No 212 Nov 2016 1 www.sihg.org.uk
200 Years of Steam Locomotives Class 25 condensing locomotive of South African Railways, see page 10
Whittle and the Jet Engine - Alternative Perspectives Fig. 4 RR Derwent engine, see page 6 Newsletter 212 November 2016 2 Contents 2 Surrey Industrial History Group Officers 3 SIHG Leatherhead Meeetings 4 Venues, Times & Contacts 5 Whitgift Schoolboys’ and others’ visits to the Chipstead Valley Railway and the Kingswood tunnel under construction (part 2) by Paul W. Sowan 6 Whittle and the Jet Engine - Alternative Perspectives by Alan Thomas 7 New Online Guide to Dennis Bros Ltd by Surrey History Centre 9 & 11 Two Brewery Books 10 200 Years of Steam Locomotives by Peter Bosomworth report by Allan Wheeler 12 Diary November & December 2016 & January 2017 13 Re-Engineering Brooklands
ENGINEERING SEASON AT THE V&A until 6 November 2016 www.vam.ac.uk/ (click
New pattern of publication for the Surrey Industrial History Group Newsletter. The Newsletter is now issued quarterly, covering: February, March & April May, June & July August, September & October November, December & January
Many thanks to all who have sent in contributions. Please send in reports or photos of holiday visits or thoughts on local, national or international Industrial Archaeology by 20 May 2017 for the next SIHG Newsletter! Any articles or images, whether long or just a a brief note will be appreciated - both by the editor and by the readers!
Please note that the diary section of the Newsletter now appears at the back, with reports and accounts of visits etc are now at the front.
Surrey Industrial History Group Officers Chairman, Lectures Organiser & Sales: Robert Bryson [email protected] Secretary: Hugh Anscombe [email protected] Treasurer: (vacant) Acting Treasurer: Robert Bryson ([email protected]) Vice Chairman & Membership Secretary: Pam Taylor [email protected] Newsletter Editor: Jan Spencer [email protected]
SIHG is a group of the Surrey Archaeological Society, Registered Charity No 272098 - Castle Arch Guildford Surrey GU1 3SX Group President: Prof AG Crocker FSA
Published by Surrey Industrial History Group, printed by YesPrint 3 Leafy Oak Workshops Cobbetts Lane Yateley GU17 9LW © SIHG 2017 ISSN 1355-8188 Newsletter 212 November 2016 3 SIHG Newsletter No 212 November 2016 Enquires to Programme Co-ordinator Bob Bryson: [email protected]. 41st series at Guildford of SIHG Industrial Archaeology Lectures alternate Tuesdays, 19:30-21:30, 27 September 2016 - 16 March 2017 Education Centre, The Cathedral, Guildford (map: www.sihg.org.uk). Non-member £40 full fee, SyAS/SIHG member £35. Single lectures at £5, payable on the night, are open to all. The full programme, with exact dates, and application form are available online - www.sihg.org.uk/meetings.htm. Thursday Morning Lectures at Leatherhead, 10:00-12:00, 6 October - 15 December Room G6 The Institute, 67 High Street Leatherhead KT22 8AH Non-member full fee £50 SIHG member £45. Please note that attendance is for the full course only
November 3 Restoration of the Wey and Arun Canal – Alan Johnson, WACT 10 The Dennis Vehicle Company – Andy Goundry, ex Dennis 17 Motorcycle Development and Racing – Roger Bird, Brooklands Historian 24 The History of Smelly Gasworks – Ken Tythacott, SIHG December 1 The Construction of the Channel Tunnel – John Kennedy, ex W S Atkins 7 To Frack or not to Frack - Richard Rumble 15 Members’ talks
350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London That Dreadful Fire: The Hand of God, a Great Wind and a Very Dry Season until 30 November at the Guildhall Library, Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH; 020 7332 1868/1870, [email protected] Open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays: 09:30–17:00 also two Saturdays in November: 12th & 26th; Wednesdays: 09:30–19:30 Starting in a small bakery on Pudding Lane, the infamous Great Fire of London swept across the City of London over three days. Sir Christopher Wren’s flame-topped Monument stands in the City today, to mark this tragic event. Wooden buildings, stores of combustibles and overcrowding meant fires were a regular occurrence in 17th century London. Most were unremarkable. So when a chance fire started in a bakery on 2 September 1666, no one could know that it would wipe out most of the City of London. The exhibition explores the story of this devastation through Guildhall Library’s collections, including English and foreign accounts, sermons and public records.
New Online Guide to Dennis Bros Ltd by Surrey History Centre from Di Stiff, Development Archivist Surrey History Centre
The new online guide to the records of Dennis Bros Ltd has been prepared by Surrey History Centre and is now available on the Exploring Surrey’s Past website: http://preview.tinyurl.com/dennis-8. The guide gives a brief overview of the history of this most famous Surrey specialist vehicle manufacturer, along with how to trace records for a Dennis vehicle, a list of all the pertinent archive collections, a full bibliography, and useful web links. A range of Dennis postcards and pamphlets are still available from the Surrey Heritage online shop: http://preview.tinyurl.com/dennis-9. ¤
Dennis van for Sunlight Laundry, c.1935 (SHC ref 1463/GN/4/2/P5029) Newsletter 212 November 2016 4 Venues, Times & Contacts Leatherhead & District Local History Society (LDLHS): Most venues open 30 minute before the published time. meetings 20:00; £2; The Institute, 67 High Street, Leatherhead KT22 8AH; Leatherhead Museum, Ancient Technology Centre: 10:00-16:00; £6; Damerham Hampton Cottage, 64 Church Street, Leatherhead, Surrey, Road, Cranborne, Dorset BH21 5RP; (behind school); KT22 8DP; 01372 386348, 01725 517618, www.ancienttechnologycentre.co.uk. www.leatherheadlocalhistory.org.uk; Anne of Cleves House: Tue-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun-Mon 10:00- London Canal Museum: Open 10:00-16:30; Talks 19:30, £4/ 17:00; £5.20/£4.80; 52 Southover High Street, Lewes, £3; 12/13 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RT; Sussex BN7 1JA; 01273 474610. www.canalmuseum.org.uk; 0207 713 0836. Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) : London Museum of Water and Steam: www.industrial-archaeology.org/. Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, Middx TW8 0EN; Basingstoke Canal, Surrey & Hants Canal Society: 20:00, www.waterandsteam.org.uk; 020 8568 4757. free; the Pavilion, Recreation Ground, Station Road, Markfield Beam Engine and Museum: 11:00-17:00, cost? Chobham GU24 8AZ; www.basingstoke-canal.org.uk. Markfield Road, South Tottenham, London N15 4RB; Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group (BIAG): 19:30; www.mbeam.org; 01707 873 628. £2.50; Garden Room, Watlington House, Watlington Merton Historical Society: Street, Reading RG1 4RG ; www.biag.org.uk. www.mertonhistoricalsociety.org.uk/. Brooklands: open Summer 10:00-17:00, Winter 10:00-16:00; Michelham Priory Watermill: most afternoons, £7.80/£6.80; £11/£9.90; Brooklands Rd, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0QN; Upper Dicker, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 3QS; www.brooklandsmuseum.com; 01932 857381. 