuff... In early 2023, Hornby's Continental brand Arnold announced a brand new locomotive. They would be modeling the Vossloh DE-18 in TT. The real life prototypes are designed to be powerful and lightweight. Perfect for situations where heavier locomotives are not appropriate. Vossloh specifically designed the DE-18 to be compatible with rail standards in multiple markets. So far, its received authorization to work in Germany, Italy, and France. More authorizations are on the way, and it's expected they will soon be found all across Europe. Arnold has just updated their webpage with beautiful new images of these DE-18s. And they are stunning! There are separately fitted railings, highly detailed bogies, and working lights. It looks awesome. It's one of the most impressive TT locomotives I've ever seen in terms of detail. You can take a look at these beautiful locomotives here: https://uk.arnoldmodel.com/products/dbnorthrail-4-axle-diesel-locomotive-vossloh-de-18-grey-livery-ep-vi-hn9058?modal=-zoom https://uk.arnoldmodel.com/products/railadventure-4-axle-diesel-locomotive-vossloh-de-18-grey-livery-ep-vi-hn9059?modal=-zoom These locomotives are supposed to start arriving this summer. They look pretty polished, so hopefully it shouldn't be too long. Back in 2023, Arnold also announced they would be offering a train set that included these locomotives. It's currently unclear whether the set is still planned, or if it has subsequently been cancelled. The train set was to include 2 Arnold hopper wagons.

The sets are the absolute best way to get started. I mean no disrespect to Hornby’s OO sets, but their TT:120 sets are leagues better. You get a locomotive and three coaches from a brand new tooling. Whereas the OO sets are usually outdated models that don’t hold a candle to modern RtR models, the TT:120 sets look fantastic next to any other product in the range (because they’re the same!). I’ve gotten one TT:120 set… It won’t be my last!

That’s exactly right. Those coaches were from the pre-swallow era. The InterCity Executive livery was kind of a cross between the later Swallow and early BR Blue versions. It was not uncommon to see HSTs with BR Blue, Executive, and Swallow liveries all mixed together in a single train in the late 1980s. Eventually, all the liveries would be standardized into Swallow as the other liveries were phased out. But privatization was looming only a few years later… There’a the great livery debate when it comes to BR HSTs. Which one looked the best? 1) BR Blue: https://uk.hornby.com/products/br-class-43-hst-digital-train-pack-era-7-tt3021txsm 2) Executive: https://uk.hornby.com/products/br-intercity-executive-class-43-hst-train-pack-era-7-sound-fitted-r30097txs 3) Swallow: https://uk.hornby.com/products/br-intercity-executive-class-43-hst-train-pack-era-8-tt3022m I’ll always pick BR Blue. But I’ve heard it said that the Executive livery represented a nice intermediary stage between BR Blue and Swallow. It does have a certain tastefulness to it. I suspect that we’ll see the InterCity Executive livery in TT:120 in the coming years. It’s another classic.

Moccasin is exactly right. The early HSTs shouldn't be thought of as individual locomotives, but one complete train. The entire train was known as 254004. Within the train were power cars 43062 and 43063 along with the coaches. But the entire train was known as 254004. You can see a picture of 254004 here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362624838239?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338722076&customid=&toolid=10050 Don't bring up those exhaust deflectors- they're a sore subject! From the research I've done, every HST should have had the exhaust deflectors installed by 1981. That places the power cars in their original 1970s state. Hornby should have shipped them with the baffles in order to match the coaches which are in the post 1980 livery (with TRUB, TGS, and "125" added to the coaches). Bit of a small mistake. It's a near miss.

Sorry! I'll blame my use of the unacceptable word on being American. I've never heard of it.

I appreciate it,

One question I did have for @TaffsTT. Did the new HST come with any accessories beyond the (decorative) couplers? Congrats on the HST! I'm looking forward to getting mine!

@TaffsTT Posted this video in another thread, but it doesn't get quite as much traffic. I thought I would post the video here too. Obviously, all credit to the OP!

Good catch! Honestly, this will probably sell better than the LNER version. This is a smart move as far as I'm concerned. Assuming the running numbers are correct, these should be the same coaches that are being sold separately. They correspond to TT4023A and TT4023B. The listed running numbers in the item description has been changed in the final sample. You can see they share the same running numbers (E 42064 and E 42065) if you click on the picture and look carefully at the running number. So no exclusive coaches with this set, which isn't really a bad thing.

They really need one railway guru on their marketing team. Someone like the Hornby Magazine guys who are passionate about railway history and can hold their own with those they come into contact with. The guys actually designing the locomotives know their stuff, but they need to be represented by someone with the same knowledge of the subject matter. Part of the problem is that Hornby is both a toy company and a modeling company. Both customer bases need to be catered to. Discussing the correct livery for an early-nationalization LNER pacific express locomotive is exciting for one fanbase (probably the people here... 😂), but boring for another. By contrast, most of the modelers probably don't care about the cool Play Trains video that is released, but it's essential to get parents to buy toys for their kids. Each customer base needs a steady stream of content. Hornby can't succeed without honoring both halves of its business.

I just got my shipment notification from UPS. It shouldn't be long now!

The Scotsman Digital Set comes equipped with Hornby's latest decoder. The decoder allows direct control via a smartphone app. I've really enjoyed being able to control it via my smartphone! However, for those with established DCC platforms, the HM7000 is also compatible with classic DCC controllers. It gives you the flexibility to use both traditional DCC and the phone app. For an extensive discussion on HM7000, you can see the HM7000 manual here: https://d63oxfkn1m8sf.cloudfront.net/1217/0065/0861/HM7000_Series_Decoders_Reference_Manual_V1.3.0_-_201123.pdf

It made me double check the website too... 😅