Gas turbine train
Encyclopedia
A gas turbine train, is a passenger train that uses one or more gas turbine
s as its main source of power. Few passenger trains use this system today, although there has been one recent prototype built by Bombardier Transportation
.
s (one at each end of the train), and 1 or more intermediate passenger cars.
In a gas turbine power car, a turbine engine, similar to a turboshaft
engine, drives an output shaft that is in turn attached to a hydraulic
or electric transmission, or (in the case of the UAC TurboTrain) a mechanical gearbox, which supplies power to drive the wheels.
A gas turbine offers some advantages over a piston engine. There are few moving parts, decreasing the need for lubrication
and potentially reducing maintenance costs, and the power-to-weight ratio
is much higher. A turbine of a given power output is also physically smaller than an equally powerful piston engine, often allowing the power car to accommodate passengers or cargo as well. However, a turbine's power output and efficiency both drop dramatically with rotational speed
, unlike a piston engine, which has a comparatively flat power curve.
had favoured diesel and electric locomotives, and the project was scrapped.
The gas turbine investigations were rekindled with the construction of British Rail APT-E
, prototype of the failed Advanced Passenger Train
. Like the French TGV, later models were electric instead. This choice was made because British Leyland, the turbine supplier, ceased production of the model used in the APT-E.
(French National Railways) used a number of gas-turbine trainsets, called the Turbotrain
, in non-electrified
territory. These typically consisted of a power car
at each end with three cars between them. Turbotrain was in use up until 2005. After retirement, 4 sets were sold for further use in Iran.
The first TGV
prototype, TGV 001
, was also powered by a gas turbine, but steep oil prices prompted the change to overhead electric lines for power delivery.
built the Turbo
passenger train, which was tested by the Pennsylvania Railroad
and later used by Amtrak
and Via Rail
. Via's remained in service into the 1980s and had an excellent maintenance record during this period, but were eventually replaced by the LRC
in 1982.
In 1966, the Long Island Railroad tested an experimental gas turbine railcar
(numbered GT-1), powered by 2 Garrett
turbine engines. This car was based on a Budd
Pioneer III
design, with transmissions similar to Budd's 1950's era RDCs. The car was later modified (as GT-2) to add the ability to run on electric third rail
as well.
In 1977, the Long Island tested eight more gas turbine-electric/electric dual mode railcars, in an experiment sponsored by the USDOT. Four of these cars were had GE
designed powertrains, while the other 4 had powertrains designed by Garrett (four more cars had been ordered with GM
/Allison
powertrains, but were canceled). These cars were similar to LIRR's M1 EMU
cars in appearance, with the addition of step wells for loading from low level platforms. The cars suffered from poor fuel economy, and mechanical problems, and were in service for a short period of time. The four GE powered cars were converted to M1 EMUs, and the Garrett cars were scrapped.
Amtrak purchased two different types of turbine-powered trainsets, which were both called Turboliner
s. The first set were similar in appearance to SNCF's T 2000
Turbotrain, though compliance with FRA
safety regulations made them heavier and slower than the French trains. None of the first set of Turboliners remain in service. Amtrak also added a number of similarly named Rohr Turboliners (or RTL) to its roster. There were plans to rebuild these as RTL IIIs, but the program has been cancelled and the units are being sold or scrapped.
Canadian National Railways (CN) was one of the operators of the Turbo, which were passed on to Via Rail
. They operated on the major Toronto-Montreal route between 1968 and 1982, when they were replaced by the LRC
.
In 2002, Bombardier Transportation
announced the launch of the JetTrain
, a high-speed trainset consisting of tilting carriages and a locomotive powered by a Pratt & Whitney
turboshaft engine. While one prototype was built and tested, no JetTrains have yet been sold for actual service.
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....
s as its main source of power. Few passenger trains use this system today, although there has been one recent prototype built by Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
.
Description
A gas turbine train typically consists of 2 power carPower car
A power car is a railroad vehicle that is closely related to the locomotive. What differentiates the two is their construction or their use. A true locomotive can be physically separated from its train and does nothing but provide propulsion . A power car, on the other hand, is frequently an...
s (one at each end of the train), and 1 or more intermediate passenger cars.
