During 2022 I was planning on building a new layout in the loft – do I go with my scale of choice, OO gauge, or get more layout into the same space and go N gauge? I settled on OO gauge as N was simply too small for my taste, but I was never really happy with any of the layout plans that I came up with, they all just “made do”. Amazingly, just when I was about to start ordering all of the track to get going, Hornby announced their band new scale: TT:120.
All plans for the OO gauge stopped – I had to get my hands on their new starter set “The Scotsman”. I placed the order with the frame of mind that if I didn’t like it, I’d sell the set and carry on as before. As it turns out I loved it. The size was just perfect for my liking, and the detail was incredible for the price. So that was that then, I started selling all of my OO locos and track to fund development of the new TT:120 layout.
It became apparent that as I was designing the layout with a goods yard here, a canal scene there, that there simply wasn’t the buildings and scenery available in 1:120 scale that I was going to need to complete the layout. One option was to scratch build everything, but I’m not a good scratch builder. However, I am comfortable with a computer and I’m happy with a paintbrush, so I toyed with the idea of 3D printing what I needed instead.
I already owned a resin 3D printer, but the size of the models that you can print with one of those (in particular the printer I owned) is incredibly limited. So I bought a decent FDM printer, designed some models and printed them out.
TT:Scenics is born
I was genuinely surprised by the quality of the prints that came out; 3D printing has come a long way since I last toyed with the idea of buying an FDM. So much so, that I decided that I’ll be 3d printing everything I need on my layout. Then the thought hit me – if I need buildings to bring my layout to life, then so will other people.
So here we are, mid April 2023. We’re still waiting on Hornby to release the Class 08 Shunter, but while we wait the printer is currently doing it’s thing with the most recent design (straight platform section) and I’m writing this.
If people don’t devlop things for TT:120, the scale will die out before it’s even got going. I don’t want that to happen.