This page looks at the various OO gauge models released by Hornby and compares what's in the box with what actually ran, and looks at how best to make your model match an authentic set, if that's something you're interested in. Hornby's suggested formations and set augmentations certainly reflect BR's aspirations for the fleet at the time, where all six sets were intended to be made full length and put into public service, but reality had other plans. Comments here are based on the findings that went into making the main page of this site, so may be subject to alteration as new information is uncovered. For much more detail about any of the comments or suggested modifications below, see the fuller descriptions of each unit on the main page. For now, here's a short review of what you can buy, and how you might make things more accurate - if, of course, you want to!

Hornby released their first APT model back in 1980, and for 40 years it was the only option for running this iconic train in model form. A lack of trailer cars in their original production runs meant that anything more than a five-car rake (DTS, TBF, M, TBF, DTS) required considerable expense to purchase additional sets, and skill with a hacksaw to literally cut the trailer vehicles in half and glue the articulated ends back to back. Kudos to the modellers who took that risk! (I admit to having collected enough second hand original sets to do this in the 1990s/2000s ... but never had the guts / skills to go through with it.)

In 2020, however, Hornby released an entirely new tooling - a far superior model, with many options for trailer cars, with further variations released in 2023. This page principally deals with the modern selections.

370001 + 49001 + 370004, modelled as the Brecknell-Willis High Speed pantograph test train in late 1980.
Click here for more on how this model was made.

This set recreates APT sets as seen around 1979-1980, with full yellow ends, used principally on test and training runs. As I understand it, Hornby expected this version to sell in larger numbers than the black-mask set, despite the full-yellow period being much shorter. To match the set, Hornby also released a full complement of intermediate trailer cars of all types, in the unlined version of APT livery, missing their yellow first class and red buffet stripes as appropriate. Unfortunately this livery variation was only seen on a handful of vehicles, and never in a full-length half rake. The intermediate trailers issued all carry matching numbers for the two sets, i.e. ending in 03 and 04, though in reality none of those formed in the two sets were numerically matched.

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Echoing the 1980 model, this set comprises the absolute minimum number of vehicles needed for an APT unit to operate. As far as can be ascertained, no pair of units ever operated in this formation with full yellow ends - only 370004 ran as a two-car trailer rake. So what would you need to do to make this set more accurate?

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First formation: With the addition of a TS and an un-lined TF, a fairly accurate representation of the pair's first operational formation can be created. If one is being extremely fussy about accuracy, Hornby's representation of power car 49003 is incorrect - during the period that it ran with a white cantrail stripe, as shown on the model, it carried the "InterCity APT" logo on both sides; it was repainted during 1980 with the BR arrow on one side, as standard, but at the same time received an orange cant-rail stripe.

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Second formation: A minor change during early 1980 saw power car 49001 replace 49003 as the regular power for 370003 and 370004. This was the formation that took part in the Rainhill trials, and continued to operate over the summer of 1980, before the pair were split, and 370004 was paired with 3-car 370001 for initial testing of the Brecknell-Willis high speed pantograph. 370003 is not seen again until it emerges with a black mask a few years later.

Although trailers are available to make a complete 14-car rake of this model, neither 370003 nor 370004 were ever formed into full length rakes in service (nor did any 14 car set ever run with full yellow ends and no lining on the trailers). Thus the usefulness of the unlined trailers is somewhat limited if one is looking for authenticity.

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370003: In paired operation with a full yellow end, 370003 never ran with more than the two intermediate trailers shown above. During commissioning in early 1979 with a prototype HST powercar, however, the set also included an unlined TRSB, 48401. In late 1979, before 370003 was paired with 370004, the buffet was removed, given its red stripe, and reformed in 370005.

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370004: In operation with a full yellow end, 370004 only ever ran as a two-car set, thus the available trailers are again limited in usefulness unless you are planning to model the set's commissioning runs. During this period, while on test with prototype HST power cars, 370004 reached a four vehicle length:

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It's worth noting that none of the trailer cars for 370003 or 370004 match the numerical sequences of the driving trailers or brake vehicles, so be prepared to renumber your purchases accordingly (though in the case of 370003, you do get 48204 in the relevant TS pack)! As an aside, TS 48204, which was in the unit when it appeared at Rainhill in 1980, was later selected for conversion to the non-articulated APT-U prototype carriage - included in the other 2020 set.

