Rapido Trains british rail APT-E User manual

2
APT-E PRODUCT GUIDELINES
IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THE “READ THIS BIT FIRST” BIT BELOW BEFORE
YOU TAKE THE MODEL OUT OF THE BOX.
If it’s too late and you already took it out of the box, then we’re so, so sorry.
Thank you for purchasing this exclusive APT-E model produced by Rapido Trains Inc. for Locomo-
tionmodels.com’s National Collection in Miniature series.
This may be Rapido’s first British outline model but it is by no means our first model. Rapido has
been producing museum-quality model trains for the North American market since 2005.
You, our fine customer, are likely located in the United Kingdom. We, the producers of this fine
model, are located in a suburb of Toronto, Canada. We’re currently buried under 13 feet of snow.
It finally melts by August 20th when the next season’s snowfall starts.
Should you have any problems with your APT-E, our unique geographical arrangement means that
you can’t just pop by our office to bring it in for repair. Well, you can – but you would need to be
parachuted in with a pair of snow shoes strapped to your back.
Please refer to pages 7 (missing or damaged parts) and 14 (sending in your APT-E for repair).
Please don’t just send the model back to Locomotion. Get in touch first and we’ll see how we can
solve your issue. We actually have a handy-dandy authorized repair guy in Yorkshire, ee by gum!
If it is the year 2075 and you’ve finally decided to open your APT-E, then I’m afraid that most
of us at Rapido are probably pushing up the daisies. Should you have an issue with your train,
you can try contacting our grandkids but they will either laugh at you or call the police. Actually,
Rapido Dan’s probably still alive. You can reach him at Shady Maples Nursing Home in Moose
Jaw, Saskatchewan. He’s the 90-something guy dozing by the entrance, drooling into a bib with
the Toronto Transit Commission logo on it.
If the previous few paragraphs have upset you in any way or caused you to shake your head and
mutter to yourself about people not taking things seriously any more, then you are really not going
to like the rest of this manual. Please find a friend with a good sense of humour and ask him or her
to read it and fill you in with the relevant bits about how not to break your train.
READ THIS BIT FIRST
Before operating your APT-E, please be aware of the following important pieces of information.
1. The articulated bogies and plugs connecting the carriages are extremely fiddly for the un-
initiated. If you don’t read the instructions first, you can easily break the connecting plugs
while assembling your train.
The section of the instructions that explains how to inspect and put your APT-E together for
the first time begins on page 4. We actually suggest that you try your darnedest to leave
your APT-E coupled together at all times. If you have to move your APT-E by hand, picking
up your complete four-car train WILL RESULT IN DISASTER. Please at least separate it
into two halves before using manual labour to move it.

3
If you want to be really clever you can build a cassette so you can roll your train on and
off the layout without uncoupling it or trying to pick it up. Your cassette should be four feet
long to fit the entire APT-E. (Canada went metric back in the 1970s but Canadians ignore
that when convenient. You Brits should too. You’re not fooling anyone, you know. We all
know that when you say your baseboard is 600mm x 1200mm you really mean it’s two
by four feet.)
We have included a handful of spare components in case you break some of the articula-
tion parts. But with due care and attention, you won’t need to use them.
2. The nose overhang of the APT-E is ENORMOUS. The real APT-E was limited as to what
tracks it could travel on due to its gargantuan schnoz. We have not compromised on proto-
type fidelity in order for the APT-E to go around train set curves. Making the nose “bendy”
or casting it in cheese were not realistic options. Please take great care the first time you
run your APT-E as it may contact tunnel portals, platform edges, lineside details, or oncom-
ing trains. Make sure that your chosen routes for the APT-E during operating sessions and
exhibitions have enough clearance for its stupendous snout.
Your APT-E warranty does not cover contact with foreign objects such as platform edges. None of
the APT-E models has been delivered from the factory with long gouges or scrapes along the sides
at platform height. So please don’t tell us “it came that way.”
IF YOU ARE ALREADY UPSET WITH US...
Despite our warning on the previous page we are sure some of you decided to give this page a
try and are now regretting your decision. Please bear in mind that all the silly parts in this manual
were written by the naughty Canadians at Rapido. It’s us wot dunnit, guv. Honest. Please direct
all complaints to: Canada House, Trafalgar Square, London, SW1. Please do not send any com-
plaints to the NRM, Locomotionmodels.com or the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Read This Bit First.............................................................................................................2
Checking and Assembling Your APT-E.................................................................................4
Running In.......................................................................................................................7
Missing or Damaged Parts ................................................................................................7
Opening Up Your APT-E ....................................................................................................8
Operation – DC (Silent) ....................................................................................................8
Installing a Silent DCC Decoder.........................................................................................9
Operation – DC (Sound) ...................................................................................................9
Operation – DCC (Sound)...............................................................................................10
Train Address ...............................................................................................................10
Turbine Startup Delay ....................................................................................................10
DCC Functions ..............................................................................................................11
Prototypical Operation ...................................................................................................11
Sound Volume Settings....................................................................................................13
• Factory Reset ...................................................................................................14
• Awesome Slow Speed Thingy ............................................................................14
Limited Lifetime Warranty ...............................................................................................14
Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................15

