Beyer Ljungstrom Turbine

The Beyer-Ljungstrom locomotive looks conventional at first sight, but a second look shows six coupled driving wheels under the tender, which in fact carries a turbine power plant. The tender also carries the condenser, which permits direct coupling to the turbine exhaust through a large area. duct This is essential to get the best efficiency from a condensing turbine because of the large amount of expansion and therefore the big volume of exhaust steam. She is a 4-6-0+0-6-4

The loco was built by Beyer-Peacock of Manchester, UK, the turbine technology being provided by Ljungstrom Anturbin of Sweden and was built in 1927.

The locomotive ran on the LMS during 1926-28, but was then withdrawn and eventually dismantled. Great things had been expected of this courageous design, but results were not as good as expected, partly due to leaks of air into the condenser, spoiling the vacuum, but mostly down to poor combustion. The air preheater is believed to have contributed to this. The greatest turbine output obtained was 1650 HP. The locomotive was finally dismantled in 1928. Placed into a storage hall she was forgotten and left in the dark.