University Collaboration 

As part of our aims to not just to restore 21c11 / 35011 to original condition, we also endeavour to promote education in technology and engineering associated with the preservation and restoration of heritage steam. As part of planned programme, we are delighted to be working with students and academics from both the Loughborough University and the University of Birmingham. The three current projects are shown below and we shall when possible after their peer review publish the results and findings.

This collaboration benefits the GSNLRS with access to the latest design and development technologies whilst providing students with suitable 'real life' projects and gain an insight into historical engineering design practices and hertitage steam. 

We are delighted that a number of the students have also joined the Society and are keen to take a wider hands on (when Covid-19 restrictions allow) role in the engineering aspects of the restoration of 21c11 / 35011. 

University of Birmingham

In conjunction with the University of Birmingham, we are running a project looking at the mechanics of the motion of our locomotive, focussing on the crank axle and chain-driven valve gear, using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). CFD and FEA are tools that are widely used throughout industry to explore designs and conduct virtual testing, for example by Formula 1 teams or Rolls-Royce.

For more details and when avalable the outcomes from the University of Birmingham project click here.

Loughborough University

We are running two projects with the Loughborough University looking at the internal and external aerodynamics of a Merchant Navy, using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to place our locomotive in a virtual wind tunnel. Our goal with these projects is to explore conditions in the smokebox and the exhaust clearance, with the possibility of making improvements on the design.

For more details and when avalable the outcomes from the Loughborough University projects click here.

We thank the staff, academics and students at both establishments for their time, work and enthusiasm; the results of which will be directly beneficial in the successful restoration of 21c11 / 35011 General Steam Navigation.