The Official Rapido APT-E Thread

[UP 4000]

Gven that it seems best to keep the APT-E coupled, perhaps there is an opportunity for Locomotion to sell a 'sort of tube with rails in' for people to keep their model in.

Train-Safe in Germany, they do vision where you can literally drive the loco in and it's a display case aswell.

 

Also the travel tube is the same, but locks the train in place and is stackable and easy to move.

 

Regards Craig.

[47137]

Train-Safe in Germany, they do vision where you can literally drive the loco in and it's a display case aswell.

 

Also the travel tube is the same, but locks the train in place and is stackable and easy to move.

 

Regards Craig.

I've just bought a 1.2m "train safe" for my APT-E, also an adaptor to fix to the end of a siding to allow the train safe to attach to the layout - the system does look well-designed and above all dust-proof. A bit pricey for my run of the mill models though so only this one to begin with. 

 

Are you using their wall brackets? At the moment I've got my tube destined for the mantle piece, not ideal.

 

- Richard.

[UP 4000]

I've just bought a 1.2m "train safe" for my APT-E, also an adaptor to fix to the end of a siding to allow the train safe to attach to the layout - the system does look well-designed and above all dust-proof. A bit pricey for my run of the mill models though so only this one to begin with. 

 

Are you using their wall brackets? At the moment I've got my tube destined for the mantle piece, not ideal.

 

- Richard.

 

Hi Richard,

 

I have the stainless steel ones, you can also get powered clear Perspex brackets where you can operate the functions of the APT-E  from your controller,(don't floor the throttle though!)

 

I agree they are a bit pricey but worth it, at the moment I have the vision's in 1.2m & 600mm, and the travel in1.2m.

 

Also got on order a 900mm vision, another 1.2m travel and a 3m travel for the service use apt-e.

 

Regards Craig.

[Removed a/c]

That looks great, sorry to go off topic but where did you get the crane from?

 

 

Also can anyone tell me how long the model APT-E is please. 

[UP 4000]

That looks great, sorry to go off topic but where did you get the crane from?

 

 

Also can anyone tell me how long the model APT-E is please. 

 

The E-Train from nose to nose is about 1160mm (45 3/4" old money), but for any type of storage/display case or tube 1200mm, 1.2m 0r 4' is adequate,

 

Off Ebay, But it's a Trix Goliath 100ton German crane, fully digital, raise and lower boom, same with winch and rotates 360 degrees, and can run off the ECoS, I have one on order with sound, all now sold out limited run of 999.

 

Check out Jim's (hovermotion) video on YT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyhMps7TNqM

 

Thanks, 

 

Regards Craig.

[Removed a/c]

Thanks for the info Craig 

 

Regards 

Scott

[UP 4000]

Thanks for the info Craig 

 

Regards 

Scott

 

Hi Scott,

 

No problem, Happy to help if and when I can,

 

Regards Craig.

[Guest spet0114]

Just a quick note of thanks to tgvfan, longrail and redgate models. Based on your advice, I took my model down to club running night where it performed faultlessly on DC. Clearly my old controllers are at fault! Am now both relieved that I don't have a duff APT and impressed at the spectacle my one made going round the club track. Well done Rapido!

[piranha230]

Rapido are selling airbrush ready acrylic proto paint in the us, starting with 47 colours, hopefully they will start to sell uk spec colours very soon, to compete with Railmatch and Phoenix Precision, hopefully we can get some paint colours that have never been done by the latter two.

[piranha230]

Here they are.

 

 

[47137]

Hi Richard,

 

I have the stainless steel ones, you can also get powered clear Perspex brackets where you can operate the functions of the APT-E  from your controller,(don't floor the throttle though!)

 

I agree they are a bit pricey but worth it, at the moment I have the vision's in 1.2m & 600mm, and the travel in1.2m.

 

Also got on order a 900mm vision, another 1.2m travel and a 3m travel for the service use apt-e.

 

Regards Craig.

Hi Craig,

 

Thanks for all of this. I went back to the Trainsafe web site and discovered they also do hanging brackets to let you suspend tubes from the ceiling. I've ordered up a pair of these so I can put the tube behind the layout, above the backscene. I went for the unpowered brackets but they do an "electified" version as well, with the suspension cables being the electric wires. It does seem a very well thought out system.

 

In the meantime, the house is so cluttered it will be best (safest) to keep the APT in its box and the tube stored on its end.

 

- Richard.

[Revolution Ben]

Here they are.

 

If they're doing North American shades are they doing Wisconsin Central Maroon and Buff? The ones pictured far right look like possible contenders..

 

If so, would these be suitable for EWS colours, which I believe were based on the same livery due to Wisconsin Central's involvement immediately after privatisation?

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

Edited May 7, 2016 by Ben A

[Mr_Tilt]

If they're doing North American shades are they doing Wisconsin Central Maroon and Buff? The ones pictured far right look like possible contenders..