What else could you model with this set? By adding a single TS pack and renumbering the nose ends and vehicle numbers, the first ever operational APT pair can easily be created (although if you are one for correct interior details, it would require a bit more effort):

This is the first formation that ran as a self-powered pair in April 1979, comprised of units 370001 and 370002, with power car 49003. To fully detail this model, the interiors of 48101, 48206 and 48601 would require some serious alterations, as all three vehicles featured test equipment and other modifications. TBF 48601 was fitted with a generator and consequently had an exhaust port in the roof of the van area, as well as air intakes in place of the route-indicator windows, while TS 48206 had test equipment in the saloon half closest to the TBF. Helpfully Hornby have modelled 48206's 1979 test equipment in the right-hand half of the APT Development Vehicle non-articulated trailer 48204, with the left-hand end being kitted out with 48204's 1984 test equipment, albeit at the wrong end of the car. (Both vehicles had conventional seating in the other end of the saloons.) DTS 48101 also had test equipment installed, though details of this are harder to find. Swap 49003 for two un-branded or branded, un-named power cars and you have the classic APT test train that operated from 1979 through 1980 and claimed the UK rail speed record - though perhaps the 2023 full-yellow release may be an easier option for this modification, since most of the supplied vehicles are already numbered correctly!

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Another option would again be to renumber one set to 370001 in its three-car formation as above, but renumber and extend the second set to full length as 370005 (retaining full yellow ends) with the addition of class and buffet stripes. This formation is currently the only known instance of a full-length rake running with full yellow ends, and formed the ill-fated run in April 1980 which derailed north of Carnforth:

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As built, and with full yellow ends, the APT driving cars did not feature a rain strip under the front windscreen. To fully recreate the smooth look of this period, the horizontal raised line would need to be removed from the Hornby moulding. Similarly, depending on the exact period modelled, the horn grilles on the nose were originally flush and had no lip around the edge. Subsequent flexing caused some to be raised above the nose producing the lip effect, while some later replacement grilles had a rivetted lip. Judicious filing may provide an authentic smooth look!

While black masks were progressively applied to the APT fleet from 1980, this model most accurately recreates the fleet's appearance from about 1982 onwards. More specifically, taken together, the vehicles provided in the box are specific to Spring 1984 onwards.

This set is understood to have been intended as product aimed primarily at collectors who might display the unit rather than run/expand it. As a result, fewer trailers were manufactured, and thus these are now much harder to come by than those released to match the full yellow end version. In the event, most modellers wanted the unit with black window surrounds, as it was the most common, longest-lived colour scheme for the class.

To match the set, again a full complement of intermediate trailers has been issued, this time fully lined out with first class and buffet stripes above the windows. Again the vehicles are all numbered to match the units, i.e. ending in 01 and 02. Of these only the TS from 370002 is prototypically correct, with the remainder of the trailers having a range of last numbers.

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This model includes all the necessary vehicles to make a minimum black-masked formation, plus a second dummy power car and the 1984-converted development vehicle. Assuming you want to include all seven vehicles as authentically as possible, what are your options?

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1984 formation: Starting with the period best represented by the model, Hornby's miniature version is remarkably similar to the reality of late 1984. Two vehicles are incorrectly numbered - power car 49001 would need to be amended to 49005, while by 1984, 370002's TBF was 48605, not the original 48602. Otherwise the formation is prototypical, and was seen operating as late as mid-1985.

The APT Development Coach is a welcome inclusion, as it accompanied 370001 from around March 1984 when it was converted until withdrawal from service. The interior detailing is excellent, but it looks like Hornby have conflated the interior of 48204 with the interior of earlier test car 48206 (which ran in 370001 in full-yellow-end days). To correctly model the interior of 48204, the left hand instrument racks should be moved to the right hand end of the vehicle (as seen from the operator side), and regular second class seating installed on the left hand side. The right-hand instrument racks (with control desk) can then be used to model the TBF-adjacent end of earlier 48206, as they are an excellent representation of that vehicle's innards, for your full-yellow model of 370001!