4
APT-E DCC FUNCTION QUICK REFERENCE
F0 HEADLIGHT (ON/OFF)
F1 GAS TURBINE UNIT (TURN ON THE SOUND)
F2 TWO-TONE HORN
F3 LOW-PITCHED HORN
F4 HIGH-PITCHED HORN
F5 HYDRO-KINETIC (HK) BRAKING
F6 DOOR SLAMS
F7 DALE DIESEL
F8 RANDOM AIR PURGE
F9 CAB INTERIOR LIGHT
F10 ADDITIONAL GAS TURBINE START
F11 ADDITIONAL GAS TURBINE START
F12 OPEN CAB STEPS
F14 TILT PUMP
F15 SPEED-DEPENDENT DETONATORS
APT-E ORDER
PC-1 – the front of the train (for modelling purposes)
TC-1 – seats towards rear of train
TC-2 – computer bank towards rear of train
PC-2 – the rear of the train (for modelling purposes)
THE FABULOUS BOOK IN THE BOX
We hope you enjoy the complimentary book about the APT-E written by Gareth Bayer, Kit Spack-
man and Paul Leadley. It truly is a work of art. Do you love the gorgeous APT-E/APT-P painting in
the centre spread as much as we do? We commissioned it from well-known British railway artist
John Wigston. We’re considering releasing it as a limited edition print. Please get in touch to let
us know if you are interested. [email protected]
If you’ve bought your model on eBay for silly money and there is no fancy-schmancy APT-E book
inside, you might want to give that seller “negative feedback.” He’s nicked your book. You can
buy it at the shops for a mere 20 quid.
CHECKING AND ASSEMBLING YOUR APT-E
This is the trickiest part about owning an APT-E. If you can get this right, your APT-E will provide
you with decades of pleasure and joy. Screw it up, and you will throw your APT-E against the wall
in frustration by the end of the afternoon. Our warranty does not cover overarm throws.
Please note that if you wish to replace the wheelsets with EM or P4 wheelsets, we advise that you
test your APT-E thoroughly and run it in on OO gauge track first.

5
Checking your APT-E:
• Remove both Power Cars and both Trailer Cars from the packaging. Check for any loose
bits, especially the HK brake hoses on the bogies. Some of these may have come loose
in transit. If little brake pipe-shaped thingies are floating around the packaging, then they
have come loose. They can be press fitted into the bogies. Look at one that is still attached
to discover where they go. If no HK brake hose is attached, or if one or both of the APT-E
noses has popped loose, then congratulations. Your courier company has probably used
your APT-E for its weekly “Distribution Centre Aussie Rules Football Competition.” We hope
your model will actually work. Bruce from the Chorley receiving department got a free kick
and managed to lodge it into the ceiling rafters. They had to fish it down with a bargepole
and it fell 24 feet to the concrete floor. Good luck!
• Check to see that all wheelsets are correctly in gauge using a OO wheel gauge. “What
is that?” you ask. Well, it’s a tool for measuring the back-to-back wheel spacing on your
models. The actual spacing should be 14.4mm. DCC Concepts makes one (part number
DCG-BB145). It’s set to 14.5mm but that is close enough for most layouts.
• If you want to be a real OO gauge professional, do a Google search for “NMRA RP-2
Standards Gauge.” This handy tool will check if your wheels are the correct distance apart
and it will also check all the bits on your points to make sure they are the correct gauge.
Having wheelsets the correct gauge ensures reliable operation and will avoid short circuits
on tight or wide points.
• If a wheelset is out of gauge, remove the affected wheelset from the bogie by removing the
bottom lid of the bogie with a small Phillips screwdriver. The wheelset can be regauged by
grabbing each wheel and giving it a bit of a twist. Keep going until you have managed to
make the wheelset fit the gauge. Reverse the steps to replace the wheelset, and ensure the
bogie cover is properly fitted in position before placing the train on the track.
Assembling your APT-E:
• It is strongly advised that you do this in a well-lit area. Use a work lamp if your layout room
does not have bright lighting. This will make things much easier.
• Put PC-1 on the track. Next rest TC-1 on the track, with the seating compartment end
oriented towards the rear of the train (assuming PC-1 is the front). If the joint module (the
gangway connection) is installed on the bogie, remove it by spreading the bottom apart
and popping it off. When your APT-E is first unpacked the joint module can be found in a
polybag with each car.
• Look at the bogie-less end of TC-1. You will see a 10-pin plug, a straight beige-coloured
floor, and a grey curved floor below that. (We’ve provided some nifty diagrams on the
next page.) Now look at the bogie on PC-1. There is a 10-pin socket, and below that is
what we call the pancake – an oval-shaped piece of plastic that allows the train to negoti-
ate model railway curves. When the APT-E is joined up, the pancake slides between the
two floors, and the plug and socket connect.
• Here’s the tricky part. With PC-1 on the track, slide TC-1 over the pancake but don’t join
up the plug and socket. Now tilt TC-1 up at the rear a bit (about 10 degrees) and gently
push it towards PC-1. The plug pins should slide into the socket without any resistance. If
there is the slightest bit of resistance – STOP! You will risk bending the pins out of shape.
Once the pins are in the socket, you can keep pushing and the plastic connectors will snap
in place.