01323 844224. Brunel Museum: Walks from Bermondsey Tube; just turn up Museum of English Rural Life (MERL): open Tue-Fri 09:00 Wed 16:30, Sun 10:45; £9/£7. -17:00, Sat-Sun 14:00-16:30, free/donation; Redlands Boat & train from Embankment tube station (not pier) for Road, Reading, Berkshire RG1 5EX, Brunel sites along the Thames; just turn up Tue/Thu/Sat www.reading.ac.uk/merl/; 0118 378 8660. 10:45; £9/£7 (+ transport costs). Museum: Railway Museum of London Docklands: Mon-Sun: 10:00-18:00; Avenue, Rotherhithe, London SE16 4LF; 020 7231 3840. no.1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4AL; Bursledon Brickworks: Open days £5/£4, Thu £3/£2; Coal www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands, Park Lane, Swanwick, Southampton SO31 7GW; [email protected], 020 7001 9844. www.bursledonbrickworks.org.uk; 01489 576248. Newcomen Society Birmingham: Thinktank, (Birmingham Chatham Historic Dockyard: 10:00-18:00, £17.50/£15; Science Museum), Millennium Point, Aston University, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TZ; Curzon St, Birmingham, West Midlands B4 7XG www.thedockyard.co.uk; 01634 823800. Newcomen Society London: 17:45, free; Council for Kentish Archaeology (CKA): 7, Sandy Ridge, http://newcomen.com; new venue - The Dana Studio, Borough Green, TN15 8HP. The Dana Centre, 165 Queens Gate, London SW7 5HD. Crofton Beam Engines : 10:30-17:00; £8/£7; Crofton, Marl- Newcomen Society Portsmouth: 18:30; free; Portland borough, Wiltshire SN8 3DW. Building, University of Portsmouth, Saint James’s Street , Crossness Pumping Station : 10:30-16:00, £6; The Old Portsmouth PO1; http://newcomen.com. Works, Crossness STW, Belvedere Road, Abbey Wood, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard : 10:00-17:30, site ticket, London SE2 9AQ; www.crossness.org.uk; 020 8311 3711. annual £28/£26; HM Naval Base, Portsmouth PO1 3LJ; Croydon Airport Society: www.historicdockyard.co.uk; 02392 728060. Visitor Centre: open some Sun, 11:00-16:00, free; Reigate Caves, Wealden Cave & Mine Society: Airport House, Purley Way, Croydon CR0 0XZ. Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society (CNHSS): some Sats, 10:00-16:00, £3/£2; 19:45; free? UR Church Hall, Addiscombe Grove, E Croy- Rural Life Centre: open Summer Wed-Sun 10:00-17:00 + don CR0 5LP; http://cnhss.co.uk; 0208 668 1431. Bank Holiday Mondays, Winter Wed/Sun 10:00-16:00; Didcot Railway Centre: 10:30-17:00; £10.00/£9.50; Didcot £8.50/£7.50; Old Kiln Museum, Reeds Road, Tilford, Farnham, Parkway railway station, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 7NJ; Surrey GU10 2DL; www.rural-life.org.uk; 01252 795571. www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk; 01235-817200. Museum of the Great Western Railway (STEAM): 10:00- Docklands History Group: 18:00, £2; Museum of London 16:00, £8/£6.50; Kemble Drive, Swindon SN2 2TA; Docklands, No 1 Warehouse, West India Quay, Hertsmere www.steam-museum.org.uk; 01793 466 646. Rd, Canary Wharf, London E14 4AL; Subterranea Britannica: www.subbrit.org.uk. www.docklandshistorygroup.org.uk; 01689 851982. Surrey History Centre: Tue/Fri, 09:30-17:00, Wed 10:15- Fetcham U3A Industrial Heritage Group: Meetings at 10:00 17:00, Thu 09:30-17:00, Sat 09:30-16:00; free; 130 in Fetcham Village Hall on the third Monday of the month; Goldsworth Road, Woking, Surrey GU21 6ND, www.fetchamu3a.org.uk/industrialheritage1.htm www.surreycc.gov.uk/surreyhistorycentre; 01483 518737. Greater London Industrial History Society (GLIAS): Sussex Industrial Archaeological Society (SIAS) : 18:30; Swedenborgian Lecture Theatre, Barter Street by www.sussexias.co.uk. Kingsway Underground Station; new venue from March Twyford Waterworks: 11:00-16:00, £5/£4; 2016 - The Gallery, Alan Baxter Associates, Hazeley Road, Twyford, Hampshire SO21 1QA; 75 Cowcross Street (entrance at rear), Farringdon, EC1; www.twyfordwaterworks.co.uk; 01962 714716. www.glias.org.uk. Wandle Industrial Museum: The Annex, Lower Green, Guildford Museum: Castle Arch, Guildford, Surrey GU1 Mitcham, Surrey; www.wandle.org/. 3SX; Mons to Sats, 11:00-17:00 + Bank Holiday Mon- Watercress Line, Mid Hants Railway: all day travel days; www.guildford.gov.uk/museum, 01483 444751. £14, free on non-running days; Station Rd, Alresford, Hampshire Industrial Archaeology Society (HIAS): 19:45, Hants SO24 9JG; (or Station Rd, Alton, Hants GU34 2PZ); free; Underhill Centre, St. John's Road, Hedge End, Hants www.watercressline.co.uk; 01962 733810. SO30 4AF; www.hias.org.uk; 01962 855200. Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, 10:30-18:00, Honeywood Museum Friends: 19:30, £3.50; £11.50/£10.50; Singleton, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 www.friendsofhoneywood.co.uk; 020 8773 0185. 0EU; www.wealddown.co.uk; 01243 811348. Holmesdale Natural History Club: 20:00; The Museum, Wealden Iron Research Group (WIRG): 14 Croydon Road, Reigate, Surrey RH2 0PG, www.hnhc.co.uk, www.wealdeniron.org.uk/, [email protected]. [email protected]. Wey & Arun Canal Trust: The Granary, Flitchfold Farm, Inland Waterways Association (IWA): £10/£8; no prior Loxwood, Billingshurst West Sussex, RH14 0RH; booking required; www.waterways.org.uk; 0203 612 9624. [email protected]; 01403 752403 Kent Archaeological Society (KAS): http:// (Monday - Friday 09:30 - 13:30) www.kentarchaeology.org.uk. Whitchurch Silk Mill: Tue-Sun, bank hols, £4.50/£4; 28 Kempton Steam Museum: 10:30-16:00, £7/£6; Snakey Lane, off Winchester Street, Whitchurch, Hampshire RG28 7AL; elevated section of A316, Hanworth, Middx; entrance www.whitchurchsilkmill.org.uk, 1256 892065. TW13 7ND; www.kemptonsteam.org; 01932 765328. Newsletter 212 November 2016 5 Whitgift Schoolboys’ and others’ visits to the Chipstead Valley Railway and the Kingswood tunnel under construction (part 2) by Paul W. Sowan
The Croydon Microscopical & Natural History in some places perfectly black, with unwater-worn flints. Club’s excursion to Walton-on-the-Hill - Above the clay there was a loamy and sandy bed with 15th April 1898 masses of pebbly gravel, probably a reconstructed wash from Eocene beds. Near the entrance to the tunnel under This excursion to Walton-on-the-Hill, was in conjunction Walton Heath, Mr. Whitaker pointed out a mass of fine with the Geologists’ Association, under the guidance of white quartz sand from the Tertiary beds, left like a great the President [William Whitaker] The following report, saucer-shaped boulder in the loamy bed; its position, he prepared by Mr. W.P.D. Stebbing [William Pinkard explained, was due to piping in the underlying Chalk. Delane Stebbing {1873 - 1961}], one of the leaders of No Eocene actually in place was to be seen at the eastern the excursion, is taken from the Report of the end of the tunnel. Geologists’ Association. On leaving this section, the party walked in a north- The members reached Kingswood at 2.2 p.m., and westerly direction across the corner of the Heath, following walked to the cutting on the western side of the tunnel the line of the tunnel to a cutting which is in course of under Walton Heath, in progress for the Chipstead excavation. The following extremely interesting section Valley line. At its south-eastern end the cutting showed was seen: chalk covered with pipes of Thanet Sand and redeposited Woolwich Clay with flint pebbles; near the working face 1) Bedded sand and pebbles, probably Blackheath at the north-western end the Thanet Sand seemed to Pebble Beds, more or less rearanged. This pebbly occur in mass. A point of interest, however, in this cut- bed lies with curved stratification on the underlying ting was the way in which the chalk had been worn to a beds, but the curvature and the irregularities noticed are series of pinnacles, divided by holes or pipes penetrating not wholly due to original irregularity of deposition, almost down to the level of the railway; in some cases but partly to the subterranean dissolution of the the pinnacles rise to within four or five feet of the Chalk beneath. surface. 