The Official Rapido APT-E Thread

[stadman]

My own example 

(Fist 10 seconds or so)

On the EXE Model Railway Society DCC demo layout. Clearly illustrates the end throw (A signal fell victim)

Ran well straight out of the box, very impressed

[UP 4000]

Fingers crossed it was just a bad decoder, few and far between, Having said that my 08 blew it's decoder this morning!! 2nd one I've installed plus it's original (non Legomanbiffo's), all sound so there's £300 down the swanny, I think it's the devil reincarnated.

 

I see what you mean about the transfers, My service use's are on and off like no tomorrow, most of the photos I've put on here, circuit boards, wiring diagrams etc. are of her and there fine.

 

Is that a mark on PC-2 as well just on the roof line corner?

[Mr_Tilt]

I'm sure Mr Tilt will give the full details, but the APT bodyshell is so profiled that if it does fail to full tilt, then it shouldn't be out of gauge and IIRC, the APT-P had a different tilt arrangement in that if it did fail, it would self-centre.

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

Both E and P-Trains were designed so they didn't foul the loading gauge even if they suffered a 'hard over' tilt failure. That meant they were powered into the tilt system bump stops, which in E-Train's case was 12 degs and P-Train's 10 deg. although it was also 12 deg to start with.

 

The business about the risk of two P-Train's hitting each other if they both suffered 'hard over' tilt failures in opposite directions is total cobblers. As revealed in the new APT book by David Clough, that problem happened because the Civil Engineers had been lax about the track alignment over large lengths of the WCML and once that had been sorted the risk of such an impact vanished.

 

Mind you, such a co-incidental failure was one in a million, the chance of a P-Train failing OUTWARD was very low indeed simply because it was built so that it needed more force to tilt outward than inward. And P-Train was designed so it would 'pendulum' back to a position where the floor would be level with the track, and as Rob Latham's mentioned earlier in this VAST thread, all the vehicles were fitted with a latching mechanism to ensure it stayed like that.

[BruceV]

Fingers crossed it was just a bad decoder, few and far between, Having said that my 08 blew it's decoder this morning!! 2nd one I've installed plus it's original (non Legomanbiffo's), all sound so there's £300 down the swanny, I think it's the devil reincarnated.

 

I see what you mean about the transfers, My service use's are on and off like no tomorrow, most of the photos I've put on here, circuit boards, wiring diagrams etc. are of her and there fine.

 

Is that a mark on PC-2 as well just on the roof line corner?

Have you checked your layout for any loose connections?   Loose connections can cause surges.   What make is your DCC controller and how much voltage is it outputting?   If the controller is outputting too much voltage it could be the cause of your blown decoders.   I suggest that you check out your whole system including the programming track, if you have one, until you find the cause of the problem.   After 3 blown decoders I be very dubious about running any loco until I have had the system checked out..

[bulver]

Blimey , Craig, that is the devil's work indeed! I hadn't noticed that mark, can't check it at the mo, as we have got builders in and I packed the set away. Will have a look later today.

Hope you get the electrics problem sorted and stabilise the '08' so it doesn't do any more damage

[mvwilson]

Fingers crossed it was just a bad decoder, few and far between, Having said that my 08 blew it's decoder this morning!! 2nd one I've installed plus it's original (non Legomanbiffo's), all sound so there's £300 down the swanny, I think it's the devil reincarnated.

 

I see what you mean about the transfers, My service use's are on and off like no tomorrow, most of the photos I've put on here, circuit boards, wiring diagrams etc. are of her and there fine.

 

Is that a mark on PC-2 as well just on the roof line corner?

you know you can return ESU decoders for exchange free of charge even if they are blown. You should not be throwing away 300 pounds worth of decoders.

[UP 4000]

you know you can return ESU decoders for exchange free of charge even if they are blown. You should not be throwing away 300 pounds worth of decoders.

