Great review! Kato are a highly respected brand and as an N gauge enthusiast I am really pleased to see them getting back into British N - their Eurostar in the 90s was what got me hooked. A comment on pricing: Kato are great value but N scale is dominant in Japan, which has twice the population of the UK. Mr Hiroshi Kato has said publicly that they sold far more Eurostars in their domestic market than in Europe and expect the same for the Class 800. This offers significant economies of scale (especially in the context of amortising tooling and development costs) compared to other UK N gauge brands or Hornby.
Thanks Ben. I didn't have any experience with their Eurostar model but I would it was better model in N gauge than Hornby's 00 version is. If nothing else the Kato 800 proved to me that top quality railway models can still be manufactured cost effectively outside of China. I just wish they would do more UK models.
Now you have the track you could indulge in some of the simply adorable japanese N gauge steam locos from kato. I drool over them but just can't justify it
It sounds like Japan is the place to purchase this stuff rather than the UK. I just saw a 10 car TGV set for £200 on eBay (from Japan). Dapol and Bachmann appear to be charging crazy prices for their N gauge models compared to this.
Very interesting review. It was nice to see a review of an N gauge set by someone more used to OO. Must admit that I tend to see N gauge as being better fitted for electric or diesel prototypes rather than steam. The Kato Unitrack was fascinating for me; if I ever changed to N gauge I would consider it carefully, as I imagine ballasting N gauge track to be a bit challenging.
Thanks Richard. The Kato track system was great, particularly for someone like me who was new to the scale. I definitely agree that N gauge probably works best for modern image diesel and electric locos. Not only does it become very challenging to implement the detail 00 and 0 gauge modelers take for granted, you're ability to actually see it is also diminished so why bother in the first place? It will be interest to see how TT stacks up against it.
Great video! (subscribed) It was interesting seeing the perspective of a 00 modeller. This model, by N gauge standards, is great. I will just point out a couple of details you missed. The coaches are built ready to take interior lighting units (they just clip in) and the nose opens up to allow multiple working of sets. (At our club we ran 3 together!) Most Dapol models need a good 20-30% power before they move too, so thats normal for N.
I had actually called out the interconnectors originally but had to do a reshoot of that part of the video due to focus issues and missed it the second time!. Thanks for highlighting. The power pickups on all of the cars can be seen during the onboxing so the fitting of the lighting is very straightforward as you say. Thanks for that.
Excellent review, Kato have a good reputation in both N and Ho with our American cousins. For those leaning toward the smaller scales, this model set alone could tip the balance. Credit where credit is due. ATB, Andy.
Personally, to be fair to the Kato set here, none of the OO gauge models I own start moving before 20/30% power has been applied. And that's on both feedback/non-feedback controllers on DC. Really interesting review/comparison though. Cheers
Thanks for that. Yeah, I think you're right. My current Hornby DC controller (which is nothing to write home about) does exhibit this with most locos. Most of the time I run DCC so I don't see this normally.
Just noticed the other video was down, thought I'd repost my comment here: I would mention that when buying the train on its own, you get it in one of Kato's rigid vinyl book-style cases; the Starter Set omits it. Replacement cases aren't terribly expensive in Japan, but then you're shipping things from Japan. They're in the 10-21X product number range and can be had for as little as 5 pounds on Amazon JP, the only difference between them is the foam they come with that you'll be discarding for the foam that comes in the set. The lighting kits for these are massively marked up in the West. They use the standard Kato lighting kits. Hattons lists the pack of 6 (P/N 11-212) for 40 pounds. In Japan, Amazon JP and Hobby-Search lists them for between 20 and 24 pounds. The huge savings on that alone can almost justify purchasing from Japan through a Proxy, or directly in the case of Hobby-Search. Though that prospect gets scary when you realise the Japanese Market has 7+ Coach EMU sets for less than 80 pounds. And their used market, good grief. 7-Coach 100 series Shinkansen sets for 35 pounds if you can put up with yellowing plastics or bleach them back to white. The motor is plenty powerful, as far as I'm aware it's basically the same power unit they use in many of their Shinkansen models. They come in sets of as many as 8 coaches and intended to be expanded to 16-Coach rakes with only a single motor car, though they are beginning to include secondary motor cars in some expansion sets.
