RJS1977 Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 The loco has now been shunted into the Museum and was available to view outside the shed today. Remember - if you go to Didcot to see it tomorrow, you get a 10% discount on the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Any news on when 18000 will be/has been moved? If it isn't being moved for a while, can it be inspected in its present location by visitors? I'm thinking of visiting Didcot tomorrow - a two-hour journey each way, so I'd like to know what's out (I've seen the roster on the web, but that can change at short notice). /Edit/ Thank you RJS. I think you answered my question while I was posting! PS Is Fire Fly running, as advertised? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 It was running when I was there so I can see no reason why it won't be running tomorrow. There was an issue with an air leak on the diesel railcar so not sure if that'll be running. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted July 31, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 31, 2011 Another well known use of a gas turbine on the ground was the Lotus 56 F1 car fitted with a Pratt & Witney helicopter engine. I have some pictures I took at the 1971 British GP at Silverstone Fast, sleek, extremely thirsty but unreliable and actually seemed less noisy than the other F1 cars! Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Delamar Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 archive footage of 18000 http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=34891 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peach james Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I have some experience with smaller gas turbines, and cannot recommend them for anything useful. I'd far rather have taken the pair we had (which originally were the Rover units, so the Canadian Navy might be a source for some...that, or Ron's Army-Navy Surplus, Bedford, NS...(1)) and flung them over the side. They are painfully bad in moderate-small sizes, in that a modern diesel engine is about the same wieght, and burns a lot less fuel. Now, when you get to even 1200 hp or bigger, story changes. The 1200 hp Saturn-Solar (Cat) engines, are quite good. They are thirsty, but the initial weight is less than that of a 1200 hp diesel by quite a bit. I liked the 570's, they are 3rd generation GT's, and not very thirsty for the power output. (lets face it, if you are putting out 5000+ hp, you are GOING to burn quite a bit of fuel). So, would I volunteer to restore 18000 to running? Not unless someone has the bits to go into the inside. It's a shell, at this point. Paint it some colour or another, and leave it as a shell. It has historic relevence, but I don't think that it can be "restored", because it has no guts. James (1)- Ron's bought a "empty" FT4A1 case from the RCN in the mid 60's, and dumped it out back. Turns out, it still had the engine in it, and there was considerable egg removal required because the engine is worth quite a lot more than the coffin/value of scrap metal. The engine, I understand, came from Bras'd'or, the hydrofoil, or was the spare. It was not a 280 spare, because we use A4's, and it wouldn't fit. In a similar twist of fate, the remaining Iroquois engine from the ARROW project had been sold as scrap (but was gas-axe'd) and put into a coffin... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 It was running when I was there so I can see no reason why it won't be running tomorrow. There was an issue with an air leak on the diesel railcar so not sure if that'll be running. Thank you, RJS. We had a good day yesterday, seeing 18000 outside the museum, finally catching Fire Fly in action, and the diesel railcar was working (so hopefully the leak has been fixed). Only slight disappointment is that 5322 was again parked by the coal stage - not the best spot for photography - and where it always seems to be when I go. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great Western Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Pictured today at Didcot, doesnt look to fresh to be honest. Lots of rust around the frames and bodywork. Great Western. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Nice shot GW, actually looks like an old picture. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Delamar Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 nice colour shot 1957 http://www.flickr.com/photos/64215236@N03/6926103762/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogman1969 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 re the rover jet turbines , the rover car company built quite a few ehgines in the 40s 50s and 60s , jet one is in the science museum , t2 was an attempt to make serious use of the turbine engine , i remember reading that the exhaust was vented thru the chassis side members and aparently used to burst into flames quite often !!!!! , t3 was a pretty little fibre glass sports coupe and t4 was a prototype that used the rover p6 as a basis , rover was quoted as saying the only reason they didnt go in to production was that the mpg was appalling ......... there was also the rover brm car that raced at le mans , in theory jet one could go again today ...............spen king the cars designer was quoted as saying he made sure the car was in a1 nick when they gave it to the museum ........they way modern preservation is going you never know whats round corner , 18000 may fire up again one day , id bet it would be cheaper than building another new build kettle ........... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Boar Fell Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Hello, Never noticed that before but even in the 1957 photo from Michael 18000 has the orange cantrail stripe, now that's forwards planning! Also am I right in thinking that the bulge above one bogie is from its time in Switzerland? Wild Boar Fell Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzyo Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Hello all, rather than all this frothing about getting 18000 up and running, we should be thankful for the person/s that spent time and money to bring her back. As the loco is only a shell why not have a display showing the build, how it worked etc. inside it. In one cab out the other. Maybe do up the cabs so that they looked as they were, but leave the body as is. OzzyO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted May 3, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 3, 2012 Looking at that bare interior makes me wonder if it were posable to build a wooden replica of the origional power plant, etc. OK it wouldn't make it powered and would still cost, but it would make the loco a more interesting exibit, especially if visitors were allowed inside on a regular basis. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Western Master Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 I believe the intention is to use it as a mobile exhibition space as it were to lookat post-war railway development but like all things needs time and money thrown at it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
-missy- Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Hello I dont know if its of any use but I snapped this today at Didcot... Missy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWR-Fanatic Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Great to see another little piece of GWR history where it truly belongs! I look forward to seeing it up close when I next visit Didcot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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