The new TT (‘Table Top’) 1:120 model rail system has been launched for modellers who wish to have a smaller space for their hobby.
David Jefferis: The biggest name in UK rail modelling is the long-established company Hornby, and it has gone all-out on launching TT:120, a scale that has been off the market for decades. Launching an entire system is no small thing, especially as the company’s TT range has been created with a range of locomotives, rolling stock, trackwork, buildings, accessories, even vehicles, right from the start.
The TT:120 catalogue is an impressive colour production, available as hardcopy or online as an ebook PDF. In its pages, you can see that Hornby seems to have done its homework, as there is plenty to choose from. For this occasional rail fan, the most appealing offerings are the ready-made model train sets. Here you get a locomotive, coaches, track, track mat, plus a power controller and supply.
Just as the Spitfire and Mustang are classic model aircraft choices, so for train enthusiasts, the Nigel Gresley-designed A1 and A4 locomotives are hot favourites. For me, The Easterner train set is the one to have, as I have a real thing for Gresley’s streamlined A4.
Will that train set be a success? We have to wait and see, as the order will take a while to arrive. Meantime, a major attraction of TT for me is that it is to a standard 1:120 scale. Unlike the UK-only 00 gauge 1:76 scale, which is at odds with virtually the whole world’s 1:87 HO, TT:120 is to a size echoed by other manufacturers, including ones based in Europe. And that means my Easterner set can have continental stock displayed on the same track, with no misgivings about the accuracy of their relative sizes.
Hornby has been joined by Peco, known particularly for manufacturing track and other accessories. And, at least for the time being, TT:120 will be available only online, rather than through the usual retail outlets. Maybe that approach is a winner, maybe not. It’s probably a bit of a gamble, but for anyone used to ordering via their computer, buying online shouldn’t represent a problem.
The Hornby TT:120 Club offers discounts, so is worth joining. It’s free until the end January 2023, so click the link below to join up.
