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The Official Rapido APT-E Thread


rapidotrains
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The APT-E, along with HSFV-1, which is also in the Locomotion museum, is probably the most important modern day exhibit in any UK railway museum.

 

That may sound a little over-the-top, but I believe it's true, and it's nothing to do with the turbines or the tilt system etc. THE important thing about the APT-E is the wheel/rail technology, the shape of the wheel profile and the suspension springs, dampers and general configuration. That's what made it stable at 150 mph. and BR made that technology freely available world wide. Every high speed train in the world, except perhaps for the Shin Kansen lines in Japan, uses that technology or developments of it to this day, and that includes the HST and the Pendelinos.

 

Sadly all that is invisible to most people and it's difficult to understand too, but THAT'S why it's in the Museum. 

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I was going to say, the APT-E, along with other prototypes, deserve their place in history and therefore a place in a museum if they still exist, no matter how successful they were as they often lead to the developments being used in later designs.

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4 hours ago, Mr_Tilt said:

The APT-E, along with HSFV-1, which is also in the Locomotion museum, is probably the most important modern day exhibit in any UK railway museum.

 

That may sound a little over-the-top, but I believe it's true, and it's nothing to do with the turbines or the tilt system etc. THE important thing about the APT-E is the wheel/rail technology, the shape of the wheel profile and the suspension springs, dampers and general configuration. That's what made it stable at 150 mph. and BR made that technology freely available world wide. Every high speed train in the world, except perhaps for the Shin Kansen lines in Japan, uses that technology or developments of it to this day, and that includes the HST and the Pendelinos.

 

Sadly all that is invisible to most people and it's difficult to understand too, but THAT'S why it's in the Museum. 

 

I would be interested to know more about the solution to high speed hunting, but I guess that would be a good candidate for a science section in the museum? Ellerman Lines has its boiler internals visible, so I am disappointed that we can't see a demo/diagram of what was special about the wheel & bogie design?

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It'd be difficult to show the differences in the wheel profiles as they're only very slightly different to a normal coned wheel, but it's those tiny differences that are important.

 

In general terms Alan Wickens found that making a wheel the same profile as it wore to after some running made it more stable, and wasn't likely to hunt, thus the generic title of a 'worn wheel profile'. The suspension differences generally followed the 'soft, long travel primary springs and hard dampers' ideas put forward by Colin Chapman, the Lotus Cars boss. It works just as well on railways as it does on cars apparently.

 

That's difficult to see as well, so it'd be tough to make a display that shows either of the two prime advances in that field. 😒

 

I should say that some people can actually see the differences in the wheel profile, Alan Wickens being one of course. While we were making a TV documentary on the APT a few years ago he and I walked past the Stirling Single in the museum and I asked him how did the Single's wheel profile stack up for high speed running, and he said 'Terrible! I'm amazed it could travel so fast and remain stable.' 🙂

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There was an Open University programme, which they filmed mostly in the APD Lab and the RTC Yard, which covered hunting, and it had a demo of a coned wheelset going down an incline, both straight and curved, and that showed how hunting develops all too clearly. 

 

My right forefinger features in the prog, being shown pressing the Emergency Stop button for the Roller Rig. 🙂

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6 hours ago, Mr_Tilt said:

My right forefinger features in the prog, being shown pressing the Emergency Stop button for the Roller Rig. 🙂


I hope it got a suitable credit 😏

 

I think I remember watching this with my late father. We would often sit and watch programs like Horizon and QED. Good memories. 
 

Roy

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