 

Well I didn't know that I'll try it and see what happens, Truth be told this was the first one that blew itself, Loksound micro fitted with 2 Zimo speakers in parallel. The first original I wiped the sound off of it, but re-blew it and is now in one of the Big Boy locos, 2nd one was a Howes on a 21pinner so it just dropped in the Hornby 08 but had to grind the interior of the shell for it to fit.

I was doing some work on it when all of a sudden the speaker fell off the front and landed on the track!!, That blew the amp, and that's the 21pinner that's got it's own built in smoke generator what I use from time to time for testing.

For the 3rd one, the 08 was just sat on the track under DC control, engine was running and just as it moved there was a buzzing and that was it.

I fitted a 2nd 08 shunter at the same time but with a 21pinner so just plugged in and that's had no issues whatsoever and had a longer run time, So yes she is a little Devil and the most expensive shunter ever!!.

 

As for layout, I don't have one, so that passed with flying colours, controller is the ESU ECoS, no problems with that (apart from the twins dealing with the PSU) and the 08 was on a DC controller (very old Gaugemaster Series D) and I use that to pull E-Train out of the Vision display case.

 

Anyway, Got service use's coaches back tonight, look fantastic and had some work done on the power cars as well (SH Model Making,Thanks Simon, Appreciate it) will have to fit the decoders in them now and try to get them up and running over the weekend, Have a few more ideas for them so have to start cracking on, And need to build a layout to run everything on!!!

[UP 4000]

Blimey , Craig, that is the devil's work indeed! I hadn't noticed that mark, can't check it at the mo, as we have got builders in and I packed the set away. Will have a look later today.

Hope you get the electrics problem sorted and stabilise the '08' so it doesn't do any more damage

 

Oh yes she's stabilised alright, somewhere in the bottom of the bin,  

[bulver]

Oh yes she's stabilised alright, somewhere in the bottom of the bin,  

Deader'n a dodo eh? Had a look at the trailer car, two very slight nicks on the lip of the roof, but the marks showing in the pic are nowhere to be seen, must have been a trick of the iPad

[UP 4000]

 Oh yesss, will sort it though, she's no longer on the wall of fame anymore, paperweight for now. Must be jinxed on something, only ever had issues with 2 loco's, the 08 and one of the Trix Big Boy's, Refitted that one with the mtc board and a 21pinner Loksound, never had an issue since.

 

Glad it was only camera trickery Rod, Hopefully you'll get your baby sorted soon.

[UP 4000]

Well service use is now becoming her own, and will be evolving into 1st Class, Disco coach is safe and well but won't play much of a part in the formation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PC 3 and PC 4 haul the 8 coach 1st Class service with TC 3 to TC 10, Still got more work to do on them, and all decoders are now fitted. Due to work issues will have to slow work down a little on service use, But will still keep pushing forward though.

 

https://youtu.be/chvuiQqPXfU

 

[bulver]

Hi Craig

Like the disco train, very smart! I notice that you have various TC numbers, were these as supplied, or can you purchase them separately? I would like to get the faded one on my PC1 replaced.

[Mr_Tilt]

The TCx decals come with the extra Trailer Cars, but the PCx ones would have to be 'cut and shut' I guess. 

[UP 4000]

Hi Rod, Yes Kit's right, the TC's are supplied with the coaches, As far as I'm aware Simon removed the 1 & 2 and replaced them with the 3 & 4 off the TC's, The PC's are original.

 

I would pretty much say these aren't available, But could it be possible to buy white letters from Shawplan, Fox Transfers, Etc??, That might suit E-Train.

 

 

Just checked, Fox Transfers do white alphabetic sheets in various sizes

Edited July 26, 2016 by UP 4000

[UP 4000]

Checked the sizes with a digital caliper and the old bong eye, Best I'm getting is about 1.5mm in height.

