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Gas Turbines used on the railways.
In the latter part of the 50's there was a move to industrialize the aircraft gas turbine and I was involved in a project for a 3MW mobile unit using a RR jet engine. It was intended for standby duties and peak-lopping.
On the railways the Western Region had two gas turbine locomotives 18000 and 18100. The former was given the name "Kerosene Castle" by the enginemen and I frequently saw it outside Paddington waiting to back down on to its train, whistling quietly to itself and blowing blue smoke.
Between 1960 and 1970 Union Pacific invested in a fleet of gas turbine locos which were used over the Wasatch mountain range between Utah and Wyoming replacing the 4-8-8-4 'Big Boys'. The gas turbines used Bunker C heavy oil and made such a noise that they were confined to freight traffic.
Typical of UP, who always had to have the biggest, these were enormous locos developing 8500HP at sea level (about 6.5 MW).
Pentrax, who specialise in railway videos, have "Union Pacific Gas Turbines over the Wasatch" made up from personal 8 mm and 16mm movie archives. The activities shown include bunkering and sanding, fast runs on the level and steep climbs up Sherman Hill. A good buy for anyone interested in this form of traction. Pentrax also have archive material of the 'Big Boys' and topically many scenes of snow shifters operating over the Sierra Nevada.
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