In a gas turbine power car, a turbine engine, similar to a turboshaft
Turboshaft
A turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine which is optimized to produce free turbine shaft power, rather than jet thrust...
engine, drives an output shaft that is in turn attached to a hydraulic
Hydraulic transmission
Hydraulic transmission may refer to:* Hydrostatic transmission, see Hydraulic drive system and Hydraulic machinery* Hydrokinetic transmission, see Torque converter...
or electric transmission, or (in the case of the UAC TurboTrain) a mechanical gearbox, which supplies power to drive the wheels.
A gas turbine offers some advantages over a piston engine. There are few moving parts, decreasing the need for lubrication
Lubrication
Lubrication is the process, or technique employed to reduce wear of one or both surfaces in close proximity, and moving relative to each another, by interposing a substance called lubricant between the surfaces to carry or to help carry the load between the opposing surfaces. The interposed...
and potentially reducing maintenance costs, and the power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio is a calculation commonly applied to engines and mobile power sources to enable the comparison of one unit or design to another. Power-to-weight ratio is a measurement of actual performance of any engine or power sources...
is much higher. A turbine of a given power output is also physically smaller than an equally powerful piston engine, often allowing the power car to accommodate passengers or cargo as well. However, a turbine's power output and efficiency both drop dramatically with rotational speed
Rotational speed
Rotational speed tells how many complete rotations there are per time unit. It is therefore a cyclic frequency, measured in hertz in the SI System...
, unlike a piston engine, which has a comparatively flat power curve.
Examples
United Kingdom
British Rail invested in experimentation with the new jet turbines in the early to mid 1950's. Most examples were built for the Western region (because of the oversized loading gauge compared with the rest of the network). The Last attempt before APT-E was GT3 in 1962, but by then, British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
had favoured diesel and electric locomotives, and the project was scrapped.
The gas turbine investigations were rekindled with the construction of British Rail APT-E
British Rail APT-E
The APT-E, for Advanced Passenger Train Experimental, was the prototype Advanced Passenger Train tilting train unit. It was powered by gas turbines, the only multiple unit so powered that was used by British Rail. The APT-E consisted of two driving power cars and two trailer cars...
, prototype of the failed Advanced Passenger Train
Advanced Passenger Train
The Advanced Passenger Train was an experimental tilting High Speed Train developed by British Rail during the 1970s and early 1980s....
. Like the French TGV, later models were electric instead. This choice was made because British Leyland, the turbine supplier, ceased production of the model used in the APT-E.
France
SNCFSNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
(French National Railways) used a number of gas-turbine trainsets, called the Turbotrain
Turbotrain
The Turbotrain was an early French high-speed, gas turbine train.It was born in 1967, for use on France's SNCF intercity lines. There were several versions, four in total with the last exiting service in 2005 and it is the Turbotrain that made advances possible for the TGV.* The experimental...
, in non-electrified
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
territory. These typically consisted of a power car
Power car
A power car is a railroad vehicle that is closely related to the locomotive. What differentiates the two is their construction or their use. A true locomotive can be physically separated from its train and does nothing but provide propulsion . A power car, on the other hand, is frequently an...
at each end with three cars between them. Turbotrain was in use up until 2005. After retirement, 4 sets were sold for further use in Iran.
The first TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
prototype, TGV 001
TGV 001
TGV 001 was a high-speed railway train built in France. It was the first TGV prototype and was commissioned in 1969, to begin testing in 1972...
, was also powered by a gas turbine, but steep oil prices prompted the change to overhead electric lines for power delivery.
United States
In the 1960s United AircraftUnited Aircraft and Transport Corporation
The United Aircraft and Transport Corporation was formed in 1929, when William Boeing of the Boeing firms teamed up with Frederick Rentschler of Pratt & Whitney to form a large, amalgamated firm, uniting business interests in all aspects of aviation—a combination of aircraft engine and airframe...
built the Turbo
Turbo (train)
The UAC TurboTrain was an early high-speed, gas turbine train manufactured by United Aircraft Corporation that operated in Canada between 1968 and 1984 and in the United States between 1968 and 1976...
passenger train, which was tested by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
and later used by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
. Via's remained in service into the 1980s and had an excellent maintenance record during this period, but were eventually replaced by the LRC
LRC (train)
LRC is a bilingual acronym for Light, Rapid, Comfortable or Léger, Rapide, et Confortable, the name of a series of lightweight diesel-powered passenger trains that were used on short- to medium-distance inter-city service in the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec...
in 1982.