The JP space is blessed with multiple manufacturers that frequently make overlapping product. eg, Kato and Tomix have both launched (or re-launched) versions of the 300 Series Shinkansen within the last 12 months, and they both make versions of the 0 Series, 500 Series, and 700 Series variants. Kato is the most well known of the JP makes in the West thanks to their US and UK products. However, their biggest competition, Tomytec's Tomix, is nothing to be sneezed at either. A bunch of their more modern EMU sets feature conductive couplings and axle-point pickups on every bogie, which makes every single wheel on the entire trainset a pickup for everything on the train. And most of them beat the pudding out of the Western makes when it comes to pricing. As far as I'm aware, Greenmax and MicroAce are arguably the next two in size, are generally more expensive unless bought in kit form (they both offer both Ready to Run models and Kits for several products in their ranges), and make a lot of more of the Private railway stuff, eg Keikyu, Keio, Seibu, Meitetsu, Kintetsu, etc. There's several companies smaller than them as well. Modemo and Popondetta are two I've seen listings for, having licensed Hakone-Tozan and Seibu trainsets respectively. And this is just N gauge! Going up to HO gives you the wonderful (and expensive) Tenshodo steam engines like the D51 and Kato's very well-priced domestic HO range.
@@jdenm8 Thanks for the input on this. Japanese modelers would appear to have a much more cost effective hobby to what we have! This has been an education.
I've the Kato ICE4 (1/160) and I find that a beautiful locomotive. I do have quite a lot of N Scale, and the detail is exceptional on most locos and rolling stock.
Thanks Fergus. The ICE4 is a lovely model alright. Saw a 7 car set on eBay for £150 - from Japan. With Kato producing models like these, N gauge looks to be a great scale for modern image modelers.
Also going to post an expanded version of my comment from the unlisted video as others have: I am fairly new to N and the Kato 800 was my first model, as well as the release which really convinced me to try out this scale. There is a definite gap in the N gauge market particularly where cheap(er) alternatives for multiple units are concerned. The 800 seems to have been a success so it's hopefully the start of more to come. The difference in value is huge as well. I would much rather sacrifice a bit of detail and get a 5 car set for less than £200 than pay well over £300 for something like a 4 car Farish unit which probably doesn't run as smoothly in comparison. I hope Kato continue to produce UK models, especially contemporary EMUs. I'd like to see something completely new like one of the Aventra classes next or even a model in direct competition with another manufacturer. Always wanted a 350 but the Farish prices are no-go for me right now.
Thanks for that. Looking at Kato's Japanese prices I really do hope they broaden their range of UK models. The Dapol and Farish prices look a bit steep to me for what they are.
Hi Eugene. I model in N gauge and have bought a few Kato train packs (not starter sets) direct from Japan (usually cheaper - including postage - than buying from UK retailers), including their Class 800 LNER Azuma. Their products are phenomenal! One niggling thing is that (as far as I know) the locos don't accept "standard" decoders. I believe that carriage (coach) extension packs are available. I ordered The Easterner in November and The Scotsman in January; the both arrived today. This was a really fair analysis of the Kato product; I don't model in OO gauge.
As someone getting started in Japanese-outline N gauge, can I ask what sites you buy from? Past experience has shown me that finding a Japanese store that will ship to the UK can be difficult XD
@@pikablob Hi. I used Plaza Japan. On the last occasion, Plaza Japan was a few GBPs more expensive so it's worth checking other suppliers and comparing.
