Excellent interview - thank you! Simon's a great ambassador for Hornby generally, and the TT project in particular. Had the pleasure of meeting him at Gaydon in October for the first official outing for TT120, and he's a proper gent, as this interview proves! For me, Hornby has hit and overcome every single point I dislike about indoor model railways, so I'm definitely in for TT and also the HM7000. The Peco track is really appealing, too, so at this very early stage, the outlook is bright. I wish Peco would sell direct, but understand they're a little less invested compared to Hornby, and the cost of stocking another gauge of track isn't overwhelming for the average model shop once the scale gets some traction. As a marketing exercise, TT seems really well thought through. The development and release has to happen at pace, and frankly, the local little model shop would just get in the way, if they could even afford the cash and space to devote to it. If the HM7000 allows battery power to the locos, then zero wiring becomes a possibility, which appeals greatly to me (not for the technical side - just the realism of rusty rails and dead slow running that would be possible). As Hornby has no presence in N gauge, this is the ideal opportunity to get some sales growth without cannibalising their other sales. It's so much better than N, especially for us oldies whose eyesight isn't what it once was. Thanks again - good work!
Many thanks for taking the time to comment Pete, and the idea of swapping out the capacitor for a decent battery is very intriguing. I can see that being a mod that someone is bound to try further down the line, especially in the larger locos where space might just allow it.
Thanks for an excellent interview. I find Simon's enthusiasm inspiring. Having made a significant investment in OO Gauge loco's, track and rolling stock, it has become a totally absorbing hobby. However, with each new layout I find that I lack the space to arrange it as I would like. TT120 solves all of that and allows me to model with a level of detail that I will find satisfying. I have ordered the digital version of the Easterner and plenty of extra track. Hornby's TT120 and their new approach to digital is a gamechanger. Their pricing strategy is spot on and has encouraged me to spend additional money that I had not planned to put into OO gauge.
Excellent video and at last someone prepares sensible questions! I’m loving the opportunity that TT120 has given me, the reality is there is a huge amount available, Britain is just getting going, so far very happy with Hornby’s product
Very kind of you - thanks indeed. I did try to think of a wide range of questions and prepare beforehand. I should also say Simon had sight of (most of) them beforehand. Simply because I felt it would allow him to give us better answers. My task was not to try and catch him out but to provide information for modellers.
Delighted it was of use - my intent was simply to get accurate information from the horses mouth to as many modellers as are interested in these new developments. If that was achieved, then I am more than content!
The only thing I don't understand is Hornby producing TT track while Peco - a market leader in that sector - has a rather complete realistic quality range TT track. And there are problems with the curves radius of Hornby TT Track ! If they concentrated on producing the trains and rolling stock ?? For the price point my choice would be Peco anyway. Hope to see the HM7000 soon - eager to put it in my engines. That's a major progress coming from Hornby and to applaud ! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Phil. Yes, I'd say that most of us would certainly opt for PECO, over Hornby transit track. The large plastic frogs look like 1980s stuff to me, though it seems that everything to date runs over them perfectly in fairness. But for the parent buying a set for kiddo, the Hornby track will likely serve the purpose well.
Thanks Michael. I did watch Charlie's reaction, which always comes with the benefit of vast experience and expertise, however it did not feel quite as dispassionate as I would have expected. When he was discussing Hornby only selling direct, he seemed barely able to contain his feelings. I can understand that, and we know many superb retailers, who must be feeling a bit sore, but at the end of the day, Hornby are responsible for their own business and they are the ones who have taken the risk. As far as the track goes - yup - absolutely valid - there is clearly an issue. I wonder how well the 00 track would fare under the same test?
@@mactrains Personally speaking I think Charlie is correct is his analysis. In addition, Hornby would have been a very welcome addition to, the already well established, N gauge or even OO9 but, I guess, it's not to be. I do wish Hornby success with it but it's certainly not a scale I'm interested in because it means starting again on top of my N and OO collection. I can't justify that.
We cannot get into every scale - no one can - it's just not feasible. I respect Charlie immensely and think his checks on the track was especially invaluable for us, but felt there was just a wee 'edge' in how it was presented. Thanks for taking the time to comment - the more the merrier!
