The Official Rapido APT-E Thread

[tgvfan]

• And as of 8pm its sitting at £260

[MickD]

Don't hold your breath on it being No.7. I was originally told mine would be N0. 147 but when I looked at the certificate it has gone up to No 296. Very strange ??.

MickD

[Ian J.]

Thanks, Andy for the great photos and to everyone for the very kind words!

 

A lot of hard work has gone into this model - more so than almost any other project we've done. Today Bill described it to me as "The Canadian" for the UK market in terms of its ambition and complexity. It certainly took over our whole factory for a few months like The Canadian did back in 2012.

 

I'm delighted that the initial reaction is so positive.

 

-Jason

 

I think we should be thanking you for doing all the work to put this model together.

[Andy Y]

I think that they've combined the numbers for sound and non-sound items (a total run of 2000) so both sets of original numbers may be out of synch. If my guess is wrong I'm sure Sandra will let me know.

[Jitmen]

^{ordered mine October 2014,a bit cheesed off with the 6 month delay but can just about wait now,bought dc ready so it looks like end of April for me ?}

^{going to pick mine up when ready as I live near shildon,hope to get an email when ready from shildon,emailed them but no reply yet?}

^{loved this train as a kid,remember seeing at York museum,now see it every few weeks at shildon,will look good with my apt-p.}

^{hst prototype looks tempting but I hate paying a deposit then waiting two years for the model!}

^{love unusual trains would like the turbo train from rapido if it comes available in the uk .}

[Andy Y]

ordered mine October 2014,a bit cheesed off with the 6 month delay but can just about wait now

 

From when the project was announced and the scanning to the point of release has been 21 months which is pretty good going for any manufacturer. Add into that the fact that the coupling and articulation mechanisms needed more development (probably the most challenging coupling on a model) after the EP stage I would say Jason and the team have done a good job to get it out 3 months after the initial projection made at the announcement.

 

I am sure you will be happy when you see it.

[LocomotionatShildon]

I am no 267 (boring old DCC ready) but havent had an email to pay the balance yet, I cant do it online because I subsequently added the extra coach to the order (a couple of months after my initial order at Warley 2014) and want to make sure I pay the full amount owed, I have left a telephone message and used the contact us page and am now quietly waiting for them to get a couple of minutes spare to sort me out (in a nice way).

I will be at my desk bright and early in the morning if you can ring about 8.00am, we'll sort it out.

[PrestburyJack]

PS I haven't bought one, at 50 I'm slightly too young to remember it, but it does look good!

 

I'm waiting for mine - dcc ready - wish now I'd ordered the sound version.  Is it possible to buy the sound decoder and retro-fit?

 

Why not give Locomotion a call and see if you've got time to 'upgrade'? I have to say the sound option is well worth the extra.

 

I wasn't going to get one - too early for me - until I thought about it properly and realised if I can run a blue Western I can run an APT.

 

A quick phone call to Locomotion secured a silent version, made available when the original purchaser upgraded to sound. Apparently there are some 'spares' still available.

 

Thanks to Sandra I should have it soon!

 

Gary

[Jitmen]

Going down to Crewe to see the apt-p this year,wonder if rapido will do a apt-p as the Hornby one I've got is a poor runner?

[piranha230]

I hope they will do the APT-P at some point as the Hornby one looks very toy like.

[John ks]

Is this turning into a P-Train thread?

If so i would like one too

 

As for my E-Train I guess it will arrive when it gets here.

Feels better that I'm back on thread

[lyneux]

To my great delight, mine arrived today. A big thanks to Sandra and her team at Locomotion for getting these out this week despite the busy show commitments. For the record, it's number seven hundred and something.... but who's counting!

 

Having "borrowed" a pre production sample for DEMU Showcase last year, I am intrigued to see the modifications to the coupling mechanism not to mention finally trying out Ian's sounds.

 

Mine will be making a surprise visit to Whatley Quarry on Saturday!

 

I'm also looking forward to Showcase this summer and to meeting Kit again. For members, there are a few more details of Kit's talk over on the DEMU forum.

 

Guy

[Shed83a]

Yes oh yes oh yes!! Mine arrived today.No 628/2000 with sound. Only I have been in 'spoons since 4.30 sampling one or two ales so am in no fit state to even post this let alone try assembling the train. Have opened the box and had a peek inside but that's it until tomorrow. Can't chuffing wait. Hail all silver banana fans, it looks fab. Nige

[Mr_Tilt]

 

^{love unusual trains would like the turbo train from rapido if it comes available in the uk .}

 

I've got one (thanks Jason   ) and plan to show it alongside my E-Train when it arrives, they should make a good pair. The Turbo speaks French as well, as you can select the station anouncements to be in Canadian or Qubeqouis!