6
• Assembling your APT-E is truly a knack. Once you’ve got the knack, you can do it in sec-
onds. But the first couple of times are very, very tricky. Doubtless people are going to com-
plain on RMWeb about how inconvenient it is to assemble this train. It took us two years
to develop this method, which allows for tilting, spreading apart on #2 radius curves, and
running ten wires between each carriage. If the complainers have a better method that can
achieve all of this, be affordable to mass produce, and is more fool proof than what we
have designed, they can start in our design office next week.
• When you’ve managed to couple up PC-1 and TC-1, repeat the process for TC-2 and PC-2.
The computer banks on TC-2 should be towards the rear of the train.
• Snap on the joint modules by just pressing them into place from above. There is no front or
rear. The joint module can be installed either way. If you don’t hear two snaps, one side is
probably not seated correctly.

7
• If you are having a panic attack, please visit our YouTube channel. We plan to upload a
video showing how to assemble and disassemble your train. If it’s not there, please let us
know. www.youtube.com/rapidotrains
• If the APT-E power cars try to move in opposite directions, it means one or more of your
inter-carriage plugs is misaligned. Take the train apart and start again, then write a scath-
ing review on RMWeb followed by nastygrams to Rapido, Locomotion, the NRM, the Sci-
ence Museum Group, Charlie Petty, your local MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of
State for Transport, and anyone else who will listen.
Picking up your complete APT-E:
• Don’t.
• Seriously, don’t.
• If you discover that the flashing computer lights are on the “wrong side” and you want to
turn the train around so you can see the lights flash, separate the APT-E into two separate
halves before picking up each half and turning it around.
• When you send it in for repair, we can tell if your APT-E got damaged from you picking up
the whole train in one go. See the note about overarm throws above.
Uncoupling your APT-E:
• To uncouple your APT-E, first remove the joint modules from any couplings you intend to
disassemble. Using a fingernail or a wooden stir stick, gently pry out the bottom of one
side of the joint module and lever it up.
• The rest is basically performing the assembly steps in reverse. If the carriages are not com-
ing apart, pull a bit harder. Remember you have to “unsnap” the plastic connection that
you previously snapped together. It may help if you wiggle it a little.
RUNNING IN
Every locomotive needs what we North Americans call a “break-in” period. This has caused all
kinds of confusion in the past. Some of our more dedicated customers took us literally and “broke”
in to their friends’ homes to steal Rapido locomotives.
Your APT-E has two locomotives, which have been tested at the factory by Rapido Dan (Garcia,
our operations manager) and our Chinese QC inspectors. Unfortunately they only tested the train
for about 30 seconds. That is not enough time to get the gears to mesh nicely or to even out any
jerky operation in a new motor. We suggest that, after reading this manual, you put your APT-E on
a test loop and just let it run in each direction for an hour or two at a couple of different speeds.
If your layout is purely imaginary, you can probably skip this step.
There already should be enough grease in the gearbox so you don’t need to add any more. Just
let the thing run.
MISSING OR DAMAGED PARTS
If you open your APT-E box and discover that there are lots of loose bits floating around, then it is
clear that your model received some very rough handling in transit. All APT-Es arrived at Locomo-
tion in Shildon fully assembled. As much as we try to prevent damage in transit, some courier
companies are really quite brutal in the way they treat packages. We weren’t joking when we said
that packages have been known to fall a distance of 24 feet at a sorting centre.