Good video, thanks for that. I know Simon pretty well, and have visited the Hornby HQ a few times, and he is a lovely chap isn't he. TT: Certainly true many retailers will not accept something revolutionary. This helps me understand their approach here to establish the brand. In the future it may change.
Glad you enjoyed it @Calverfilm. Simon was indeed very approachable and relaxed, which certainly helps! Who of us can know the future, but if I was to guess I'd say that if it goes well, then stuff will start to appear in retailers. If it flops - then they have had no loss.
Really good interview, thanks for posting this. I model in HO (US outline) mainly because I can’t stomach the out of scale track with OO and N. However this scale is a great idea and I’ve ordered a set and really hope it’s a huge success as I would like to build a British layout.
Thanks Mark - I think that the out of scale nature of OO and N is the sort of niggle that bothered us more than we realised. When there was no ready alternative most of us simply put up with it. But with TT we have the choice. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
That was a good interview. The idea of TT120 was that everything would be on the same scale unlike OO running on the HO track, but you cannot make a full circle with TT120 3rd Radus curves, They overlap due to the curves being too long. Not a good start for TT120. Martin. (Thailand)
Thanks Martin - this is clearly an issue, but perhaps not fatal. It seems the curves were in fact formed correctly, but over stressed in manufacture. You can gently de-stress them manually in a few seconds, which gets them into perfect shape and accurate geometry once more. Not ideal but also not a deal breaker I don't think. I'm assuming Hornby will fix this soon. There is a thread on Hornby's TT forum relating to this. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for a very informative interview. I have been looking at starting the hobby, but I do not have space for OO, and decided N was too fiddly for my 57 year old eyes- so I guess I’m Simons target market. I like the idea of TT, love the Bluetooth control, but my “nostalgia” from a kid is for diesels etc. Just waiting for a TT120 Hmdc set with something from the 70s or 80s! Then I will become an “active” member of the TT120 club😀
Good interview. Hopefully next time you can ask him how well he thinks it’s been received, how well has it been taken up etc etc & also about some of the minor teething problems?
Thanks for watching Christopher. I seem to recall he was asked about that in the last TTTalk from Hornby, ie - if the response had met his expectations: and his response was no - but it had exceeded them. Yes, I think I ought to have included a question re the teething problems - esp the grinding noice from the LMS maroon coaches. My only excuse is that the interview was agreed on some time ago and the questions had been drafted before the Easterner sets had been in the hands of users. Thanks again - maybe next time!
@@mactrains It does the same on the Pullman coaches. Simon said in an answer to me that it stopped if the track was pinned down correctly. Unfortuately I am some way away of testing that myself.
Thats interesting Peter - thanks for the update. Iowans;t aware of it happening on the pullman's too. The tolerances must be very fine if pinned track makes the difference. Appreciate the input.
Glad you spotted them Andy - was debating whether to blur my background for the interview, but thought it was more real to leave them in. We labour in the same Master's field!
He is absolutely wrong. While I would even go as far as agreeing with Hattons and Rails stance ( particularly as I bought a 66), it’s pure hypocrisy to claim retailers should not manufacture when Hornby possess a retail website. And as for the derision I’ve heard from a few retailers over the ridiculous tier system, I can only concur my local model shop hasn’t dealt with the Hornby Rep for 5 years because of the Rep himself and partly because Hornby are always late delivering product and even when they do it’s littered with errors and problems.
@@muppetrowlf1473 twas ever thus, littered with errors isnt new, reps you don't maybe like well... name a business without those and late? Even pre pandemic things were sometimes late, the entire Mainline model railways range was delayed by months back in the 70s/80s. Far to many perfectionists of the ilk that expect perfection but refuse to engage in any making of it these days
Well, if I had a fairly desperate looking share price, combined with a declaration of a pre-tax loss bigger than the last capital you injected and I was gambling OO modellers Covid profits on a scale from long ago. On a vain hope of attracting “new” modellers…. I’d at least build the track to scale! Classic Hornby fudge. What more can I say?
If you get the chance, can you ask Simon if they have any plans on improving the free running of the wagon stock? They’re currently ok if you only want to pull a few mixed goods, but if you want to run a proper full length train it’s almost impossible unless you use a magnetic system like DCC concepts PowerBase
Sorry Peachy - missed this comment months back! I'd agree re the wagons - they really are poor runners - especially compared to the other rolling stock. RallyMatt has good tips on the Hornby forum. Alas interviews with SK seem to be out - haven't a way to contact him now that he's left Hornby.