In July 1985, this set was used for further pantograph testing, and power car 49005 was fitted with a roof-mounted observation pod with a window facing the pantograph. During this time, the set also ran without 49002 in the formation, which was the last current sighting as a pair.

Two livery modifications are required: 48601, the TBF in 370001, never received its first-class stripe above the windows, so this would need to be removed; in 1984, 48102 received a new nose cone, which did not carry the InterCity APT logo, so this would have to be painted out for full authenticity.

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Earlier formations - 1981 to 1983: An authentic formation from early 1982 can be created using five vehicles from this set. Using both DTS cars, both TBF cars, and power car 49002, this February 1982 formation can be created accurately - though as 49002 is the dummy power car in Hornby's set, some body-swapping may be in order. The power car pantograph would also need to be swapped for an original two-stage Stone Faiveley version at this date.

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Prior to this, 370001 is otherwise only currently known to have operated as a two-car set with full-length 370007 in 1981 after receiving its black mask.

Later formations: After July 1985 the pair are not believed to have worked together again. 370001 (with 48204) was variously paired with 3-car 370003 and 2-car 370006, operating until January 1986 and gaining a red stripe around its nose. Meanwhile 370002 was last noted paired with 2-car 370005 in August 1985, before being withdrawn.

Although trailers are available to make a complete 14-car rake from this model, with its black mask 370001 never ran with any intermediate trailers. 370002, however, was made up into a full-length rake in 1980, had its TBF lined out for first class, and remained as such until late 1981 when it was shortened to the minimum two cars. At present, though, there is no available photographic evidence that 370002 actually ran paired with another unit in its full-length state.

Hornby provides 48202 in its associated TS pack, but all others would require renumbering if an authentic formation was to be created.

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What else could you model with this set? As a masked pair, this set could form the basis of most post-1980 APT formations, with suitable set/vehicle renumbering and appropriate intermediate trailer selection. For the first 14-car formation, from mid-1980, put 48204 to one side, remove the rain strips from the cab ends, and renumber/extend (using all the trailer car pairs available) to 370005 and 370006 (you can keep 48401 and 49002 unrenumbered, but you'll need to swap the pantographs for two-stage Stone Faiveleys):

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Alternatively keep the model of 370002 intact as a two-car set and extend/renumber 370001 to 370006 to replicate the first public service in December 1981 (again swapping the pantographs).

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If you are happy to renumber everything, then the set used in public service in 1984 is an option - 370007 was ironically the only APT set to be formed as a full length set from construction to scrapping, and consequently saw the bulk of passenger operation in later years. It does seem to be the case that forming 370007 as a full-length set, rather than keeping the two end vehicles as spares, was a consequence of 370001 remaining as a test-bed and fitted with test equipment. Here's a common formation from summer 1984, and you don't have to change the pantographs either:

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When initially repainted with a black mask, 370002 did not have a rain strip under the cab windows - this was added in about 1981 prior to formation-shortening. 370001 did first appear masked with the rainstrip fitted, though uniquely it was fitted a little lower on the nose than any of the other driving cabs, thus a minor modification would be required to be accurate on the model.

As detailed on the main page, the shape and extent of the black mask varied across all seven cabs, and the mask on 370001 was particularly large. If you are seeking full authenticity, extending the mask upwards a little on 48101 is essential! 370002's mask was also larger than average, but to a smaller extent.

370001 was heavily modified internally for initial testing, and while the plan was to refit the unit for regular service, this never came about. Thus the interiors of 48101 and 48601 remained out of the ordinary through to the end of the unit's life, featuring test equipment and other modifications. 48601 was fitted with a generator and consequently had an exhaust port in the roof of the van area, as well as air intakes in place of the route-indicator windows. This was retained into the black mask period, and power was routed to test car 48204 via the gangways.

Perhaps not surprisingly, given it's the only other sensible pair to model with full yellow ends, the 2023 release is 370001 and 370002 in original condition with power car 49001. As with the 2020 full-yellow release, this set recreates APT sets as seen around 1979-1980, with full yellow ends, used principally on test and training runs. It seems likely that matching numbered, unlined trailers will be released alongside, however neither unit ever ran with more than their TS vehicle while in this livery, making a possible surfeit of unlined intermediate trailers a possibility - as described above in R3973, very few trailers actually ran in this condition in any set, and those that did could be found in 370003 and 370004!

