Papers of J.O.P Hughes re 1947 - 1975

 Trustees of the National Museum of Science & Industry

Version 1.0 August 2005

Papers of J. O. P Hughes re.

Reference Code(s): GB 1994-7150

Title : Papers of J.O.P Hughes re Gas Turbine Locomotive

Dates: 1947 - 1975

Level of Description: Fonds

Extent & Medium of the unit of description: The collection consists of three boxes of Locomotive drawings, private correspondence, photographs etc.

Name of creators: J.O.P Hughes

Administrative/Biographical History: These papers relate to the work J.O.P Hughes who was a Design Engineer, on the development of Gas Turbine .

J.O.P Hughes (1914 - J.O.P Hughes attended the Automobile Engineering Training College from 1930 to 1932 where he gained the National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering and Distinctions in Applied Mechanics and Heat Engines. After attending the Graduate School of Automobile Engineers in 1935, he became Test Engineer at M.A McEvoy Ltd. and then Junior Designer at Rolls-Royce Ltd. in 1936. He worked on engine designs for cars and fighter aircraft before becoming involved in Gas Turbines when he joined the newly-formed Gas Turbine Department of Co. Ltd. in 1947 as Senior Designer. Here he took part in the design of the prototype 2700 H.P EM27 Gas Turbine and took charge of the application of this engine for Locomotive use. Was appointed Chief Designer, Gas Turbine Locomotive Projects in 1955 at the , Newton-le-Willows. While the Gas Turbine Locomotive was admired by railway enthusiasts and professionals alike, was reluctant to take on the Locomotive for fear that it would be economically unsound; this led to the Locomotive’s eventual demise. Hughes later went into partnership to form the firm of Humphris and Hughes, Consulting Engineers in 1966. Rail travel remained his passion, and he joined the Board of Motor Rail Ltd. as Technical director in 1967.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer:

1999-8291 Donated to by Mrs F.M. Hughes

Scope & content: The collection includes letters, reports, specifications and plans as well as Locomotive photographs. The contents of the collection may be summarised as follows:

J.O.P Hughes The material relates to Hughes’ work on the development of the Gas Turbine Locomotive whilst employed by the English Electric Co. All items appear to be directly related to Hughes’ work on the Gas Turbine Locomotive, in the form of correspondence, papers and reports written by Hughes, photographs and chart and drawings. These chart from the preliminary design of the Locomotive, to its eventual decline due to economic reasons.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information: No appraisal of this collection has been undertaken.

Accruals: No further accruals are expected.

System of arrangement: The collection is arranged in a system of files and folders. As it has not been possible to ascertain if it was J.O.P Hughes or his wife who arranged the papers, the collection has been left in its original order.

Conditions governing access: Access is given in accordance with the NRM access policy. Material from this collection is available to researchers through the NRM Reading Room.

Conditions governing reproduction: Copies may be supplied of items in the collection, provided that the copying process used does not damage the item or is not detrimental to its preservation. Copies will be supplied in accordance with the NRM’s terms and conditions for the supply and reproduction of copies, and the provisions of any relevant copyright legislation.

Language: English, also several items in French and Russian

Physical characteristics & technical requirements: The collection contains a wide variety of material, from hand –written letters and papers to printed pamphlets and plans. It also contains a great deal of photographs.

Finding aids:

Existence and location of originals: Not applicable.

Existence and location of copies: Not applicable.

Related units of description:

Material held at the National Railway Museum:

1994-7140 English Electric 1948-1975: Records Concerning experimental Locomotive

1996-7233 English Electric Records

1996-7233 Vulcan Foundry Records

Material held elsewhere:

NRA35712GEC English Electric Technical and Production Records 1920-70

B/VF, DX/603 Vulcan Foundry 1825 – 1978: Corporate, financial and production records, drawings, photographs, property and staff records, misc. papers, letters to foreman. Held at National Museums Liverpool: Maritime Archives and Library

Publication note: No secondary sources have yet been published using this archive.

Archivists’ Note:

Rules or conventions: Catalogue created in accordance with ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description (Second Edition), International Council on Archives, Ottowa 2000.

Date of descriptions/revisions:

Useful Publications relating to this archive: See the bibliography following the Administrative/Biographical History.