Welcome to N scale Eugene. I have the GWR pack and I can buy 3 of them at £145 each which Jadlam Models were selling them for back in October that is still cheaper than the Hornby OO gauge pack at £500. I did a reciew of the GWR if you wanted to see my thoughts on the pack. The only downside is that you will need 3 decoders for DCC though. Kato is the best in N scale for performance as their motors and drivelines are better than Farish and Dapol. I have weekly N scale reviews every Saturday at 11am until March 2023. I love N scale and I feel its a better alternative to TT scale in my opinion.
Thanks Ash. You did well on those train packs. Kato seem to be the business alright and better in all departments to the other two. I've only been in Japan once but if I go again I'll take an empty case with me 😊 Just posting your link here if anyone wants to check out the Kato GWR Class 800: ruclips.net/video/9f9VZHRQh7I/видео.html.
The coupling system Kato uses on their high speed sets is interesting, and is not standard to N guauge. You can uncouple by lifting a carriage off vertically, but not designed to couple/uncouple in normal use. Its strength is that the power car in a set would be near the middle and can push half a dozen or more, [scale length] carriages without any derailments on the curves and also keep the cars close together on the straights.
So if a company can do a more accurate and neater colour scheme, plus other better detail in the smaller N scale, then why can't a company do the same for OO scale?
Yeah, that's what I want to see first hand when the Easterner set drops. 3mm would have been a larger differential but that ship appears to have sailed.
original kato controller gives smooth output.This is the new kato controller ,which pulsating voltage .the idea under dc control the lights come on when the train is stationary .Kato eurostar under old kato controller speeds easily at 200 mph. and kato engneering the model flies with banking curves.try using a gaugemaster controller. kato produced this model and kept the price down compare price to the kato ice train its much more.dcc in kato models is not really needed in my view ie keeps costs down
Thanks Richard. Yeah, I don't think I'd be rushing to put DCC into this model unless I wanted sound. A lot of positive feedback on Kato on here. Dapol and Farish just don't seem to be as good value.
@@EuviRail dcc is not a particularly popular option in Japan, Kato being the only manufacturer to even have a hint of DCC ready, and then just their western market products. The "late" action controller is for constant lighting. When stopped at a station you can still have a few volts for the LED lighting, but not enough volts to power the motor. It's funny you mention the lack of add-on parts: my Japanese market Tomix high grade 485 set has many, many extra parts. even down to different scale aerials dependent on which region is modelled, and the jigs for drilling the 0.5mm holes. Different additional trim parts, ploughs, couplers, dummy couplers, pipework covers etc etc Just something regarding the controlerbility, Japanese modellers appear to be considerably more inclined to running their trains as per an impression of the prototype. The track systems are a bit of a giveaway: they seem to like "busy" railways, with plenty of track, and plenty of trains fairly constantly running at speed, same with the few freight trains they run. This one could say is in contrast with UK, European, and US modellers, whom prefer scale track, scale speeds, and more of an in person personal control (hence the popularity of DCC in the West). Their is the inevitable sadness that many western modellers consider that their way is superior, with kato only making toy train track and running their trains over toy train layouts, whilst completely overlooking the obvious fact that these bemoaners seem to think that what they want to achieve is what everyone wants to achieve, which isn't the case at all. Theres a lot of RUclips modellers who express that viewpoint, which for me is as detrimental to the hobby as the oft lambasted prices. Awesome review too, beautifully filmed :)
@@muir8009Many thanks for that. My knowledge of Japanese Railway Modelling has certainly gone up a notch over the last couple of weeks! I''ve looked at the broader Kato range and their 9 and 10 car sets selling for what we would consider to be extremely cheap prices. While more modern image in general and hence not requiring 100+ separately fitted parts, it's good to see perfectly presentable and good running models being built at prices young UK modelers in particular can only dream of. With some 00 gauge DCC ready models here having RRPs well north of £300 now the hobby here appears to have skewed to the upper end, linked no doubt to the pockets of the primary demographic while the other end of the spectrum suffers as a result - to the long term detriment of the hobby in my opinion as without welcoming new entrants the hobby as we know it will no longer exist in years to come. It will still be alive and well in Japan though! Thanks again for your insightful comments.
