Tubomotive couplings

[andys steam dayz]

Hi

Does anybody know if hornby intends to send out replacement front bogies with a nem pocket to accept a front coupling it seems ridiculous that they supply a front coupling but there is nowhere to put the coupling in considering you are paying over £230 for this loco

[atom3624]

I'm used to fitting 'buffer beam detail' so similarly am used to not coupling 'large steamies' together.

Must admit, it could be interesting coupling up with another 'Lizzie' or Jubilee.

Al.

[96RAF]

Turbomotive was never intend to haul in reverse. The reversing turbine was only designed for light engine - run around to a turntable, for water/coaling, etc

[ColinB]

I suspect the coupling supplied is part of a standard pack. If you really want a front coupling buy the Princess Royal front bogie one which has one. This is not the only model Hornby make without a front coupling, so it is not so unusual.

[VESPA]

As RAF states the Turbomotive rarely ran in reverse with a load, due to its lack of power in the right hand turbo.It's main reversing being to manouvere itself and very light loads if required locally ie within a shed or yard. It was only used between Liverpool and London Euston on trains such as "The Red Rose" As it was rarely used I think leaving it off the model is a good idea (although it is supplied in my box). I can never get to grips with couplings on the front of passenger locos in 00 guage. All mine do not have one. Hornby Dublo never fitted them either. OK I can see an LMS Class 5 hauling a train in reverse but even that was "usually" a rare event. I have two volumes of info on the Turbomotive which makes great reading of this loco from it's initial idea by Stanier to development of other country's efforts. Sweden built three turbo trains and all are preserved. The US had quite a dabble into their design and made some MASSIVE locos with that method of propulsion. It is a fascinating subject.

[What About The Bee]

As VESPA says, turbines were in service on US railroads.

The Union Pacific GTEL (Gas Turbine Electric Locomotive) produced a phenomenal 10,000 lbs of tractive effort [see note below] and weighed in over 800,000 lbs!

For a short video of the GTEL, its history and operation, to include sound, you may wish to see this

The video includes operation of the GTEL doubleheading with a Big Boy!

Did Turbomotive sound like this? Of course, I cannot say, but in this video, GTEL sounds like a any other turbine, typically associated with aviation.

Bee

Edit: that 10,000 is horsepower, not 10,000 lbs of tractive effort.

Initial versions had 138,000 lbs of tractive effort, later versions had 212,000 lbs of tractive effort. UP indicated one GTEL could pull 735 fully loaded freight cars on straight, level track.