2) Under the pebbly and sandy beds a little pink and Thence the party walked to the present working face greenish clay or loam from the base of the south of the Walton Road Bridge, and to the site of the Woolwich and Reading Beds was seen; it was not Walton [Tadworth] Station, passing what remained of in situ, but had been slightly moved owing to this. Returning on the western side of the cutting, the pipes in the Chalk below. Mr. Whitaker party saw a fairly good section of Thanet Sand with an expressed the opinion that the Woolwich and undulating surface, and two or three pinnacles of chalk Reading series has never had any great thickness standing up in it. On the south side of the Walton Road here, although they are fairly well developed just Bridge, but on the opposite side of the cutting, the strata to the west, at Headley, but that the Blackheath in the cutting were the same as those previously seen on Beds had originally almost rested on the Thanet the north side of the bridge, but the movement that had Sands, and he remarked that on the next Saturday taken place owing to the destruction of the chalk was the members would have an opportunity at more pronounced on account of its occupying less space Worms Heath [Chelsham] of seeing the longitudinally. The Directors pointed out, that, though Blackheath Pebble Beds resting directly on the the Thanet Sand was marked in the Drift Edition of the Chalk, all intermediate formations (except, Geological Survey map as covering a large patch of the perhaps, a trace of Thanet Sand), being there surface of the ground about here, at no spot in these absent. He also commented on the extent cuttings did it reach the surface, except in the case of some originally of these pebble-beds southward from pipes at the northern end. the main mass. After tea at Walton Mill the party proceeded to a small 3) Thanet Sand - Great rounded bosses of this sand-pit on Headley Heath. formation reached in places almost to the top of the cutting, the curves of the hollows between Source: Proc. & Trans. Croydon Microscopical & them being followed by the beds above, but the Natural History Club 5(1), Xviii - xix (1900) sections on the opposite sides of the cutting were very different. Mr. Whitaker remarked here in the difficulties of mapping a country of this kind and
the uncertainty as to where a bed may begin or The Geologists’ Association's excursion to finish. Kingswood and Walton-on-the- Hill - 2nd July 1898 4) At one place there was a small pinnacle of Chalk This excursion was arranged to give members an oppor- sticking up into the Thanet Sand, without the inter- tunity of seeing some sections on the new Chipstead mediate bed of green-coated flints; further north Valley line of the South Eastern Railway, which, when more Chalk was seen in the cutting showing good finished, will extend from Purley to Tattenham Corner examples of pipes. on Epsom Downs. Leaving the railway the party walked across Walton The party assembled at Charing Cross Station, and Heath to some pits in sand and gravel. travelled by the 12.56 train to Kingswood, up to which Source: William Whitaker and W.P.D. Stebbing, 1898, point the new line is already open for traffic. Leaving Excursion to Kingswood and Walton-on-the-Hill, the station, the Directors led the way westward along the Saturday, July 2nd, 1898. Proc. Geologists’ Association top of the cutting. The section showed in places a very 15(10), 456 - 458. ¤ irregular surface of Chalk, covered by a thin bed of clay, Newsletter 212 November 2016 6 Whittle and the Jet Engine Alternative Perspectives by Alan Thomas
The story of the development of the jet engine is remarkable, complete engines (and complete aircraft) would be not only for the emergence of Whittle, a young fighter- designed and developed in industry, and that the RAE pilot and air mechanic, as a leading authority on thermody- would only do research work on specific topics. Further- namics as applied to gas turbines, but also for the way in more, there was no way that a junior RAF pilot could fit which the project was set up to circumvent difficulties of into a hierarchical organisation, Ministry or industry, and policy, finance and status. take charge of a project. Whittle is known as the ‘inventor of the jet engine’, but Whittle kept up his interest in gas turbine design, but this is a misleading designation. Any screw-propelled having some doubts about whether his gas turbine craft, air or sea, may be regarded as being jet-propelled proposals were not ahead of their time diverted to other by the stream of fluid forced back by the power of the projects. After three years in a squadron, as a flying engine. This insight was perceived at least as far back as instructor and as a test pilot, he elected to go on the regular the 1860s, when a formula was produced by Froude for year’s engineering course at RAF Henlow. At the end of calculating the effective propelling power of an engine, this he was, exceptionally, sent to Cambridge to study taking into account the losses in the turbulence between the for the Mechanical Engineering Tripos. This he completed jet and the surrounding fluid. This is equally applicable to in two years and was awarded first-class honours, in aircraft. Whittle’s achievement was to construct an spite of spending time on gas-turbine design. He efficient, airworthy turbine to power the jet, rather than a continued this work during a post-graduate year that he piston-engine and propeller. Leading authorities, from was allowed in 1936. that of the Stern Report of 1920 right up to a declaration During 1936, with the assistance of a fellow pilot, who by the US National Academy of Sciences in June 1940, was formerly a patent agent (and had helped patent the believed the internal combustion turbine to be impracti- gas-turbine jet engine in 1930) Whittle was able to establish cable on grounds of weight alone. a private company, Power Jets Ltd (PJL), to design and Since his days as a trainee aircraft mechanic Whittle had construct his engine, with capital provided from sources in been thinking about high-speed, high altitude flight, for the financial world. It seems unlikely that Whittle and his which piston engines and propellers would be unsuitable. colleague would by themselves have had sufficient In late 1929, when a junior officer, he was instructed to contacts and influence to obtain even the modest amount of present his proposals and calculations to Dr A.A. Griffith £10,000 capital, which suggests that some encouragement at the Air Ministry’s South Kensington Laboratory, who must have been applied through the ‘old-boy net’ to had been working for some years on aspects of turbine make financiers come forward. Private capital would design. Griffith pointed out that some of Whittle’s thus be seen to be being used for the development