Just a general thought -- if the aim is to consider an alternative to TT120 perhaps it might be worth testing an 009 loco and stock? ( Especially now that you have a 9mm gauge oval of track and a controller to use!). My rationale is threefold. First, Bachmann is clearly the main opposition to Hornby in sales terms and they certainly seem to be developing 009 as a new product line. They have 4 loco types( Baldwin 4-6-0, Double Fairlie, Quarry Hunslet and Mainline Hunslet ) already with a diesel also planned and a range of stock in production or planned. Secondly, if you consider someone visiting a model shop on a quest to buy their first model railway equipment you might imagine that a knowledgeable shop owner might suggest 009 if the shopper finds 4mm too large and 2mm too small. The shop owner certainly won't be able to show them a TT120 set! Finally , 009 is a scale that makes sense for 00 modellers wanting to downsize as they can still make use of scenic models and accessories they already have.
Hi John, in evaluating the other scales I decided to draw the line at N scale given it's market prevalence as well as evaluating the new TT:120 scale itself. 3mm would have been next in line to evaluate but given the comments feedback there hasn't been enough interest to warrant putting the time into it. I'm afraid 009 has had even fewer advocates. It's definitely a possible option for some so thanks for flagging it and as you highlight there is existing manufacturer support for it. The Kato track system would be a nice base to build upon for sure and is reasonably priced.
Great review! Kato are a highly respected brand and as an N gauge enthusiast I am really pleased to see them getting back into British N - their Eurostar in the 90s was what got me hooked. A comment on pricing: Kato are great value but N scale is dominant in Japan, which has twice the population of the UK. Mr Hiroshi Kato has said publicly that they sold far more Eurostars in their domestic market than in Europe and expect the same for the Class 800. This offers significant economies of scale (especially in the context of amortising tooling and development costs) compared to other UK N gauge brands or Hornby.
Thanks Ben. I didn't have any experience with their Eurostar model but I would it was better model in N gauge than Hornby's 00 version is. If nothing else the Kato 800 proved to me that top quality railway models can still be manufactured cost effectively outside of China. I just wish they would do more UK models.
I think that Hornby have an eye on the non-UK market with TT. Especially Germany.
Now you have the track you could indulge in some of the simply adorable japanese N gauge steam locos from kato. I drool over them but just can't justify it
It sounds like Japan is the place to purchase this stuff rather than the UK.
I just saw a 10 car TGV set for £200 on eBay (from Japan). Dapol and Bachmann appear to be charging crazy prices for their N gauge models compared to this.
was looking for reviews on this set after just purchasing it and i cant wait for it to arrive looks amazing
It's a great set Paul. Kato do good quality models at very reasonable prices. Enjoy!
Very interesting review. It was nice to see a review of an N gauge set by someone more used to OO. Must admit that I tend to see N gauge as being better fitted for electric or diesel prototypes rather than steam. The Kato Unitrack was fascinating for me; if I ever changed to N gauge I would consider it carefully, as I imagine ballasting N gauge track to be a bit challenging.
Thanks Richard. The Kato track system was great, particularly for someone like me who was new to the scale. I definitely agree that N gauge probably works best for modern image diesel and electric locos. Not only does it become very challenging to implement the detail 00 and 0 gauge modelers take for granted, you're ability to actually see it is also diminished so why bother in the first place? It will be interest to see how TT stacks up against it.
Great video! (subscribed) It was interesting seeing the perspective of a 00 modeller. This model, by N gauge standards, is great. I will just point out a couple of details you missed. The coaches are built ready to take interior lighting units (they just clip in) and the nose opens up to allow multiple working of sets. (At our club we ran 3 together!) Most Dapol models need a good 20-30% power before they move too, so thats normal for N.
