rapidotrains

Hi all, Bill and I are currently on the Caledonian Sleeper and we've had sketchy wi-fi the last couple of days. We're flying out tomorrow and probably won't have much internet access before the weekend. This has been a busy week! All the best, Jason (I just paid $20 in roaming fees to write this message!)

Based on our experience with the TurboTrain you need two. You can't power it with one power truck - it would not be sufficient for our all-too-steep model railway gradients. We learned a lot with the TurboTrain - mostly what not to do. The trickiest thing with the APT-E will be assembling it and taking it apart. Basically, once you put it together, leave it together. Build a cassette long enough for the train and never separate it. There are electrical connections between cars and you don't want to be fiddling with those on a regular basis. Our biggest challenge with this model is ensuring you can assemble the set the first time without swearing. We're working on that... -Jason

I'll just echo what Bill said - the support from all of you is really encouraging and we had a fantastic time today. Thanks to the Locomotion team for putting on a great party and to the preservation team without whom the APT-E would be a rusting hulk stored outside. Given their dedication and hard work I would not be surprised if the E-Train moves under its own power one day. Maybe we can start a fundraising campaign for that... Bill and I headed back to the hotel and, being tired and shagged out, I had a triple of Bowmore (Bourbon Cask) on an empty stomach. Next time I do something as dumb as that... I hope it tastes as good!!! Boy that's nice whisky. We have another busy APT-E day tomorrow and then we're off to Dalwhinnie for more of the sweet stuff. Just hook me up to the IV and leave me there. Regards from Coatham Mundeville, Jason P.S. had a nice treat on the drive back...

Hi guys, Glad to see such a positive response! I know that locomotionmodels.com has already received a big pile of orders. Regarding the £50 deposit, a couple of things: 1. it is refundable in exceptional circumstances. Speak to locomotionmodels.com about that. 2. you can order and place the deposit any time until the order deadline of 30 April. If you pay in full in advance you get free delivery. Placing your order early guarantees the price in case there is an unexpected cost increase from China. I can write this because I am currently in the locomotionmodels.com office and Brian is answering all my questions. Any further questions about the retail side of things should be directed to locomotionmodels.com - talk to Sandra! We're having a blast here in Shildon. If you can still make it, come join us! Best regards, Jason

Let's just say I need a lot of them for my layout. -Jason

EDIT 6 November: Mould progress and test shots http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/91652-apt-e-mould-progress/&do=findComment&comment=1652332 EDIT 14 September 2014: Lots of new drawings http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/88792-apt-e-factory-drawings/page-3&do=findComment&comment=1589494 EDIT 12 September 2014: The Sandwich http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/87114-the-official-rapido-apt-e-thread/?p=1587120 EDIT Monday 18 August 2014: CNC sample to test the tilt and close-coupling mechanism: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/88792-apt-e-factory-drawings/page-2&do=findComment&comment=1555696 EDIT Tuesday 5 August 2014: Factory drawings can be found here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/88792-apt-e-factory-drawings/ Hi all, Welcome to the official Rapido APT-E thread! We will be posting factory drawings and regular updates about the APT-E project here, and we very much welcome your input. The tilting mechanism of our model is very complex, so this is something we'd like you guys to see before we cut any steel so you can give your thoughts. Any drawings we show in the next couple of weeks are "pre scan" drawings so the nose looks like a cross between a horse and Sir Walter Raleigh. We'll show you revised drawings once we get the scan data entered. Thanks in advance for the feedback! -Jason

I fell off my chair laughing at that one. -Jason

Come to Canada - cross-dressing clowns are all the rage here. Every time anyone gets a hold of any piece of passenger equipment from any era, it gets painted into the CNR "1954" paint scheme (which was officially applied for just seven years). It's even applied to locomotives that were heavily rebuilt in the 1980s. Now those are cross-dressing clowns, IMO. -Jason

Holy cow! Those spoked wheels are awesome. Streamlining hadn't caught on with diesels at that point, had it? It reminds me of CN 9000: http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/Various/early_diesels.htm Scroll down to 9000 and 9001. CN didn't properly dieselize until the early 1950s, and these beauties were delivered in 1928! -Jason

Sidura often reminds me that shortly after we started dating we took the train together to Montreal. I didn't shut up about trains the whole way, and at one point she fell asleep and I didn't notice. I say be upfront and honest and let them know right away. If she's the right person, she won't be turned off. I have a friend who had been luckless in love. He asked me if it was his obsession with trains that was the cause of it and I told him that if he showered more regularly and kept his eyes above the neck that would be a good start. So if the women are staying away, it might not be because of the trains.... I think that should probably have said "I had a friend." He doesn't come round much any more for some reason. I can't figure out why... -Jason

OK - now I'm confused. I've been here: http://www.d8233.org.uk/5705_bogie_appeal.htm and it told me to contact the treasurer to make a donation. Then just now I discovered this: http://www.elrdiesel.info/fleet-d5705.php which has an easy way to make donations via PayPal. Are they the same people? I want to make sure my donation goes to the right place. The postal address provided on each page is different! -Jason

How original is D5705? Did BR make some serious modifications to it or is it largely unchanged from when in service? I hope I can see it on one of my upcoming UK trips, but I believe it's off its bogies at the moment. The plan right now is to be there in June to launch our new engine, but only for four or five days. I may not have time to visit D5705, bogies or no. I've sent an email to the treasurer of the Class 15 Preservation Society about making a donation to D5705 so hopefully I'll hear back soon. The crazy thing is I have never been in love with a green engine before. Blue is so much more my style, the bigger the logo the better! -Jason

Today while perusing my latest issue of Rail magazine (I know they take a long time to show up in Canada) I came across a class of locomotive I never knew about before: There is something about this homely beast that speaks to my inner foamer. The mixed Co-Bo bogies are just the icing on a very delicious cake. I am completely smitten. What amazes me is that a locomotive that ran for a decade over 40 years ago is actually preserved in the UK, and it speaks volumes about the wonderful preservation community in the UK. Next time you guys want to complain about your railway heritage, think about this: there are probably more classes of locomotive in Canada that have been completely scrapped than locomotive classes that have been preserved. While you guys can raise the funds for a new build, we can barely raise the funds to save our important loco models from the scrapper. So I salute the wonderfully distinctive Class 28 along with your railway preservation efforts in general. We're very envious... -Jason