Nevertheless, this model may provide a basis for a number of authentic formations from the early days, assuming a dummy power car (most likely 49002) is produced to expand the formation.

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Again, this set comprises the absolute minimum number of vehicles needed for an APT unit to operate. As far as can be ascertained, no pair of units ever operated in this formation with full yellow ends - only 370004 ran as a two-car trailer rake. So what would you need to do to make this set more accurate?

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First formation: With the addition of a TS in each half, and the renumbering of 49001 to 49003, a fairly accurate representation of the pair's first operational formation, from April 1979, can be created. If one is being extremely fussy about accuracy, 49003 would require the "InterCity APT" logo on both sides.

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Subsequent formations: Soon after the first run, 49003 was displaced by a pair of power cars (probably 49001 and 49002), seen both branded and unbranded.

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Hornby have released intermediate trailers to make a complete 14-car rake of this model (complicated, because these are the un-lined versions, but with the same running numbers as the lined versions released in 2020), but for authentic rakes only a pair of TS vehicles are required. Correctly-numbered 48202 augments 370002 and 48206 was formed in 370001, albeit fitted out with test equipment.

As built, and with full yellow ends, the APT driving cars did not feature a rain strip under the front windscreen. To fully recreate the smooth look of this period, the horizontal raised line would need to be removed from the Hornby moulding. Similarly, depending on the exact period modelled, the horn grilles on the nose were originally flush and had no lip around the edge. Subsequent flexing caused some to be raised above the nose producing the lip effect, while some later replacement grilles had a rivetted lip. Judicious filing may provide an authentic smooth look!

The first formation that ran as a self-powered pair in April 1979 comprised units 370001 and 370002, with power car 49003. To fully detail this model, the interiors of 48101, 48206 and 48601 would require some serious alterations, as all three vehicles featured test equipment and other modifications. A keen (or obsessive) modeller will notice that half the interior of Hornby's non-articulated 48204 (from the 7-car set) is actually the test equipment racks from 48206! (48204 retained regular seating in half its interior in reality.) 48601 was fitted with a generator and consequently had an exhaust port in the roof of the van area, as well as air intakes in place of the route-indicator windows. 48602 similarly had one route-indicator window removed for reasons unknown in the early years.

Euston, we have a problem.

As decisions go, the selection of 370003 and 370004 as the second release of a black-masked set was an unusual one. Not only did 370003 only ever run as a three-car set with a mask, but 370004 never ran after gaining its mask, as far as can be ascertained. In fact, by the time the non-articulated vehicle 48204 (included in this set) was converted in 1984, 370004 had been heavily cannibalised at Derby, never to be seen again on the main line. Additionally, power car 49004 was also cannibalised for spares at Derby by this time, and was probably not fitted with a Brecknell-Willis pantograph. Inclusion of the development vehicle is also unusual, since it only ever ran coupled to 370001.

With three APT sets so far unrepresented in the models produced, all of which were actually run as full length rakes in reality (370005, 370006 and 370007), the decision to go for 003 and 004 is definitely an odd one.

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As with the 2020 black-masked release, this model includes all the necessary vehicles to make a minimum black-masked formation, plus a second dummy power car and the 1984-converted development vehicle. However this time it is not possible to make any authentic formations from the included vehicles without some modifications. So what are your options, if you want authenticity?

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370003: Disappearing in the middle of 1980, and after sitting for a while at Derby after repainting, this set reappeared in early 1982, formed of three cars with buffet 48404 (formerly in 370002) between the two end vehicles. TBF 48603 did not receive a yellow first class stripe, and so an accurate model would require this to be painted out. The set maintained this formation from at least 1982 until withdrawal and preservation.

49003: "City of Derby" mostly operated with 370007 between 1982 and 1985.

49004: This power car was out of use and partially stripped by early 1984 at Derby, having been out of traffic since around 1981.

370004: Taken out of traffic in late 1980 or early 1981, the set returned to Derby. While there is evidence that it received a black mask, at the moment there is no reliable evidence that it ever returned to service or was even recommissioned. TBF 48604 never received its first class stripe, so to accurately model this vehicle during its time in the scrap lines at Derby, this would need to be painted out. By at least early 1984 48104 had lost its nose cone while also in the scrap lines at Derby - it is unknown whether 48104 received a rain strip after repainting.