Good interview! Personally, I am beginning to think that 00 is more suited to an end-to-end layout unless you have a very big space, whereas TT lends itself better to a ‘round round’. In theory, I could have 24 ft end-to-end, but as soon as I had a TT set, I realised it wouldn’t make much impact on such a large run. As to HM 7000, I hope it works better than my car’s Bluetooth, which rather erratically drops out. Interesting initiative though.
Thats interesting Clement! I confess I was much more fixated on the possibilities of an end to end for TT in a small shelf space, but I can see this too. Now you've got me thinking! Thanks for watching
I always liked my mates solution to the space problem of small rooms, he just cut a hole in the wall and hid it behind a picture frame on a shelf when the layout wasn't going and then had a couple of boards on legs that went up and finished his loop when needed. This way when the kids went out and he had a day off he could just pop the boards up to finish his loop and knock them down at the end of the day. When he came to sell the house he just cut a new bit of plaster board and filled the holes no one the wiser. 😆 very elegant
Don't I hadn't thought of it! But my 00 diorama is more a substrate for displaying my quite comprehensive collection of SR locos. They don't need to go through my en-suite!
New to the hobby and sent for loads of TT 120 locomotives and coaches with sound fitted and lights in the coaches, using Peco track, also Iv sent for lots of accessories, only problem I don’t have a clue what else I need for to use it all with HM7000. Like I say a absolute fresh noob but Iv gone in head first 😂 any advice would be grateful.
Drgun, great to hear of new blood coming into the hobby. I'll try to offer a little advice, but feel free to ask anything that's not clear. First up - are you building a layout - or do you want to have it literally TT - Table Top - that you put up and take down when done? If it's a layout, you need to have a track plan. Loads of samples available and basic loops shown on the back of the Hornby train set boxes too, which are a solid place to begin. Re HM7000 - assuming you have ordered the DCC versions of TT locos, you are well under way. The only other thing you need is a way to get power to the track - that's either by an existing controller (any kind will do) or via a power adapter and the special cable for it, direct from Hornby. Only other advice is, don't wait too long planning - half the fun is getting going and learning as you go!
Thanks for watching Black5f. Simon has kindly offered to do a follow up in a few weeks - so I will ask him what he thinks the demographics are! Stay tuned..!
@@mactrains Thanks Mac, didn't expect a reply! I don't want to be critical on here or anything like that. I fix a lot of old stuff, still refurbing some coarse scale O. I build in O gauge mainly. Have a half built On30 layout, love the old triang stuff. The war games scenery making thing seems to have attracted a lot of the young, workshops being run in my local town long devoid of proper model shops. Last O gauge meet I went to involved 5 hours in A&E with an old guy. We are literally dying out. Get the kids involved and off their phones and you have a hooked customers for the next 60 - 70 - 80 years.
As far as I know it's DC. That would seem to be implied from the way you can simply connect directly to a transformer or use an existing system such as a gauge master or even the cheap and cheerful Hornby plastic job. I suppose it is possible that the chips are smart enough to know if it's DC or AC, but maybe someone else knows for sure? Thanks for watching
Both. The decoders will accept either voltage source. With 12v DC you'd have to keep the controller on full power to the track so you can't control other DC locos on the same track. With DCC you'd just use them on top of the current DCC system. Your existing DCC trains will work as normal at the same time. It isn't like you need to convert everything at the same time.
Thanks for the question AdamFaithFan - I think the answer here is no and yes. No - it definitely cannot do that yet. But the system is software-based, so I understand that it is both possible to add it in and Hornby's intention to do so. However don't expect it soon. I'd guess that we are at least one year of not more away from seeing anything like that level of complexity. Appreciate the question.
Hi Richard. The bluetooth decoders are not available yet, but as far as I understand it, you would need to remove the TTS decoder and replace it with the new HM7000 version. The good news for you was that by selling the TTS version you would probably not have much extra cost if any at all! Thanks for watching
Thanks for your question - I confess I hadn't;t realised this had been done. Simon does make his email available publicly, and I have found him very responsive to questions, so could I suggest you try nd contact him. I'm sure he is better placed to respond than I am!
