APT Prototype

Testing the APT-P

The most Advanced Passenger Train

Probably the best train BR ever had

As part of the development of the BR/Brecknell Willis high speed pantograph the author was involved with pantograph testing on the ill-fated 25 kV electric Class 370 prototype version (APT-P) on the WCML in England and in Scotland. This built upon the successful development of the pantograph at Old Dalby and the APT-P (or P-train as it was known) was the only traction unit which could test the pantograph to its limits. After much in-fighting between the Research Division and the DM&EE, the BR/Brecknell Willis high speed pantograph was eventually fitted to an APT power car in mid-1980 after one of the original APT pantographs had struck and damaged an OHLE registration arm at Blisworth, due to excessive pantograph uplift.

I remember travelling to Glasgow to fit the pantograph in Shields Road depot, where the APT-P's were based. We stayed at nearby hotels, initially the Dalmeny and later the Sherbrooke Castle hotel both of which were in Pollockshields, within walking distance - no cars for us in those days. We spent a few weeks in Scotland carrying out various tests with the Highspeed pantograph.

Here are some photographs of P-train in action and at rest!

Click on the image for a bigger picture - all pictures are the author's unless otherwise credited

	On June 7th 1978 the APT-P was unveiled to the public - pictured in the Carriage and Wagon works, Derby is a driving car and a couple of trailer vehicles. Author's collection		Inside the coaches the upholstery exuded a distinctly Scottish theme Author's collection
	Part of set 370001 in the yard at RTC in 1978 - probably being equipped with instrumentation BR Official		An early power car in works grey and fitted with the original modified Faiveley pantograph is pictured in the lab at RTC during its acceptance testing - probably late 1978 Author's collection
	By February 1980 the BR/Brecknell Willis pantograph had replaced the original APT pantograph on PC6 48006 Author's collection		Set No: 370 004 sits in Willesden Carriage Sidings, London after failing on a VIP test run from Euston Station. In early summer of 1980 the BR/Brecknell Willis pantograph had been installed on this set and this was one of its first runs. Needless to say the failure was unconnected with the pantograph!
	A view of the driver's desk - note the two cancellation buttons in front of the power handle. One was for the AWS and the other for C-APT Peter Kelly		A tantalising half frame photo of set No: 370 001 at Crewe next to a Class 47 in the summer of 1980. Who would have thought that the Class 47 would outlive the APT? This was one of those Murphy's Law events when this frame happened to be the last one of the film!
	ATP-P leaving Stafford - seen from a passing test train - probably sometime in 1979-80		With what appears to be one car tilted out of line - where the punters are gathered on the platform the set departs towards London.
	These are the various formations associated with the testing of the APT which were proposed by BR. The upper one is loco-hauled by the original HST power car - the centre one is also loco-hauled but the lower one is the Full Monty. Author's collection		A diagram of the converted test vehicles within the APT test train rake. Author's collection
	The power car test train pictured in the RTC sidings formed as noted in the above diagram Author's collection		Another view of HST power car, test Service car 8, APT power car and Test car 5 in RTC sidings Author's collection
	Converting the intermediate Trailer Car S2 into a test car Author's collection		Another view inside intermediate Trailer Car S2 Author's collection
	Converting intermediate Trailer Car S2 into a test car Author's collection		The control desk at one end of the finished test car Author's collection
	The finished test car's instrumentation racks Author's collection		The view from the control desk looking down the vehicle Author's collection
	A view inside the test car during the extensive acceptance tests with the workers at the coal face Unknown		370 003 on the front cover of a BR promotional brochure from the mid 1980's BR official
	Another shot of 370 003 from the brochure BR official		Set No 370 004, now fitted with the BR/Brecknell Willis pantograph, heads south through one of the stations in the Trent Valley sometime in 1982 Unknown
	July 1982 a shortened test APT-P comprising set No: 370 004 heads south past Hademore Level Crossing, Staffordshire with the vehicle behind the power car seemingly suffering from a tilt pack failure. Richard Billinge		An awesome sight! Set 370 006 in Glasgow Shields Road Depot - October 1983
	A shortened APT-P Set No: 370 005 rounds the curve at Murthat, just north of Lockerbie on the Scottish section of the WCML. The set would be travelling at around 150 mile/h on the Up run from Glasgow to Carlisle, during very high speed pantograph performance tests in October 1983. The OHLE neutral section at this point was instrumented and was also being filmed as the pantograph traversed it at speed.		APT-P Set No: 370 005 in a six-car formation sits in the Up loop at Quintinshill, infamous as the scene of the worst railway accident in UK history. It is awaiting a path to return to Glasgow in October 1983, during the pantograph test series. APT-P attained a speed of over 150 mile/h with the BR/Brecknell Willis pantograph during the week's test runs.
	A sylvan scene at Quintinshill - taken from the overbridge		This is the view out of the rear cab window of 370 005 at high speed, thrashing down the bank towards Lockerbie.
	And here’s the proof! The speedometer needle is past the 150 mile/h mark in this photograph inside the rear cab of Set No: 370 005 and going off the scale		Set No: 370 005 heads north past the Murthat test site at approx. 150 mile/h during the high-speed pantograph tests. (End of film!)
	Engineers set up the pantograph on 370 005 inside Glasgow Shields Depot prior to one of the test runs in October 1983		Two APT's for the price of one in Glasgow Shields Depot in October 1983. On the left 370 006 receives attention to its pantograph whilst on the right Set No: 370 005 has the tilt safety devices in place on the coaches.
	The APT-P featured at the anniversary celebrations of the of the Rainhill Trials where set 370 003 is pictured being hauled by Class 56 No:56077 on 25th May 1980. Dave Godfrey		Bringing up the rear is driving trailer Sc48104 Dave Godfrey
	Still running on 4th April 1986 set 370001 is pictured in platform 7 at Preston at the end of a test run from Crewe. The train crew are walking down the platform and appear to be changing ends Chris Ward		Inside the test vehicle in 1986 Chris Ward

Here are some scans from the 1981 Scottish Region APT-P Class 370 training manual. The drawings are by David Gibbons who used to illustrate the informative centre spreads of the staff newspaper Rail News and had several books of his drawings published. From memory these drawings convey an accurate impression of the vehicles and interiors.

All scans from author's collection

	The cover of the part relating to Tilt systems		Inside the cab
	Another angle in the cab		and another
	The power car		The driving trailer car
	The intermediate trailer car		The van trailer car
	The guard's compartment		The door controls
	The nose ends showing the emergency coupling arrangements		Here are the three formations in which P train might have run - if it had survived Author's Collection

Here are a couple of pictures of a model of P train taken at NRM spring 2003

The driving car

The power car

And finally a few of pictures of 'P Train' in service

	An unidentified APT-P set awaits departure from Euston sometime around 1981/82 Unknown		Set 370 006 ready to depart with the 16.30 Euston to Glasgow on 7th December 1981 Stephen Wilkins
	Set 370 005 arriving at Glasgow Central Author's collection		..... and here's an appropriate luggage label

The 'City of Derby' nameplate from one of the power cars now resides on the wall inside the NRM.

If you have found this page related to the APT-P of interest, then perhaps you would like to look at a few other sites devoted to APT-P and also one to the original gas turbine version called APT-Experimental, which was tested at Old Dalby.

Gerry Bates also has a site with some photos of APT-P on OHLE uplift tests in Scotland in 1979.

And another site with photos of a class 40 hauling 370006 APT set on Leeds Whitehall triangle in early afternoon on Thursday 17th March 1983.

And more information about its introduction into service is here

Click on the pictures to get connected.

E-Train

P-Train

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