of this assumptions were over-optimistic and that materials did engine. Whittle himself was initially allowed to work for not yet exist capable of resisting the high temperature of the company on a part-time basis, provided it did not the turbine. It was on this latter ground that the Air affect his regular duties – a similar basis on which officers, Ministry stated that it was impracticable to proceed. then as now, were expected to participate in work of a Whittle agreed that although this was true, given time charitable nature in their free time. Whittle was, however, new materials might be developed. However, he showed soon posted to the Special Duties List and appointed as no resentment at this rejection and of the suggestion that honorary chief engineer. He was thus in the unique his ideas were ahead of their time, a view which he felt, position, for a pioneering inventor, of being salaried. This as late as 1934, might be true. also, although he did not know it at the time, marked the end of his regular RAF career. All this indicates that It is commonly thought that the refusal of the Air Ministry Griffith’s report cannot have been as unfavourable as is to proceed to the development of Whittle’s ideas was the commonly supposed. result of an unfavourable report by Griffith. But in the circumstances of the time, even the most enthusiastic PJL was thus formed to create the basic thermodynamic recommendation to start a major development design of the gas turbine. The detailed mechanical programme would have failed for lack of money. This design and construction was carried in collaboration with was the time of the great depression, and the budget for the British Thomson-Houston company (BTH) at Rugby, the Air Ministry at £17m was only 17% of the total where PJL was initially located: it soon moved to an old Service estimates – and the RAF was conducting opera- foundry building at nearby Lutterworth. Initially PJL tions in the Middle East. We had no enemies (except placed contracts with BTH using the capital subscribed Afghan tribesmen) and the main matter of public concern to it. BTH were established manufacturers of large steam was the economic situation. The financial stringency turbines using cast-iron casings, so the lighter construction was such that some of the development of prototype and smaller dimensions needed for aero engines were engines and aircraft were conducted using the compa- new to them. The capital available was insufficient to nies’ own funds. purchase all the equipment needed. In particular, a 3,000 HP variable-speed drive to test the compressor would Even if finance had been available, there were institu- have cost much more than the company was worth. tional problems in setting up a large project. Whittle Whittle had therefore to rely on calculation to estimate himself did not want to approach industry, for the sound performance, and testing was only possible in conjunc- reasons that either his ideas would be ignored or that the tion with the turbine as a functionally complete engine. whole project would be taken out of his hands. In any This was one of Whittle’s great achievements. case the aero-engine firms had no expertise in the design of turbines. The Air Ministry, or the Royal Aircraft Once the experimental engine was demonstrated in 1937 Establishment, could not set up a development project the Air Ministry (although doubtful about PJL’s financial (even if they had had the staff) because it had been standing) was able to place contracts with the company agreed at the time of the formation of the RAF that (Continued on page 7) Newsletter 212 November 2016 7
(Continued from page 6) were being told that the design principle they had used for further development, leading to the production of a for years was wrong, were resentful and did not intro- flight-worthy engine. A contract was placed in 1939 duce the change in their own turbines for about two with Gloster Aircraft for years. As a fighter pilot the design and construc- of no previous engineer- tion of a suitable aero- ing plane (E28/39) for trials. design experience, Whit- In 1937 RAE revived its tle was bound to be re- garded as an upstart. work on turbines and a project was started under So what was the chal- Dr Griffith to develop an lenge faced by Whittle? engine using an axial- The elements of a gas flow compressor, in con- turbine were well known. trast to Whittle’s centrif- A compressor forces air ugal compressor. It was into combustion cham- also to have had a power bers, where it is heated turbine to drive a propel- and accelerated, and then ler, but once Whittle had passed through a turbine demonstrated that thrust to drive the compressor. could be obtained with Any energy left over may useful efficiency directly then be used to drive a from the turbine, this load, such as a gearbox additional feature was and propeller, or emitted dropped and the RAE Fig. 1 Whittle centrifugal compressor rotor directly from the turbine engine became a ‘pure’ from www.scienceandsociety.co.uk/ as a jet. The centrifugal jet. It was eventually the compressor and turbine basis of the Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire. RAE’s indus- wheels used in the first jet engines are seen in Fig. 1, trial partner was Metropolitan Vickers, a sister company connected by a short, stiff shaft. The combustion cham- of BTH. The project continued after Griffith left to join bers are interposed between the two wheels. An alterna- Rolls-Royce in 1939. tive arrangement, using an axial-flow compressor, is shown in Fig. 2. A third project was undertaken at de Havilland, under their engine designer Frank Halford, who was previously The problem was to design the compressor and turbine known for their series of small air-cooled piston to have sufficiently high efficiencies so that a useful engines. The project was successful and led to the amount of power would remain over to drive the load ‘Goblin’ series of engines, one of which was flown in after the machine had driven itself. The compressors of the early Meteor and another in the Vampire fighter the early engines absorbed about 3,000 HP, and the use- after the war. ful output in flight was about 1,000 to 1,500 HP. They Whittle’s programme took the lead, and technical infor- had to have a compression ratio at least twice that achieved in contemporary superchargers, to which they mation was shared with the other projects. In 1940 the were similar, and operate at up to 17,000 rpm – this for a Rover Car company joined Whittle’s project but received contracts direct from the Ministry for a devel- compressor wheel diameter of 48 cm. The efficiencies achieved of both compressor and turbine were about oped version of the engine which had been constructed 70%. Whittle had world-class understanding of thermo- by the BTH. Although this was intended to be built to dynamics as applied to gas turbines. In testing a later Whittle’s design, Rover was allowed to introduce modifi- cations to ease production, a concession they employed version, the W2, the measured performance was so close to that predicted that Whittle, rather rashly, claimed that more liberally than Whittle intended. This led to dispute design was now an ‘exact science’ – something which and delay, as will be explained later. There was much Whittle’s staff reminded