I suppose no mere man knows the future, but it's maybe a little unfair to assume it will be betamax. It certainly could fail, but so far I'd say the reception, interest and reviews have all been positive. Only time will tell! Thanks for watching
An independent review channel has a comment under it using the same analogy. While wishing them success, he feared it brought to mind; Betamax, Sinclair C5 and Gerald Ratner. The interesting thing about that joke is you have to be over 50 to get it. Which somewhat determines the agar demographic of Model Railway Enthusiasts! Hornby talk about young people in small houses. Nobody can ever tell me where they are though. Don’t see them at the shows.
@@muppetrowlf1473 yes 00 gauge was adopted in the 40s and 50s because people had smaller homes back then. Prior to that middle income O gauge was more the norm. I don’t think the size of the average home is much different to the 1950s. Zero1 again jumped in before NMRA
I have to be careful not to be too flippant because I’ve had a kicking from one or two Hornby fans on another review site. In which case I will put it out there that I think Hornby’s name and its history is something of a national treasure. But I can only be guided by the present day. And I find the good name almost being brought into disrepute. The decision making astounds and confounds me. The confrontation toward retailers and other manufacturers appalls me. As much as Hornby’s marketing team may find it inconvenient, the core modellers are OO. And we’re all of a certain 20th Century vintage. Therefore I live in a slightly bigger house than my Grandad’s terrace in B’ham. But that didn’t stop him modelling Dublo. The PR for TT-120 made me wince. And in the subject of marketing. While I and many others enjoyed the 1985 Motor Show at the NEC with a pretty Bikini clad girl draped over a Mk2 Astra GTE. That was then. I don’t think Hornby exhibition stands are enhanced by girls in skirts and red bows. I want someone there to engage with me about the hobby. See Rapido, Accurascale etc for details.
@@muppetrowlf1473 Agree. It's unfortunate. The brand name still is a legend. A pity all their energy is being wasted going down rabbit holes such as TT120, rather than redefining modelling standards similar to what Accurascale have done by raising the bar to new levels.
He seems a nice guy. But with a completely delusional business strategy. One that is shedding lucrative OO business in favour of a niche. The likes of Rapido, Accurascale and Cavalex are far better. And much more worth my money. It’s a shame, but there it is.
Evening MuppetRow. I did find Simon genuinely pleasant and engaging. And if they were indeed dumping 00 for TT then I'd agree. That would be insanity for the clear UK market leader to drop their major client base for a whole new venture (TT scale) that might well fail. However Simon makes it clear that is not what is happening here. TT is an addition to 00. It's more choice, and Hornby are hoping that brings in more customers. Only time will tell if it works or not, but nothing about it seems delusional to me. I would agree that Rapido and Accurascale are certainly producing some of the finest models today. Whether they are ever able to challenge the market dominance and brand recognition of Hornby is harder to say but certainly more manufacturers, producing more variety and more quality is only good for the hobby. Appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Excellent interview - thank you!
Simon's a great ambassador for Hornby generally, and the TT project in particular. Had the pleasure of meeting him at Gaydon in October for the first official outing for TT120, and he's a proper gent, as this interview proves!
For me, Hornby has hit and overcome every single point I dislike about indoor model railways, so I'm definitely in for TT and also the HM7000. The Peco track is really appealing, too, so at this very early stage, the outlook is bright. I wish Peco would sell direct, but understand they're a little less invested compared to Hornby, and the cost of stocking another gauge of track isn't overwhelming for the average model shop once the scale gets some traction.
As a marketing exercise, TT seems really well thought through. The development and release has to happen at pace, and frankly, the local little model shop would just get in the way, if they could even afford the cash and space to devote to it. If the HM7000 allows battery power to the locos, then zero wiring becomes a possibility, which appeals greatly to me (not for the technical side - just the realism of rusty rails and dead slow running that would be possible).
As Hornby has no presence in N gauge, this is the ideal opportunity to get some sales growth without cannibalising their other sales. It's so much better than N, especially for us oldies whose eyesight isn't what it once was.
Thanks again - good work!