LIST

1 1/1 3 Rolled Locomotive engine drawings

I/2 File Containing 6 items re gas turbine locomotive: 1/2/1 File containing 22 photographs of Locomotive engine components and diagrams, some marked fig. 5 – 23 1/2/3 File titled ‘English Electric’ containing 3 engine diagrams, 2 BR progress reports spring 1975 & autumn 1975, Mounted photograph of locomotive, Reproduced article titled ‘Originality in British Locomotive Design’ dated April 1962, Sheet detailing comparative figures of weights and fuel requirements of Gas Turbine 1/2/4 1 loose engine diagram of main driving axle 1/2/5 1 drawing of engine component 1/2/6 1 diagram of of gearbox 1/2/7 1 watercolour sketching board with watercolour of locomotive carriage

1/3 Envelope containing charts demonstrating power input and tractive effort

I/4 File of correspondence, tracings, sketches etc. with W.G Allen concerning the design Of the GT Locomotive, c1948 – 1957 Miscellaneous papers including diagrams concerning transmission and drives, c1960 – 1969

1/5 Booklet, The English Electric Company Ltd, Gas Turbine Department, ‘The Position of the Gas Turbine in Locomotive Engineering’ by J.O.P Hughes

1/6 4 Photographs of engine component

1/7 1 colour illustration of locomotive

1/8 Booklet, English Electric Ltd., Gas Turbine Department, ‘An Express Gas Turbine Locomotive’

1/9 1 folder containing 15-page document titled ‘The Gas Turbine Locomotive G.T.3’

1/10 1 colour illustration on board of locomotive

1/11 1 box of 26 slides of Gas Turbine Locomotive component drawings

2 2/1 File labelled ‘GT3 Miscellaneous Lecture notes, photos etc.’ containing: 2/1/1 Correspondence, press cuttings and invitations relating to Hughes published paper ‘Design and Development of a Gas Turbine Locomotive’ c1962 and subsequent lectures performed, and the paper being awarded the T.A Steward Dyer award 2/1/2 22 page document on English Electric Gas Turbine Locomotive 2/1/3 Biographical notes on J.O.P Hughes 2/1/4 Pages from ‘Diesel Traction’ January 1957 2/1/5 Assorted Locomotive drawings 2/1/6 Charts documenting tractive effort, loco speed etc. 2/1/7 3 hand written sheets of graph paper of loco details 2/1/8 Article from ‘Daily Mail’ Tues July 18 1967 regarding turbo-jet 2/1/9 Hand written address to the Rugby Engineering Society 2/1/10 Railway Magazine, synopsis, ‘The Gas Turbine Locomotive GT3 2/1/11 Photograph of Duke of Gloucester Loco 2/1/12 General Requirements for the Gas Turbine Electric Locomotive for the Canadian National Railways and Canadian Pacific Railway 2/1/13 Interested Railway Administrations 2/1/14 1 sheet of hand written notes 2/1/15 First draft of ‘English Electric Company’s Gas Turbine Locomotive’ 2/1/16 Typed document titled ‘Turbine Design’ 2/1/17 Envelope containing Locomotive report, Memo dated 12/04/63 from D. Brown to Hughes detailing sequence of response of turbine; letter 01/12/61 from Metalastik; Letter 09/10/61 to Hughes from ENV Engineering Co, Estimated performance of English Electric Company’s Gas Turbine Locomotive 22/11/57 2/1/18 Magazine, ‘The Oil Engine and Gas Turbine’ Mid April 1962

2/2 7 assorted photographs of GT3 incl. Photo of visit from Malayan Minister of Transport in 1961

2/3 Booklet, British-Built Gas Turbine Locomotive

2/4 English Electric, 4-6-0 Locomotive, Analysis of the first and third reduction transmission gears

