Locomotive Performance and Efficiency Test Bulletins (British Transport Commission)
These important sources of information typify "grey literature", and were technical reports produced for a limited circulation, but large sections were reproduced in the technical press and eventually copies appeared on the shelves of what was then the Patent Office Library. Ottley eventually listed them in the Second Supplement (numbers given). The earlier ones got into Jones. The authorship couild be given as British Railways or the Railway Executive. The publisher was the British Transport Commission. The title used is that given in British Transport Commission advertisements when they sold for 10 shillings per Bulletin. Information on the diesel tests comes via a NRM pdf file and via British National Bibliography online. Clearly some remain missing.
Western Region "Hall" class 2 cyl.4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotive. 1951. [1],14, [35] sheets. 2 illus., 46 diagrs (incl. s. & f. els.) (Performance and efficiency tests with exhaust steam injector. Bulletin No.1).
Eastern and North Eastern Regions
"B1" class 2 cyl. 4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotive. 1951. 55 sheets, 2
illus., 40 diagrs., 4 tables. (Performance & efficiency
tests with exhaust steam injector. Bulletin No. 2).
Rugby test plant and road tests.
London Midland Region class 4 2 cylinder 2-6-0 mixed traffic locomotive. 1951. [41,7, [50] sheets. 65 diagrs. (incl. s. & f. els.), 3 tables. (Performance and efficiency tests with live steam injector. Bulletin No.3).
British Railways standard.class 4 2 cyl. 4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotive. [3] ,9, [37] sheets. 2 illus., 44 diagrs. (incl. s. & f. els.), 2 tables. (Performance and efficiency tests with live steam injector. Bulletin No. 4.)
British Railways standard-class 7 2 cyl., 4-6-2 mixed traffic
locomotive. [3], 11, [39] sheets. 2 illus., 48 diagrs. (incl. s. &
f. els.), 3 tables. (Performance and efficiency tests
with exhaust steam injector. Bulletin No. 5).
Metcalfe (page
127) noted that K type exhaust steam injector produced
water saving of 6% and coal consuption saving of from 6½% to 9%
depending upon rate of working.
British Railways standard-class 5 2 cyl. 4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotive. 1953. [iv] , 12, [48] sheets. 2 illus., 61 diagrs. (incl. s. & f. els.) 3 tables. (Performance and efficiency tests with exhaust steam injector. Bulletin No. 6).
War Department 2-10-0 and 2-8-0 freight locomotives. 1953. [5], 7,
[55] sheets. 6 illus., 71 diagrs. (incl. 2 s. & f. els.), 3 tables.
(Performance and efficiency tests with live steam injector.
Bulletin No. 7),
Jones listed as above (and he either ssaw them or a description in
Railway Engineering Abstracts): Ottley 15799 uses "W.D" rather than "War
Department"
E. & N.E. Regions V2 class 3 cyl. 2-6-2 mixed traffic locomotive.
1953. 44 un-numbered typescript sheets. 2 illus., 32 diagrs., (incl. s. &
f. els.), 3 tables. (Performance and efficiency tests with exhaust steam
injector Bulletin No.8).
Results of controlled road tests.
Southern Region 1 Co-Co 1, 1750 H.P. main line diesel electric locomotive. (Performance and efficiency tests Bulletin No. 9)
Southern Region "Merchant Navy" class 3 cyl., 4-6-2 mixed traffic locomotive. 1954. (2) , 12, (33) sheets. 47 diagrs., (incl. s. & f. els.), table. (Performance and efficiency tests. Bulletin No.10).
English Electric Type 1 1000 H.P. Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotive No.
D8000. 1959. (Performance and efficiency tests. Bulletin No 11)
British Railways standard 3 cyl. 4-6-2 express passenger steam locomotive No. 71000. 1957. [iv], 29, [58] p. + front. + 5 plates. 5 illus., 59 diagrs. (incl. s. & f. els.)., 5 tables. (Performance and efficiency tests. Bulletin No. 15).
1 Co-Co 1 2000 HP main line diesel-electric locomotive No. 10203. (Performance and efficiency tests. Bulletin No 16)
English Electric "Deltic" 3300 HP Co-Co diesel-electric locomotive. (Performance and efficiency tests. Bulletin No. 19).
A.E.I./Sulzer type 2 1160h.p. B.B. diesel electric locomotive No. D 5008. 1960. 17pp. (Performance and efficiency tests. Bulletin No. 21).