I had actually called out the interconnectors originally but had to do a reshoot of that part of the video due to focus issues and missed it the second time!. Thanks for highlighting. The power pickups on all of the cars can be seen during the onboxing so the fitting of the lighting is very straightforward as you say. Thanks for that.
As someone who's been a long time North American N Gauge modeler I say you made a solid choice in picking a Kato set.
Excellent review, Kato have a good reputation in both N and Ho with our American cousins. For those leaning toward the smaller scales, this model set alone could tip the balance. Credit where credit is due. ATB, Andy.
Thanks Andy. Very impressed with Kato. Pity they don't do 00 gauge 😒😒
Personally, to be fair to the Kato set here, none of the OO gauge models I own start moving before 20/30% power has been applied. And that's on both feedback/non-feedback controllers on DC.
Really interesting review/comparison though.
Cheers
Thanks for that. Yeah, I think you're right. My current Hornby DC controller (which is nothing to write home about) does exhibit this with most locos. Most of the time I run DCC so I don't see this normally.
Just noticed the other video was down, thought I'd repost my comment here:
I would mention that when buying the train on its own, you get it in one of Kato's rigid vinyl book-style cases; the Starter Set omits it. Replacement cases aren't terribly expensive in Japan, but then you're shipping things from Japan. They're in the 10-21X product number range and can be had for as little as 5 pounds on Amazon JP, the only difference between them is the foam they come with that you'll be discarding for the foam that comes in the set.
The lighting kits for these are massively marked up in the West. They use the standard Kato lighting kits. Hattons lists the pack of 6 (P/N 11-212) for 40 pounds. In Japan, Amazon JP and Hobby-Search lists them for between 20 and 24 pounds. The huge savings on that alone can almost justify purchasing from Japan through a Proxy, or directly in the case of Hobby-Search. Though that prospect gets scary when you realise the Japanese Market has 7+ Coach EMU sets for less than 80 pounds. And their used market, good grief. 7-Coach 100 series Shinkansen sets for 35 pounds if you can put up with yellowing plastics or bleach them back to white.
The motor is plenty powerful, as far as I'm aware it's basically the same power unit they use in many of their Shinkansen models. They come in sets of as many as 8 coaches and intended to be expanded to 16-Coach rakes with only a single motor car, though they are beginning to include secondary motor cars in some expansion sets.
Many thanks for that. Wow, the Japanese N gauge modeling community have it good. Puts the UK pricing into perspective.
The JP space is blessed with multiple manufacturers that frequently make overlapping product. eg, Kato and Tomix have both launched (or re-launched) versions of the 300 Series Shinkansen within the last 12 months, and they both make versions of the 0 Series, 500 Series, and 700 Series variants.
Kato is the most well known of the JP makes in the West thanks to their US and UK products. However, their biggest competition, Tomytec's Tomix, is nothing to be sneezed at either. A bunch of their more modern EMU sets feature conductive couplings and axle-point pickups on every bogie, which makes every single wheel on the entire trainset a pickup for everything on the train. And most of them beat the pudding out of the Western makes when it comes to pricing.
As far as I'm aware, Greenmax and MicroAce are arguably the next two in size, are generally more expensive unless bought in kit form (they both offer both Ready to Run models and Kits for several products in their ranges), and make a lot of more of the Private railway stuff, eg Keikyu, Keio, Seibu, Meitetsu, Kintetsu, etc. There's several companies smaller than them as well. Modemo and Popondetta are two I've seen listings for, having licensed Hakone-Tozan and Seibu trainsets respectively.
And this is just N gauge! Going up to HO gives you the wonderful (and expensive) Tenshodo steam engines like the D51 and Kato's very well-priced domestic HO range.
@@jdenm8 Thanks for the input on this. Japanese modelers would appear to have a much more cost effective hobby to what we have! This has been an education.
I've the Kato ICE4 (1/160) and I find that a beautiful locomotive. I do have quite a lot of N Scale, and the detail is exceptional on most locos and rolling stock.
