Locomotive No.6 at Calshot, 1921 -1945 |
In my recent book I wrote that Mitchell’s Type 224 design was powered by a Rolls-Royce Goshawk evaporatively cooled
engine – using a new system, whereby the water in the engine was kept under pressure by pumps, allowing it to heat to 150 Celsius and then
the superheated water was released to turn to steam in a suitable container,
with sides exposed to the airflow – where it would condense, to be
returned to the engine. Type 224 first flew in 1934 but it was found that the returning
coolant water would often turn into steam again, the pump would cease to operate,
and plumes of steam would be seen escaping from wing tip vents.
This no doubt produced unwelcome memories in Mitchell of his apprenticeship at the locomotive works of Kerr, Stuart and Co. but
at least he must have had other, earlier memories (though possibly not nostalgic ones– see my Chapter One) of
his time at the Fenton works during his frequent visits to
the naval flying boat base at Calshot: there, a narrow gauge loco ran between
the base and the Eaglehurst
camp, built to accommodate the ground staff and aircraft crews who worked at RNAS
Calshot. (See photo above). It was not one of at least fifty Wren
class engines built at Fenton whilst he was an apprentice there:
but was built by Andrew Barclay & Co. Ltd., Kilmarnock to a very similar pattern. The photo below, courtesy of Talyllyn Railway Archives, gives a
more close-up view of the Calshot locomotive in its earlier days.
Wren class locomotive - Kerr,Stuart and Co. |
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TOI clarify on the loco front. Wrens were built by Kerr Stuart, and several survive, including 3114 that was built in 1918 and supplied to the Ministry of Munitions. So he might well ahve worked on that one.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the locos at Calshot, including Douglas now on the Talylln railway, were built by Andrew Barclay in Kilmarnock.