8
If the loose item is a nose or HK brake pipe, then it can easily be glued on with a dab of PVA.
We always recommend PVA as it will not ruin your model should you make a mistake. It is also
reversible by dabbing with warm water. If a power bogie cover has come loose, that can just be
snapped into place along with the wheelsets that are doubtless floating around with it.
In case any windscreen wipers have been knocked off we have included some spares in the box.
Remember that PC-2 should only have one windscreen wiper. If we accidentally installed two on
your model, pull one off!
If there is serious shipping damage or some mistake got through Dan’s QC, please contact us. Full
contact info is on page 15. We will arrange to send you any replacement parts you require to fix
the model yourself (at no charge, of course) or we will provide a UK shipping address where you
can send your model to be repaired. More information about our limited lifetime warranty can be
found towards the end of this manual.
OPENING UP YOUR APT-E
We don’t recommend you open your APT-E very often as it is difficult to get the shells to seat prop-
erly onto the chassis. However, if you need to open up your APT-E (to install a decoder or a 4mm
scale Kit Spackman) it is not that difficult to do. Just be sure to remember these important points:
• Our starship currently in orbit has a transporter lock on the molecular pattern of your APT-
E. If something pops off while you are removing the shell, our starship’s transporters will
automatically lock on to the little part and beam it directly into the heart of the sun. Don’t
bother looking for it. It’s gone. You might hear the transporter effect as the part is beamed
away. We know it would have been more useful for us to beam the part back onto your
workbench but someone’s been fiddling with our transporters and we haven’t been able to
fix them because our transporter repair guy was assigned to a space station in the Deno-
rios Belt. Sorry.
• To that end, please make every effort to ensure nothing flies away. Work on a clean, white
surface. In fact, paint all the walls, the floor and the ceiling white, wear white coveralls,
and remove everything else from within a three-mile radius of your workbench, especially
(but not limited to) vegetation, people and air.
• Remove the car you want to open from the train. At one of the coupled ends, spread one
side of the shell away from the interior. Now spread along the rest of the shell until the
remaining tabs fully disengage from the slots. Carefully. Remember the transporter lock.
The shell will eventually pop off.
• That’s it, really.
• No, really.
OPERATION – DC (SILENT)
Put the APT-E on the track. Make it go. That’s it. PC-1 is the front.
The directional headlights and the interior lights (including the flashing computer lights in TC-2)
all work in DC.
If you are new to the hobby (or just like to occasionally “play trains”) and you have a DC-powered
train set, please contact us before operating your APT-E as it may not be safe (for your engine
and/or your wallet) for you to use your controller.

