Appendix B
16.2.56.
MEMORANDUM TO THE TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT & RESEARCH COMMITTEE
MULTIPLE UNIT DIESEL TRAINS,
D. WICKHAM & CO. LTD
The above firm holds orders for five 2-car sets from the bulk orders for diesel multiple unit trains authorised under W.&.E. Committee Min.288, item 46. These sets, while of the firm's own design as regards bodies, will have the standard B.U.T. power equipments (two 150 H.P. engines per motor car) and Wilson gearbox transmissions. They will also have bogies of conventional type. The estimated weights are 27 tons for the motor car and 20 tons for the trailer.
We have now been approached by the firm with proposals for a more novel design having the following features :-
| Power Unit | Single 220 H.P. Rolls Royce engine per motor car. | |
| Transmission | Wickham's own design of 4-speed epicyclic gearbox electro-magnetically controlled drive on both axles of one bogie. | |
| Bogies | Wheels having independent rotation - fitted with differentials in the case of the power bogies. Resilient wheels. Novel design of bogie frame and springing, avoiding rubbing surfaces. Disc brakes. | |
| Body | Same lightweight design as for present order. |
The firm claims by these means to be able to produce the motor car at a tare weight of 22 tons and the trailer at 17 tons, 39 tons in all, as against 47 tons for the 2-car units already ordered giving with the single 220 H.P. engine a power/weight ration of only slightly less than in the case of the more conventional units.
If succesful, the advantages of the project would be reduced fuel and maintenance costs for given duties.
The firm suggest that an order should be placed with them for a prototype motor car in the first place, on which they would carry the costs of development and jigs and tools. The cost to us would be £14,000 as compared with £21,970, the cost of the conventional type of motor car for which they already hold our order. They would undertake to replace free of charge any parts found defective through design, material or workmanship for a period of one year.
We have examined this design so far as it has proceeded and have discussed the matter with the Managing Director of the firm. The transmission and bogies have not yet been developed far enough to support a firm opinion on their effectiveness which could only properly be established by actual tests on the line.
Because of the nature of the transmission, the motor car design as above would not couple up with any of the standard trailer cars having B.U.T. equipment, in order to form a 2-car unit suitable for ordinary traffic purposes, and the firm would undertake to construct a suitable trailer coach for running in conjunction with their experimental motor car for a further £11,000.
(Cont'd)