Category Archives: 5AT

Shaun McMahon: 1964 – 2022

Shaun McMahon began his railway career on the Ffestiniog Railway, joining the permanent staff there as a trainee technician engineer in 1984 when Phil Girdlestone was Works Manager.  Thus began a working relationship between the two of them that continued up until the time of Phil’s death in 2016. Shaun moved from the FR to […]

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Locomotive Boilers for the Twenty-First Century

Locomotive Boilers for the Twenty-First Century by Alan Haigh Xpress Publishing, UK, 2010, ISBN 978-1-901056-47-1, 64 pages 297 x 210mm. Alan Haigh began an apprenticeship in 1954 with Robert Hudson Ltd, a manufacturer of railway rollingstock and mining equipment.  In 1962, following national service in the RAF, he joined the Wakefield boilermaking firm of Spurr, […]

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Valve Gear Simulation by Dr. Allan Wallace PhD Mech Eng

Dr Allan Wallace (PhD in mechanical engineering and fluid mechanics) runs his own engineering consulting company Avocet Consulting Pty Ltd in Adelaide, South Australia, that specialises in solving unusual and difficult engineering problems. Allan has undertaken several railway-related projects including the design of specialized rail freight wagons. Like Richard Coleby, Allan is an enthusiastic builder […]

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Fuels and Emissions

Other Downloadable Reference Material relating to Steam Traction, Fuels etc McCammon B., “Review of Carbon Neutral Fuels with Potential for Use in Modern Steam Locomotives” , an unpublished paper prepared specifically for the 5AT Project. Coal – Resources and Future Production published by the Energy Watch Group in March 2007. Porta, L.D., “The Contribution of […]

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Manufacturers and Operators

Manufacturers and Operators of Modern Steam Locomotives Engineers and Manufacturers of Modern Steam Steam Locomotive Design: http://www.steam-loco-design.co.uk/; contact ian.gaylor@steam-loco-design.co.uk Girdlestone & Associates: http://www.pgrail.co.za/; contact pgrail@venturenet.co.za Shaun McMahon: contact engineer@arnet.com.ar; see also http://www.martynbane.co.uk/modernsteam/smcmahon/smcmahon.htm Nigel Day: contact Nigelsteamday@aol.com [see brochure]; see also http://www.martynbane.co.uk/modernsteam/nday/nigeldayhome.htm DLM: http://www.dlm-ag.ch/; contact Roger Waller at roger.waller@dlm-ag.ch Vapor Locomotive Company: www.vaporlocomotive.com; contact Matt Janssen […]

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Presentations on Modern Steam

Presentations on Modern Steam Numerous presentations have been made relating to the 5AT Project.  Indeed, they continue to be made even after the project’s suspension, since the project is still of interest and significance to anyone interested in steam traction.  Presentations about the 5AT may be found on a separate page which may be found […]

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Steam vs. Diesel Debates

Downloadable Reference Material relating to Steam vs. Diesel Debates Newman, C.J.E., “Considerations relating to costs of ‘Sustainable’ Railway Traction Options“, published in New Zealand Solar Action Bulletin No 88 Oct 2009. Rhodes J., The Economics of Coal as a Locomotive Fuel on US Class 1 Railroads – an independent study project in the Transportation Policy, […]

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Modern Steam Papers

Downloadable Papers and Broadcasts relating to Modern Steam The following is a list of some downloadable papers and broadcasts relating to the subject of Modern Steam. Solar Action Bulletin for Oct 2009 covering the topic of New Zealand Rail which includes three articles by members of the 5AT Planning Group: “Could there be a place […]

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5AT Feasibility Study

The 5AT Feasibility Study The “Feasibility Study regarding the formation of a Steam Locomotive Development Company to produce advanced technology Second Generation Steam (SGS) Locomotives” was issued in May 2010 some nine years after the establishment of the 5AT Project.  It it represented the final throw of the dice by the project team in its […]

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