RMweb Premium 47137 Posted December 26, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) The oval of Unitrack measures about 8 x 5 feet in all and it is now consuming the floor of the living room. Having the track on the floor isn't the best way to enjoy the train but it has run a few dozen circuits, it is great to see the tilting mechanism in action. This is on 28-inch radius curves. Well worth the wait to see it running. - Richard. Edited December 26, 2016 by 47137 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueeighties Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) Hi all, Merry Christmas :-) I have decided to sell my sound fitted APT-E on if anyone is interested. Please drop me a pm. Regards, Lee. Edited December 26, 2016 by blueeighties Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UP 4000 Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Hi all, Merry Christmas :-) I have decided to sell my sound fitted APT-E on if anyone is interested. Please drop me a pm. Regards, Lee. Hmmm, Interesting, Could do with another one, was considering a non sound version but makes no difference, depends on price I'm afraid, spent waayy too much on the twins and not going for Ebay prices, sensible ones maybe, The oval of Unitrack measures about 8 x 5 feet in all and it is now consuming the floor of the living room. Having the track on the floor isn't the best way to enjoy the train but it has run a few dozen circuits, it is great to see the tilting mechanism in action. This is on 28-inch radius curves. Well worth the wait to see it running. - Richard. Good to hear you got her running Richard, Yes floor layouts aren't the best but at least we get to run them, with the Trix and Kato track it is at least a raised bed so is better and not picking up fluff off the carpets like with the Hornby, and they don't separate with the vibrations. I have to say, both yourself and Jitmem has got me intrigued about the Kato track, although the Trix is brilliant for the E-Train, it can't cope with the Walthers Heavyweights, they need a 24" radius and the Trix R5 is 25" but they just won't run. Kato do the 28" and the 31" which I'd go for the 31" just to get them running, work in the loft is progressing but this is the loft not work on a permanent running track this might be still some time off yet, so I am considering on getting hold of some Kato, How do you find using and running on it? More information the better, Thanks, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 47137 Posted December 26, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 26, 2016 At the moment I've packed away the apte and I'm running every H0 and 00 engine I possess. Many have never gone more than ten feet at a time! The Kato track is easy to assemble and so far nothing has stalled. I'll report back☺ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UP 4000 Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 I do keep looking at the Kato track, And is looking promising, The E-Trains are my babies and are 2nd in command, but do need to get the Walthers UP's up and running with the Big Boy's, Do love these monsters, but E-Train still rules above them, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jitmen Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Love kato unitrak,sets up and runs no problems.I have 00 and n gauge.I would recommend using a kato power pack also as it's easier to connect, you can also add power points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 47137 Posted December 29, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 29, 2016 At the moment I've packed away the apte and I'm running every H0 and 00 engine I possess. Many have never gone more than ten feet at a time! The Kato track is easy to assemble and so far nothing has stalled. I'll report back☺ I've had a lot of fun running light engines ten minutes at a time. They do loosen up after a few laps, even the ones I thought were "run in". The oval of Unitrack is on the living room floor, between me and the TV. I think this track is a super product, marred by one gripe ... - the rail is code 82 and the rail fixings are tiny, so it accommodates coarser flanges like 1970s Fleischmann which bottom out on Peco Bi-block - the joints are designed to be put together many times - the moulded ballast avoids loose bits of ballast grit and stops floor fluff - the sleepers are the right size (for H0) but spaced further apart than the usual Peco/Hornby track, so the overall appearance is a bit lighter (less dense) and closer to British practice Everything is great, except the sleeper spacing is varied to make a set of three sleepers at every section joint: This really annoys me, it seems to visually really 'jar' and this is a shame because ready-ballasted track for plain line ought to be a no-brainer. Nothing really to do with Kato track, but the nose of the APT-E is still way out of gauge on a 28-inch radius. If your main interest is the train this doesn't matter so much, but if you need the whole picture it may be easier to use a tighter curve and make sure it's hidden from view. - Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSpencer Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Nice review of floor track layout, however I will say that if you are running the train on the floor, then I doubt very much that you will be worried about nose overhang as the over scale furniture and the multiple coloured dense grass (carpet) make nose overhang irrelevant. As a kid I could spend hours watching my HST go round and round on my bedroom floor especially in the evening with the room lights off, the HST headlights adding to the aura. Scale curves was the least of my concerns, all I wanted to do was see the train go round, and if you don,t have a layout then track on the floor is an alternative, one which a lot of realisme was very secondary for me, sure I added a station etc, but it was never expected to be visually as good as a true layout, however it did allow me to see my trains run. