Description
Hornby R3390TTS Virgin Rail East Coast 125 HST Class 43 HST with TTS Sound Pack with upgraded Hornby Dual TTS decoders (Latest Firmware by Hornby December 2019) and Dual Mega Base Speakers by Roads and Rails.
R3390TTS – TTS decoders fitted with latest firmware from December 2019.
Produced in the 2015-2016 Virgin East Coast livery, the Class 43 with Twin Track Sound Train Pack contains both the power car ‘43311’ and dummy car ‘43312’. Decoders with MTU Engine Sounds are included in both Power and Dummy Cars.
Originally conceived as a cheaper, more reliable alternative to the Advanced Passenger Train in the early 1970s, the British Railways Board authorised the development of a prototype High Speed Diesel Train with two locomotives designated as Class 41. These aerodynamic power cars were constructed by BREL at their Crewe Works and emerged in June and August 1972, fitted with Paxman Valenta 12RP200L engines, developing 2,250 hp.
In 1987, for trial purposes, eight of the Class 43s were converted for use as Driving Vehicles with the Class 89 and Class 91 locomotives. The power cars were fitted with buffers and Time Division Multiplex (TDM) equipment that allowed them to directly control the other locomotive. Following the delivery of Mark 4 stock, the TDM equipment was removed and the power cars reverted to their normal duties.
During the late 1990s, twenty five of the Class 43s were updated with Paxman 12VP185L engines in an attempt to reduce fuel consumption and emissions; however these proved to be less reliable in service than was hoped. The HST fleet has seen many changes to the operating companies since privatisation in 1993, but Class 43 driven sets continue to operate nationwide, courtesy of First Great Western, Virgin East Coast, East Midlands Trains, Grand Central, Cross-Country and Network Rail.
Since taking over the East Coast Main Line franchise in March 2015, the Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) fleet of HSTs have operated primarily from the Craigentinny depot in Edinburgh, with services running out of Kings Cross to Inverness, as well as serving Lincoln, Hull, Leeds, Skipton, Harrogate and Aberdeen.
Having first appeared on the routes in an interim branding, the “biggest rebranding exercise on the East Coast Main Line in a decade” had been applied to seven diesel HST sets by August 2015, with the whole fleet due for completion by November 2015. Unit 43311 was part of the first fully branded Virgin liveried HST set, leaving Edinburgh Waverley with the 08:30 service to Kings Cross on Saturday June 20, 2015.
The TTS decoders in this Pack have been upgraded to the latest firmware as of December 2019.
Hornby engineers have developed a unique sound decoder that not only provides superior DCC control but also dedicated sounds associated with the locomotives that have been installed with this new sound decoder – TTS Twin Track Sound.
Technical Specification of the model
Gauge |
00 |
Length |
2 x 235mm |
DCC Type |
TTS Digital Sound Fitted |
Lighting |
Bi-directional front white (3 of) rear red (2 of) |
Period/ERA |
Era 10 – Post – privatisation |
Operator/Livery |
Virgin East Coast Main Line |
Designer |
Sir Kenneth Grange |
Entered Service |
1978 |
Minimum Curve |
R2 |
Motor |
5 Pole Skew Wound |
Wheel Configuration |
Bo-Bo |
No of Axles Driven |
Motorised Car – 4 driven through double flywheel and Cardan driveshafts |
Cab |
Detailed and internal LED lighting with manual opening cab doors |
Drive |
Drive on all axles of the motorised car using Cardan shafts coupling from motor to drive boggy gearboxes. |
Build Structure |
Plastic body and cast alloy chassis on the motorised car with plastic chassis on the non-motorised car. Roof body and bogie detailing. Mainly this for locos, but Hornby Railroad can be all plastic. variable by model |
Age Suitability |
14+ years |
TTS Decoder Functional Allocation – List
This HST 125 Train Pack uses the MTU Engine Sounds.
F# |
Sound Description |
Play Structure |
F0 |
Headlight/Rear-Light |
Toggle On/Off (Loco Direction Dependent) |
F1 |
Engine Start/Stop |
Various (Toggle On/Off) |
F2 |
Horn High-Low |
Plays Once (Momentary Action) |
F3 |
Horn Low-High |
Plays Once (Momentary Action) |
F4 |
Brake Squeal |
Plays Once (Momentary Action) |
F5 |
NOTCH Up |
Activates on Momentary Switch Control |
F6 |
NOTCH Down |
Activates on Momentary Switch Control |
F7 |
Return to IDLE |
Activates on Momentary Switch Control |
F8 |
Thrash |
Toggle On/Off |
F9 |
Cold Start Override |
Toggle On/Off |
F10 |
Compressor |
Plays until disabled (Toggle On/Off) |
F11 |
Cab Door Slam |
Plays Once (Momentary Action) |
F12 |
Fan |
Plays until disabled (Toggle On/Off) |
F13 |
Horn Long High |
Plays Once (Momentary Action) |
F14 |
Horn Long Low |
Plays Once (Momentary Action) |
F15 |
Primer |
Plays until disabled (Toggle On/Off) |
F16 |
Slow Flange Squeal |
Plays until disabled (Toggle On/Off) |
F17 |
Driver’s Safety Device (in Cab) |
Plays Once (Momentary Action) |
F18 |
Horn Short Low |
Plays Once (Momentary Action) |
F19 |
Horn Short High |
Plays Once (Momentary Action) |
F20 |
Windscreen Wipers |
Plays until disabled (Toggle On/Off) |
F21 |
AWS Test (in Cab) |
Plays Once (Momentary Action) |
F22 |
Fire Bell Test |
Plays Once (Momentary Action) |
F23 |
Guards Whistle |
Plays Once (Momentary Action) |
F24 |
Guard to Driver Buzzer (in Cab) |
Plays Once (Momentary Action) |
F25 |
Aux Lighting (if used in locomotive) |
Toggle On/Off |