Heljan 1810 BR Gas Turbine 18100 Class in BR Black with Silver Trim (As Built 1951) Locomotive

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British Rail 18100 Gas Turbine Prototype Locomotive
BR black with silver trim (1951 condition)

Proposed Model Specification:

• Five pole motor driving all four axles (two on each bogie) with flywheels
• Powered wheels on outer axles of each bogie
• 21-pin DCC socket with easy access
• Separately fitted wire handrails and sandpipes
• Spoked wheels
• Etched grilles
• Sprung OLEO buffers
• Flush glazing
• NEM coupler pockets
• Lighting: As per 18000. Two warm white headlights at front (lower left and lower right) in direction of travel and one red tail light at rear (lower centre). Including function (DC and DCC) to switch off tail light when hauling a train.
• Warm white Cab lights. Including function to switch on/off.
• Separate engine room lights

The model is based on a unique gas turbine prototype built for BR, but ordered by the GWR in the 1940s. British Rail 18100 was a prototype mainline gas turbine-electric locomotive delivered to British Railways in 1952 by Metropolitan-Vickers of Manchester. It spent the first phase of its working life on the Western Region of British Railways, operating express passenger services from London Paddington to the West of England.

Loco was delivered in BR black with silver trim and carried this throughout its life.
In December 1953, 18100 was withdrawn from service and returned to MV for storage and later rebuilding as Britain’s first 25kV AC overhead electric locomotive, E1000. In this form it acted as the testbed for a new generation of high-voltage electric locos for the West Coast Main Line. After these duties were completed in 1961, E1000 (by now renumbered E2001) was used for various test purposes or stored until it was withdrawn in 1968 and eventually scrapped in 1972.

In terms of size and specification, this loco is similar to gas turbine 18000.