FILE: Intro to BR Performance and Efficiency Test Bulletins.doc British Railways Performance and Efficiency Test Bulletins British Railways, between 1950 and 1960, carried out a number of tests on different classes of steam and diesel locomotives. The results of each series of tests were written up and issued as a public document in the form of a Bulletin, published by the British Transport Commission. These varied in size from around 40 to 70 pages. The Bulletins that I am aware of are listed in the table below. Each Bulletin contained an introductory number of pages outlining the objectives of the tests, any peculiarities that were discovered, any shortcomings in the locomotives that needed to be addressed before the tests could be continued, details of the locomotive tested and the fuel it was run on. There were usually some pages devoted to photographs and diagrams of the locomotive giving its principal dimensions, characteristics, etc. The major part of the Bulletins were graphs and tables giving details of the results of the tests. In the case of the steam locomotives they were first put through tests on the Swindon or Rugby Stationary Test Plant to obtain steaming rates (up to the Front End Limit) in relation to coal and water consumption, and the indicated horse power over a range of rates of working. The data obtained was then used to establish the conditions to be used for a series of main line Controlled Road Tests. In these the locomotive was loaded to suit the test being carried out and then operated over an extended period (up to around an hour) at a constant steaming rate; the cut-off being altered, in relation to the speed, so that the steam consumption rate was constant. This sometimes had interesting consequences when a test train met adverse signals, the brakes had to be applied, and the cut-off lengthened to suit the slower speed. Most tests were carried out using the type of coal that they would normally have used in everyday service so that the results were not adversely, or favourably, skewed. In some cases (such as the BR Standard classes) they were tested on more than one type of coal since they might be required to work almost anywhere on the BR system. The three types of coal used in the tests, all bituminous “steam” coals, came from the following mines:- 1) Bedwas – Bedwas Navigation. Located in the Rhymney Valley, 8 miles from Newport in South Wales. Closed in 1985. See www.bedwascolliery.co.uk for details. 2) Blidworth – Blidworth Colliery. Located 5 miles east of Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. Closed in 1984. See http://blidworthhistoricalsociety.co.uk/1780.html for details. 3) South Kirkby – South Kirkby Colliery. Located in south Yorkshire. Closed in 1988. See www.mike-duffy.me.uk/south_kirkby_colliery.htm for details. In the case of the diesel locomotives the tests were largely to determine their actual characteristics in relation to the design requirements, the operation of the engine and electrical equipment, engine efficiency, fuel consumption, etc. and how well, in practice, they were able to operate to the proposed timetables that had been determined from the design characteristics. If anybody can add to this list of Bulletins I would be most interested to receive details. Alan Bailey awbailey@xtra.co.nz February 2012 FILE: Intro to BR Performance and Efficiency Test Bulletins.doc List of British Railways Performance and Efficiency Test Bulletins Bulletin No. Date Loco type Wheel arrangement Notes 1 May 1951 GWR Hall Class 4-6-0 2 Aug 1951 LNER B1 Class 4-6-0 3 Oct 1951 LMSR Class 4 2-6-0 4 Jan 1952 BR Std Class 4 2-6-0 5 April 1952 BR Std Class 7 4-6-2 “Britannia” class 6 May 1953 BR Std Class 5 4-6-0 7 Aug 1953 WD freight 2-8-0 & 2-10-0 8 March 1953 LNER V2 Class 2-6-2 9 Nov 1952 SR 1750 HP DE 1 Co-Co 1 Loco No. 10202 10 Jan 1954 SR Bulleid Merchant Navy 4-6-2 In original condition. 11 April 1959 EE Type 1 1000HP DE Bo-Bo Original Class 20 12 March 1960 BTH Paxman Type 1, 800HP Bo-Bo Original Class 15 13 July 1959 BR Std Class 9F 2-10-0 14 Not known Brush Type 2 1250 HP DE A1A-A1A Original Class 31 15 1957 BR Std Class 8, No 71000 4-6-2 “Duke of Gloucester” 16 1955 SR 2000 HP DE 1 Co-Co 1 Loco No. 10203 (an up-rated version of loco No. 10202 above). 17 Not known Not known 18 Not known Not known 19 1958 ? EE 3300 HP DE Co-Co Prototype “Deltic” 20 1958 SR Bulleid Merchant Navy 4-6-2 In rebuilt condition. 21 1959 BR/AEI/Sulzer Type 2 Bo-Bo