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Hornby APT


CathcartCircle

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adb968008, on 23 Feb 2014 - 20:14, said:

Yes but SImon Kohler himself in an interview said that the APT moulds (and I think it was triang 31s, EM1 and a few others) had been scrapped.. It was published in at least 2 of the mags at the time.

I'd suggest looking through Railway Modeller and Rail Magazine between 1990-1993 it wasn't long after the real APT ended up at Booths.

Hornby are not in the habit of scrapping tooling until it's beyond serviceable use (worn out/damaged), and even then they've kept it hanging around (note statements on the Blue Pullman). So without citation, I'd suggest your memory unlikely or misremembered.
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Hornby are not in the habit of scrapping tooling until it's beyond serviceable use (worn out/damaged), and even then they've kept it hanging around (note statements on the Blue Pullman). So without citation, I'd suggest your memory unlikely or misremembered.

If Hornby operate like most other modern businesses, whenever an office or department is relocated (even within the same building) anything they aren't currently using (or planning to use) goes straight in the skip unless un interested employee "rescues" it.

 

John

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I am interested to know more about the replacement with the eurostar motor bogie. Is it a straightforward drop in or is there much work involved?

Mark

 

I don't have the skill to do it myself but essentially what Olivia's do is take out the old motors / bogies and install x2 Hornby eurostar motors in their place. It's a straightforward swap because there isn't really any other wiring. It goes like a rocket now! 

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Dunsignalling, on 24 Feb 2014 - 08:40, said:

If Hornby operate like most other modern businesses, whenever an office or department is relocated (even within the same building) anything they aren't currently using (or planning to use) goes straight in the skip unless un interested employee "rescues" it.

Well the volume of re-introductions of unlikely old tooling by them over the years would suggest that Hornby do not operate like most other modern businesses.
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I'm not saying Hornby should re-introduce the APT but if they did and it used the same old tooling from the 1980's then there'd be a scandal on here surely!!

 

Remember the 'debate' around the whole 'Design Clever' let alone bringing back something from the age of Knight Rider! If it did ever come back, one would probably expect a brand new tooling, scanned from the surviving example, featuring a current-standard drive, interior lighting, DCC fittings, flushglazing without printed window strips,...something equivalent of a Bachmann Blue Pullman as a starting point! 

 

In general though, fair play to those who've taken the old models and updated them to today's standards, some real modelling skill there, always good to see on a layout, quite kooky, collectable and cool! 

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I'm not saying Hornby should re-introduce the APT but if they did and it used the same old tooling from the 1980's then there'd be a scandal on here surely!!

 

Perhaps not if it was branded as "Hornby Vintage". Although a lot of the current main range and Railroad items would belong there as well.

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I'd love to see a new APT. I've never owned the original model but I've seen one up close and whilst yes they were great models for their age they probably don't quite cut it in the modern era. If someone were to release one I would certainly invest in a shortened version of one. It's totally the wrong era for me but I like them and mine will run as it should have done in life. 

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I don't have the skill to do it myself but essentially what Olivia's do is take out the old motors / bogies and install x2 Hornby eurostar motors in their place. It's a straightforward swap because there isn't really any other wiring. It goes like a rocket now! 

Now I am intrigued, Olivias website says "no traction tyres" but the Eurostar power bogie has traction tyres, can you confirm one way or the other Venator. If you replace the power bogie then you lose the original pantograph fixing, so is the pan now fixed to the roof?

I know I am asking many questions but I fancy doing this mod myself and I dont want to replace the old tyre fitted ringfield motor with something else with traction tyres.

 

Geoff.

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Now I am intrigued, Olivias website says "no traction tyres" but the Eurostar power bogie has traction tyres, can you confirm one way or the other Venator. If you replace the power bogie then you lose the original pantograph fixing, so is the pan now fixed to the roof?

I know I am asking many questions but I fancy doing this mod myself and I dont want to replace the old tyre fitted ringfield motor with something else with traction tyres.

 

Geoff.

 

I can confirm that my APT (treated by Olivia's) does not have traction tyres. Pantograph fitting is unnafected. Hope that helps.

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Thank you for the reply Venator, they must have swapped some wheels over to eliminate the traction tyres, unless the newer DCC ready power bogies dont have them. I think I will be giving it a go at some stage as I think it will vastly improve the running qualities.

 

Geoff.

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  • 2 years later...

For those who are looking into re-motoring

 

Having done a bit of trial and error with various drive units

 

I can confirm that the China made Hornby Class 35 5 pole Ringfield drive unit is a direct drop in replacement for the old Margate 3 pole version

 

The only thing you have to do is drill 2 holes in the replacement for the bogie / tilt mech securing screw and the pantograph mounting

 

Much cheaper and easier than a Eurostar motor / bogie swap

 

I currently have 2 in my APT power car each connected to a 4 function DCC decoder with them running in consist mode

 

Took a little modification to get them to both run together as I had to reverse wire one of them to get them to run in tandem

 

But they run very smoothly even given that the ringfields have never been the greatest drive units

 

Worked out much cheaper than a Eurostar swap out

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Simon Kohler wrote a blog post about this a while back, and it was agreed to send the moulds and other bits that still remained to China. But it never happened. Due to Health and Safety saying no to getting them out of storage and moving them/shipping them. Whether they scrapped them after that decision I have no idea.

 

Talking of APTs, fans of APTs might like some  of todays photos taken at the ERM open day which includes the NRMs APT-P power car and ex-Hasting H4X (also HSFV1).

 

 

It isn't beyond the realms of possibility for a RTR APT-P to emerge at some point however, as it could be approached in the way Hornby approached the Brighton Belle perhaps. It'd be an expensive, specialist commision most likely.

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The last time I went round the Margate warehouse, there were trays of APT bodies and other parts. Several of us in the model press remarked on it at the time and pondered how much they might be worth. Of course, whether there were ALL the parts to make complete vehicles is another matter. We weren't there long enough to figure it out. (CJL)

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