British Rail 18100
Encyclopedia
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 London Paddington station.
and its gas turbine
was rated at 3000 hp. It had a maximum speed of 90 mi/h and weighed 129.5 tons. It was painted in BR black livery, with a silver stripe around the middle of the body and silver numbers.
engine but it differed from modern 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 motor
s. Unlike No. 18000, there was no auxiliary diesel engine
and the turbine was started by battery power, using the main generators as starter motors.
Notes:
electric locomotive
. As an electric locomotive, it was numbered E1000 (E2001 from 1959) and was given the TOPS
classification of class 80
.
Gas turbine-electric locomotive
A gas turbine - electric locomotive, or GTEL, is a locomotive that uses a gas turbine to drive an electric generator or alternator. The electric current thus produced is used to power traction motors. This type of locomotive was first experimented with during the Second World War, but reached its...
built for British Railways in 1951 by Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, they were particularly well known for their industrial electrical equipment such as generators, steam...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. It had, however, been ordered by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
in the 1940s, but construction was delayed due to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It spent its working life on the Western Region of British Railways
Western Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
, operating express passenger services from London Paddington station.
Overview
It was of Co-Co wheel arrangementUIC classification
The UIC classification of locomotive axle arrangements describes the wheel arrangement of locomotives, multiple units and trams. It is set out in the International Union of Railways "Leaflet 650 - Standard designation of axle arrangement on locomotives and multiple-unit sets". It is used in much...
and its gas turbine
Gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
was rated at 3000 hp. It had a maximum speed of 90 mi/h and weighed 129.5 tons. It was painted in BR black livery, with a silver stripe around the middle of the body and silver numbers.
Technical details
The gas turbine was of a type which would now be called a TurboshaftTurboshaft
A turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine which is optimized to produce free turbine shaft power, rather than jet thrust...
engine but it differed from modern 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
Jet fuel
Jet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is clear to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial aviation are Jet A and Jet A-1 which are produced to a standardized international specification...
and was much more expensive to run than No. 18000
British Rail 18000
British Rail 18000 was a prototype mainline gas turbine-electric locomotive built for British Railways in 1949 by Brown, Boveri & Cie. It had, however, been ordered by the Great Western Railway in 1946, but construction was delayed due to World War II...
, which used heavy fuel oil
Fuel oil
Fuel oil is a fraction obtained from petroleum distillation, either as a distillate or a residue. Broadly speaking, fuel oil is any liquid petroleum product that is burned in a furnace or boiler for the generation of heat or used in an engine for the generation of power, except oils having a flash...
. The turbine drove, through reduction gearing:
- three main generatorsElectrical generatorIn electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
- one auxiliary generator for battery charging
- one exciter for the main generators
Each main generator powered two traction motor
Traction motor
Traction motor refers to an electric motor providing the primary rotational torque of a machine, usually for conversion into linear motion ....
s. Unlike No. 18000, there was no auxiliary diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
and the turbine was started by battery power, using the main generators as starter motors.
Comparison of 18000 and 18100
The following table gives a comparison between 18000 and 18100. There are some anomalies and these are described in the notes.| Value | 18000 | 18100 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight (tons) | 115 | 129 | - |
| Turbine horsepower | 10,300 | 9,000 | (1) |
| Power absorbed by compressor | 7,800 | 6,000 | (1) |
| Output horsepower | 2,500 | 3,000 | (1) |
| Number of traction motors | 4 | 6 | - |
| Total traction motor horsepower | 2,500 | 2,450 | (2) |
| Starting tractive effort (lbf Pound-force The pound force is a unit of force in some systems of measurement including English engineering units and British gravitational units.- Definitions :... ) |
31,500 | 60,000 |
Notes:
- In 18000, output horsepowerHorsepowerHorsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
is 24% of total horsepower and in 18100, output horsepower is 33% of total horsepower. This suggests that 18100 had the higher thermal efficiencyThermal efficiencyIn thermodynamics, the thermal efficiency is a dimensionless performance measure of a device that uses thermal energy, such as an internal combustion engine, a boiler, a furnace, or a refrigerator for example.-Overview:...
but, in practice, 18000 had the higher thermal efficiency. The horsepower figures should, therefore, be regarded with some scepticism. - Where electric transmission is used, the horsepower of the traction motorTraction motorTraction motor refers to an electric motor providing the primary rotational torque of a machine, usually for conversion into linear motion ....
s is usually 81% (i.e. 90% x 90%) that of the prime moverPrime mover (locomotive)In engineering, a prime mover is an engine that converts fuel to useful work. In locomotives, the prime mover is thus the source of power for its propulsion. The term is generally used when discussing any locomotive powered by an internal combustion engine...
. The figure for 18100 is therefore about right but the figure for 18000 looks anomalous.
Conversion
In early 1958 it was withdrawn from operation and was stored at Swindon Works for a short period before it was returned to Metropolitan Vickers for conversion as a prototype 25 kV AC25 kV AC
The 25 kV Alternating current railway electrification system is commonly used in railways worldwide, especially for high-speed rail.-Overview:This electrification system is ideal for railways that cover long distances and/or carry heavy traffic...
electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
. As an electric locomotive, it was numbered E1000 (E2001 from 1959) and was given the TOPS
TOPS
Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...
classification of class 80
British Rail Class 80
Class 80 was the TOPS classification allocated by British Rail to the prototype 25 kV AC electric locomotive. This locomotive was built by Metropolitan-Vickers, initially as a prototype Gas turbine-electric locomotive, numbered 18100...
.
Sources
- Sampson, H. (editor), The Dumpy Book of Railways of the World, published by Sampson Low, London, date circa 1960
- Robertson, K. (1989). The Great Western Railway Gas Turbines, published by Alan Sutton, ISBN 0-86299-541-8