Many thanks for taking the time to comment Pete, and the idea of swapping out the capacitor for a decent battery is very intriguing. I can see that being a mod that someone is bound to try further down the line, especially in the larger locos where space might just allow it.
Good interview. Simon’s enthusiasm is infectious. Great stuff for the future of this wonderful hobby. 🚂🇦🇺
Thank you for taking the time to watch it and to comment. Much appreciated
Thanks for an excellent interview. I find Simon's enthusiasm inspiring. Having made a significant investment in OO Gauge loco's, track and rolling stock, it has become a totally absorbing hobby. However, with each new layout I find that I lack the space to arrange it as I would like. TT120 solves all of that and allows me to model with a level of detail that I will find satisfying. I have ordered the digital version of the Easterner and plenty of extra track. Hornby's TT120 and their new approach to digital is a gamechanger. Their pricing strategy is spot on and has encouraged me to spend additional money that I had not planned to put into OO gauge.
You are very welcome MRBJ. Simon is indeed very buoyed up by it and that excitement is infectious! Thanks for watching!
Excellent video and at last someone prepares sensible questions! I’m loving the opportunity that TT120 has given me, the reality is there is a huge amount available, Britain is just getting going, so far very happy with Hornby’s product
Very kind of you - thanks indeed. I did try to think of a wide range of questions and prepare beforehand. I should also say Simon had sight of (most of) them beforehand. Simply because I felt it would allow him to give us better answers. My task was not to try and catch him out but to provide information for modellers.
Very interesting and informative. Thanks both.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.
thanks to both of you for this - very enjoyable and informative
More than welcome - glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching.
A useful and informative interview. Thanks.
Delighted it was of use - my intent was simply to get accurate information from the horses mouth to as many modellers as are interested in these new developments. If that was achieved, then I am more than content!
The only thing I don't understand is Hornby producing TT track while Peco - a market leader in that sector - has a rather complete realistic quality range TT track. And there are problems with the curves radius of Hornby TT Track ! If they concentrated on producing the trains and rolling stock ?? For the price point my choice would be Peco anyway. Hope to see the HM7000 soon - eager to put it in my engines. That's a major progress coming from Hornby and to applaud ! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Phil. Yes, I'd say that most of us would certainly opt for PECO, over Hornby transit track. The large plastic frogs look like 1980s stuff to me, though it seems that everything to date runs over them perfectly in fairness. But for the parent buying a set for kiddo, the Hornby track will likely serve the purpose well.
@@mactrains I agree on that point. Thanks for your reply.
See Charlie Chadwick's channel for an insight into the TT system !!!
Don’t bother, it’s not a very balanced review.
Thanks Michael. I did watch Charlie's reaction, which always comes with the benefit of vast experience and expertise, however it did not feel quite as dispassionate as I would have expected. When he was discussing Hornby only selling direct, he seemed barely able to contain his feelings. I can understand that, and we know many superb retailers, who must be feeling a bit sore, but at the end of the day, Hornby are responsible for their own business and they are the ones who have taken the risk. As far as the track goes - yup - absolutely valid - there is clearly an issue. I wonder how well the 00 track would fare under the same test?
I was a little disappointed in it too, but the track issue is clearly a genuine problem.
@@mactrains Personally speaking I think Charlie is correct is his analysis. In addition, Hornby would have been a very welcome addition to, the already well established, N gauge or even OO9 but, I guess, it's not to be. I do wish Hornby success with it but it's certainly not a scale I'm interested in because it means starting again on top of my N and OO collection. I can't justify that.
We cannot get into every scale - no one can - it's just not feasible. I respect Charlie immensely and think his checks on the track was especially invaluable for us, but felt there was just a wee 'edge' in how it was presented. Thanks for taking the time to comment - the more the merrier!
Good video, thanks for that. I know Simon pretty well, and have visited the Hornby HQ a few times, and he is a lovely chap isn't he. TT: Certainly true many retailers will not accept something revolutionary. This helps me understand their approach here to establish the brand. In the future it may change.
Glad you enjoyed it @Calverfilm. Simon was indeed very approachable and relaxed, which certainly helps! Who of us can know the future, but if I was to guess I'd say that if it goes well, then stuff will start to appear in retailers. If it flops - then they have had no loss.