9
Some train set throttles put out a very high maximum voltage that is not suitable for scale model
trains. The maximum recommended voltage is 15 volts DC. Similarly, controllers designed for
large scale trains put out a much higher voltage than your APT-E can handle.
If you use a train set throttle or a throttle designed for large scale trains, your locomotive’s circuitry
may end up looking like some really nasty spag bol. In such situations, we’ll try our best to fix it for
you. But we may have to charge you for the replacement parts and/or the labour involved. That’s
because you didn’t read this bit of the manual.
Don’t you wish you had read this before you shoved 24 volts through your very expensive model?
INSTALLING A SILENT DCC DECODER
The APT-E contains an ESU-designed motherboard in PC-1. This is connected to the track, motor
and lighting outputs. A blind plug is attached to the motherboard using a 21-pin connector. To
install a decoder, remove the blind plug and install a 21-pin decoder (recommended) or a 21-pin
adapter to attach an 8-pin or a 9-pin decoder. Your chosen decoder should have four function
outputs.
At the time of writing, we recommend the following 21-pin decoder:
• ESU #54615 - LokPilot V4.0 DCC with 21MTC
We feel the 21-pin connectors are superior because there are enough pins to ensure that all
your lighting and sound functions are connected. The necessary resistors are included on our
motherboard so you don’t have to futz around with resistors. (“Futz around” is a North American
Yiddish term. There is no English translation. But you probably understand what we mean. Buy
more Rapido products and you’ll eventually learn the entire Yiddish slang dictionary.) Just remove
the blind plug, plug in the recommended decoder in the same orientation and you have DCC.
ESU has made an APT-E function mapping which can be downloaded into their non-sound de-
coder (54615) so that the function buttons and motor control are exactly the same as our factory-
released sound versions. This is available for download on the APT-E page in the Support section
of our web site. You will need an ESU LokProgrammer to write the function mapping to the 54615
decoder. If you don’t have a LokProgrammer, you can adjust CVs in the usual way.
OPERATION – DC (SOUND)
To operate your sound-equipped APT-E locomotive on a DC layout, just give the throttle some juice.
The turbines will start up once sufficient voltage has been reached (around seven volts). See the
note above (in Operation – DC (Silent)) about using train set or large scale throttles. With DC
layouts, you have very little control over the sounds of your model.
The APT-E will go through its startup sound sequence before it moves. Sit back and enjoy.
In DC operation, the cab lights do not work. However, the rest of the lights do, including direc-
tional headlights, taillights and interior lights (including the flashing lights in TC-2!).
Please note that the sound-equipped APT-E comes with a feature called “Back EMF.” Essentially,
the decoder reads the output of the motor and adjusts the operation of the train accordingly. This
results in extra-smooth running in DCC, but it can result in jerky operation in DC. If you wish to turn
Back EMF off, you will need to take your APT-E to a layout equipped with DCC to do so.

10
In DC, you cannot turn on any of the user-controlled sounds in your model. If you like operating
models with advanced sound and lighting features, you might want to think about upgrading to
DCC.
In our North American product manuals it is at this point that we usually make some condescend-
ing comments about DC control being to model railroading what the Robin Reliant is to the mod-
ern automotive industry, but we’ve decided to leave those out lest we offend anyone.
If you want a taste of the sound features you are missing, please read on…
OPERATION – DCC (SOUND)
It is through sound that the APT-E really shines. We’ve worked closely with Kit Spackman, Paul
Leadley, and everyone at the APT-E Conservation and Support Group to ensure that your APT-E
model is as accurate as possible, and that includes the sounds.
TRAIN ADDRESS
Your Rapido APT-E has a DCC decoder installed in PC-1, which comes from the factory with a
default address of 3. PC-1 is also the forward end for model railway purposes. We suggest if you
are using DCC control that you first test that the train responds on address 3.
Once you have verified that the APT-E is responding and operating properly, you should assign it
a unique address. This can be done either on your programming track (recommended) or on the
mainline if your system supports programming on the main. It also can be done with the entire
train on the track or just PC-1 and one intermediate bogie.
Be aware however that if you do program the APT-E on the main and you have any other locomo-
tives on your layout assigned to address 3 (the normal default address for new locomotives) that
ALL of them will likely also be changed to your new address! Also be aware that if you give your
locomotive a four-digit address it will not work at all if you try to run it on a friend’s DC layout.
Please keep in mind that some DCC systems do not have sufficient power to program sound-
equipped locomotives on the mainline. If you have a really, really old DCC system (check for
vacuum tubes!), you may find that this locomotive won’t work at all – nor will many other new
models. Go update your DCC system to a newer version. Your computer is updated regularly. Your
DCC system should be updated as well.
TURBINE STARTUP DELAY
Your APT-E has a turbine startup delay. That means it won’t start moving until the entire turbine
startup sequence plays out. This sounds awesome, but it takes a considerable amount of time. That
is no problem when playing trains at home or at the club, but sometimes at an exhibition you need
to get a train started and moving QUICKLY to ensure that all the people standing at your layout
don’t wander off to go look at the trams on the layout next door.
You can do this by one of two ways. You can start the train moving and then turn on the sound
(see below). Or you can deactivate the turbine startup delay so people hear the turbines starting
up, even though the train is (unprototypically) moving at the time.
If you wish to turn off the turbine startup delay so that your APT-E can always start moving imme-
diately when you advance the throttle, give CV 124 a value of 17.