him of when they later met scope for argument and confusion between the four companies and the Ministry’s technical and contracts trouble. Furthermore, it was possible to predict the performance of a gas-turbine in flight more closely than staff. Whittle was not appointed as chief engineer for the had been possible with piston engines. whole project, but only as that of PJL. The project thus lacked strong overall control. Furthermore, Whittle, There was one part of the engine which was not suscep- although a strong personality, had no experience of Min- tible to calculation, namely the design of the combustion istry and industrial politics. Had a suitable overall leader chambers, which would have to have a combustion been available, things might have run more smoothly intensity about twenty times that yet achieved in a typi- and jet aircraft brought into service considerably sooner cal boiler furnace. Whittle found a small firm which than they were. Towards the end of the war Rolls-Royce believed that this would be possible, and it became a replaced Rover as a partner and eventually took over collaborator. But many experiments were needed before direction of the project, thus largely displacing Whittle. a satisfactory design was reached, and the problem The attitude of industry to Whittle was indicated in the persisted in the industry for many years, as anyone who has witnessed the take-off of an early 707 in a cloud of ‘affair of the vortices’. His analysis of the design of turbine blades showed that existing methods of design black smoke would testify. did not allow for the formation of vortices in the gas The design of Whittle’s gas turbine illustrates the flow, and that the twist in the blades from base to tip wisdom of the saying the best is the enemy of the good, should be increased by five degrees over the value whether this was applied consciously or not. Neglect of previously thought correct. This change would improve this precept by seeking perfection has led to failure to the efficiency and reduce the end thrust on the bearings. complete projects, such as those of Charles Babbage, The change was accepted by RAE, but the BTH, who who was constantly redesigning his difference and (Continued on page 8) Newsletter 212 November 2016 8
(Continued from page 7) around was needed on landing. This characteristic led to analytical engines so that money ran out before they many accidents, and made the aircraft vulnerable while could be demonstrated. landing to attack by Allied fighters. Surging occurred on The first example of this is the decision, made in the the Whittle engines, but only at high power and high altitude, and this was less early days before Whittle’s patent was taken out in dangerous. 1930, to omit a mechanical power take-off to drive a propeller and to use the turbine only to drive the Whittle’s experimental engine had the turbine and com- compressor, leaving the energy remaining to be emitted pressor connected by a very short, stiff shaft which as a high-speed jet. would not vibrate This simplified the in ‘whirl’ mode design task at the (Fig. 1). The ex- expense of propul- perimental com- sive efficiency, as bustion chamber greater wake turbu- fitted in this space lence would be between them, by caused by the high- being mounted speed jet than that outside the profile from the lower of the rotor. The speed jet of a pro- combustion cham- peller. It would be bers for the airwor- more suitable for thy model were too high-speed flight, Fig. 2 'Axial-flow compressor rotor long to fit in the but Whittle soon (image flipped so that the compressor discs are on the left) space, but rather recognised that to from www.scienceandsociety.co.uk/ (10438915) than lengthen the improve the propul- shaft they, ten in sive efficiency the number, were jet would have to be ‘geared down’, because it was only mounted in a ring outside the rotor. The compressed air about 50%, as was led to the rear ends of the chambers, passed forward opposed to about 70% for a propeller. This led to his and heated before being invention of the by-pass turbojet, which he patented in directed back on to the turbine blades (Fig. 3). This ex- 1936 but did no work on until Rolls-Royce took over pedient avoided the need to fit a bearing in the middle of the design and construction of the pure jet engines in a long shaft to prevent whirling and to accommodate 1944. Griffith at RAE did not omit the propeller drive of thermal expansion. Whittle devised such a bearing, and the engine he was developing with Metropolitan- built a model, but decided that the reverse-flow arrange- Vickers until Whittle ran his experimental engine and ment would be easier to design and construct. This deci- demonstrated than useful thrust could be obtained from sion led to a major dispute with it. Fig. 4 'RR Derwent engine, The choice of a centrifugal compressor, as opposed to a see page 1, from https:// turbine-like axial flow compressor, was made because commons.wikimedia.org/ there was some experience of this type in piston-engine wiki/File:Rolls-Royce_Derwent.jpg superchargers. Any unknown difficulties in the design of the axial-flow type would therefore be avoided. For more powerful engines, axial-flow compressors could have several stages, whereas centrifugal stages would be the Rover company and the Ministry. Rover arranged for the combustion chambers to be fitted ‘in-line’ between the more difficult to compressor and tur- construct and would bine by fitting a long be likely to require a larger diameter. Cen- shaft and a centre bearing (Fig. 4); trifugal compressors and they did this are still in use on small turbo-prop without telling engines. Whittle. Rover thus spent less time pre- The wisdom of paring the original choosing a centrifugal design for produc- compressor was shown tion, causing con- by the performance of siderable delay, It the Junkers 109-004 was not that their jet engine fitted to design was un- the Messerschmitt sound: it led to the Me232. Compres- Rolls-Royce Der- sors tend to stall or went engines used surge under certain in later marks of the conditions, and this Meteor (Fig. 4). engine would do so Whittle’s original if the throttle was design as built by opened too rapidly at Rolls-Royce was low speeds – for named the Welland example, if a go- Fig. 3 W1 engine and flown in early from www.scienceandsociety.co.uk/ Newsletter 212 November 2016 9
