APT POP TRAIN Kit (under design & construction)

[Mr_Tilt]

That must have been draughty riding in the open like that?

 

Both those pics were taken when the train was standing still, but we really DID ride outside the cabins on POP-Train, usually when we were in transit from one place to another at normal line speeds, which could be up to 100 mph with a 50, an 86/1 or our specially geared 47 at the front. Sometimes we rode outside during test runs too, but that was when the tests didn't concern the tilt system specifically. Naturally we rode on the downwind side as would get a bit windy otherwise, but it was quite calm standing close to the cabins. I've got loads of pics taken from such positions, a few samples below.

 

These days the H&SE would have heart failure just thinking about such activities, but then if they'd existed in the '70s the APT Project would never have happened. 

 

 

Chasing the traffic on the M1

 

 

 

Alan Bing [l] and John Peters [r] on the WCML

 

 

 

Malc Wilson [l] and Ace Martin [r] en route to Lockerbie

 

 

 

Dr. Maurice Pollard [my Boss, in the doorway] and Pete Howarth [r] approaching the RTC from the Test Track.

 

 

 

A POP-Train Party even, en route back from the Test Track. 

 

L to R. Martin Jones, Maggie Jones (just...) Maurice Pollard (rear), Barrie May (front), Terry Chappell, Alan Rimmer.

 

 

 

Sometimes it DID get a bit windy! Martin and Maggie Jones riding out the storm.

Edited August 27, 2016 by Mr_Tilt

[DJM Dave]

That must have been draughty riding in the open like that?

Lovely work and one that makes me want a set in N gauge especially as I have a 17 coming along.

 

Nice pics and the 2TG 47 in the background of 1 very interesting too.

[experimental]

Hi All,

A quick update on the work done this week.

 

1.Bulkheads reduced in thickness, test printed fine.

2. Redesigned small VIP area in PC3, and made it easier to construct.

3. Corrected bulkhead positions.

4. Corrected window sizes and positions, on side panels and PC3 VIP bulkhead.

 

Still to do..........

 

See how thin I can make the framework, but keep it strong enough to be handled.

HK brakes pipes to add to bogies.

Make internal details for large cabins and small VIP area.

 

Its getting there.........................

Edited September 5, 2016 by experimental

[Removed a/c]

It is looking great. Will it have NEM pockets?

[experimental]

It is looking great. Will it have NEM pockets?

 

If I can get the pivot gear to fit ok under the frame, I don't see why not.......

[Derekstuart]

9th January incident?

Please do tell... (or point out where on RMW where it inevitably was discussed before that I just haven't seen.)

[Mr_Tilt]

9th January incident?

 

Please do tell... (or point out where on RMW where it inevitably was discussed before that I just haven't seen.)

 

Perhaps it hasn't been mentioned on RMWeb yet but I always feature it in my APT talks.

 

When POP-Train was first built it had a notice on the doors that said 'This train is not to be moved unless Kit Spackman is aboard' as I was the only person who knew all there was to know about the tilt system, and for a long time it did indeed travel everywhere with me on board. But by the end of 1972, when I was busy sorting out the tilt upgrades on E-Train over in the Loco Works, someone decided that it was safe to send POP-Train out to Old Dalby without me..................... WRONG! 

 

As it was early in January the Test Track hadn't been used since well before Christmas and the track was not only rusty, it was very wet as well, and on the very first northbound run the train crew applied the brakes at the normal braking point and nothing happened..............

 

The loco brakes locked up and flatted themselves and the train brakes were similarly useless so the train, a Class 46 loco no. 185, Lab 3, PC3 & PC4 and our generator coach, just slid clean off the end of the track! The loco itself was buried up to its axles boxes in the ballast, Lab 3 was similarly dumped into the ballast and PC4 as well, leaving PC3 and the generator coach on the track.

 

Somewhat ironically late in the previous year we'd tested the massive foam arrester bed installed at the North end of the track to prevent exactly this sort of accident happening to E-Train if it had problems in stopping, but the foam hadn't been replaced before POP-Train got there and the train went clean through the walls that were meant to be retain the foam!

