A taste of ‘Kerosene Castle’ in OO
RAILS of Sheffield has unveiled new samples of its specially commissioned model of gas turbine locomotive No. 18000 ‘Kerosene Castle.'
Manufactured by Heljan in OO gauge, the models are now in the final stages of delivery, with arrival earmarked for June.
The models are expected to sell out soon, so pre-ordering is recommended. Three variants are to be produced: BR Black with Silver Trim (1949-56 condition); BR lined green with orange/black waistband lining (1956-57 condition) and early BR crest; and BR lined green with orange waistband lining (1957-60 condition) and late BR crest.
No. 18000 was one of a pair of prototype gas turbine power engines ordered by the GWR from private companies but were not delivered until after nationalisation. Constructed by Brown Boveri in Switzerland, No. 18000 spent its working life hauling trains from Paddington before being withdrawn in 1960. Both locomotives were prone to failures and spent much of their short working lives in Swindon works either under repair or undergoing modifications.
Following withdrawal, No. 18000 was offered to the European Office for Research and Development and was moved back to Switzerland, where the gas turbine was removed and the locomotive modified to be an unpowered test bed. In 1975, it was placed on display outside Vienna's Mechanical Engineering Testing building.
Eventually secured for preservation in the UK in the early 1990s, the locomotive was initially displayed at Crewe Heritage Centre. After a spell at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, it was moved to Didcot Railway Centre in 2011, where it is now on display.
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