(Continued from page 8) and their only way to avoid bankruptcy was to go over Meteors. There were many other disputes between the to manufacturing jets. They did not want Power Jets as a Ministry, Power Jets and the contractors, probably be- rival company – there were too many of them already, cause of the lack of an overall authority acceptable to all and the Ministry had asked Metropolitan-Vickers to parties. withdraw. (Armstrong-Siddeley took over the RAE design.) Early in 1943 Rolls-Royce took over the design and manufacture of the Whittle engines W1 and W2 from Power Jets was finally subsumed into the National Gas Power Jets and Rover. Whittle moved on to design Turbine Establishment, of which the Director was improvements to the type W2, known as the /500 and /700, Hayne Constant, formerly head of the Engine Depart- having better compressor and diffuser designs. These ment at RAE. Whittle and many of the senior staff of were adopted in later Rolls-Royce Power Jets resigned. Whittle was still an RAF officer engines. Some of the senior staff of Rover moved to and had been promoted to Air Commodore in 1946. He Rolls-Royce. was unfortunately unemployable in that rank as he did not have the necessary experience of squadron and staff Rolls-Royce went on to design the Nene engine for a service, nor of operations. His health had suffered greatly thrust of 5,000 lb using Whittle’s latest design of under the stress of his work, and so it was decided in centrifugal compressor and diffuser and with straight- 1948 that he would be invalided-out with the rank of Air through combustion chambers. There was no British Commodore. He was only 41, and had more than half requirement for so powerful an engine, so all the dimen- his life yet to run. sions were scaled down to 85.5% to form the Derwent V engine with a thrust of 3,500 lb. This was used in later Whittle received many honours and awards, including a marks of Meteor. The Nene was however exported, knighthood. He received an award of £100,000 from the notoriously to Russia, where it was copied and fitted to Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors. the MIG series of fighters used in Korea. On being Although in demand as a lecturer and consultant, he shown one of these engines, Rolls-Royce remarked that received no official appointment. He successfully ‘they even copied our mistakes’. designed a ‘turbo-drill’ for oil-wells, where the drilling power was applied by a turbine at the bottom of the Whittle later went on to design a bypass engine, for well, integral with the drill, rather than through a shaft which he had taken out a patent in 1936. This was not from the surface. This was successfully demonstrated in completed because it was ruled in 1944 that Power Jets 1970, but further work or application ceased when Rolls should no longer design and make complete engines, but -Royce became bankrupt in 1971. He emigrated to the act only as a research organisation on specific topics. United States in 1976, and was appointed to academic This was contrary to what Whittle wanted, which was to posts at the US Naval Academy at Annapolis from 1977 design prototypes and produce limited quantities, after and wrote a textbook on gas-turbine design. He died in which the main production would be handed to industry. 1996 at the age of 89. ¤ This was unacceptable to the industry which wanted to design as well as build. They could see that at the end of © 2016 Alan Thomas & SIHG the war there would be a great surplus of piston engines, References Whittle, Sir Frank. (1957) Jet. Pan Books.
Malting and Malthouses in Kent by James Preston. Paperback £14.99 ISBN 978-1-4456-5306-8.
MALTING AND MALTHOUSES IN KENT is an important new book about a neglected part of Kent's industrial history. This is the first publication specifi- cally about the malt industry for the county re- searched and written by the Council for Kentish Ar- chaeology Industrial Officer. This book attempts to chart the history of malting in Kent, explain its processes, its building design and the reasons for its decline. Its heritage in the form of malthouses that survived demolition, now generally listed buildings with a new life as flats or desirable residences, is fully de- scribed. It is now available from bookshops or by post (post free) from Jim Preston, 162 Borstal Road, Rochester ME1 3BB. (Cheques made payable to 'J Preston'.) From the CKA website Newsletter 212 November 2016 10
SIHG Guildford Lecture 16 February 2016 200 Years of Steam Locomotives Class 25 condensing locomotive of South African Railways, see page 1 by Peter Bosomworth, report by Allan Wheeler Peter Bosomworth has a locomotive engineering back- exhaust steam which drew the fire. Robert Stephenson ground and is also a railway enthusiast. His talk covered then designed Planet in 1830, the first locomotive to the birth and development of locomotives, technical employ inside cylinders, and a steam dome to prevent advances and further improvements. water reaching them. It worked on the Manchester and Liverpool Railway and was the first locomotive to be To begin, Peter briefly covered steam engine develop- produced in significant numbers. ment before the locomotive. Steam power has its origins in experiments carried out during the 17th century main- Peter then covered locomotive classification by wheel ly in continental Europe. These culminated in the devel- arrangement. Just a few examples of many are 2-6-0 opment of the stationary steam engine to pump water ‘Mogul’, 2-6-2 ‘Prairie’, 2-8-0 ‘Consolidation’, from mines as they penetrated below the water table. 2-10-0 ‘Decapod’, 4-4-2 ‘Atlantic’, 4-6-0 ‘Ten- Thomas Newcomen (1663-1729), a Dartmouth ironmon- Wheeler’ and 4-6-2 ‘Pacific’. He then touched on track ger, was well aware of the drainage problems in Cornish and loading gauges, the latter being the maximum tin mines and was the first to develop an engine capable dimensions of vehicle that can be accommodated with- of pumping water from significant depths. After 15 out fouling structures. It varies irrespective of track years of experimentation to solve the problems of deep gauge, with differences for example between Britain, mine drainage, Newcomen erected his first engine at a Europe and the USA. colliery near Dudley in 1712. The engine operated by The final section of Peter’s talk covered developments condensing steam drawn into the cylinder, thereby through the Victorian period and later, first explaining creating a partial vacuum, allowing atmospheric how a locomotive works. pressure to push the piston into the cylinder. The steam was condensed by water fed from a tank above the cylinder. The Victorian period saw a steady improvement in materials such as wrought iron instead of cast iron, and Newcomen’s design was improved by James Watt dur- later steel. Manufacturing tools and techniques also ing the 1760s by adding a separate steam condenser, improved giving better quality, cheaper locomotives. making it much more efficient. Hitherto, the single Passenger locomotives had two coupled driving axles cylinder was alternately heated by steam from the boiler with some singles, and freight engines had three or four then cooled causing the piston to fall under atmospheric coupled driving axles with smaller wheels. pressure, rising again on admission of more steam from the boiler. Watt patented his improved design, the patent Early steam locomotives had two cylinders, one each expiring on his retirement in 1800 following many in- side, and this practice persisted as the simplest arrange- fringements. ment. The cylinders could be mounted inside or outside the main frames, the inside cylinders being driven by The next section of the talk dealt with the progression cranks built into the driving axle and outside ones driven from stationary to moving steam engines, giving a few by cranks on extensions to the driving axles. Later early examples. designs employed three or four cylinders, mounted both In the late 1790s, Richard Trevithick, a Cornish mining inside and outside the frames, for a more even power engineer, built the first high-pressure (stationary) steam cycle and greater power output. This meant more engine. In 1804, after experimenting with a couple of complicated valve