The prototype Brown-Boveri Gas Turbine-Electric No. 18000 was just one of several attempts to find viable alternatives to steam haulage on Britain's railways. Built in 1949 it remained in service until withdrawn in 1960 and put in store and then went back to Switzerland. It was later stored in the open at Vienna and then came back to the UK and its remains are now preserved at Didcot.
Initially rostered to duties between Paddington and Plymouth from the early 1950s, 18000 subsequently worked the Bristol road but spent many lengthy periods at Swindon with combustion chamber problems. This is an early picture with 18000 in its original pre-1957 livery of black with silver band as it waits to depart for Paddington.

© Raymond McCarthy. Eddie Johnson Archive