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Improving the Hornby APT (1980s version)


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Sorry chaps just saying what i saw as a teenager i didnt understand the politics and could only hear what the people in my dads work were saying about them but I just remember coaches sat on the sidings surrounded by rusty stock with COND on he sides (the rusty stock not the APT coaches) but I recall them sat there not in rakes but on there own spread around the sidings with the clear plastic sheeting over tthe windows ripped and blowing in the wind the rain getting in through the unglazed windows to a 16 year old it didnt look like they where gettting ready for the paint shop. My fatther was an area manager for Internaional stores the supermarket chain now Summerfields and they had a depot here and all the offices were on the second floor directly on the side of the sidings offering  a view hundreds of yards in either direction up and down the sidings the works being off to the left under a road bridge. I guess you chaps are right as I say I was only sixteen at the time but it was the talk of my dads depot as to what a state they were in and how long they had been left there exposed to the eliments.

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If you have a read through the social and political history of the APT-P Litchurch Lane were actually behind in producing the trailers, it was a prototype test train fleet, the vehicles when I went to Derby and Crewe works open days from 1978 they were in my memory allways very well kept up and very much in use.

 

Think your memories are more based on miss information and prejudice than actual fact.

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The APT is often an easy target of ridacule, as Ian stated above, usually miss information! I remember seeing it at Crewe, regularly on test runs, the truth was it was probably ahead of its time, don't forget the early 80s saw the Tory government come to power and Thatcher dislike of the Railways was no secret! So funds were not as forthcoming as they should have been? Sadly we had a few comments on Union involvement, you often find this can be a myth as well, BR ran a joined-up railway and the Railway workshops had a programme of building trains as much for social reason, which was no bad thing, people had proper jobs and the nation had the contined ability to build trains!

Edited by creweboy
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Look chaps can we set the record straight I as much as any one think that the fact that the APT failed was one of the greatest loses to British railway ever it could have worked and should have worked but as you all say chronic lack of investment and a negative government all meant that it was doomed to fail.

         Ridicule no - regret that it didn’t succeed yes. Perhaps if the money had been there then we wouldn’t now be buying our tilting trains from Italy and our freight trains from Canada. 

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Those of you who came to Scaleforum will have seen Shane's excellent APT etches on the DEMU stand. I'm really regretting not taking photos of them now as they were stunning.

 

The "nose job" to taper the front of the driving car looks good too. A simple(ish) change but one that makes a massive difference! Hopefully he'll be along in a bit with more photos.

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The trailer second etch is on the previous page (4). He's also done a buffet car that he had with him at Scaleforum. On Saturday Shane had just taken delivery of the van trailer and driving trailer etches. I'm fairly sure that all of them are only test etches at the moment and aren't available commercially just yet.

 

From chatting at Scaleforum it sounds like there is still plenty of work to do to get e.g. the ride height correct as well as adding detail such as the pipework for the brakes onto the bogies and the pipework between cars.

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Hi All

 

As Guy states the etches are only tests at the moment as once I had a proper look at the I realised I had made some silly schoolboy errors with the drawings.

 

Here are a couple of pics taken at Scaleforum.

 

10125102976_ca07d06376.jpg
Scaleforum 010 by Shane Wilton, on Flickr

 

10125069455_56334f41dc.jpg
Scaleforum 014 by Shane Wilton, on Flickr

 

And one of the test build of the driving trailer

 

10126235826_a87a1ab2a5_z.jpg
Brass APT 009 by Shane Wilton, on Flickr

 

cheers

 

Shane

Edited by Wolf27
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  • RMweb Premium

Thanks for the update, some nice work there.

Looking in the background, I see you are also making a HST prototype (Class 41 - I think), have you posted any details, or photos of that? I would also be very interested in see what your etches for that, and how you built the cab. I have the Genesis white metal casts to work on that at some point, but etches for the grills seem hard to find.

Jamie

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Thanks for the update, some nice work there.

 

Looking in the background, I see you are also making a HST prototype (Class 41 - I think), have you posted any details, or photos of that? I would also be very interested in see what your etches for that, and how you built the cab. I have the Genesis white metal casts to work on that at some point, but etches for the grills seem hard to find.

 

Jamie

More on the HST can be found here. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/56462-prototype-hst/

 

cheers

 

Shane

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  • 2 weeks later...

You can indeed see LEV 1 but that is for another topic!

 

cheers

 

Shane

 

Hi Shane

 

Look forward to read more on the LEV1 Topic...

 

On another note...

Great information on the APT, where can you get hold of the hetched APT parts, the centre coaches look excellent... Does anyone sell them ready made...?

 

Jamie

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An interestng thread. Liking those etches.
 
A couple of years ago I went along to the Electric Railway Museum in Coventry and there were photos taken (by Natalie as I as feeling too ill) that day of the recently arrived ATP power car.
 
6880106265_8f45d071fa_n.jpg
DSC_0168 by d827, on Flickr

6880108439_91c6de5f60_n.jpg
DSC_0170 by d827, on Flickr

6880113513_870db2240d_n.jpg
DSC_0176 by d827, on Flickr

6880120499_803ae58a6a_n.jpg
DSC_0181 by d827, on Flickr

More photos on the flickr set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/geekgothgrrl/sets/72157629327697603/with/6880120499/

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Hi Kelly

 

Excellent Photos, would you know if they happen to still be there...

 

Thanks for sharing those...

 

Jamie

I've not been back since going in 2011, but their website still lists it as being there and being on loan from the NRM for cosmetic restoration.

 

I might dig my camera out and take a trip up there sometime (and the Sir Frank Whittle Museum next door!) and see what is different etc since last visit.

 

Kelly

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Hi Kelly

 

Excellent Photos, would you know if they happen to still be there...

 

Thanks for sharing those...

 

Jamie

The APT power car is still there and is currently in green undercoat, it is parked next to Lab4 Hastings, the tilting test vehicle. Not been to the site for a few months so the power car may have had some more work done in it. I'm planning to spend another day working in Hastings as I am single handedly restoring it, so I can update about the power car then.

 

Cheers

 

Shane

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi Kelly

 

Excellent Photos, would you know if they happen to still be there...

 

Thanks for sharing those...

 

Jamie

Yes it's still there, although this is the only picture I took of it. Also there is an ex hastings car used for tilt development.

post-7477-0-15763700-1383586720_thumb.jpg

post-7477-0-62237300-1383586820_thumb.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

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