GT3 has landed...

Well would you believe it, 2 days before Christmas and my pre-order GT3 finally arrives!  This is another 'interesting' locomotive that has recently been modelled for the first time by KR Models in the UK.  This was another prototype that was created between the end of steam and the beginning of diesel and was called the 'GT3' as it was powered by a Gas Turbine engine.  You can definitely see how it crossed over as unlike most modern diesel/electric loco's this one mimicked some of the common characteristics of the steam trains it was trying to replace.  For example it has a leading bogie followed by 6 driving wheels using con-rods, the other big carry over was the corridor tender on the back.  So at first glance you could be forgiven for thinking it was a steam pacific in terms of layout.  Anyway I won't say anymore about the history, instead I'll post the leaflet it came shipped with, some pics of the loco and just for the hell of it the rest of the documentation that gives you a clue as to how complex and detailed this model is!

[Super]

Wow, those lines and color are beautiful. So this is a Gas fired Turbine...dumb question....Gasoline no different than cars use? It must cost a lot to fill the size of that Tender. Are those real inside of the cab details I see through the windows?

That is a beautiful model!

Wow, those lines and color are beautiful. So this is a Gas fired Turbine...dumb question....Gasoline no different than cars use? It must cost a lot to fill the size of that Tender. Are those real inside of the cab details I see through the windows?

Yes, she is rather beautiful isn't she and one of a kind, they only ever made the prototype as stated in the history notes.  She actually ran on Kerosene rather than petrol/gas depending on which side of the pond you live   The engine was a gas turbine, which is similar to a jet engine, well probably closer to that found in one of these turbine powered helicopters these days.  So basically it has a big fan on the front that sucks air in, then uses injectors to spray a mist of kerosene into the air which is then ignited which then powers the turbine.  So as it happens apparently it was pretty economic when running.

As for the cab, yes it does have cab details as well as IN CAB LIGHTING, there are also directional lights on the locomotive and the rear of the tender as well.  I went for the DCC version, which means that the lights will be on permanently when on track, unless I turn them off using the DCC controller.  This is as opposed to traditional analog where the lights vary depending upon how much power goes to the track and which only light when the loco is in motion.

[Super]

Cab Lights, Directional Lights....I would love to see those.

Fun fact, gas-turbine technology [as noted, similar to jet/helicopter engine technology] has actually been the springboard for a lot of early high-speed train systems; in the UK for example, the original APT project, which evolved into the production APT [which was electric] and in part the InterCity 125 was gas-turbine powered, the CN TurboTrain of Canada was actually built by Sikorsky/United Aircraft using a Pratt & Whitney Canada [another UAC subsidiary] turboprop gas turbine engine used in aircraft, the original TGV project was planned to use gas turbines, with TGV originally potentially standing for 'Turbine Grand Vitesse', and finally, the Amtrak Turboliners also used gas turbines, they themselves being based on another French design used by the SNCF.

Of course the use of turbines was nixed more or less when the oil crisis of the 1970's hit, as unlike aircraft which rarely idle for long periods with the engines turned on, trains of course very frequently do for station stops, and in doing so, burned much more fuel than any comparable diesel or electric design; this is due to gas-turbines being more efficient engines, but only under load and not when idling; when idling, they burned significant volumes of fuel [which is why planes with gas-turbines rarely idle with the engines on for long periods], and with the cost of the kerosene aircraft fuel absolutely skyrocketing, conversion to electric or diesel designs was swift and sure.

Incidentally, Kerosene, or as we sometimes know it here in the UK, Paraffin, is a popular fuel for model engines, including model aircraft, although it is harder to get a hold of than it used to be; Once upon a time, it was entirely possible to go to the local petrol station [gas station for any of you who call petrol 'gasoline', or even 'benzin'/'benzine' for some of you guys in Europe, not to be confused with actual benzene, a chemical which petrol contains, that can also be used neat as a fuel in it's own right], and buy Paraffin, Benzene, 2,3 & 4-Star [leaded petrol] and later unleaded petrol & diesel, all often straight from the pump; My local filling station still has a self-service paraffin pump, although it appears to have been abandoned for many years so I doubt i'll be scoring a can of paraffin for myself any time soon .

I actually think I must be one of the last generations of UK children to remember 4-star leaded petrol actually being sold at filling-stations in the late 1990's and early 2000's, as my mum used to drive an old Mercedes when I was a baby/toddler that I distinctly remember used to run on 4-star [I remember because 4-star, and later LRP, always had a red pump handle, and as my favourite colour was green, I kept begging her to use the 'green petrol' which was of course unleaded], and my dad's original Ford Transit camper did too [although later my dad started to use unleaded when 4-star and it's alternative called 'LRP'/Lead Replacement Petrol was withdrawn by 2003, adding a lead substitute compound called RedX to the fuel; He still does now, as he collects classic motorbikes, all of which are built and engineered for 4-star running, so have to have a combination of 'Super Unleaded' [the highest octane rating] and the additive to run without damaging the engine valves   .

Fun memories lol   Before long i'll be reminiscing about other oddities of the British roads - Little Chef anyone? [they were a UK roadside diner chain, or 'greasy spoon' as we called them, kinda like a very British version of Denny's - Their cherry pancakes are gone, but not forgotten, sadly all have been replaced by Starbucks - yucky posh rubbish if you like grease and stodge on the road like I do ]