Thanks Fergus. The ICE4 is a lovely model alright. Saw a 7 car set on eBay for £150 - from Japan. With Kato producing models like these, N gauge looks to be a great scale for modern image modelers.
Also going to post an expanded version of my comment from the unlisted video as others have:
I am fairly new to N and the Kato 800 was my first model, as well as the release which really convinced me to try out this scale.
There is a definite gap in the N gauge market particularly where cheap(er) alternatives for multiple units are concerned. The 800 seems to have been a success so it's hopefully the start of more to come. The difference in value is huge as well. I would much rather sacrifice a bit of detail and get a 5 car set for less than £200 than pay well over £300 for something like a 4 car Farish unit which probably doesn't run as smoothly in comparison.
I hope Kato continue to produce UK models, especially contemporary EMUs. I'd like to see something completely new like one of the Aventra classes next or even a model in direct competition with another manufacturer. Always wanted a 350 but the Farish prices are no-go for me right now.
Thanks for that. Looking at Kato's Japanese prices I really do hope they broaden their range of UK models. The Dapol and Farish prices look a bit steep to me for what they are.
@@EuviRail Considering the Dapol RRP for a 2 car unit is around £140, there's definitely a massive rift in terms of value.
Hi Eugene. I model in N gauge and have bought a few Kato train packs (not starter sets) direct from Japan (usually cheaper - including postage - than buying from UK retailers), including their Class 800 LNER Azuma. Their products are phenomenal! One niggling thing is that (as far as I know) the locos don't accept "standard" decoders. I believe that carriage (coach) extension packs are available. I ordered The Easterner in November and The Scotsman in January; the both arrived today. This was a really fair analysis of the Kato product; I don't model in OO gauge.
As someone getting started in Japanese-outline N gauge, can I ask what sites you buy from? Past experience has shown me that finding a Japanese store that will ship to the UK can be difficult XD
@@pikablob Hi. I used Plaza Japan. On the last occasion, Plaza Japan was a few GBPs more expensive so it's worth checking other suppliers and comparing.
Welcome to N scale Eugene. I have the GWR pack and I can buy 3 of them at £145 each which Jadlam Models were selling them for back in October that is still cheaper than the Hornby OO gauge pack at £500. I did a reciew of the GWR if you wanted to see my thoughts on the pack. The only downside is that you will need 3 decoders for DCC though. Kato is the best in N scale for performance as their motors and drivelines are better than Farish and Dapol. I have weekly N scale reviews every Saturday at 11am until March 2023. I love N scale and I feel its a better alternative to TT scale in my opinion.
Thanks Ash. You did well on those train packs. Kato seem to be the business alright and better in all departments to the other two. I've only been in Japan once but if I go again I'll take an empty case with me 😊
Just posting your link here if anyone wants to check out the Kato GWR Class 800: ruclips.net/video/9f9VZHRQh7I/видео.html.
The coupling system Kato uses on their high speed sets is interesting, and is not standard to N guauge. You can uncouple by lifting a carriage off vertically, but not designed to couple/uncouple in normal use.
Its strength is that the power car in a set would be near the middle and can push half a dozen or more, [scale length] carriages without any derailments on the curves and also keep the cars close together on the straights.
like to see it on a kato double track with elevated curves for banking.
So if a company can do a more accurate and neater colour scheme, plus other better detail in the smaller N scale, then why can't a company do the same for OO scale?
My thoughts as well.
@EuviRail they would most likely be painted by machines, so their is no excuse to have a poor quality paint job.
looks nice. 1/148 to 1/120 is not really a massive difference.
Yeah, that's what I want to see first hand when the Easterner set drops. 3mm would have been a larger differential but that ship appears to have sailed.
original kato controller gives smooth output.This is the new kato controller ,which pulsating voltage .the idea under dc control the lights come on when the train is stationary .Kato eurostar under old kato controller speeds easily at 200 mph. and kato engneering the model flies with banking curves.try using a gaugemaster controller. kato produced this model and kept the price down compare price to the kato ice train its much more.dcc in kato models is not really needed in my view ie keeps costs down
Thanks Richard. Yeah, I don't think I'd be rushing to put DCC into this model unless I wanted sound. A lot of positive feedback on Kato on here. Dapol and Farish just don't seem to be as good value.