gear and increased maintenance steam road vehicles, Trevithick mounted one of his requirements. stationary steam engines on wheels, turning it into a Examples of locomotives illustrating various improve- locomotive. The engine had been built to drive a hammer at ments were shown, such as the single driving axle Pen-y-Darren Ironworks, Merthyr Tydfil. The locomotive Crampton Champs Elysées (1846) used in France and successfully hauled 10 tons of iron and 70 men in five Belgium. Other examples of this type (the driving wagons nearly 10 miles along the Pen-y-Darren Tram- wheels being effectively large flywheels) were the Great road to Abeycynon and back, albeit at walking speed. Western Railway’s broad gauge engines. Improvements John Blenkinsop patented a rack and pinion drive loco- in valve design and suspension followed. motive in 1812 for work at the Middleton Colliery near The most important development in steam locomotives was Leeds, to supply coal to the town. The design became a superheating, increasing power output by up to 25%, with commercial success. equivalent savings in coal and water. The concept Puffing Billy (1813–14), the world’s oldest surviving originated in 1850 but it wasn’t until improvements in steam locomotive, was designed by engineer William metallurgy and lubricating oils (to withstand the high Hedley for the owner of Wylam Colliery near Newcastle temperatures) from c. 1900 that it became a practical upon Tyne. It was the first commercial adhesion steam proposition. Another innovation, compounding, also locomotive, employed to haul coal chaldron wagons increased power and fuel efficiency by the use of a high from Wylam to docks on the River Tyne. The design of pressure cylinder group before passing the steam to a its transmission echoed that of the beam engine. second, lower pressure group. These two innovations paved the way to the haulage of heavier and faster In 1829, three locomotives were involved in the Rainhill trains. Trials on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, carrying a prize of £500. They were Sans Pareil (designer Timothy Superheating involved the further heating of steam with- Hackworth), Novelty (John Ericsson) and Rocket in elements (pipes) in the boiler flues. This was perfect- (George and Robert Stephenson). Rocket, the winner, ed in Germany by Dr Wilhelm Schmidt in the Prussian was the first locomotive to have a fire tube boiler with a S.4 tender engine, introduced 1898 with series separate firebox, followed by all subsequent designs. The production from 1902. It was quickly applied to most cylinders were directly connected to the driving wheels. locomotives. It also had a blast pipe, first seen on Sans Pareil, for (Continued on page 11) Newsletter 212 November 2016 11
(Continued from page 10) frames and running gear, as in conventional designs. It The first successful compound locomotives were three became possible to operate large locomotives on tank engines built in 1876 to designs by Swiss-born railways with tight curves and lighter rails that might engineer Antole Mallet. A very successful British restrict large rigid-framed types. Many were oil burning. compound was the Midland Railway’s 4-4-0 1000 class passenger tender engine (built 1902-09), of which no. Some of the world’s most powerful locomotives were 1000 (BR no. 41000) survives. Garretts of 3ft 6in and metre gauge, operating in Southern and East Africa, built respectively in 1929-30 and the 1950s. French compounds included those designed by André Chapelon, which were powerful for their size and fuel Condensing locomotives were able to operate in dry efficient, culminating in machines producing over 4,000 h.p. areas such as the Karoo and Kalahari by being able to He rebuilt locomotives to his designs rather than from conserve water, e.g. the South African Railways Class scratch, mainly in the 1930s and 1940s. The 25 4-8-4. The condensing apparatus was in the tender Germans also built compound locomotives of (making it very large) and worked by condensing spent excellent and uncomplicated design, such as 3-cylinder 4-6-2s. steam. The apparatus was designed by German company Henschel & Son and the class was built in the 1950s by The Fairlie double-ended locomotive (e.g. as seen on the North British Locomotive Company of Glasgow. the Ffestiniog Railway) was invented and patented by the Scottish engineer Robert Francis Fairlie in 1864, Condensing locomotives were also used on London’s and was the first articulated locomotive. It had a pair of sub-surface railways such as the Metropolitan and bogies with each axle driven. Metropolitan District, to reduce emissions in the tunnels. The earliest (1860s) were broad gauge tank Fairlie locomotive engines designed by the Great Western Railway’s Chief (source: Wikipedia) Mechanical Engineer Daniel Gooch. The condensing equipment in successive designs (operated until electri- fication in 1905) was supplemented by the use of coke Fairlie thought that conventional designs were deficient, or smokeless Welsh coal. wasting weight on (a) unpowered wheels (maximum tractive effort is a function of the weight on the driving An experimental steam turbine locomotive was devel- wheels) and (b) on a tender, which did not contribute to oped in Britain in the 1930s – the LMS Turbomotive the locomotive’s adhesive weight. Furthermore, standard built 1935 as a variation of the Princess Royal 4-6-2 locomotives, having a front and rear, were not intended large passenger express locomotive. It operated for 11 for prolonged driving in reverse, thus requiring a turntable years until the main turbine failed and it was converted at every terminus. to piston drive in 1952 and renamed Princess Anne. It was scrapped after being involved in the Harrow & Herbert William Garratt (1864-1913) produced a design Wealdstone accident. Experimental designs were also articulated into three parts, following a career on British developed in Europe mainly in the 1920s and ‘30s and colonial railways. He approached Beyer-Peacock and in the USA in the 1940s, but most of them had various Co. to build the first of many designs, completed in problems. The largest steam locomotive developed was the 4-8-8-4 Union Pacific ‘Big Boy’ in the USA (production 1941-44). Weighing 548 tons and developing 6,290 h.p., 25 of these articulated locomotives were built and were used on transcontinental services. One is being restored to Garrett locomotive (source: Wikipedia) working order, and six others are in museums. The last steam locomotive to be built in the UK was the 1909. The main benefit of the Garratt design is that the now preserved BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 of 1960, boiler and firebox unit are slung between the two no. 92220 Evening Star. It was built at Swindon works engine units. This frees the boiler and firebox from the and was withdrawn with the rundown of steam after just size constraints imposed where they are placed over the five years’ service. ¤
LONDON BREWED A historical directory of the commercial brewers of London from circa 1650. by Mike Brown Published by the Brewery History Society
An A4 softback, 426 pages, with many illustrations in black & white and colour. The most comprehensive directory of London breweries anywhere. Includes an index of over 17 pages with over 5,600 entries.
