Heljan abandon 1:120 TT model project

[Bigmet]

https://www.heljan.co.uk/post/no-compro ... _medium=lp

Useful choice of initial model. Wait and see on further brand participation...

[GeraldH]

I understand that they've now withdrawn after Hornby's recent announcements?

[End2end]

From Heljan's Facebook page 2 days ago.
"HELJAN TT:120 Update
There’s been a lot of focus on TT 1:120 scale this week, and we’ve obviously been paying close attention to developments. We were gratified to see that our initial trio of locomotive choices for TT was so ‘on the money’ that all three also appeared in the Hornby range. C’est la vie, or Sådan er livet as we say in Danish.
Such duplication in a new and, so far, unknown market produces no winners, only losers. We were genuinely excited about the possibilities of this new scale but, in the circumstances, and with a heavy heart, we are ceasing development of our TT 1:120 model range. Instead we’ll focus all our energies on developing more exciting new OO and O gauge products (more on those soon!) and on supporting the crucial network of UK model railway retailers, who continue to be the backbone of the hobby and an essential resource for the modelling community.
We wish Hornby every success with their new venture and look forward to seeing how it develops.
TT:FN
Team HELJAN"
Thanks
End2end

[Richard08]

From Heljan's Facebook page 2 days ago.
"HELJAN TT:120 Update

Such duplication in a new and, so far, unknown market produces no winners, only losers. We were genuinely excited about the possibilities of this new scale but, in the circumstances, and with a heavy heart, we are ceasing development of our TT 1:120 model range. Instead we’ll focus all our energies on developing more exciting new OO and O gauge products (more on those soon!) and on supporting the crucial network of UK model railway retailers, who continue to be the backbone of the hobby and an essential resource for the modelling community.
We wish Hornby every success with their new venture and look forward to seeing how it develops.
TT:FN
Team HELJAN"
Thanks
End2end

Spicy, as they say these days. They noticed Hornby by-passing the shops too... Quite a dent in the gauges' chances of success maybe?

[b308]

I think they are aiming it at newcomers than existing modellers, though some like me have ordered a set. I think it's a shame with Heljan, I would have thought they could still have gone ahead and piggy backed on the Hornby launch and stole some sales by using the retail network. But no they've left, though as someone pointed out to me elsewhere they've left things open in the last bit to coming back in. I hope they do.

[larryblag]

Ideally, all they need is the machine from, "Hey Honey, I shrunk the kids".
I'm not sure where it is at the moment, but if appropriately calibrated for the scale...

[End2end]

Ideally, all they need is the machine from, "Hey Honey, I shrunk the kids".
I'm not sure where it is at the moment, but if appropriately calibrated for the scale...

Been there, done that.
The cat's a bit overscale though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQVckWHhyyk

Thanks
End2end

[larryblag]

Ideally, all they need is the machine from, "Hey Honey, I shrunk the kids".
I'm not sure where it is at the moment, but if appropriately calibrated for the scale...

Been there, done that.
The cat's a bit overscale though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQVckWHhyyk

Thanks
End2end

[Bigmet]

This Heljan announcement was for product compatible with the Peco TT120 track. With that now gone, there's no UK TT120 loco specified to run on the Peco points. (Hornby are doing their own thing in TT120, far coarser wheels and points, and unless I am wildly mistaken their product won't work on the Peco points.)

[Dad-1]

This all sounds like a nasty 'Crash' !!
Not a good start is it. I simply can't see this New TT being a long term product.

Geoff T.

[Richard08]

This all sounds like a nasty 'Crash' !!
Not a good start is it. I simply can't see this New TT being a long term product.

Geoff T.

It's certainly all looking very car-crashy. I'd kind of assumed as news came out that Peco, Heljan and Hornby had got together and agreed on some strategy to launch 'a new scale' with agreed standards and so on. After what happened to Heljan and this apparent track issue I suspect other manufacturers who might have been interested will now be sitting back with the popcorn watching the fun. And the shops are probably having a good laugh at Hornby after their attempts to cut them out of the loop, on top of Hornby refusing to supply selected dealers with OO models.

This is just a personal thing, but with Hornby doing so many odd things lately, inconsistent pricing over the range, relaunching old models with new model prices, some frankly amateur decoration (I'm looking at you Malcom Logistics Class 66) and so on I'm seeing the Havard Business School model being employed - creating shareholder value put above customers (aka sell any old cr*p). In an incredibly traditional hobby market with fierce loyalties I'm not convinced this is a good idea. I've just been watching a video on what Bachmann have done to William's Trains (US) since taking it over - basically William's is dead, and Bachmann have alienated those who were into William's products. My historic soft spot for Hornby is pretty much gone.

[Dad-1]

Have to agree with you Richard.

None of this was ever going to influence the way I'm going, I've already got too much
'stuff', mostly '00' with a nibble at '0', too late to change anything now.

Geoff T

[D605Eagle]

With Accurascale and Rapido really finding their feet, I'm wondering how long before they start to really bite at Hornby staples, like Gresley Pacifics etc? I would expect them to make a finer job for a consdiderable amount less. Hornby are in a very tricky situation with market leader arrogance that is melting as rapidly as the ice caps!

[Bigmet]

With Accurascale and Rapido really finding their feet, I'm wondering how long before they start to really bite at Hornby staples, like Gresley Pacifics etc? I would expect them to make a finer job for a considerable amount less...

The current RTR OO competitors - and I'll comment on all of them I have any knowledge of - have some way to go to match Hornby and Bachmann in my perception, when it comes to steam express traction models. (Bachmann had a bumpy start with their Pepp A1 too, as many of us will recall; and have now bungled their new V2 with an unnecessary innovation of the 'solution looking for a problem' type.)
Accurascale. Failed on the class 55, seriously under scale size wheelsets, with consequent out of scale rendition of the bogie frame, difficult and likely expensive to correct. Not impressed so far with their traction, if that's their style then retitle the brand 'Inaccurascale'. (Wagons, very good.)
Dapol. Very variable since re-entering OO, better at diesel than steam, but the latter is improving; and they have already ventured the A4 pacific.
Hattons. Having had a go at THE pacifics in O, and made some decent forays in OO, who knows what they might go for?
Heljan. A steam mechanism construction that is unecessarily weak, complex and difficult. Need a better design if steam is in their future.
(Oxford Rail) OK, now effectively extinct. Based on the N7 and J27, had they continued, I would have been interested.
Rapido. Exquisite truly difficult subject for a steam model with two very poor design features, (Stirling single) given that it works effectively it's forgiven the clumsy loco to tender link, and the resulting way overscale spacing covered by the biggest fallplate in the world! Need to improve their technique, because Hornby don't have this problem, and Bachmann having made the same bungle on the new V2, there it is at least easy to correct...

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