In 1966, the Long Island Railroad tested an experimental gas turbine railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
(numbered GT-1), powered by 2 Garrett
Garrett AiResearch
Garrett AiResearch was a manufacturer of turboprop engines and turbochargers, and a pioneer in numerous aerospace technologies. It was previously known as Aircraft Tool and Supply Company, Garrett Supply Company, AiResearch Manufacturing Company, or simply AiResearch...
turbine engines. This car was based on a Budd
Budd
-Given name:* Budd Boetticher , film director during the classical period in Hollywood* Budd Dwyer , American politician who committed suicide during a televised press conference...
Pioneer III
Pioneer III (railcar)
The Budd Company Pioneer III electric multiple unit coach was delivered in 1958 as a high-speed self-contained coach that could be used for long-distance commuter or short-distance intercity travel in the Northeast U.S., where most Class I passenger railroads were electrified. Only six were ever...
design, with transmissions similar to Budd's 1950's era RDCs. The car was later modified (as GT-2) to add the ability to run on electric third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
as well.
In 1977, the Long Island tested eight more gas turbine-electric/electric dual mode railcars, in an experiment sponsored by the USDOT. Four of these cars were had GE
Gê
Gê are the people who spoke Ge languages of the northern South American Caribbean coast and Brazil. In Brazil the Gê were found in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Piaui, Mato Grosso, Goias, Tocantins, Maranhão, and as far south as Paraguay....
designed powertrains, while the other 4 had powertrains designed by Garrett (four more cars had been ordered with GM
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
/Allison
Allison Engine Company
The Allison Engine Company was a U.S. aircraft engine manufacturer. In 1929, shortly after the death of James Allison, the company was purchased by the Fisher brothers. Fisher sold the company to General Motors, who owned it for most of its history...
powertrains, but were canceled). These cars were similar to LIRR's M1 EMU
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
cars in appearance, with the addition of step wells for loading from low level platforms. The cars suffered from poor fuel economy, and mechanical problems, and were in service for a short period of time. The four GE powered cars were converted to M1 EMUs, and the Garrett cars were scrapped.
Amtrak purchased two different types of turbine-powered trainsets, which were both called Turboliner
Turboliner
The Amtrak Turboliners are gas turbine trainsets built for Amtrak. The trains were powered by gas turbine engines and ran on diesel fuel. Some were equipped with third rail shoes to enable entry into the underground tunnels approaching Grand Central Terminal and New York Penn Station in New York...
s. The first set were similar in appearance to SNCF's T 2000
SNCF Class T 2000
SNCF Class T 2000 trainsets, also known under their French acronym RTG , were the second generation of turbine-powered trains in France and saw commercial service from 1972 to 2004....
Turbotrain, though compliance with FRA
Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation. The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966...
safety regulations made them heavier and slower than the French trains. None of the first set of Turboliners remain in service. Amtrak also added a number of similarly named Rohr Turboliners (or RTL) to its roster. There were plans to rebuild these as RTL IIIs, but the program has been cancelled and the units are being sold or scrapped.
Canada
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
. They operated on the major Toronto-Montreal route between 1968 and 1982, when they were replaced by the LRC
LRC (train)
LRC is a bilingual acronym for Light, Rapid, Comfortable or Léger, Rapide, et Confortable, the name of a series of lightweight diesel-powered passenger trains that were used on short- to medium-distance inter-city service in the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec...
.
In 2002, Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
announced the launch of the JetTrain
JetTrain
The JetTrain is a Canadian experimental high-speed passenger train created by Bombardier Transportation in an attempt to make European-style high-speed service more financially appealing to passenger railways in North America. It uses the same LRC-derived tilting carriages as the Acela Express...
, a high-speed trainset consisting of tilting carriages and a locomotive powered by a Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
turboshaft engine. While one prototype was built and tested, no JetTrains have yet been sold for actual service.