11
If you change your mind and want to turn the turbine startup delay back on, give CV 124 a value
of 21.
If you completely mess up and the train starts to do weird stuff, see Factory Reset below.
DCC FUNCTIONS
F0 Directional head and tail lights
F1 Gas turbine unit
F2 Two-tone horn (low-high)
F3 Playable low horn tone
F4 Playable high horn tone
F5 Hydro-kinetic (HK) braking fan
F6 Driver’s door slam
F7 Dale auxiliary diesel generator
F8 Air purge
F9 Directional cab lights
F10 Additional gas turbine start
F11 Additional gas turbine start
F12 Crew access steps
F13 DC lighting
F14 Tilt pump
F15 Speed-dependent detonators
PROTOTYPICAL OPERATION
We’ve enlisted the aid of Ian Bishop, otherwise known as Legomanbiffo, to record and master
the sounds. Legomanbiffo is widely regarded as the most accomplished and most accurate sound
engineer in the British model railway community. It has been a pleasure to work with him on this
project, and we hope that you will consider Legomanbiffo for all of your diesel and electric sound
needs in future. The following text was written by Legomanbiffo.
The DCC sound project for the APT-E was developed with the assistance of Kit Spackman, other-
wise known as “Mr Tilt,” a member of the original APT-E project team. Some sounds are from origi-
nal recordings of the prototype, some are from common components used in other trains, some
are generic and some had to be completely synthesised where no alternatives were available.
Auxiliary power for various systems on the train came from a Dale diesel generator, and this
had to be running before the gas turbines could be started. Pressing F7 on the model before start-
ing the turbines allows this to be recreated. Alternatively, F7 can be left off to allow enjoyment of
the turbine sounds alone whilst driving, albeit not technically accurate.
As there was no recording of the generator available, Kit listened to a number of similar record-
ings and settled on the one that sounded closest to his memory of the original. It would spoil the
illusion to say what the recording is actually of!
(Jason adds: “The pickers of nits will note that in the very early years of operation the turbines
were started by battery power or via a 440V AC land line connection. But for the rest of us, the
Dale diesel sound is a must.”)
The tilt pumps were normally started next. These are on F14. Again, these can be left off when
driving, if preferred. The same type of tilt pump was used on the APT-P (Production) train.

12
There were 10 gas turbines in total. Originally, four in each driving car were used for traction
power and a fifth for auxiliary power (making ten in total in the train). The fifth turbine in each driv-
ing car was converted to provide additional traction power and the aforementioned Dale diesel
was added in its place to provide auxiliary power.
There was no fixed sequence for starting the turbines. Each was started manually by the train sup-
port crew on the driver’s signal. The end result was a pseudo-random sequence depending upon
a number of factors. The sound project allows this to be accurately recreated, but also allows a
simple “start-up and drive off” method using F1 as with other DCC sound projects.
To start prototypically, press F1 to start the first turbine, then press F10 and F11 to simulate
the starting of two more turbines, either in sequence, or overlapping one another. Once the short
F10 and/or F11 sequences have played out, each key may be turned off and on again to simulate
two further start-ups.
Alternatively, to keep things simple, just press F1, wait for the turbine to start up and then
drive off as normal.
To bypass the start sequence altogether, start the train moving first and then turn on F1. F1 can
also be turned off when moving to cut the sound immediately.
As per the prototype, the hydro-kinetic (HK) braking fan sounds have been set up to run
automatically whenever the train brakes. To enable this feature, turn on F5. Nothing will be heard
initially, but once the train is moving and the throttle is subsequently reduced, the fan will start up
and continue to run until a short time after the speed stabilises. F5 can be left on all the time, or
turned only when required, so that the throttle can be coasted without braking sounds. The same
type of hydro-kinetic braking fan was used on the APT-P train.
Playable high and low horn tones are on F3 and F4 respectively (press-on, press-off in each
case). There is also a two-tone horn on F2. Press F2 and hold it down for as long as you want the
low tone. When you let go you will hear the high tone. These are the sounds of the original horns,
recorded at an industrial unit with the aid of a compressed air line!
Driver’s door slam sounds are on F6. To add variety there are three different slam sounds, one
of which is played at random each time F6 is pressed. The doors on the APT-E had standard Mk1
coach mechanisms, and sounded very similar to a coach door.
The sounds of the manually-operated metal steps for crew access can be lowered and
retracted using F12. Press F12 to lower, and F12 again to retract them. These are from recordings
of the preserved train at Shildon. Again there are three different sounds to add variety.
The air purge sound is on F8 and can be manually operated as required. Kit seems to remem-
ber that this operated periodically in normal service.
Detonator sounds are on F15. The three bangs signify an emergency stop. On the model, the
faster the train goes, the closer together the bangs occur.
This is what Kit said about flange squeal:
“Because the wheelsets were designed from the outset to self steer, and they did that with
commendable accuracy, the flanges hardly ever squealed. Maybe only over badly laid or
maintained track in a yard we’d get the odd squeal, but normally that part of the train ran
very smoothly.”
As such, and at Kit’s insistence, there is no flange squeal in the sound project!

