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scallopboy

Silent film

The proof-of-concept test track that was built in 1930 for the George Bennie Railplane at Milngavie, just outside Glasgow, Scotland. The Railplane was almost a monorail, with the car being suspended from one rail while wheels underneath ran on a stabilizer rail to prevent the car from oscillating from side to side. The full title of the system was "The George Bennie Airspeed Railway" (GBAR). The propulsion method was what differentiated it from other monorails: at each end of the car was a four-bladed propeller, driven by an electric motor.

The Railplane was intended to combine the advantages of aircraft and railway technology. The system was intended to achieve speeds in excess of 100mph: but 30 years earlier, Siemens had already achieved 131mph on a standard-gauge railway test track using 3-phase electric motors. Admittedly that track had been dead straight: but so was the Milngavie track.

The article remarked that the propellers didn't even need to be stopped when the car was brought to a standstill: they could be left churning, and as soon as the brakes were released the car would surge forward. But since the propellers were of fixed pitch, they'd still be applying full forward force, and it would be like pressing on the gas pedal and the brake pedals at the same time!

With a propeller at each end, coupling cars into a train would be difficult, but the inventor was said to have come up with a flexible coupling that would link the propeller shafts together. No mention was made of control cables: I suppose that they would have to go through the centre of hollow prop shafts.

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dickyhart · Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 5:39 am Post subject:

excellent stuff, excellent find,

poor old george bennie, a great idea
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fatweegee · Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:46 pm Post subject:

Pity this thread isn't longer - the subject has always had me awestruck. I remember reading some of the support structures where still standing fairly long after the trials.

Stuball · Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:57 pm Post subject:

You are welcome to make it longer... tell us any facts or information you know :)

I do believe the site is still vacant or was the last time I was up that direction and there is a plaque on the wall
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samscafeamericain · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 9:43 am Post subject:

Alycidon · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 2:33 pm Post subject:

There are some good websites showing pictures of the Railplane, particularly this one http://dewi.ca/trains/bennie/site.html which has colour photographs of the structure
Based on the phoptographs I reckon it ran along the line in red on this google satellite view. The bus garage shown on one of the photographs has been flattened but can still be made out on the ground.

Jim

Stuball · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 4:34 pm Post subject:

darrel · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 5:51 pm Post subject:

one of the local libraries Kirkintilloch i think. produced a book about it a couple of years ago don't know if they have any left but worth getting a hold of one. lots of good photos and the full history of the railplane
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Doog Doog · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:16 pm Post subject:

A friend of mine runs a small transport book business,which also includes videos & dvds. I've bought 2 in a series of archive railway videos.
There is a peice of footage on 'Railways of Scotland: vol.6 Glasgow (part 1).
I loaned it to a friend who moved down south without returning it!

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