Nott120 jumping on the band wagon: OO-12 project…

I enjoy designing kits, and I enjoy the idea of a ‘modellers scale’. 009 used to be like that, and my various Purbeck projects were a proving ground for my scratch and kit design skills.. 

It wouldn’t be unfair to say that the usual YouTubers have been jumping on the TT:120 band wagon one by one in recent months. Fuelled by chasing alogortithms and views they need something new, something ‘click bait’ to keep seeing the trickle of advertising revenue roll in. Things are different here, and I follow my own path, as you all know. 

That said, here I am, embarrassingly with the Hornby TT:120 ‘Branch Line’ set…

This was too cheap not to experiment with - I have long pondered the opportunity to create some 3ft gauge kits in 4mm scale using the mechanisms but until now prices were high and ambition low. £89 plus delivery though, perhaps this was worth looking into? Would this mechanism be the Bachmann N Percy of 12mm gauge?

Shiny box, but rather underwhelming. Contents well packed. Controller is awful. Track is as you’d expect, fine for a train set. Locomotive, nicely weighted and smooth. Not super slow, but promising.

Not however a Bachmann N Percy…

Removing the body, largely a one piece metal casting is straight forward, just two screws and the couplings remove allowing the body to be gently prised away. The result is small, low profile yet very light… 

I’ve been enjoying a trawl through my narrow gauge library looking for inspiration. An obvious choice would be the Fletcher Jennings ‘Townsend Hook’ but I’m going slightly left field. I’ve a thing about the ball clay lines of Purbeck, and whilst wider than 3ft, Fayle’s tramway had a rather wonderful second hand Manning Wardle saddle tank, which I think was a special, but similar in size to the F. I’ve mocked up a diagram from a Peter Binnie sketch of a Southern F, proportions seem to match the prototype well and the wheel diameter and wheelbase march. Thoughts are for a 3D print and etched kit with two cab options and space for DCC stay alive or weight in the saddle. With a prevailing wind the prototype, perhaps even some suitable rolling stock, will be on display at Narrow Gauge South towards the end of April.

The advantage is the use of Peco HOm track, which means a quality narrow gauge track available straight away.

If sales prove worthwhile I’ll look at other esoteric options - the Fletcher Jenning saddle tanks from Jersey that ended up at Marland are actually a touch larger, but would fit - as would as I say, Townsend Hook. If the scale / gauge is as popular as my last great daft adventure (the 00-6.5 range) then I’m sure more will follow. 

Until next time, more soon…

Support my work

I love writing and creating material for the blog. If you enjoy what you read and engage with I would be appreciative of any donation, large or small, to help me keep it advert and restriction free. Alternatively, feel free to buy me a coffee, where regular memberships start from just £1.