2/5 BR Report, Performance and Efficiency tests, Southern Region, 1954

2/6 1 Photograph of wheels

2/7 1 Photograph of drawing of engine

2/8 Folder titled ‘GT3 Relevant Papers and Photos – Models drawings etc.’ containing: 2/8/1 2 small Locomotive diagrams 2/8/2 2 large folded Locomotive diagrams 2/8/3 Original draft and 3 further copies of document detailing resistance and acceleration 2/8/4 Article, ‘L’Autorail A Turbine A Gaz’ 2/8/5 ASME Article, ‘Self-Propelled Gas Turbine Test Car’ 01/09/1967 2/8/6 2 letters dated 18/08/1968 and 13/06/1969 between Hughes and J.W Hill regarding universal coupling, incl. Paper ‘Flexible drives for Sugar Mills’ by J.W Hill 2/8/7 Booklet, ‘A British Long-Life Gas Turbine of Advanced Design’ reproduced from ‘The Oil Engine and Gas Turbine’ March-April-May 1956 2/8/8 Page from unknown engineering magazine 2/8/9 Compliments slip, LAMA 2/8/10 Slide of chart depicting gradient profile Paddington – Plymouth 2/8/11 Booklet, ‘Mechanical and Physical Properties of Firth-Vickers Heat-Resisting Steels’ 2/8/12 2 Hand-written charts of Locomotive data, incl. Schedule of G.T operating times 2/8/13 1 sheet, ‘S.G. Ni-Resist’ 2/8/14 3 copies of letter dated 01/08/1958 to Mr Coulson 2/8/15 ‘Properties of Austenitic Cast Irons’ 2/8/16 Chart depicting GT power and tractive effort 2/8/17 Chart Depicting Acceleration from Paddington Start 2/8/18 Gradient profile, Paddington – Plymouth 2/8/19 4 sheets of Locomotive data and charts

2/9 5 Photographs of Loco, engine and Rolls-Royce

2/10 Folder containing documents re Gas Turbine Locomotives with electric transmission, some in Russian

2/11 Folder containing assorted Loco drawings and charts

2/12 Envelope containing minutes of meetings with BTC incl. Newspaper article, Christmas card and photographs

2/13 Envelope containing Patent Specification information

2/14 1 loose photograph

2/15 Report, English Electric Co. EM 27P Gas Turbine Heat Exchanger

3 3/1 1 Rolled photograph of engine component

3/2 Envelope labelled GWR containing: 3/2/1 Drawing of gas turbine 4-6-0 loco 3/2/2 Letter dated 02/01/63 to Hughes from Geoffrey Wheeler regarding illustration for ‘Eagle’ Magazine 3/2/3 Letter dated 13/12/62 to John Skinley from Vulcan Foundry regarding drawing of loco 3/2/4 3 Large folded loco drawings 3/2/5 Memo dated 03/08/62 to Hughes from ET Fearlon requesting 2000 article on GT4 3/2/6 Letter dated 19/10/62 to Hughes from JW Innes regarding request for drawings 3/2/7 Letter dated 23/10/62 to Mr Low from Hughes regarding drawings sent to him 3/2/8 2 Photographs of the Duke of Edinburgh inspecting English Electric gas turbine loco on 12/05/61 3/2/9 Letter dated 25/07/62 forwarded to Hughes from the institution of mechanical engineers incl. Editorial from Gas Turbine July-August 62 3/2/10 Report, Investigation into the character and magnitude of loading on torque arm reaction rubbers, June 1962 3/2/11 Assorted charts 3/2/12 Station gradient info 3/2/13 4 Photographs of loco components 3/2/14 Contribution by JOP Hughes to the discussion at the institution of Mechanical Engineers on14/03/67 on the paper ‘Design Development and application of gas turbine engines’ 3/2/15 Institution of Mechanical Engineers, ‘Design, Development and Application of Vehicle Gas Turbine Engines’ to be read on 14/03/67 3/2/16 Reversing System 3/2/17 Letter dated 06/11/61 to Hughes regarding weight of engine 3/2/18 1 sheet of biographical notes 3/2/19 Letter dated 30/05/63 to EB Payne from ET Fearon regarding article by Hughes 3/2/20 Letter dated 24/04/62 to Hughes from LF Hall regarding Hughes’ paper 3/2/21 Letter dated 28/05/62 to Hughes from editorial director of ‘Mechanical Power’ requesting comment on previous issue 3/2/22 Energy losses in the transmission gearbox 3/2/23 Report by Mr Sawyer on future motive power 3/2/24 Drawing of EM27P Engine Vertical Section 3/2/25 Letter dated 13/06/62 to Hughes regarding Hughes Loco not being brought back into service by BR 3/2/26 Stem Lengths for Bi-Metal thermometers 3/2/27 Letter dated 06/06/62 to Hughes from CR Simmons regarding return of photographs 3/2/28 Article, ‘British Gas Turbine Locomotives’ from The Oil Engine and Gas Turbine May 1952 3/2/29 2 drawings of loco engines