 

Needless to say it took some effort on our part to extract the vehicles and get them back to the RTC but amazingly there wasn't much damage. But one thing that was replaced was the notice on the door about me! 

 

[modelpara]

I would definitely be interested in a 00 gauge version of this!

[Derekstuart]

What an interesting diorama that would make- the test train on the ballast.

 

Mr Tilt, thank you for that interesting anecdote. APT talks? Do you do these at Locomotion or are you on the 'after dinner speaker' circuit (many similarly interesting people do this).

 

That would have been an interesting time getting the train back on the rails. Was it a case of jack it up and put track underneath it?

[Mr_Tilt]

What an interesting diorama that would make- the test train on the ballast.

 

Mr Tilt, thank you for that interesting anecdote. APT talks? Do you do these at Locomotion or are you on the 'after dinner speaker' circuit (many similarly interesting people do this).

 

That would have been an interesting time getting the train back on the rails. Was it a case of jack it up and put track underneath it?

 

I'll do them ANYwhere! 

 

I'm very evangelical about the whole APT project, as you may have gathered by now, as I think the whole thing had a very bad deal from the Government and our blasted media, who wouldn't recognise world leading technology if it fell on their over-blown heads! I've done loads of talks by now, well into the 50s-60s I guess, and it used to be a slide presentation about the history of the project. but nowadays it's a Powerpoint presentation naturally. I've given most of them to model railway clubs or to railway preservation groups, but I'd be happy doing it for any interested group.

 

It comes in three lengths, 1.5 hrs, 2.5 hrs and 'Oh my god, is he EVER going to stop!' I've only done the really long one twice, and the longest started at 1930 hrs and ended at 0045 hrs! 

 

If you're interested, or any other groups would like to hear and see it, just drop me a PM here and we'll see what we can do. 

 

As for recovering the stranded POP-Train we bought in some VERY big cranes, lifted each individual trailer vehicle and hauled them back onto the track. As the loco had finally stopped the other side of the Edwalton Rd bridge it had to be jacked up, and then skated back to the track,which took almost a week!

Edited September 6, 2016 by Mr_Tilt

[Experimental1967]

Hi All,

To add to Kits posts, here is a collection of photos taken on the crash day, thanks to Barry May for the collection.

 

http://www.apt-e.org/Barry_May/Collection_1/BarryMay_1.html

[DRM]

Hello. Paul . POP is sweet, nice job there.

If and when you are taking orders could you put me down for one pair please. The price is what ever it works out to be, I just would like one.

Are you thinking of doing the "skinned " version as I was the starting to figure out how to do a brass kit ?. But if it's in your pipe line and your going to market them I'll stop. ( not got that far ). I was just wanting to get the PoP's' out there.

Brilliant work Paul I can't wait for you to release them (I hope). Keep up the good work.

Take care Darren

[experimental]

Hello. Paul . POP is sweet, nice job there.

If and when you are taking orders could you put me down for one pair please. The price is what ever it works out to be, I just would like one.

Are you thinking of doing the "skinned " version as I was the starting to figure out how to do a brass kit ?. But if it's in your pipe line and your going to market them I'll stop. ( not got that far ). I was just wanting to get the PoP's' out there.

Brilliant work Paul I can't wait for you to release them (I hope). Keep up the good work.

Take care Darren

 

Hi Darren,

Thanks for the interest in the model, the answer to your question is "YES", very much so, along with HSFV1 and Lab 4 Hastings.

 

All updates with be posted on here, so keep an eye on progress, been working on the base and the lattice work the past few days, so POP one is nearly there.

 

Regards

 

Paul

[DRM]

Hi Paul

If you mad enough and are going to do HSFV1 and Hastings along with a skinned PoP, could you put me down for one of each please.

Question,

I don't know if you was building in tilt and if so how you are doing it, but if it helps Peter from PHD has reproduced the Hornby APT bogie "pins" . Might be helpful.

Keep up the great work. Take care Darren.