13
SOUND VOLUME SETTINGS
The sound volumes on your decoder have been pre-set at the factory to levels suitable for exhibi-
tion use. You will probably find the train WAY TOO LOUD for use at home or in your shed, unless
your home or shed is next to an active quarry or atomic test site. Fortunately all sound levels can
be easily adjusted to best suit your own requirements and we recommend that you experiment with
different settings if you don’t care for the default levels. The easiest way to turn the volume down
is simply to reduce the value of CV 63, which is currently set at its highest volume of 192. If you
want your APT-E to be even louder, we suggest strapping a 12” diameter speaker to the roof…
To set the volume levels go into the program mode on your DCC system (refer to your system’s
manual for instructions on how to do this as each system is slightly different); enter the desired CV
number; then enter the desired levels. Note that this can be done either on a programming track
or on the main (ops mode) if your DCC system supports programming on the main.
We strongly recommend that you keep notes on which settings you have changed and which
values were used. If you ever need to do a reset on the decoder (see “Factory Reset” below) then
having good notes will allow you to easily re-enter any changes that you might want to keep.
VERY IMPORTANT: Before you change any of the volume control CVs (with the exception of CV
63), please make sure that CV 32 is set to 1. CV 32 is used as an index selection register and if
you don’t set it first then we are not responsible for your resulting rage and the fact that you will
probably throw the locomotive against the wall in frustration.
APT-E SOUND VOLUME SETTINGS
FUNCTION CV DEFAULT RANGE YOUR VALUE
MASTER VOLUME 63 192 0-192
GAS TURBINE DRIVE 259 128 0-128
TWO-TONE HORN LOW-HIGH 427 128 0-128
LOW HORN 443 128 0-128
HIGH HORN 435 128 0-128
HYDRO-KINETIC BRAKING FAN 291 120 0-128
DOOR SOUND 299 128 0-128
DALE DIESEL 307 128 0-128
AIR SOUND 315 120 0-128
ADDITIONAL GAS TURBINE START 331 128 0-128
ADDITIONAL GAS TURBINE START 339 128 0-128
CAB STEPS DOWN AND UP 363 120 0-128
TILT PUMP 355 40 0-128
SPEED-DEPENDANT DETONATORS 395 128 0-128
EASTER EGG 347 128 0-128

14
FACTORY RESET
On your APT-E, you perform a factory reset by entering a value of “8” into CV 8. Note that this will
cause all of your new address, volume and motor settings to be lost, so you will need to reprogram
any settings that you want to keep. You did keep notes like we suggested earlier, didn’t you?
You can NOT lose all of the pre-recorded sounds on your APT-E decoder by doing a factory reset.
If you manage to lose all of the sounds on your APT-E then you have probably set fire to your
decoder – you really shouldn’t have used the controller from that Dublo tinplate set you got for
Christmas in 1951. Open up your APT-E and pour out the ashes.
AWESOME SLOW SPEED THINGY
There is an awesome trick that you can use to get even better slow speed running and smoother
operation. It’s called the Automatic Motor Tuning Feature. This feature will automatically adjust the
Back-EMF in most cases and give you phenomenal slow-speed performance.
In order to use this automatic adjustment you need to use Ops mode programming, i.e. program-
ming on the mainline. Make sure your APT-E is in “forward” and that you have lots of room in front
of it on your mainline. And we mean LOTS of room. (Note that PC-1 is forward. You don’t want
to get that wrong…) Set CV 54 to a value of 0. Then get out of programming mode and press F1.
We’ll say this again: Make sure you have plenty of room in FRONT of your APT-E and it is not
headed for the shed floor!!!
Your APT-E will quickly take off at full speed and suddenly stop while the decoder reads the mo-
tor responses. You’ll have fabulous motor control after you do this. If you ever have to reset your
locomotive, you can do the automatic adjustment again – it just takes a few seconds.
(If you didn’t check and your APT-E is now in 119 pieces, have fun putting it back together. We’ll
be right behind you, cheering you on. 5000 miles behind you.)
MORE INFORMATION
While addressing the features that most modellers will need for normal operation, these instruc-
tions have covered just a small number of the many customizable features of your ESU LokSound
decoder. For advanced users who want to more fully explore the capabilities of the decoder we
suggest downloading the ESU Loksound Select decoder manual. This is available on the APT-E
page in the Support section of our web site. We don’t understand the half of it.
LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY
We will do our best to solve any problems or issues that you may have with your APT-E. If your
train has any defects that originate from the factory, we will repair your train using new compo-
nents or replace it outright should a repair not be possible. However, we can only fix your APT-E
while we have additional ones in stock. We normally keep spares for up to six months after a
model is released. If you purchased this train secondhand or first opened it after six months, it is
possible that we no longer have any replacements and that a repair is the only option. Please give
us a call or write us an email, and we will see what we can do to help you out.
Repairs on the APT-E are being performed for us in the UK by Charlie Petty at DC Kits. Please send
an email to Rapido (using the address [email protected]) describing the problem and
we will first try to see if it is something we can solve over email. If not, we will arrange to send
you a return authorisation, and you will send your model directly to Charlie for repair. If you do

