Could the APT Run on the WCML Today?

[Journeyman]

The APT is rather like Concorde, it survives and could be made to work, but the politics, money and practicalities are just too much. If the APT was a much-loved icon (e.g. a BEL, Gresley Kettle, Spitfire or Vulcan) then public support might enable something to happen (A BEL style rebuild using other running units), but the APT just doesn't have the history. Given the politics surrounding the P-Train it's great that anything survived, BR management and politicians probably just wanted to get rid of them once the project had been canned.

Let's enjoy the APT legacy for what it is, at least it seems to be getting better publicity in documentaries now and given some credit for contributing to later generations of high speed rail vehicles.

Yes - it was a bold attempt to solve BR's problems and it could have been successful - ultimately, it went a long way towards the development of the Class 91 and Mark 4 coaches, and they've certainly served the ECML very well over the years. And the Pendolino owes a lot to the APT as well.

Of course, the HST was intended as a stopgap solution and developed on the side of the APT project, and became a huge success in itself.

I'm very glad at least a few APT-P vehicles have survived. I've not seen them up-close but I hope to make it to Crewe to have a look one day. I saw APT-E in Shildon a couple of months ago, and it's looking nice and shiny these days.

 

[LOL The Irony]

e.g.... Vulcan

Do you want to ask Airbus what happened with Spirit of Great Britain?