Rails/Heljan BR 18000 Gas Turbine in 4mm/OO

[PMP]

Rails have announced the release of BR Gas Turbine 18000. In partnership with Heljan. A limited edition in three liveries for release late next year.
More details here
https://railsofsheffield.com/groups/286 ... 8000-class

[6C]

Interesting - thanks for the heads-up..

[mjb1961]

Quite fancy one of these ,just to collect,maybe the first version in gloss black ,the thing about pre ordering things like this is it takes around 18 months before you receive it ,if your lucky ,I've had the NER autocoach ( rails exclusive ) on pre order since this time last year and it is due to be in stock towards the end of the Q1 2020.

[Bigmet]

I have a major curiosity about how this one is 'made to work' for RTR OO. The deep and very visible full length frame (in the fetching lilac colour) is narrower than the body work, and fully encloses the tops of the large bogie wheels. That's going to be a challenge for the standard R2 capability, there simply isn't much side to side clearance for the bogies to swing for curves. It will be a question of which of the various dodges available the designer goes for (over scale frame width, undersize wheelsets, increase ride height, make frame non continuous and allow the section surrounding the wheels to move with the bogie).

[Forfarian]

What type of gas does it run on

[Bufferstop]

I saw the thing just once, waiting on a bus (front top deck) at the single lane bridge that crossed the end of Bescot yard, this thing came through pulling a long rake of decrepit bogie vans. Took me ages to find out what it was. The rake of vans must have been a set kept by Swindon, because I'm sure it was the same set I saw behind one of the first Westerns. The route through Bescot, Aston and the South Birmingham line was a diversion which avoided Snow Hill and regained WR metals at Tyseley.

[mjb1961]

What type of gas does it run on

Methane ,,you have to fart into the tank to fire it up

[Bigmet]

What type of gas does it run on

For those that don't know, the reason for trying a gas turbine was relatively cheap fuel. This was 'Bunker Oil' that was the residue from petroleum refining at the time. In one form or another this delightful goop had proved useable in steam locomotives; and here was an alternative technology that might be a way of using it, with the added bonus of no significant water supply requirement.

What those concerned could not foresee was the rapid development in refinery technique, and particularly the 'catalytic cracking' that would soon emerge, which meant that the available volume of the cheap residue product declined dramatically. As it was, the gas turbine tech. wasn't 'all there yet' and the railway operating environment wasn't favourable to its most efficient use either. So diesel it was to be. Of course, current small gas turbines are easily an order of magnitude superior. It might not be over...

[D605Eagle]

The Yanks successfully used gas turbine locomotives, it was the as mentioned cracking of the previously waste product fuel that killed them as they used a scary amount of the stuff compared to an internal combustion diesel.

[Bigmet]

... as they used a scary amount of the stuff compared to an internal combustion diesel.

Many folks probably don't know this, but the early gas turbines had a very small power band, between the minimum 'idling' speed which was still circa 50% of full power, and full power. So no 'sipping fuel' at tickover, once it was running it drank fuel whether the power was required or not. This really mattered in a railway application, where on a near level mainline the power requirement even for express speed could be a few hundred horsepower. The 2,000 hp turbine required for the machine to power at speed up steep gradients - such as the GW's west country route - would have been burning excessive amounts of fuel almost all the way between London and the first of the South Devon banks...

[Bigmet]

Fairly rapid progress appears to have been achieved to get to 'decoration sample' stage.
https://railsofsheffield.com/news/artic ... 8000-class

This certainly isn't one for me, but for anyone interested in Swindon's doings around the period of nationalisation of the UK's railways, this model of the first gas turbine prototype to operate on the UK's railway system might be of interest. It certainly looks enough like photos of the beast to convince this casual observer (never saw it in reality) but better qualified eyes might spot aspects I cannot?

Rails have engaged Heljan for this model, and provided appearance is satisfactory that should be good news: their A1A-A1A drive arrangement is a well proven unit since the 2001 launch of their class 47, smooth and quiet with ample traction; and as a bonus will be correct for this loco in leaving the centre wheelset of the bogies idle. There's also a benefit in appearance, due to Heljan's use of a smaller flange depth; a feature I very much like. The quite widely spaced and visible spokes of the driven wheels may well make for an interesting side on view when running fast enough for the spokes to blur: it may look like it is floating above the rails...

[Bigmet]

Rails of S. hope to fulfill customer orders shortly, apparently the models have arrived in Denmark and are with Heljan.
https://railsofsheffield.com/collection ... as-turbine

It appears 'neatly done and distinctly different' in exterior appearance, and with a drive of Heljan's usual twin bogie quality should pull mightily, everything to like about it. (I am manfully resisting temptation, never seen on the ECMl.)

[D605Eagle]

Today I wrote a note in my diary. It simply said "bugger"
More money to find!

[Bigmet]

It appears this model won't run on standard UK set track R3 = 3rd radius or smaller, and this is what's stated on the instructions that come with it. This is no surprise.

I have a major curiosity about how this one is 'made to work' for RTR OO. The deep and very visible full length frame (in the fetching lilac colour) is narrower than the body work, and fully encloses the tops of the large bogie wheels. That's going to be a challenge for the standard R2 capability, there simply isn't much side to side clearance for the bogies to swing for curves. It will be a question of which of the various dodges available the designer goes for (over scale frame width, undersize wheelsets, increase ride height, make frame non continuous and allow the section surrounding the wheels to move with the bogie).

What happens is that one or both of the bogie frames and wheels foul inside the bodywork; without the body in place it will get around 3rd radius. This is despite the body form having been significantly 'massaged' to improve internal clearance: the width over the main frames (which should be much narrower than the width over the body) has been increased to match the overall body width (bear in mind I haven't had one in my hand, this is how it looks in photos).

Have yet to see any owner attempting modifications to enable R3 (or yet smaller radii) to be useable.

[D605Eagle]

I took mine round my friends house last night, and it seriously didn't like going round 3rd radius curves. You could physically hear it grinding against the bodywork and it slowed right down. On 4th radii it was fine. I'm just glad there there are no sharp curves on my layout. The bogies are quite a work of art. The bogie frames have very limited movement inside the body, probably only a little more than the prototype has, but Heljan have utilised our narrow gauge track by building a subframe with the wheels that moves independently to the bogie frames. the only downside to this is it's a right bugger to put on the track! The look and finish of the loco is fabulous and it runs superbly. Expensive loco, but worth it in my opinion. 18100 on order now!