Gas Turbine as Railroad Motive Power

Abstract

THE GAS TURBINE is an old idea. But it took tremendous development effort during World War II on jet engines for aircraft to bring the industrial gas turbine to practicality. Our extensive experience with jet engines convinced us at Westinghouse that after the war we should explore-as one of several possible uses of the gas turbine-its suitability for locomotive service. The gas turbine appeared to have three characteristics that made it suitable as a prime mover for locomotive service. First, within the limited space and weight generally available on a locomotive, more horsepower could be produced than by any other type of power plant. Second, as the gas turbine is a rotating machine with few moving parts, it held promise of becoming a machine with exceptionally low maintenance expense. Third, it looked as if the gas turbine should be able to burn the lower-priced fuel oils with good efficiency, and maybe, eventually, burn coal. But these things needed to be proved. Accordingly, in November 1947, the decision was made to build an experimental unit. The locomotive first left its cradle, as it were, on May 3, 1950. On that day it moved from the shops at East Pittsburgh to the Union Railroad. The locomotive was intended to be an experimental unit. In part, of course, it was to be the means of finding out how well the gas turbine behaves when entrusted with the important job of hauling trains. But, more than that, it was also to be the means of gathering information on dozens of engineering details necessary to make a good idea workable: matters about compressors, combustors, air intake and exhaust, engine controls, fuels, lubrication, and so on and so on. The design was planned to produce the greatest amount of gas-turbine locomotive know-how in the shortest time. None of our people had in mind that this first unit was to be a model for sale, or even that it would be the best possible arrangement for regular railroad service. It was decided to equip this locomotive with two 2,000-hp power plants instead one larger one. At the time it was easier and more expedient for our engineering and shop to do it this way.