Really good interview, thanks for posting this. I model in HO (US outline) mainly because I can’t stomach the out of scale track with OO and N. However this scale is a great idea and I’ve ordered a set and really hope it’s a huge success as I would like to build a British layout.
Thanks Mark - I think that the out of scale nature of OO and N is the sort of niggle that bothered us more than we realised. When there was no ready alternative most of us simply put up with it. But with TT we have the choice. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
That was a good interview. The idea of TT120 was that everything would be on the same scale unlike OO running on the HO track, but you cannot make a full circle with TT120 3rd Radus curves, They overlap due to the curves being too long. Not a good start for TT120. Martin. (Thailand)
Thanks Martin - this is clearly an issue, but perhaps not fatal. It seems the curves were in fact formed correctly, but over stressed in manufacture. You can gently de-stress them manually in a few seconds, which gets them into perfect shape and accurate geometry once more. Not ideal but also not a deal breaker I don't think. I'm assuming Hornby will fix this soon. There is a thread on Hornby's TT forum relating to this. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for a very informative interview. I have been looking at starting the hobby, but I do not have space for OO, and decided N was too fiddly for my 57 year old eyes- so I guess I’m Simons target market. I like the idea of TT, love the Bluetooth control, but my “nostalgia” from a kid is for diesels etc. Just waiting for a TT120 Hmdc set with something from the 70s or 80s! Then I will become an “active” member of the TT120 club😀
Thanks Graeme. I do think they should indeed launch a simple set when the 08 becomes available. I too would be sorely tempted! Thanks for watching.
Good interview. Hopefully next time you can ask him how well he thinks it’s been received, how well has it been taken up etc etc & also about some of the minor teething problems?
Thanks for watching Christopher. I seem to recall he was asked about that in the last TTTalk from Hornby, ie - if the response had met his expectations: and his response was no - but it had exceeded them. Yes, I think I ought to have included a question re the teething problems - esp the grinding noice from the LMS maroon coaches. My only excuse is that the interview was agreed on some time ago and the questions had been drafted before the Easterner sets had been in the hands of users. Thanks again - maybe next time!
@@mactrains It does the same on the Pullman coaches. Simon said in an answer to me that it stopped if the track was pinned down correctly. Unfortuately I am some way away of testing that myself.
Thats interesting Peter - thanks for the update. Iowans;t aware of it happening on the pullman's too. The tolerances must be very fine if pinned track makes the difference. Appreciate the input.
Great video but as a church minister was also fascinated by your bookshelves
Glad you spotted them Andy - was debating whether to blur my background for the interview, but thought it was more real to leave them in. We labour in the same Master's field!
As was I, having recognized several commentaries. Is there any reason you haven't revealed your identity?
@@John_N_Quay_Harbour This is my regular account if that helps!
@@gregmacdonald927 thanks
He's not wrong on the retailer front.
Every bit as silly as the hatred hornby gets is the love retailers get.
Aloha Mr Soup! Thanks for watching.
@@mactrains jolly impressed by this... 😁 good questions! Very well done
He is absolutely wrong. While I would even go as far as agreeing with Hattons and Rails stance ( particularly as I bought a 66), it’s pure hypocrisy to claim retailers should not manufacture when Hornby possess a retail website. And as for the derision I’ve heard from a few retailers over the ridiculous tier system, I can only concur my local model shop hasn’t dealt with the Hornby Rep for 5 years because of the Rep himself and partly because Hornby are always late delivering product and even when they do it’s littered with errors and problems.
@@muppetrowlf1473 twas ever thus, littered with errors isnt new, reps you don't maybe like well... name a business without those and late? Even pre pandemic things were sometimes late, the entire Mainline model railways range was delayed by months back in the 70s/80s.
Far to many perfectionists of the ilk that expect perfection but refuse to engage in any making of it these days
Well, if I had a fairly desperate looking share price, combined with a declaration of a pre-tax loss bigger than the last capital you injected and I was gambling OO modellers Covid profits on a scale from long ago. On a vain hope of attracting “new” modellers….
I’d at least build the track to scale!
Classic Hornby fudge. What more can I say?