@@EuviRail dcc is not a particularly popular option in Japan, Kato being the only manufacturer to even have a hint of DCC ready, and then just their western market products.
The "late" action controller is for constant lighting. When stopped at a station you can still have a few volts for the LED lighting, but not enough volts to power the motor.
It's funny you mention the lack of add-on parts: my Japanese market Tomix high grade 485 set has many, many extra parts. even down to different scale aerials dependent on which region is modelled, and the jigs for drilling the 0.5mm holes.
Different additional trim parts, ploughs, couplers, dummy couplers, pipework covers etc etc
Just something regarding the controlerbility, Japanese modellers appear to be considerably more inclined to running their trains as per an impression of the prototype.
The track systems are a bit of a giveaway: they seem to like "busy" railways, with plenty of track, and plenty of trains fairly constantly running at speed, same with the few freight trains they run.
This one could say is in contrast with UK, European, and US modellers, whom prefer scale track, scale speeds, and more of an in person personal control (hence the popularity of DCC in the West). Their is the inevitable sadness that many western modellers consider that their way is superior, with kato only making toy train track and running their trains over toy train layouts, whilst completely overlooking the obvious fact that these bemoaners seem to think that what they want to achieve is what everyone wants to achieve, which isn't the case at all. Theres a lot of RUclips modellers who express that viewpoint, which for me is as detrimental to the hobby as the oft lambasted prices.
Awesome review too, beautifully filmed :)
@@muir8009Many thanks for that. My knowledge of Japanese Railway Modelling has certainly gone up a notch over the last couple of weeks! I''ve looked at the broader Kato range and their 9 and 10 car sets selling for what we would consider to be extremely cheap prices. While more modern image in general and hence not requiring 100+ separately fitted parts, it's good to see perfectly presentable and good running models being built at prices young UK modelers in particular can only dream of. With some 00 gauge DCC ready models here having RRPs well north of £300 now the hobby here appears to have skewed to the upper end, linked no doubt to the pockets of the primary demographic while the other end of the spectrum suffers as a result - to the long term detriment of the hobby in my opinion as without welcoming new entrants the hobby as we know it will no longer exist in years to come. It will still be alive and well in Japan though! Thanks again for your insightful comments.
Just a general thought -- if the aim is to consider an alternative to TT120 perhaps it might be worth testing an 009 loco and stock? ( Especially now that you have a 9mm gauge oval of track and a controller to use!).
My rationale is threefold. First, Bachmann is clearly the main opposition to Hornby in sales terms and they certainly seem to be developing 009 as a new product line. They have 4 loco types( Baldwin 4-6-0, Double Fairlie, Quarry Hunslet and Mainline Hunslet ) already with a diesel also planned and a range of stock in production or planned. Secondly, if you consider someone visiting a model shop on a quest to buy their first model railway equipment you might imagine that a knowledgeable shop owner might suggest 009 if the shopper finds 4mm too large and 2mm too small. The shop owner certainly won't be able to show them a TT120 set! Finally , 009 is a scale that makes sense for 00 modellers wanting to downsize as they can still make use of scenic models and accessories they already have.
Hi John, in evaluating the other scales I decided to draw the line at N scale given it's market prevalence as well as evaluating the new TT:120 scale itself. 3mm would have been next in line to evaluate but given the comments feedback there hasn't been enough interest to warrant putting the time into it. I'm afraid 009 has had even fewer advocates. It's definitely a possible option for some so thanks for flagging it and as you highlight there is existing manufacturer support for it. The Kato track system would be a nice base to build upon for sure and is reasonably priced.
Jadlam model's do a smaller N gauge set for £109.