>telljb@ozemail.com.au (Terry Burton) wrote:
>>G.Lambert@unsw.edu.au (Geoff Lambert) wrote in reply to Union
>>Pacifics Gas Turbines Loco's :
>>>I think this one was pulverised-coal-fired, though whether that would
>>>have an effect on noise.....?
>>>Geoff Lambert
>>Hi Geoff
>>Nope, I believe UP used "Bunker C" fuel oil.
>>It was very thick and caused lots of problems in sub zero weather
>>if one of these monsters was holed up in a Siding.
>>Cheers
>>----Tell
>>Alice Springs NT
>Well, they definitely had a single example of a coal-fired turbine.
>It was described in a Trains issue of about mid 1961 (when it was new)
>and also appeared in Pinkepank's Diesel Spotter's Guide. The thing
>was a monster in three parts- a control unit from one of the
>oil-fireds (or possibly from an old FM diesel, because it also had a
>diesel prime mover on board), the turbine unit proper, and the coal
>storage-teatment plant, that had, as its orginal basis, a steam loco
>tender (Big Boy I think). I seem to recall that it was given the
>number 8000 to match its power output of 8,000 H.P.
>I think it suffered from turbine blade erosion, as most coal-fired
>turbines did. It did not outlast the oil-fired "Big Blows".
>Geoff Lambert
See http://www.uprr.com/uprr/ffh/history/locohs05.htm for very brief
details. This article mainly about the oil-fireds, but I believe the
picture is of the coal-fired.
Geoff Lambert