Technical paper on the Fell

[pete_mcfarlane]

Whilst looking for something else in the Grace's Guide collection of old issues of Engineering and The Engineer, I found a paper on The Fell in this issue from 1957.

 

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/images/0/03/Er19571129.pdf

 

I know how much everyone loves this abomination masterpiece of post-war British Engineering, so it's worth a read to help understand the many problems it had. It also has an explanation  of why it was converted from a 4-8-4 to a 4-4-4-4.

[peterfgf]

Whilst looking for something else in the Grace's Guide collection of old issues of Engineering and The Engineer, I found a paper on The Fell in this issue from 1957.

 

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/images/0/03/Er19571129.pdf

 

I know how much everyone loves this abomination masterpiece of post-war British Engineering, so it's worth a read to help understand the many problems it had. It also has an explanation  of why it was converted from a 4-8-4 to a 4-4-4-4.

There is also Fell's own paper  "The Fell Diesel Mechanical Locomotive", read before the Institution of Locomotive Engineers on 16th April 1952.  Copies are available from the I.Mech.E. (free if you are a member).  Diesel engines are designed for, and are best operated, at about 85% MCR and Fell's locomotive was a very creditable attempt to match the minimum number of engines required to the power output needed from the locomotive.  The Science Museum (I think) had a very nice model of the gearbox which you could have a good play with to se how it all worked.

[MarkC]

There is also Fell's own paper  "The Fell Diesel Mechanical Locomotive", read before the Institution of Locomotive Engineers on 16th April 1952.  Copies are available from the I.Mech.E. (free if you are a member).  Diesel engines are designed for, and are best operated, at about 85% MCR and Fell's locomotive was a very creditable attempt to match the minimum number of engines required to the power output needed from the locomotive.  The Science Museum (I think) had a very nice model of the gearbox which you could have a good play with to se how it all worked.

Would that be the machine that's now in the NRM? ISTR it's in the 'warehouse' area next to the workshop end

[ColinK]

Interesting article, thanks for the link. Quite a few other interesting articles in the link too.

[russ p]

There is an article about 56 1000hp NBL hydraulic loco's and further 64 to be built at Swindon.

Obviously the first loco's became the NBL type 2s with uprated engines but what became the proposed Swindon loco's? Were these cancelled in favour of Hymeks?

[pete_mcfarlane]

There is also Fell's own paper  "The Fell Diesel Mechanical Locomotive", read before the Institution of Locomotive Engineers on 16th April 1952.  Copies are available from the I.Mech.E. (free if you are a member).  Diesel engines are designed for, and are best operated, at about 85% MCR and Fell's locomotive was a very creditable attempt to match the minimum number of engines required to the power output needed from the locomotive.  The Science Museum (I think) had a very nice model of the gearbox which you could have a good play with to se how it all worked.

The concept seems similar to the combined diesel and gas turbine (or different sized turbine) power plants in warships, so it clearly can be made to work.

 

Based on the criticisms in the paper, most of the problems seem to be in the execution, and in particular using a rigid wheelbase arrangemen, with the resulting shorter length and cramped interior (something I'd not thought about before but does make sense). 

[jjb1970]

The concept of the Fell was not silly, the locomotive has become almost synonymous with bad design and is generally put into the category of "what idiot ever thought that'd be a good idea?" yet if looking at the underlying engine and transmission principle there was some very clever engineering there. I'm not saying it was the right development path for diesel traction, but I do think it is perhaps unfairly pilloried. Sir Harry Ricardo was part of the engine development, one of the great engineers the UK (or any other country) produced in the 20th Century.