18000

[Chris J]

Came across the experimental gas turbine locomotive 18000 parked at the Didcot Railway Centre awaiting restoration (sadly only cosmetic). Spent time in Switzerland after being "scrapped" here.
As a "one off" it apparently was expensive, unreliable and proved a dead-end - the only other gas turbine thing in Britain was the prototype APT.





7D + 24-105L.

[MX5]

Re: 18000



One wonders what might have happened if Gas Turbine's proved better than Diesel or Electric motive power.

It's the Rover gas turbine cars that always amazed me.

[hhcanon]

Re: 18000

Great capture Chris. Are you familiar with this bonkers idea.....?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR_Leader_class

Robin

[Chris J]

Re: 18000

Thanks for the link, Robin. Yes, Bulleid produced some strange but quite effective things - his Q1 must be the ugliest steam loco to have run on British lines but was also the most powerful (?). I'll post an image of it shortly.
Cheers, Chris.

[EOS_User]

Re: 18000

Hi Chris;

Good find... it's been a long while since I went to Didcot; perhaps it's time for another visit...

Cheers;

Lee

[hhcanon]

Re: 18000

Thanks for the link, Robin. Yes, Bulleid produced some strange but quite effective things - his Q1 must be the ugliest steam loco to have run on British lines but was also the most powerful (?). I'll post an image of it shortly.
Cheers, Chris.

Right (I Think?) the Q1 was the most powerful 0-6-0 ever built. yes its ugly, but was it powerful...
Bullied was way ahead of his time in many respects, for steam engineering.

[MX5]

Re: 18000

Another Ugly was the MR 0-10-0 Lickey Banker ... my late dad reckoned he had shown me this unique loco around 1954 ... but I can't recall. Although I do recall LMS Garratt's 2-6-0+0-6-2 ...

Ahhhhhh miss the 'real' steam days.

[tesarver]

Re: 18000

Well done Chris

Tom