APT What we nearly had!

[Flying Phil]

I saw on Sunday that the Crewe Heritage Museum was open so I left home for my 90 mile journey. When I finally found the Heritage centre (No signs on a key roundabout!) the gates were however shut. Fortunately they were not locked and there were some people inside and I was given permission to enter see the APT set. Another very helpful gentleman opened the doors on the set and I now have a good collection of images.
It certainly still looks impressive and the inside was very evocative of airline style.

[Flying Phil]

LotusOmega375D said:

The village park where I played as a kid in the 1970s was adjacent to the Midland Mainline. I still remember seeing the silver gas turbine APT prototype zooming past on a few occasions.

Lucky you! That was the APT-E and it still holds the record for the fastest London to Leicester time of 58 min 30 sec - Ave 101.6 mph set Oct 30th 1975. That is now preserved by the NRM at Shildon I believe.

[Flying Phil]

droopsnoot said:

When they first got that APT set at Crewe, they had it positioned so that the front end was poking through the trees on one of the roundabouts. I thought it was a great way to publicise the Heritage Centre, but it didn't stay there long. I have been unable to find a photograph of it in that position.

Apparently that's the only surviving power car.

It was a condition of Crewe having the APT that it could not be seen by passengers on the West Coast Mainline which runs alongside the site!
There is another Power car which is currently at Coventry, but the museum there has to close and there is a crowdfunding appeal set up to get that power car moved to Crewe.
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/apt/

[Flying Phil]

tog said:

LotusOmega375D said:

The electric one you went to see proved to be a very popular Hornby train set. Our family didn't have that set, but from memory I think Hornby had as much trouble with the tilting carriages as BR did with the real thing. Of course my memory may be mistaken.

I had the Hornby APT and can confirm that on tight corners it would lean over and hit the Duchess of Abercorn coming the other way.

It would seem that, despite the problems of "brushing" when tilted (almost like the prototypes!), the price of SH Hornby APT sets is on the rise.......Popularity at last.
As Stedman says - it would be great to see it out in action again and, if not on the main line, then on a preserved line at least.
Also, the crowdfunding appeal has already passed the target of £2700, so there is support for the APT concept.

Edited by Flying Phil on Monday 20th November 12:19

[Flying Phil]

P5BNij said:

Flying Phil said:

LotusOmega375D said:

The village park where I played as a kid in the 1970s was adjacent to the Midland Mainline. I still remember seeing the silver gas turbine APT prototype zooming past on a few occasions.

Lucky you! That was the APT-E and it still holds the record for the fastest London to Leicester time of 58 min 30 sec - Ave 101.6 mph set Oct 30th 1975. That is now preserved by the NRM at Shildon I believe.

Here it is at Leicester London Road...

Thanks for that picture - to think that, only ten years before, that would have been a filthy Jubilee leaking steam everywhere! The APT was (nearly) such a step change for the railway.

[Flying Phil]

steve-5snwi said:

Any interior pictures ?

Driving Cab

Second Class coach

First Class coach

[Flying Phil]

Yertis said:

rs1952 said:

A jubilee working train through Leicester would have been a bit longer ago than 1974, which was 10 years before the photo.

In 1984 it would have been a Peak with its driver hoping it get all the way to its destination...

I think the pic was taken in 1975, so the Jubilee would have been in 1965.

I must confess to not checking the dates too carefully but I knew steam was still in Leicester on the GC until 1967 and it had finished on the MML well before that - so when was the last Jubilee(or even BR steam) through Leicester?

[Flying Phil]

rs1952 said:

A jubilee working train through Leicester would have been a bit longer ago than 1974, which was 10 years before the photo.

In 1984 it would have been a Peak with its driver hoping it get all the way to its destination...

Indeed the Peak might have been 20 years old by then - here is one at Leicester in June 1966 (just down the track from the APT picture)

And down the road at Leicester Central Station (Also June 1966)

[Flying Phil]

Thanks for posting that video - very interesting range of viewpoints.

[Flying Phil]

Well it certainly looks good now.


The Heritage Centre are looking after it well.

[Flying Phil]

The picture of the electric train with white front is from the aerodynamic trials for the HST prototype to check possible nose profiles.
From the Crewe Heritage site there are facebook updates.....
"News as regarding the APT power car. As your aware the target as been met and more, i'm just waiting for the safety checks on the power car from the NRM before booking the move. The crowd funder is still active until the 13th December, then it automatically closes, and surplus money will go towards the restoration part of the project...which is quite a bit lol. So thankyou all and any news i'll will keep you informed. Brian Porter"

[Flying Phil]

P5BNij said:

Another nice period shot of the APT-E, at Reading in August '75...

A classic picture! - Thanks P5BNij

[Flying Phil]

From the Crewe website it looks as though the APT Power Car move will be Mid January.

[Flying Phil]

Very good Yellowjack. I couldn't think what it had reminded me about!

[Flying Phil]

Yes it is Leicester London Road Station. It was remodelled in 1976/77 to the more open style that you see today.

[Flying Phil]

Re the Power Car move, from Crewe today
"Unfortunately access to the site on the day of delivery will be limited to staff only due to the terms of the movement order and Health and Safety regulations imposed on us by the NRM.



Also these moves can be at fairly short notice dependent upon the availability of a suitable

vehicle for the haulage company.



Once the move is underway we will post details and you can watch the action from the camera feature on our website."

[Flying Phil]

Hi Droopsnoot
I had E Mailed the Crewe website and was given permission to quote the reply given to me. No date was given for the move to Crewe, as they were not sure at that time - and I suspect they do not want a big crowd of watchers? Perhaps you could e mail to see if you can get a date/time?
However they also said "Once the move is underway we will post details and you can watch the action from the camera feature on our website."
.....which would be good - but I have not seen a camera feature on the website.....

Edited by Flying Phil on Tuesday 23 January 20:50

[Flying Phil]

On the Crewe website this FB post "Currently we are awaiting the ok from the NRM. Hopefully next week or the week after." dated 24th Jan.

Also the camera feature is found by clicking on the "About Us" link on the Crewe website.

Edited by Flying Phil on Monday 29th January 14:13

[Flying Phil]

From the Heritage Centre Website
"New for 2018!
The Crewe Heritage Centre has long been home to our stunning Advanced Passenger Train Prototype (APT-P), we are very pleased to announce the arrival of the only other surviving APT-P vehicle. Power Car (49006) has joined us after completing the journey from Coventry Electric Traction Museum, the Power Car will be a stand alone exhibit allowing visitors to walk through the heart of the train."

[Flying Phil]

I too wish that I had made the effort to see the APT and was not too young at the time.....However we expected it to go into service, the cancellation was a surprise and the speed and secrecy at which it was scrapped (all bar the one set) was also unexpected. BR was, by that time, totally embarrassed by the project and the bad publicity it had created.