Price £19.95 plus £3.00 Postage & Packing. Enquiries to The BHS Bookshop, Long High Top, Heptonstall, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire HX7 7PF. Or email [email protected] for further information. From Brewery History Society website Newsletter 212 November 2016 12
Diary November 2016 Diary December 2016 open Michelham Priory Watermill The mill will 13 Tue SIHG Guildford Lecture Series: be open most afternoons until 18 December. Members’ Talks Evening - open Museum of English Rural Life (MERL): Free to all lecture attendees has now Reopened; visit Tuesday - Friday (even if not members of SIHG); 09:00-17:00; late opening last Thursday Short talks by members of the month 09:00-21:00. plus refreshments and a chance to open Weald & Downland Open Air Museum: meet other members. open daily until 27 November. open Anne of Cleves House Museum: for Wealden Iron Firebacks; open: until 16 December. open Croydon Airport Visitor Centre is open on the first Sunday of the month. Diary January2017 open Didcot Railway Centre: is open at weekends in November. 3 Tue SIHG Guildford Lecture Series: The Port of London Story 8 Tue SIHG Guildford Lecture Series: by Geoff Roles, SIHG The Construction of Gothic Cathedrals by Doug Irvine, Civil Engineer. 31 Tue SIHG Guildford Lecture Series: 30 Wed SIHG Guildford Lecture Series: {NB The Majestic Age of the Ocean Liner WEDNESDAY not Tuesday!} Tide Mills - by Richard Mellor, More History and Archaeology by David ex Union Castle Lines and P&O. Plunkett, Chairman Mills Research Group
Brunel Museum Walks and Boat Trips Brunel Museum makes an entrance with new Brunel Walk underground venue Every Sunday and Monday 10.45 and Wednesday 18.15 meet at Bermondsey tube station and be guided The former entrance shaft to the historic Thames Tunnel to the Brunel Museum. Privileged access to the Royal will become a newly accessible underground space and Box – that looks down into “the underground a key exhibit for the museum, hosting events and cathedral”. performances and breathing new life into this important fragment of Brunel’s first project. Brunel’s father Marc Brunel Guided Boat and Train Tour began the tunnel with his teenage son, Isambard, who later Every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and became resident engineer. It is the only project that Saturday 10:45 Brunel Museum. Meet Embankment tube father and son worked on together, and Isambard’s first. station (not pier) - Brunel sites along the Thames. The Thames Tunnel opened in 1843 and is the first Brunel’s London Boat Trip, River Walk, Tunnel underwater tunnel in the world – and the birthplace of Descent the modern metro system. 10:45 every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, The shaft is approximately 50ft in diameter and 50ft Saturday deep – with smoke-blackened brick walls from steam Embankment Tube Brunel Museum. Just turn up – no trains, providing a raw but atmospheric backdrop. Tate booking required. Please note: meet at tube station Harmer’s ingenious ‘ship-in-a-bottle’ design means that the (not pier). £10/£8 (transport extra). staircase is completely independent of the important his- toric fabric of the structure. Visitors will use this new access point as a means to descend into a rarely glimpsed portion of our industrial heritage, and intriguing underground space.
Selling SIHG books on ebay SIHG has 16 Books in Print (with another to follow shortly). At present, we have no active selling strategy, so we are asking for help. Are you an ebay enthusiast? Would you like to take on the challenge of selling the SIHG books on ebay? If so, please get in contact with Bob Bryson, [email protected] or 01483 577809 Newsletter 212 November 2016 13 Re-Engineering Brooklands
display in temporary pavilions near Concorde. Some of our smaller aircraft will not be back on display until late summer 2017, when the new displays open. However, our other aircraft, includ- ing Concorde and all of the airliners in the Vickers Aircraft Park, are open as usual as are all of our motoring displays and the London Bus Museum. If you would like to see any of the aircraft moves, please watch our website for up to date infor- mation. Our contractors will be carefully dismantling the Hangar from October and it will be sent off site for restoration, returning later in the year to be reconstructed Brooklands Museum is embarking on the largest ever on its new site south of the Flight Shed. development of its remarkable site. This major Aircraft on Public View £8 million project will transform the Museum even further and create a truly inspiring visitor experience. Aircraft in the Vickers Aircraft Park: Concorde, Sultan of Oman’s VC10, Vickers Viscount, Viscount X575 The project opens an exciting chapter in the story of the cockpit section, Vickers Vanguard, BAC One Eleven, historic site, restoring aspects of the original layout whilst VC10 Fuselage ’Victor Mike’, Vickers Varsity, Vickers also creating groundbreaking new facilities for the Viking Airliner, BAC Jet Provost and BAC Jetstream. future. In and around the Stratosphere Chamber and outside the The Bellman Hangar will be moved off the Race Hangar: Hawker Hunters (one dismantled), Hawker Track’s Finishing Straight and reinterpreted as the Siddeley P1127, Supermarine Swift Fuselage, Vickers ‘Aircraft Factory’, an inspiring centre for learning about Vanguard Cockpit, Roe 1 Biplane, Vickers Valiant science and engineering. cockpit In temporary pavilions near Concorde: Vickers Wellington R for Robert and Vickers Vimy Captivating exhibitions will be created in the new Flight Shed and a lively programme of activities and events Aircraft NOT on Public View until Late Summer 2017 will evoke Brooklands heyday on the re-united Finishing Sopwith Camel, Sopwith Tabloid, Demoiselle, Hawker Straight. Hurricane, Vickers Viking Amphibian, Hawker Fury, RAF SE5A, Hawker Harrier, AVRO 504K, Wellington Project update September 2016 fuselage walk-through and the Vickers Guided Weapons. The Wellington Hangar is now closed to visitors but the Vickers Wellington and the Vickers Vimy are on Text and illustrations from the Brooklands website. ¤