Switching Scales HO to TT

[Geeper]

I thinking of switching to TT (table top) scale (1:120) from HO (1:87).
I run 64 feet of HO track on 4x8 sheet of plywood... I think I can double that by going to TT scale. I could also set-up TT in the RV.
Does anyone have experience with TT scale???
I would also buy TT gauge EZ-Track if and when Bachmann makes it. Lots of chatter on TT scale on other forums.
Any thoughts... 

[trainman203]

Seeing a discussion about TT scale model railroading is like finding ancient scrolls, long undiscovered laying in a cave somewhere. I haven't heard any mention of it since the 60s when I first started in this hobby. It basically was the brain child of one man, Hal Joyce, long deceased. I believe his company was called HP products, but I'd have to confirm. I don't know if anyone else ever really made much in that scale. It never really caught on. It wasn't really that much smaller than HO, maybe 15% or so. In reality, you had to go a lot smaller, like N scale, to begin to make much of an impact. I believe that the time of its creation, TT scale was about a small as you could make a model and get a motor inside of a locomotive to make it actually operable. Later miniaturization led to N scale, significantly smaller than HO scale with a corresponding increased ability to model in limited space.

I am curious, and would like to hear, how you even heard of TT scale, what got you into it, what equipment you were coming up with, and anything else about it. It really is a Backdraft from the Model Railroad Jurassic.  If there is renewed chatter about it on the Internet, it's news to me, I thought TT scale was long dead.

[Terry Toenges]

Apparently it's popular in Europe. Hornby is doing TT now. PECO is doing TT track.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TT_scale

[jward]

I have switched to N scale due to lack of space. There is precious little available in TT. I ended up switching back to HO. I have crammed more railroading into 30 square feet of HO than most people would get into a similar size in N scale.

[Geeper]

I've seen lots of TT rolling stock on EU sites, its very popular in many countries.
TT Scale Train Info; TT Scale is 1:120
TT (Table Top) scale is 27% smaller than HO scale and 33% larger than N scale.
TT Scale is 73% the size of HO Scale.
TT scale proportion is 1:120 which is 1/10" = 1' full size, so that means 1" = 10' actual feet. 
HO Scale layout done in TT Scale takes 54% of the space.
Length of TT GP-7 Locomotive 56ft 2in. = 5.62 inches. Length of TT 40' Box Car = 4.0 inches.
Also TT rail gauge is 12mm down from HO 16.5mm

Scale   Ratio    Gauge   (between rails)    
N           1:160   0.353 inch   (9 mm)   
TT           1:120   0.472 inch   (12 mm)   
HOn2    1:87           0.276 inch   (7 mm)   
HOn30     1:87           0.353 inch   (9 mm)   
HOn3    1:87           0.413 inch   (10.5 mm)   
HOm    1:87           0.472 inch   (12 mm)   
HO            1:87           0.65  inch    (16.5 mm)   

I learn something new everyday, and TT education is just starting.
Thanks everyone for your thoughts... 

[Len]

The NEM Standards are:

Name...Kind of track...Model gauge...Real-world gauge
TT.....Standard gauge..12 mm.........1435 mm
TTm... Meter gauge......9 mm.........1000 mm
TTe... Narrow gauge.....6,5 mm........750 mm, 760 mm and 800 mm
TTi/f..Field railway....4,5 mm........500 mm and 600 mm

The UK also has:
TT9... 3ft gauge........9mm..........3 ft (914 mm)

Something else to be aware of regarding UK TT products is, like with OO, back in the 50's to fit the motors available in locos, mfg Tri-ang Railways made the bodies slightly oversized. Specifically, to 3mm scale. Or 1:101.6 rather than TT's actual 1:120 scale. This became known as UK TT:3 scale.

More recently, other manufacturers have started doing UK locos and rolling stock in true TT 1:120 scale. To differentiate these newer products from the older TT:3 equipment, they are generally marketed as "TT:120" scale. It pays to be aware of the difference.

Len

[Geeper]

Thanks Len... Great TT info on different TT gauges. You solved my UK 3mm brain twist, now it makes sense.
I'll add all the info you shared in my TT file.
What's your opinion on Hornby Loco and rolling stock quality?
Do you know of any loco mfr for US roads like Great Northern or Burlington (CBQ)?

[Geeper]

Hi Trainman... Thought about your questions on TT and why I'm interested. [1] HO size is limiting my usability on a small area set-up. [2] I really thought about N scale and picked up a few Locos to see if that might work. Realized doing the maintenance and rolling stock quality improvements, N scale would be too tiny for my old eyes. I thought about (H)On30 but 9mm track would be problematic while still running 1:87 scale body. I was asked to look into TT 1:120 and after reviewing data, discovered it might just work. I'll get some rolling stock to see reality of doing maintenance with my old eyes.
I really like Bachmann EZ-Track silver and if it was available in TT 12mm I'd be getting it for EZ set-up and take-down, switches, and using my current DC and DCC control systems.
If I decide to jump into TT scale I'd be throwing $4-5k into a new set-up (track, locos, rolling stock). Many others I've discussed this with are also interested in down-sizing from HO to TT.
Maybe the future is here... we'll see. 

[Len]

When I was maintaining the 'Sodor' portion of a display layout at a local shopping center I had good luck with Hornby OO scale "Thomas" locos and cars. I also used some of their OO scale buildings.

Len

[trainman203]

HP products is still in business:

https://www.hp4stamping.com/history/

Just not the model railroad business

Apparently there's a forum for H P Products TT scale-

https://www.ttnut.com/viewforum.php?f=22

[Geeper]

Thanks Len and Trainman... I'll see how this plays out in the next 3-6 months. I do remember Hornby from years ago in 0 or 00. This TT is a new road to go down. I enjoy learning new things and seeing whats over that next hill. TT Scale just might be that next hill for me to climb.
Thanks again... Stay safe, keep smiling...

[Tenwheeler01]

I am also thinking about dipping my toes into the TT(120) pool.  From the reviews I have watched they seem to run pretty reliability thought the currently available sectional track. I also like the passenger coach coupler system they are using. I was just going to start with just a basic oval layout and then see how it goes.

Thank you.
TenWheeler01 

[Geeper]

Excellent... please let me know how it compares to HO during your test. I run HO 18" and 22" radius curves, not sure what equivalent TT radius would be (someday I'll run the numbers). Good luck. TT track on 4'x8' set-up could be huge compared to my 64' of HO track on 4'x8'. 

[Quentin]

I was considering T(480) scale, but they barely have anything out (The only steam power they have are Mikados). Track is even harder to find.


To put it in perspective...
T480 scale is half of T450, which is half of ZZ, which is half of Z, which is half of N.  T480 is so dang small, a full oval can fit in a normal 1960s briefcase (I know this because I've seen one). A full T480 layout could probably fit snugly into a normal suitcase. Talk about portable layouts...

[Len]

Something to consider regarding structures for a TT layout, short of scratch building, would be cardstock buildings. They are mostly available in HO or OO scales, but it just takes changing the scaling setting on your printer to change them to other scales. I generally print multiple copies and 'layer' window frames and doors to give them depth, so they don't just look like they're printed on cardstock.

This folks have a pretty decent selection of US style buildings for HO layouts, that can be reduced on the printer for TT:
https://www.modelbuildings.org/

And Scale Scenes has one of the better UK/European building selections in OO scale, again that can be scaled down on the printer.
https://scalescenes.com/

Keep in mind the PDF files on both sites are set for A4 size paper and cardstock, available from Amazon and some stationary dealers. Some adjustment are necessary to print on standard letter size paper and cardstock.

Len