3/3 Envelope containing 10 assorted photographs of loco and letter from Daily Express newspaper containing cuttings dated 1961

3 /4 Folder titled ‘Gas Turbine Loco Photo Proofs’ containing assorted photographs of Locomotive and 1 article

3/5 Folder containing: 3/5/1 Miscellaneous Locomotive data 3/5/2 3 Locomotive drawings 3/5/3 Press cutting dated 07/121/66 ‘High Speed Plan – Gas Turbines to halve times’ 3/5/4 Press release, English Electric Gas Turbine on Show 3/5/5 Assorted Locomotive Charts 3/5/6 Notes of Rubber Spring Gear Development for Railways 3/5/7 Report, Electrical System, Gas Turbine Locomotive GT3 3/5/8 Location of Electrical components on the Locomotive 3/5/9 Press cutting ‘Super Train’s Last Stop’ 3/5/10 Booklet, ‘English Electric EM-27P Gas Turbine’ 3/5/11 Report, Fuel System 3/5/12 Report, Reasons for Gas Turbine not starting

3/6 Folder containing address to Rugby Engineering Society

3/7 Envelope labelled ‘Union Pacific’ containing: 3/7/1 4 photographs of Union Pacific Locomotive 3/7/2 2 diagrams on photographic paper of Locomotive 3/7/3 Paper reviewed and accepted for publication ‘An 8500-Horsepower Gas Turbine Locomotive’ 3/7/4 Specification for Gas Turbine Fuel Oils

3/8 Booklet, English Electric Information Bulletin January/February 1961

3/9 Leaflet, ‘An outline of the growth of the locomotive engine and a few early carriages’

3/10 Empty envelope addressed to Hughes from Union Pacific Railway Company

3/11 3 folded Locomotive drawings

3/12 Envelope labelled ‘miscellaneous photos’ containing assorted loco photographs and 1 drawing

3/13 Envelope labelled Rugby Engineering Society containing: 3/13/1 Letter dated 18/12/63 to Hughes from Rugby Eng. Soc. Regarding paper to read before society 3/13/2 Letter dated 08/11/62 to Hughes regarding paper reading 3/13/3 Synopsis of paper 3/13/4 Report, Locomotive controls 3/13/5 Report, English Electric Gas Turbine Locomotive 3/13/6 Report, Locomotive Controls 3/13/7 Report, The Gear change and Power Turbine Brake System 3/13/8 Loco data

3/14 Envelope labelled Lubricants and Gears containing: 3/14/1 Magazine article, Lubrication of Gears, May 1854 3/14/2 Paper, The Short Bearing Approximation for Plain Journal Bearings 3/14/3 Chart showing viscosity of ‘Shell’ turbo oils vs. temperature 3/14/4 Gas Turbine Loco, Summary of Running to 31/12/61 3/14/5 Notes on discussion on ‘Practical Design criteria for high speed bearings’ at the institution of mechanical engineers on 04/04/55

3/15 Exercise book containing loco data incl. Loose sheets and 1 Xmas card

3/16 4-6-0 Locomotive –transmission gear box special fitting instructions

3/17 Leaflet, Baldwin Steam Turbine Electric Locomotive Chesapeake and Ohio Railway on display at RSMA Convention 23-28/06/47

3/18 Letter dated 02/01/64 to Hughes from Company requesting information for annual report

3/19 Report on a visit to the Union Pacific Railroad Co,

3/20 Letter dated 31/01/63 to Hughes from Union Pacific Railroad Co.

3/21 Info on British Railways Board Stephenson Locomotive Society Southern Pacific’s Railtour 23/05/65 incl. Train times etc.

3/22 Miscellaneous Locomotive data and charts