Memo from Mr Saxton to Mr Chapman, Armstrong Siddeley Motors: gas turbine engined...

Some months ago I mentioned to Dr Roxbee-Cox, that we were anxious to expand our gas turbine activities should the occasion present itself. Yesterday, we were visited by Mr Tobin, personal assistant to Mr Roxbee-Cox, with a view to seeing if we would be willing to design and build a prototype locomotive gas turbine based upon the Python engine, but using a cycle which would permit the use of pulverised solid fuel. The Ministry of Fuel and Power are particularly anxious that companies such as ours should assist as they have found that deliveries quoted by heavy industry are so long as to be very disturbing. Mr Tobin was very anxious that he could give Dr Roxbee-Cox some indication of the prototype cost and we indicated that based upon the Python engine, and leaving out of consideration the provision of the special combustor and heat exchanger, the price would be to the order of £50,000