15
not have email, you can ring Charlie on 0113 256 3415. If you live outside of Europe, we will
fix your model in our Canadian office.
If the problem with your model was a factory defect rather than shipping damage or user error we
will offer you a complimentary “I’d rather be on British Rail” T-shirt to make up for the hassle and
cost of sending your APT-E in for repair. Unfortunately we can’t offer this in the case of shipping
damage or if the problem was due to the guy holding the controller as that is out of our control.
Please do not send APT-E models to Charlie for repair before you receive a return authorisation
from us. You would be amazed at how many people send us models with absolutely no documen-
tation and they sit on our shelf for months until the owner rings up and asks for an update. “Well
you didn’t tell us what was wrong with it nor did you provide a return address so how were we
supposed to know what to do?”
There are a number of things that this warranty cannot cover. If your APT-E arrives with a couple
of loose bogie bits or a loose nose, there is a very good chance that you can effect a repair in
less time and effort than it would take to contact us. Don’t be afraid to do some railway model-
ling! PVA works wonders for securing all sorts of parts and will not mar or damage your paint.
However, if parts are missing or smashed that is another story – ring us or send us an email and
we’ll send you some replacements. There are already some extra bogie parts and windscreen
wipers included in the box.
Of course, damage caused by trips to the exhibition floor, running your APT-E at 152 MPH around
a #2 radius curve, wearing your APT-E power cars as a cosy pair of slippers, baking the APT-E at
325 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown, attempting to power your APT-E with real diesel fuel,
or any other damage caused by you that we haven’t been able to cover here is not covered by
the warranty. However, if catastrophe does strike and your APT-E gets damaged, please give us a
shout and we’ll do our best to help you out. Yes, even if it was your fault we will try our
best to fix your locomotive for you. Don’t be shy!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A lot of people have been instrumental in ensuring the Rapido APT-E is the most awesome APT-E
model ever produced. Er… That’s in addition to being the ONLY APT-E ever produced. Our thanks
go to:
Arran Aird, Gareth Bayer, Ian Bishop, Thomas Blampied, Anthony Coulls, Brian Greenwood, Bob
Gwynne, Simon Huntington, Melissa Jardine, Simon Kohler, David Leadley, Paul Leadley, George
Muirhead, Charlie Petty, Pamela Porter, Tim Procter, Sandra Rewcastle, Sharon Thorburn, Sarah
Towers, Shane Wilton
Special thanks go to Kit Spackman, our own Mr Tilt. Without Kit’s enthusiasm, dedication and
generosity this project would never have come to fruition nor would it have been remotely accu-
rate. Kit has also been instrumental in communicating all aspects of the APT project to us, to our
customers at exhibitions, and to the world in the amazing book that he, Paul Leadley and Gareth
Bayer have written. All fans of the great experimental era of BR in the 1970s (like us!) owe Kit a
huge debt of gratitude. He is undeniably a living legend.
Rapido Trains Inc. • 500 Alden Road, Unit 21 • Markham • Ontario • L3R 5H5 • Canada
Tel. [phone] • Fax [phone] • Email [email protected]

RAPIDO MAKES OTHER
STUFF TOO, YOU KNOW.
FOLLOW US ONLINE AND NEVER MISS ANOTHER NEW PRODUCT
rapidouk.com facebook.com/rapidotrains youtube.com/rapidotrains