If you get the chance, can you ask Simon if they have any plans on improving the free running of the wagon stock? They’re currently ok if you only want to pull a few mixed goods, but if you want to run a proper full length train it’s almost impossible unless you use a magnetic system like DCC concepts PowerBase
Sorry Peachy - missed this comment months back! I'd agree re the wagons - they really are poor runners - especially compared to the other rolling stock. RallyMatt has good tips on the Hornby forum. Alas interviews with SK seem to be out - haven't a way to contact him now that he's left Hornby.
Good interview! Personally, I am beginning to think that 00 is more suited to an end-to-end layout unless you have a very big space, whereas TT lends itself better to a ‘round round’. In theory, I could have 24 ft end-to-end, but as soon as I had a TT set, I realised it wouldn’t make much impact on such a large run.
As to HM 7000, I hope it works better than my car’s Bluetooth, which rather erratically drops out. Interesting initiative though.
Thats interesting Clement! I confess I was much more fixated on the possibilities of an end to end for TT in a small shelf space, but I can see this too. Now you've got me thinking! Thanks for watching
I always liked my mates solution to the space problem of small rooms, he just cut a hole in the wall and hid it behind a picture frame on a shelf when the layout wasn't going and then had a couple of boards on legs that went up and finished his loop when needed. This way when the kids went out and he had a day off he could just pop the boards up to finish his loop and knock them down at the end of the day. When he came to sell the house he just cut a new bit of plaster board and filled the holes no one the wiser. 😆 very elegant
Don't I hadn't thought of it! But my 00 diorama is more a substrate for displaying my quite comprehensive collection of SR locos. They don't need to go through my en-suite!
New to the hobby and sent for loads of TT 120 locomotives and coaches with sound fitted and lights in the coaches, using Peco track, also Iv sent for lots of accessories, only problem I don’t have a clue what else I need for to use it all with HM7000. Like I say a absolute fresh noob but Iv gone in head first 😂 any advice would be grateful.
Drgun, great to hear of new blood coming into the hobby. I'll try to offer a little advice, but feel free to ask anything that's not clear. First up - are you building a layout - or do you want to have it literally TT - Table Top - that you put up and take down when done? If it's a layout, you need to have a track plan. Loads of samples available and basic loops shown on the back of the Hornby train set boxes too, which are a solid place to begin. Re HM7000 - assuming you have ordered the DCC versions of TT locos, you are well under way. The only other thing you need is a way to get power to the track - that's either by an existing controller (any kind will do) or via a power adapter and the special cable for it, direct from Hornby. Only other advice is, don't wait too long planning - half the fun is getting going and learning as you go!
Excellent video. I'm old enough to remember Triang TT! I'd like to know the marketing demographic? We all started as kids in this hobby.
Thanks for watching Black5f. Simon has kindly offered to do a follow up in a few weeks - so I will ask him what he thinks the demographics are! Stay tuned..!
@@mactrains Thanks Mac, didn't expect a reply! I don't want to be critical on here or anything like that. I fix a lot of old stuff, still refurbing some coarse scale O. I build in O gauge mainly. Have a half built On30 layout, love the old triang stuff. The war games scenery making thing seems to have attracted a lot of the young, workshops being run in my local town long devoid of proper model shops. Last O gauge meet I went to involved 5 hours in A&E with an old guy. We are literally dying out. Get the kids involved and off their phones and you have a hooked customers for the next 60 - 70 - 80 years.
How will we power the track when using HM7000? I'm getting some saying 15v AC and others saying 12v DC?
As far as I know it's DC. That would seem to be implied from the way you can simply connect directly to a transformer or use an existing system such as a gauge master or even the cheap and cheerful Hornby plastic job. I suppose it is possible that the chips are smart enough to know if it's DC or AC, but maybe someone else knows for sure? Thanks for watching
Both. The decoders will accept either voltage source.
With 12v DC you'd have to keep the controller on full power to the track so you can't control other DC locos on the same track.
With DCC you'd just use them on top of the current DCC system. Your existing DCC trains will work as normal at the same time. It isn't like you need to convert everything at the same time.
Hello - Please do you know if this HM7000 will be able to record and play back routes, and merge as you can with the Hornby Railmaster?
