British Rail 18100
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| Type and origin | |
|---|---|
| Power type | Gas turbine-electric |
| Builder | Metropolitan-Vickers, Trafford Park |
| Order number | GWR Lot 388 |
| Build date | 1951 |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Configuration: |
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| • UIC | Co'Co' |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Wheel diameter | 3 ft 8 in (1.118 m) |
| Wheelbase | 53 ft 0 in (16.15 m) |
| Length | 66 ft 9 1⁄4 in (20.35 m) |
| Width | 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m) |
| Height | 12 ft 10 in (3.91 m) |
| Loco weight | 129.50 long tons (131.58 t; 145.04 short tons) |
| Prime mover | Gas turbine |
| Generator | Metropolitan-Vickers, 3 off |
| Traction motors | Metropolitan-Vickers, 6 off |
| Transmission |
DC generators DC traction motors |
| Train heating | Spanner steam generator |
| Train brakes | Vacuum |
| Performance figures | |
|---|---|
| Maximum speed | 90 mph (145 km/h) |
| Power output | 3,000 hp (2,240 kW) At rail: 2,450 hp (1,830 kW) |
| Tractive effort | 60,000 lbf (266.89 kN) |
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Operators | British Railways |
| Power class | BR Type 5 |
| First run | 1952 |
| Last run | 1954 |
| Retired | December 1957 |
| Disposition | Rebuilt to 25 kV electric locomotive E1000 (E2001 from 1959) |
British Rail 18100 was a prototype main line gas turbine-electric locomotive built for British Railways in 1951 by Metropolitan-Vickers, Manchester. It had, however, been ordered by the Great Western Railway in the 1940s, but construction was delayed due to World War II. It spent its working life on the Western Region of British Railways, operating express passenger services from Paddington station, London.
It was of Co-Co wheel arrangement and its gas turbine was rated at 3,000 horsepower (2,200 kW). It had a maximum speed of 90 mph (140 km/h) and weighed 129.5 long tons (131.6 t; 145.0 short tons). It was painted in BR black livery, with a silver stripe around the middle of the body and silver numbers.
The gas turbine was of a type which would now be called a turboshaft engine but it differed from modern free-turbine turboshaft engines in having only one turbine to drive both the compressor and the output shaft. It was based on aircraft practice and had six horizontal combustion chambers (spaced radially around the turbine shaft) and no heat exchanger.
The emphasis was on power, rather than economy, and the fuel consumption was high. It was designed to use aviation kerosene and was much more expensive to run than No. 18000, which used heavy fuel oil. The turbine drove, through reduction gearing:
Each main generator powered two traction motors. Unlike No. 18000, there was no auxiliary diesel engine and the turbine was started by battery power, using the main generators as starter motors.
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Wikipedia