 

I'm thinking of re-painting one side of the Turbo in silver with a  wide blue stripe curving up and over the cab............. 

[Mr_Tilt]

Mine will be making a surprise visit to Whatley Quarry on Saturday!

 

I'm also looking forward to Showcase this summer and to meeting Kit again. For members, there are a few more details of Kit's talk over on the DEMU forum.

 

Guy

 

We should start a thread of pics showing E-Trains in unlikely places. 

 

And at a big show we ought to have an E-Train Rally! As many as possible lined up in some poor unsuspecting fiddle yard...........

 

What does it say about my talk in the DEMU Forum Guy? I may have to modify the actual talk to suit! 

[luke_stevens]

Arrived this afternoon:

 

 

 

APT-E 104/2000

 

Wonderful and extremely loud!

 

Thank you Jason.

 

Now please can I order my HSDT...

 

Luke

Edited March 24, 2016 by luke_stevens

[luke_stevens]

We should start a thread of pics showing E-Trains in unlikely places. 

 

I'd love to but I'd be too nervous to carry it on holiday.

 

I wouldn't want to break it and I wouldn't want to have explain what it was.

 

I once got stopped going through Budapest Airport and called to security to go through my suitcase and explain that the wierd shaped pieces of metal were actual a brass model of a Hungarian electric...

[Budgie]

How can I work out which number mine should be? There is no number on the invoices (apart from the order reference, and that's different on both invoices)

[rapidotrains]

I think we should be thanking you for doing all the work to put this model together.

 

 

While I can take some of the credit, I can't take the majority of it.

 

Thanks need to go to Bill, Dan, Zhou, Kit, Legomanbiffo and the rest of our design team for making this train happen. I wanted an APT-E, but they turned that into a real model that looks, sounds and operates well. Thanks also to Gareth for the gorgeous book.

 

I will, however, take the credit for writing the instructions. If you find them offensive you can place the blame squarely at my door and noone else's.

 

Best regards,

 

Jason

[piranha230]

Jason, come on we want the APT-P doing now, to follow on from the APT-E and HST prototype, would make a nice trio.

[trent]

Just to echo the comments already made, thank you to the whole of team Rapido for producing this model, fantastic achievement in the timescales.

 

And in addition, I'm also hopeful you'll announce the APT-P Jason. My deposit is already waiting!

 

Martin

[Jitmen]

I would love the LNER hush hush

[Ian J.]

...and plan to show it alongside my E-Train when it arrives...

 

Ahem. Don't you already have an E-Train? I mean, it's a bit bigger than the models, and isn't in your backyard, but you've played with it for years...

 

;)

 

The obvious suggestion for a rally would be at Shildon of course, with lots of models displayed alongside the real one.

[Ian J.]

While I can take some of the credit, I can't take the majority of it.

 

Thanks need to go to Bill, Dan, Zhou, Kit, Legomanbiffo and the rest of our design team for making this train happen. I wanted an APT-E, but they turned that into a real model that looks, sounds and operates well. Thanks also to Gareth for the gorgeous book.

 

I will, however, take the credit for writing the instructions. If you find them offensive you can place the blame squarely at my door and noone else's.

 

Best regards,

 

Jason

 

Good point. My phrasing looks a bit off and could be read as such, but it was intended to be 'you' as in Rapido Trains as a collective.

[No Decorum]

I had a word with Sandra this morning and she said that I could post this information about certificate numbers which she gave me.

 

The original intention was to number sound and DCC-ready versions in separate series but when the certificates arrived, they were all the same. Consequently, it was decided to allocate the odd numbers to the DCC-ready versions and the even numbers to the sound versions. Number 1 couldn’t be used, so Andy’s no. 2 is the first number allocated and whoever gets no. 3 will have the lowest DCC-ready number.

 

I hope that’s clear. It also clears up another little mystery (I’m easily mystified). The certificates state a total number of 2,000 but I was under the impression that these were being made to order, plus perhaps a few as spares or for late orders. Sandra told me that not quite 2,000 have been produced.

 

Perhaps certificate numbers are not important to most happy recipients but all the same, I think it’s nice to know these things.

 

Thank you, Sandra, and sorry again to bother you.