Thanks for the question AdamFaithFan - I think the answer here is no and yes. No - it definitely cannot do that yet. But the system is software-based, so I understand that it is both possible to add it in and Hornby's intention to do so. However don't expect it soon. I'd guess that we are at least one year of not more away from seeing anything like that level of complexity. Appreciate the question.
hornby tts steam decoder ,how do i convert to Bluetooth ?
Hi Richard. The bluetooth decoders are not available yet, but as far as I understand it, you would need to remove the TTS decoder and replace it with the new HM7000 version. The good news for you was that by selling the TTS version you would probably not have much extra cost if any at all! Thanks for watching
I have a question for mr. Kohler:
Why did Hornby deleted the Arnold forum ?
Thanks for your question - I confess I hadn't;t realised this had been done. Simon does make his email available publicly, and I have found him very responsive to questions, so could I suggest you try nd contact him. I'm sure he is better placed to respond than I am!
@@mactrains How can I contact Simon Kohler ?
If you watch this Hornby video, and scroll to 42 mins 12 secs he gives out his email address. Thanks again.
@@mactrains What Hornby video do you mean ?
This video has no 42 mins 12 secs, it's only 37 mins 32 secs long !
Sorry! Somehow forgot to post the actual link!! Here it is.
ua-cam.com/users/liveIWuql2nu3cg?feature=share
Admire companies who reevaluate and attempt innovation but is this not history repeating itself, the betamax of model railways?
I suppose no mere man knows the future, but it's maybe a little unfair to assume it will be betamax. It certainly could fail, but so far I'd say the reception, interest and reviews have all been positive. Only time will tell! Thanks for watching
An independent review channel has a comment under it using the same analogy.
While wishing them success, he feared it brought to mind; Betamax, Sinclair C5 and Gerald Ratner.
The interesting thing about that joke is you have to be over 50 to get it. Which somewhat determines the agar demographic of Model Railway Enthusiasts!
Hornby talk about young people in small houses. Nobody can ever tell me where they are though. Don’t see them at the shows.
@@muppetrowlf1473 yes 00 gauge was adopted in the 40s and 50s because people had smaller homes back then. Prior to that middle income O gauge was more the norm. I don’t think the size of the average home is much different to the 1950s. Zero1 again jumped in before NMRA
I have to be careful not to be too flippant because I’ve had a kicking from one or two Hornby fans on another review site.
In which case I will put it out there that I think Hornby’s name and its history is something of a national treasure.
But I can only be guided by the present day. And I find the good name almost being brought into disrepute.
The decision making astounds and confounds me. The confrontation toward retailers and other manufacturers appalls me.
As much as Hornby’s marketing team may find it inconvenient, the core modellers are OO. And we’re all of a certain 20th Century vintage.
Therefore I live in a slightly bigger house than my Grandad’s terrace in B’ham. But that didn’t stop him modelling Dublo. The PR for TT-120 made me wince.
And in the subject of marketing. While I and many others enjoyed the 1985 Motor Show at the NEC with a pretty Bikini clad girl draped over a Mk2 Astra GTE. That was then. I don’t think Hornby exhibition stands are enhanced by girls in skirts and red bows. I want someone there to engage with me about the hobby.
See Rapido, Accurascale etc for details.
@@muppetrowlf1473 Agree. It's unfortunate. The brand name still is a legend. A pity all their energy is being wasted going down rabbit holes such as TT120, rather than redefining modelling standards similar to what Accurascale have done by raising the bar to new levels.
He seems a nice guy. But with a completely delusional business strategy.
One that is shedding lucrative OO business in favour of a niche.
The likes of Rapido, Accurascale and Cavalex are far better. And much more worth my money.
It’s a shame, but there it is.
Evening MuppetRow. I did find Simon genuinely pleasant and engaging. And if they were indeed dumping 00 for TT then I'd agree. That would be insanity for the clear UK market leader to drop their major client base for a whole new venture (TT scale) that might well fail. However Simon makes it clear that is not what is happening here. TT is an addition to 00. It's more choice, and Hornby are hoping that brings in more customers. Only time will tell if it works or not, but nothing about it seems delusional to me. I would agree that Rapido and Accurascale are certainly producing some of the finest models today. Whether they are ever able to challenge the market dominance and brand recognition of Hornby is harder to say but certainly more manufacturers, producing more variety and more quality is only good for the hobby. Appreciate you taking the time to comment.