[86902]

A set for me aswell please Paul

Exceptional work mate

Cheers

Bob

[Enterprisingwestern]

Looking at Barry Mays internal pics, there is probably more computing power in a modern mobile phone than in the test cars! (pedantically maybe not, but you know what I mean, such is the advance of technology).

To think what could have been achieved with current computing power.

 

Mike.

[Mr_Tilt]

Looking at Barry Mays internal pics, there is probably more computing power in a modern mobile phone than in the test cars! (pedantically maybe not, but you know what I mean, such is the advance of technology).

To think what could have been achieved with current computing power.

 

Mike.

 

Actually you're right. We had a 16 bit Redcor computer on board Lab3, the same computer that's currently aboard TC2 at Shildon, and it had a massive 1 Mb tape drive for storing the results. 

 

It could handle 16 channels of data for any test run, and we had to select those from the 64 channels of sensors and amplifiers we had aboard. The channels not using the Redcor could output their results to other tape drives, UV recorders or oscilloscopes, most of which are still aboard TC2. At that time it was the highest technology available that could be used on board a train.

 

I'd imagine that these days we'd have a data link from the train direct  back to the lab and do all the processing there, but I'd be interested to hear how they do actually do it.

 

If they do it really, as there's no unified railway research going on in this country of course.

[BruceV]

Hello Paul,

 

A set for me please.

 

Thanks

 

Bruce

[newbryford]

Looking at Barry Mays internal pics, there is probably more computing power in a modern mobile phone than in the test cars! (pedantically maybe not, but you know what I mean, such is the advance of technology).

To think what could have been achieved with current computing power.

 

Mike.

 

There is a quote from a considerable number of years ago, that the average house had more computing power that the Apollo moon missions. (They were using slide rules on board the Apollo command modules)

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Mr_Tilt]

There is a quote from a considerable number of years ago, that the average house had more computing power that the Apollo moon missions. (They were using slide rules on board the Apollo command modules)

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

I still used mine while I was at BR, and I still have it. 

 

We had a few of those new fangled HP and Texas Instruments calculators toward the end of the 70s, but we looked on them with great suspicion, and I often found myself checking the results that they gave against manual calculation or my slide rule! 

[experimental]

A set for me aswell please Paul

Exceptional work mate

Cheers

Bob

 

Hi Bob,

Keep an eye on here for progress reports, and thanks for your support.

 

Regards

 

Paul

Hello Paul,

 

A set for me please.

 

Thanks

 

Bruce

 

Hi Bruce,

Thanks for your support, I will keep you all posted as to progress.

 

Regards

 

Paul

[experimental]

Hi all,

Not much of an update this week as I have been away driving on the Great Central Railway, but before I left I started work on the cab interiors, new coupler and lowered the ride height a few mm.

 

More progress tomorrow with a bit of luck as I can work all day on the model.

 

Watch this space.

 

Oh, prototype 7 is now under construction using black PLA, very striking.

 

Regards

 

Paul

Edited September 24, 2016 by experimental

[DRM]

Hi Paul

Looking good. Yer, black PVC yuk . Use to weld plastic don't know what it was with black but very mushy when you heat it.

Any reson for black, or is that just what you've " got in ".

Have you had any ideas yet how you are wanting to be payed for these beauty yet ?.

Paul do you drive steam or diesel ?

[experimental]

Hi Paul

Looking good. Yer, black PVC yuk . Use to weld plastic don't know what it was with black but very mushy when you heat it.

Any reson for black, or is that just what you've " got in ".

Have you had any ideas yet how you are wanting to be payed for these beauty yet ?.

Paul do you drive steam or diesel ?

Hi,

Used black PLA just as it what I had in, going to use grey for the production versions, although I do like it in black, will post some pics when the next prototype is ready.

 

As for payment, was going to issue a queue number, so you only pay when your model kit is ready for posting.  I was thinking of using paypal, something I need to look into further.  Going to put a section of the website (www.apt-e.org) so everyone knows which kit I am currently working on.

 

Regards

 

Paul

[experimental]

I spent the day learning to drive a class 31, it was great stuff well recommended.

 

Paul