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UP 4000 Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Thanks for the info Richard, Had to read it a couple of times, for some reason I was interpreting that the track loosened up after 10 minutes, Dohh!! (sorry Jitmen couldn't resist). The Twins are happy with the Trix track as they do pound round at full whack and it's the same profile code 83 so I might butcher a piece of the Trix and Kato and solder the rails and glue the road bed so I can use them in. Ideally it's them 31" curves for the Walther's is why I need it. I just run it round the entire house, then play find the HST especially when P-Train is out, she just barges the HST out of the way, then picks a fight with service use, Little Burgger!!! Will be a while now before it's next out, possibly Easter, So does give me time to get some Kato track, also get Service Use's lights back working and a little something else plus another project, The madness will continue,,, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 47137 Posted December 30, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 30, 2016 It was silly trying to run her as a four-car set on my 'Shelf Island' so she as been three cars (no TC-1) until this evening. I returned her to the Kato oval and added in TC-1 from the box. All the lights and effects working first time. She really is a spectacle - I saw the prototype at Derby, but never in action. Seeing her running truly makes me feel I have seen the thing for real, absolutely marvellous. I'm still running with a DC controller (a Morley 'Vector') and she can manage up to about 120 mph flat out and maybe 20 mph slowest. She is my only DCC loco so it's a bit difficult to justify the outlay for a DCC controller (and it might lead to a run of conversions!) but perhaps I can borrow a controller one day and see whether it is worthwhile for me. Two more photos this evening on the Kato 28-inch curve: The nose swings out about 5 mm beyond the ballast base, and the centre of a coach goes about 3 mm outwards the other side. The ballast base is 42 mm wide, and so it's pretty clear a 1:76 scale overbridge, the usual 15 feet (60 mm) wide, will span the train on a 28 inch radius curve. Excellent. Like Craig, I'm packing her away soon. For me, I just can't cope with a floor layout, at least in a living room mid-way between the kitchen and the stairs. However, in my spare bedroom / railway room I have an alcove 63 inches wide and 30 inches deep. It seems, a suitable narrow but curving shelf would take a line of Kato and the APT-E will not foul either wall in the alcove. I'm thinking along the lines of a shelf finished with a neutral-coloured carpet or similar, trimmed with alloy strip. Something "presentable" rather than "realistic", about 45 inches above the floor. Somewhere to run 16.5 mm gauge trains of any scale. Then I can concentrate on scale scenery on just a part of the existing layout. - Richard. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 47137 Posted December 31, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2016 (edited) One more picture. If you extract the "Unijoiner" from one end of a length of Kato track, you can connect the track section directly to the 'Train Safe' track adaptor: I used some tiny rail joiners, I lost the packet but I think they were for Peco code 60 FB rail. Much smaller than N gauge ones. You get a 20 thou or so "step" from the Kato rails up onto the adaptor but the train seems to take this in its stride. The coaster here is just a shim. - Richard. Edited December 31, 2016 by 47137 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UP 4000 Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 (edited) Ahhh the famous vision tube, Brilliant aren't they, great display case and zero handling of locomotives, got four of them not the cheapest but well worth it, coupled with the travel tube, storage and transport is a doddle. E-Train herself is always in the vision one ready to go, and at the moment service use's coaches are in the 3metre travel, sort of ready to go but can be awkward threading a 3metre tube around the house, Service use (PC-3 & 4) along with TC-11 and the Disco coach are in E-Train's travel tube at the moment waiting for repair. I did have Disco coach running the other week, it is bonkers but does put a smile on your face. For the track adapter I soldered it to a piece of the Trix track then just clip that on to roll them out, also done it with a short section of Peco track as well, and you've guessed it once I get some Kato I'll put an adapter on that as well. With DCC you can do a lot more and hear a lot more but can be an expensive move over, if you are thinking of getting one for E-Train or entering the word of DCC maybe a cheap 2nd hand Hornby select as a starter, I'm not recommending it as a good controller just a 2nd hand cheap one to see how it goes, bobby basic, simple to use but you only get 8 functions (I think??). I'm not going to recommend any controller as everybody has there own opinion, I do have a select that would normally run the Christmas train, for the simple reason it's basic, it always defaults to 3 and if you leave various functions turned on the loco they come on straight away, For example, the Christmas train is Bachmann's on30 4-6-0 mogul, leave the sound on, headlight on and set a momentary short whistle on F2, then set speed, plug the select into one of them basic timers slide tab ones not digital and set it throughout the day 15 minutes on 30 minutes off, when it comes on sound starts, whistle blows and off round the track she goes, one good thing about the select, bobby basic, you can't do that with the ECoS as it's a mini computer and needs to be shut down properly and the speed knob always defaults back to zero on startup, I don't know if this is the same with the Roco, NCE, Prodigy, etc as I've never used them or own them. Edited December 31, 2016 by UP 4000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 47137 Posted January 1, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 1, 2017 (edited) I agree entirely! At the last count, I have 44 self-powered engines and multiple units: 27 00, of which 14 are DCC-ready and one is DCC (herself) 17 H0, of which 7 are DCC-ready and none are DCC It is bad enough filtering down this collection according to scale, period, coupling compatibility and indeed authenticity, without adding in a "control standard". Even worse, the greatest single prototype in here, which is loosely "British H0, Southern Region, middle period but might have earlier things allowing for an extended service period" has some of the more awkward DCC conversions. My best bet might be a secondhand DCC controller of a style no-one wants much. Try it out, see if I enjoy the new functionality. Then keep it or sell it on. But, I could spend the money on a Train Safe travel