 

Fox Transfers do this sheet http://fox-transfers.co.uk/general-alphabets-linings/alphabet-in-white-72907

 

I think it's the closest you're going to get Rod, Personally I'd use the 2mm size, It might go better as the APT-E writing is larger on the power cars, I would recommend getting the blue stripe lacquered, mine has from drivers door all the way to the rear so is protecting all of the writing.

 

My E-Train's been fine, but might see if Simon will lacquer that one as well, Just in case,

[Jitmen]

Went to the Flying Scotsman shed bash at Shildon today,nice to see people taking photos of the apt-e also.

[Mr_Tilt]

Went to the Flying Scotsman shed bash at Shildon today,nice to see people taking photos of the apt-e also.

 

Just a pity the powers that be wouldn't let us open E-train for the occasion. 

 

The pro-steam lobby up there may be on borrowed time though, hopefully..........

[Jitmen]

Just a pity the powers that be wouldn't let us open E-train for the occasion. 

 

The pro-steam lobby up there may be on borrowed time though, hopefully..........

They had a deltic (koyli) outside open to public so it would have been nice to have apt-e open.I just spotted for the first time a middle piece of the apt-e outside uncovered which looked a bit sad and open to the elements

[Coach bogie]

One reason the APT-E  is popular for photographs is the clear, uninterupted, view currently available. Often APT-E is surrounded by trade tables during special events. Add the Deltic prototype positioned alongside. Enjoy the opportunity while you can.

Mike Wiltshire

[Mr_Tilt]

One reason the APT-E  is popular for photographs is the clear, uninterupted, view currently available. Often APT-E is surrounded by trade tables during special events. Add the Deltic prototype positioned alongside. Enjoy the opportunity while you can.

sirjamesmilne@gmail.com Shildon22.7.16d.jpg

Mike Wiltshire

 

That's different! For years the #1 Deltic was on the other side of E-Train, it looks very strange the opposite way round. 

 

They had a deltic (koyli) outside open to public so it would have been nice to have apt-e open.I just spotted for the first time a middle piece of the apt-e outside uncovered which looked a bit sad and open to the elements

 

That's the Joint Module that should be between TC1 and TC2, but as they're 30 feet apart now there's no chance it would fit. Most of it is fibreglass so it won't come to much harm out there.

 

 

Grrrrr, try as I might I CANNOT get the crazy editor on this site to put these two posts in the correct order! 

Edited July 27, 2016 by Mr_Tilt

[Ian J.]

If you switch to BBCode Mode (the little light switch in the top left of the top tool bar) you can see the basic text without any formatting. I often find it easier to do more complex editing in BBCode Mode as it lets me see where spaces and the like are, which the WYSIWYG mode doesn't. The biggest nuisance in BBCode mode is the lack of a wrap-around option for the text.

 

[bulver]

Thanks for all that info, Craig, and also, Kit, that is really useful. I will also speak to Locomotion, as the coach was only lightly handled, so would have thought that they would be more long-lasting than this. Will look at Shawplan, and take your advice re sizing. Once again, thanks for all the info and research you have carried out on my behalf, it is greatly appreciated

Rod

[Mr_Tilt]

In case anyone's a) interested enough and b) not heard it before, I'm doing my illustrated talk on the APT project during the Great Central Railway - Nottingham's Model Railway Show at Ruddington this coming weekend.

 

If things work out as planned I'll be doing it in the afternoon of Saturday 30th July and in the morning of Sunday 31st. Naturally in this day and age it's a Powerpoint presentation and includes many of the pics I've posted on here in the past, plus I'll have my own Rapido E-Train complete with its Karry Kase.

 

I'll be around the site for much of the two days, wearing my 'Mr. Tilt' badge of course, and I'd be happy to talk APT stuff with any of you all day. 

[UP 4000]

Thanks Rod, Not a problem happy to help, I'm glad it's of some use to you.

[srihaggis]

 

Errm what do you mean it doesn't tilt?

Kits back again tomorrow with a talk from 11am. Very interesting talk indeed & loads of unseen photographs in the presentation.