The 2019 TTS Vent Van, Hogwarts Castle and more!
Welcome to the latest edition of The Engine Shed – a monthly update from the Hornby Development team.
While we currently find ourselves on the first day of November, this edition of the blog is our October update and covers just some of the work that has been taking place over the last few weeks.
Following last month’s LMS & LSWR Brake Vans, we have a detailed look at the 2019 TTS Vent Van. Backing up last year’s first release, the second Vent Van offers a selection of new sounds which can be used to add atmosphere to your layout. In today’s Engine Shed we have a sound demonstration of just what the 2019 model can do.
However, that is not the only video we have for you. With the latest samples of the Hogwarts Castle locomotives, including the TTS version, we felt it was the perfect opportunity to showcase exactly what this locomotive sounds like. With the latest photographs of the samples included too, there is plenty of new information to featured.
And we end this month’s instalment with several other notable samples recently received here in Margate.
R6925TTS Vent Van
Last year a new model was included in our 2018 range that piqued the interest of many railway modellers. The R6888TTS Vent Van offered an innovation for model railways and, in particular, the sound we use to create atmosphere on our layouts.
In one of our most popular blog posts of last year, we were able to reveal what sounds would be included with the Vent Van and just what it could be used for on your layout. The initial response was hugely positive and it was rewarding for the team to see that such innovations were welcomed in the hobby and so popular was this innovative item that the model sold out in next to no time.
For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the TTS Vent Van, it is a general purpose van picked so it can be positioned on many different parts of a layout and hide in plain sight. However, contained within is a TTS chip with a variety of atmospheric sounds. By playing these sounds in a mixture of one-off actions, loops and randomised loops, a layered ‘soundscape’ can be created to add an extra level of atmosphere to your layout.
These ‘soundscapes’ can be created in an almost infinite number of ways and will suit a huge variety of different layouts. There is no shortage of sounds included, with 29 different playable sound effects included.
We can now present you with the 2019 Vent Van sound demonstration. This does not include every sound featured with the decoder and for more information on particular sounds we would recommend heading over to the R6925TTS Vent Van product page.
With new sounds included, the 2019 TTS Vent Van will not only mean more railway modellers will potentially add this to their layout but those with the 2018 version will also be able to create richer, even more layered soundscapes.
The R6925TTS Vent Van is currently due for release in mid-December.
Harry Potter ‘Hogwarts Castle’
Next on our list of demonstrations is the Hogwarts Castle fitted with TTS Sound (R3803TTS) which along with the DCC Ready version (R3804) will soon be in the shops after some final tweaks requested by the Development team.
Of course we would be remiss if we did not show you the sound included with the TTS version of this fabulous model and so this instalment of the Engine Shed has a second sound demonstration for you.
The Development team are generally happy with these samples and are, in particular, pleased with the sound included with the TTS version. As always, we should mention that both of these samples do not offer the final, released version and are still being worked on. However, they do offer an accurate indication of what you can expect.
R3715 LMS Princess Coronation Class ‘Princess Alexandra’
Another sample we have received recently is the streamlined Princess Coronation ‘Princess Alexandra’. A Class we have discussed in detail in the past but we felt this model had to be included this week.
For many of you this may be the first look you have had of this model but in keeping with our other LMS Caledonian Blue Princess Coronation releases, we hope you are as pleased as we are with how this particular project is progressing.
Like the two samples above, the R3715 shown here is a Decoration Sample and is not the finished article. Please do keep that in mind when viewing the photographs.
R3759 GWR ‘Dean Single’ ‘Achilles’
Another Decoration Sample that we wanted to show you was the R3759 ‘Dean Single’. As the first look at this forthcoming release, we thought there might be a number of readers who would be interested in seeing this model ahead of its release before the end of the year.
R6897 BR 75T Breakdown Crane
We wanted to include the 75T Breakdown Crane in this month’s edition of the blog as a few of you may notice some similarities with a particular resident here at Locomotive Storage’s facility in Margate. Offering another first look, we felt this inclusion would be an interesting addition for readers.
The Great Model Railway Challenge and Signal Box Special
As fans of the show will know, the Great Model Railway Challenge concluded last weekend, capping off a thrilling second series. If you have not been following the series we would definitely recommend you do as it is still available on catch up.
The modelling on display has been hugely enjoyable and the sheer amount of work that goes into each of the layouts by the teams is simply astounding.
If you have been following along, or plan to watch the series, be sure to check out Signal Box Special. Following each GMRC episode, the Signal Box team pick out some of the best bits from the episode and talk to the winning captain. With plenty of reaction each and every week it has certainly increased our enjoyment of the show and we hope it has done the same for you too.
Great British Model Railway Show
Before we begin wrapping things up we just wanted to remind you about the Great British Model Railway Show that takes place next week at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon.
All the details on the show, including address details, times and costs can be found on the Great British Model Railway Show website.
As a sponsor of the show we hope to see many of you there and for Collector Club members we will be welcoming you to a special VIP area.
If you are in the area next weekend we would definitely recommend attending if at all possible.
There we have it, another four (or five) weeks here at Hornby HQ. We hope you have enjoyed the TTS Vent Van demonstration and our first look at the Hornby Hogwarts Castle. There are still a couple of new tooling projects which we hope to bring you soon so keep checking back with us for those.
It is almost unbelievable that there are only two editions left this year but we will have plenty to bring you over the next few editions.
If you have any comments about this issue of the Engine Shed, or Signal Box Special, please let us know either on Facebook, Twitter or on our Official Forum.
We will be seeing you again in a few weeks and until then,
Happy Modelling!
The Engine Shed team