case and share the train with others e.g. just it take to shows unannounced ... probably more fun. Richard. Edited January 1, 2017 by 47137 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UP 4000 Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 (edited) Hi Richard, It is worth dabbling in the world of DCC, but do the research and look at's what is best for your needs, I do have various ranges of loco's, British outline, Steam and Diesel, to the American Steam, Have to say the introduction to DCC sound has given a whole new prospective, I would never have gone for some of the loco's if it wasn't for the sound, and only went for the APT-E in support of Locomotion, but now I'm hooked on the thing and pushing forward at every opportunity. Switching over to DCC is expensive, Good controllers aren't cheap, and if your going for sound there at least the £100.00+ mark to start with, I'm not going to recommend a DCC controller as many have there own opinion of what is best, For me the ECoS 50200, the dogs dodaahs, Quite simply one outstanding controller that still has the basic function, a standard controllable knob (don't laugh) and a direction switch, but I look at brand wise, most sound decoders (including APT-E are ESU Loksound(select for E-Train)are ESU based) Loksound decoders run great with the ESU 50200, Add the ESU Lokprogrammer and life becomes so much easier. Most of my entire fleet now run Loksound decoders, Where possible Legomanbiffo, genius behind E-Train's Sound, but they all reside in a display cabinet or the vision case's, each loco is overpriced by the £100.00+ for the sound decoder just to sit there, but in time there will be pounding the tracks doing what they do best, Annoying the neighbours,,, Don't consider the TrainSafe, If your thinking about it, Buy it, Brilliant piece of kit, Yes not cheap but well worth it, at the moment I have a 300mm, 600mm, 900mm, 2x 1200mm and the 3metre version, will be going for a 1500mm version for P-Train, and possibly 2x 1800mm for the next service use,(said to much:), I know I do bang on about these a bit to much, but they really are amazing, not cheap, but your prize possessions do need a good home, these really are the answer. Edited January 2, 2017 by UP 4000 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 47137 Posted January 1, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 1, 2017 I reckon I'd best buy a TrainSafe first and try her on someone else's controller :-) - Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UP 4000 Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 Go for the travel, only 12euros more than the lite, the Travel is the powered version same as your Vision, Drive in drive out never need to touch E-Train. If you can get her on a DCC layout you can really see what she's like, Awesome, to say the least. Bit of a side note, anyone who wants to know about the world of DCC, Locomotion are hosting a talk on the 14th of January, Simon, from SH Modelmaking will be hosting this one, (Done work on Service Use for me, and more projects this year). http://www.locomotionmodels.com/locomotionmodels-talks-programme-2017/an-introduction-to-dcc-january-14th-2017-1030am.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 47137 Posted January 3, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 3, 2017 (edited) Go for the travel, only 12euros more than the lite, the Travel is the powered version same as your Vision, Drive in drive out never need to touch E-Train. If you can get her on a DCC layout you can really see what she's like, Awesome, to say the least. Bit of a side note, anyone who wants to know about the world of DCC, Locomotion are hosting a talk on the 14th of January, Simon, from SH Modelmaking will be hosting this one, (Done work on Service Use for me, and more projects this year). http://www.locomotionmodels.com/locomotionmodels-talks-programme-2017/an-introduction-to-dcc-january-14th-2017-1030am.htm Needs some thought. The car service is due this month, and as the car gets older the cost of scheduled servicing begins to become unpredictable. Then again, there's a holiday from the Council Tax now for two months. The talk at Locomotion sounds ideal for anyone making first steps into DCC. Perhaps the Locomotion people could do a talk nearer London (or even, nearer the Midlands) one day. -Richard. Edited January 4, 2017 by 47137 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocomotionatShildon Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Hi Yes the talk is on the 14th January at 10.30am. We hope to make these talks a regular occurrence with different speakers and about different topics. Sorry we live so far up north! Cheers Sandra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shovelto Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Hi Yes the talk is on the 14th January at 10.30am. We hope to make these talks a regular occurrence with different speakers and about different topics. Sorry we live so far up north! Cheers Sandra Don't apologise for being Northern! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocomotionatShildon Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Don't apologise for being Northe Don't apologise for being Northern! NEVER!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidotrains Posted January 11, 2017 Author Share Posted January 11, 2017 Hi guys, I just sent out a newsletter and I forgot to encourage everyone to vote for the APT-E for Model of the Year. I have no shame and I don't mind begging. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE vote for the APT-E as Model of the Year. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/poll/index.php?sid=16428&lang=en Thanks, Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRUNFOS Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Already have done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ghost of IKB Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Me too, by a country mile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srihaggis Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 You shouldn't need to ask... it is the best this year (well last) in my opinion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John ks Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Jason Nothing in this world is free So it will cost you an ATP-P John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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