 

If so, would these be suitable for EWS colours, which I believe were based on the same livery due to Wisconsin Central's involvement immediately after privatisation?

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

 

EWS colours were the same as Wisconsin Central's house colours, yes.

 

Not that the WC were all that stringent in using them, I've got pics of some WC freights in their early days when they had 3-4 x GP30s and a couple of SD-45s on point and EVERY loco is in a different colour scheme! 

[Martin_R]

Here they are.

Wow! Proper caps! I bet H&S will get those changed to typical c**p safety caps for the UK market!

Edited May 7, 2016 by Martin_R

[modelpara]

Train-Safe in Germany, they do vision where you can literally drive the loco in and it's a display case aswell.

 

Also the travel tube is the same, but locks the train in place and is stackable and easy to move.

 

Regards Craig.

What is that crane?

[Removed a/c]

What is that crane?

See post #3214

[malcolmt]

If they're doing North American shades are they doing Wisconsin Central Maroon and Buff? The ones pictured far right look like possible contenders..

 

If so, would these be suitable for EWS colours, which I believe were based on the same livery due to Wisconsin Central's involvement immediately after privatisation?

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

BTW, WC Maroon is a match for LMS locomotive maroon, or at least the Dublo version thereof. TH&B cream is a reasonable match to BR cream.

 

Malcolm

Calgary, AB

[Bomp]

I may have missed them, but so far I've seen no pictures of an APT-E with more than the two coaches.  So here is my video of my five car set.  I think the two motors and all the lights are too much for my single Gaugemaster DC controller, so I'll have to get it chipped so I can try full speed.

 

 

https://youtu.be/CBtpdf2RuwE

 

I hope this works - I tried embedding and then pasting the link but I can't paste anything into this box.

[UP 4000]

When you need to move E-Train about, sits very comfortable in the 1.2m Travel tube,

 

Clip on YT www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV4QSPBZK0A

 

Regards Craig.

[lofty1966]

Saw a couple of the APT's at Brampton (Ontario) British Train Show today.

Stunning models !

[bickybtrains]

Saw a couple of the APT's at Brampton (Ontario) British Train Show today.

Stunning models !

One was running on the Buffers Model Railway club layout.  Very impressive model. 

[John ks]

I finnaly got my APT-E

I thought you might be interested in where its been

It Started life in China And then to England

 

 

Where UPS picked it up

Next Stop Germany

 

 

Then to USA

 

 

And a Second stop in USA

 

 

A quick stop in Honolulu

Then to New South Wales

 

 

And finally to Queensland

 

 

A little trip of about 29,343Km

And now its at its new home where it may do only a few more Kilometers

 

I think some of the meets were arranged by a man with a blue box

 

Thanks to Sandra Locomotion Rapido And all the rest involved in this project

 

John

 

[Mr_Tilt]

Brill, I LOVE the World Tour idea. 

 

Standing alongside a UP Big Blow makes E-Train look as if it's a different scale. Well I suppose it is really, 00 v H0, but the size difference is very marked. 

 

Even all ten BL turbines wouldn't be noticed if the Big Blow was running!

[PaulRhB]

Brill, I LOVE the World Tour idea.

 

Standing alongside a UP Big Blow makes E-Train look as if it's a different scale. Well I suppose it is really, 00 v H0, but the size difference is very marked.

 

Even all ten BL turbines wouldn't be noticed if the Big Blow was running!

Being a minor pedant that ain't the Big Blow Kit, that was the three unit one on 6 wheel trucks top one is the original series, second one is the Veranda Turbine and Big blow was the third gen numbered 1-30.

Great Tour pics

Now if they done a Big Blow version of the APT-E . . .

Edited May 9, 2016 by PaulRhB

[shreds]

My two versions of the APT-E were finally delivered this morning by UPS.

 

What a truly unbelievable model to behold.

 

One to sit in the display cabinet, the other to be utilised on a purpose built layout, to P4 standards. 

 

As I investigated creating a scratch built APT-E in the late 1990s, but gave up after studying scale drawings from Paul L at the complexity of the compound body curves. So this is truly a remarkable day.

 

My huge thanks go out to:-

 

Locomotion (Sandra, how do you cope with so many cranks?),

 

Jason & Bill, for having the vision and foresight to go with this particular NCIM as your first venture into the UK market (I will be toasting the APT-E with Blue label Portwood Penderyn), 

 

 

Paul Leadley and all the many many others involved in this project,

 

but a special thanks is reserved for Kit; Mr Tilt, for providing a continuous running commentary and authoritative opinion on all matters to do with the E train, as well as being there in the beginning. 

 

I am forever in your debt for creating such a thing of beauty. 

 

Gentlemen and ladies....take a bow.

Edited May 9, 2016 by shreds