Although eight intermediate trailers are available to make a complete 14-car rake from this model, you only actually need one. To make an authentic half-set formation of 370003, simply add buffet car 48404, which fortuitously is one of the pair offered to augment the set. For an authentic black-mask 370004, no lengthening with intermediate trailers is needed - in fact shortening the DTS by removing the nose cone would be required for full 1984 authenticity .

Your best bet for an authentic formation from this set is to add a buffet car to 370003 and do some renumbering of 370004 and the power cars. Assuming you don't already have 370001 with a black mask, renumbering 370004 to 370001 and painting out the yellow stripe will produce something like an authentic set with 370003, as seen from around August 1985 through to March 1986 (see above for further modifications for an accurate 370001).

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By early 1986 this formation had also received the red stripe around the nose, and M prefixes in place of Sc prefixes on several vehicles.

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If you are prepared to ditch your development coach, renumbering the power cars and unit 370004 to 370006 (and noting that by this time 48602 had lost its yellow stripe), you can recreate the final APT in operation (and now preserved at Crewe) complete with red nose stripes:

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370003 also operated with 2-car 370002 in 1984, but it was also part of the final passenger-carrying runs with full-length 370007 in 1985, if you want to expand and renumber 370004 to full length. As a bonus you get to keep 49003, add leaping salmon logos to the power cars, and 370007's TU and TF vehicles are available in the expansion packs!

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Of course there is nothing (other than skill, time and money) stopping you from renumbering and expanding the whole model to become full-length 370005, 370006 or 370007 as described above for the 2020 black mask set.

Alternatively you could go shorter, and renumber to 370005 and 370006 in their 1983 high-speed pantograph testing formation (noting that 370006 was running as 370002 for some of the year - 48106 and 48602, just to confuse future researchers). 49004 becomes 49005 and has an observation pod mounted on the roof too.

A trip back in time - 370001 and 370002 with power car 49003 were Hornby's first attempt at the APT-P. The first version had full yellow ends, but subsequent production runs updated to the black mask livery. While Hornby apparently had plans and even drawings to produce intermediate trailers, it appears that there was insufficient interest at the time to do so, possibly affected by the poor publicity received by the real train at the time. Consequently, the possibilities for authentic formations were somewhat limited.

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Naturally the set comprises the absolute minimum number of vehicles needed for an APT unit to operate. As discussed above, only 370004 ran as a two-car trailer rake with a full yellow end, but there were some short "Hornby" formations run in the black-mask era. In fact...

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In February 1982, 370001 and 370002 did actually run in the Hornby formation, albeit with 49002 instead of 49003. To accurately model this formation, aside from the renumbering of the power car, the yellow stripe on 48601 would need to be removed. See earlier entries for more on the modifications needed on 370001.

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So what could you do if you wanted anything more than the basic five car set - or maybe six, if you could get your hands on a second power car? Well back in 1981 it would have been time to empty one's bank account and get out the hacksaw.

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Perhaps the easiest cut-and-shut trailer-car conversion would be to acquire two spare TBF vehicles and convert them to a single trailer (test car 48206), creating the late-1980 high-speed pantograph test train, renumbering 370002's vehicles to 370004, and 49003 to 49001.

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With another trailer (48202) converted from two DTS cars you could keep 002 as 002 and have a reasonable representation of the first operational APT set in April 1979...

... or use the power car from your donor APT to recreate the early test train that took the British Rail Speed Record in late 1979.

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For the more ambitious and financially flush, purchasing a further four complete sets and chopping all the trailer vehicles in half would allow a full 14-car rake, plus a bunch of extra power cars. Some renumbering would be required for an authentic rake. Of course, some considerable further detailing would be required to convert the sliced up vehicles into buffets and unclassified trailers, but not impossible!

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Using up 5 complete original Hornby sets to produce a 14-car set would leave a number of leftover power cars as well as half-van ends and half-cab ends. With some imagination the APT-S single-cab power cars and auxiliary driving trailers / DVTs could potentially be constructed. Here's a 1+11 APT-S-like set, which could use the same trailers you built for the 2+14 full length APT!