GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Tyseley Shed: gwrt2640

In the Great Western Railway Magazine (March 1910) this photograph of the gas engine and generator at the new Tyseley Engine Shed, together with the following article regarding the motive power for driving the machinery:

'In designing the depot the idea was to have an outside electric traverser and an inside electric overhead crane to feed the lifting bays. As, however, it was found that the greater portion of the other machinery could be driven economically direct from the gas engine, thereby saving the cost of electric conversion, it was decided that the generator need only be of sufficient power to provide current for the traverser and overhead crane and one or two machines situated some distance away. The gas engine was therefore arranged at one end for direct driving on to the shafting by means of a friction clutch pulley, and at the other end for operating the generator by means of a jaw clutch and flexible coupling, admitting of the generator and machinery being run either separately or together as desired.

The gas engine made by Messrs Fielding & Platt of Gloucester, is a 200 BHP machine of the two cylinder horizontal side by side type and can be run on either Town or suction gas. Although the cranks are in line, the arrangement is for one impulse at each revolution. The generator was supplied by the Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing Co of Bradford. It is one of their open, compound wound, multipolar , direct current type, capable of developing 75 kW (100 BHP) 250 volts. The motors taking current from the generator range from 8 to 40 HP.'

Robert Ferris

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