Railton Special: Difference between revisions

*Railton Special*,
later the *Railton Mobil Special*
Railton Special, ; later the Railton Mobil Special
	The Railton Mobil Special on display at the Thinktank Museum, Birmingham.
Overview
Production	1
Designer	Reid Railton
Body and chassis
Body style	streamlined fully enclosed "turtle shell"
Powertrain
Engine	Twin Napier Lion W-12 aero engines
Transmission	Separate drives to front and rear axles
Dimensions
Length	28 ft 8 in (8.74 m)
Width	8 ft (2.4 m)
Height	4 ft 3 in (1.30 m)
Curb weight	over 3 tonnes

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The Railton Special, later rebuilt as the Railton Mobil Special, is a one-off motor vehicle designed by Reid Railton and built for John Cobb's successful attempts at the land speed record in 1938.

It is currently on display at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, England.^[1]

Design

The vehicle was powered by two supercharged Napier Lion VIID (WD) W-12 aircraft engines.^[2] These engines were the gift of Marion 'Joe' Carstairs, who had previously used them in her powerboat Estelle V.^[3] Coupled together, these two engines made 2,700 hp (2,013 kW) @ 3,600 rpm, and 3,939 lb⋅ft (5,341 N⋅m) of torque. Multiple engines was not a new technique, having already been used by the triple-engined White Triplex and the Railton Special's contemporary rival, Captain Eyston's twin-engined Thunderbolt. With the huge powers thus available, the limitation was in finding a transmission and tyres that could cope. Reid Railton found a simple and ingenious solution to this by simply splitting the drive from each engine to a separate axle, giving four wheel drive.

The vehicle weighed over 3 tonnes and was 28 ft 8 in (8.74 m) long, 8 ft (2.4 m) wide and 4 ft 3 in (1.30 m) high. The front wheels were 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) apart and the rear 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m). The National Physical Laboratory's wind tunnel was used for testing models of the body.^[4]

Land speed record

On 15 September 1938, the Railton Special took the land speed record from Thunderbolt at 353.30 mph (568.58 km/h), also being the first to break the 350 mph (560 km/h) barrier. Eyston re-took the record within 24 hours (357.50 mph / 575.34 km/h), holding it again until Cobb took it a year later on 23 August 1939 at a speed of 369.70 mph (594.97 km/h).

Further development

After the Second World War further development and sponsorship by Mobil Oil led to renaming as the Railton Mobil Special. It was the first ground vehicle to break 400 mph (640 km/h) in a measured test. On 16 September 1947 John Cobb averaged 394.19 mph (634.39 km/h) over the measured mile in both directions (385.6 & 403.1) to take the world land speed record, before the American Goldenrod set a new mark for piston-engined, wheel-driven LSR cars eighteen years later.

Notes

^ Accession number: 1955S00519.00001
^ 400 MPH on Land, Motor 24 September 1947 reproduced in Compiled by R M Clarke (17 September 2000). The Land Speed Record 1940-1962. Brooklands Books. ISBN 1-85520-516-5.
^ Charles Jennings (2005). The Fast Set. Abacus. ISBN 0-349-11596-6.
^ Paul Clifton, The Fastest Men on Earth: The Men and Cars That Smashed the World Land Speed Record, London: Herbert Jenkins, 1964

References

"The fastest car in the world". Birmingham Stories. Archived from the original on 13 May 2006.
"Railton Mobil Special". Thrust SCC.
"World's fastest car makes its slowest journey to new home". ThinkTank. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007.
"Railton Special at Brooklands, probably in 1938". brooklandsarchives.com.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
"Railton Special at Brooklands, probably in 1938". brooklandsarchives.com.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{italic title}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
+{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
 {{Infobox automobile
-| image =[[File:Railton Special from rear and side with the shell lifted.JPG|220px|The Railton Mobil Special on display at the Thinktank museum in Birmingham with the shell raised above the rest of the car]]
+| image =Railton Special with the shell lifted march 2015.JPG
-| name =Railton Special, <br>later the Railton Mobil Special
+| caption = The ''Railton Mobil Special'' on display at the [[Thinktank, Birmingham|Thinktank Museum, Birmingham]].
+| name = ''Railton Special'', <br>later the ''Railton Mobil Special''
-| production =one-off
+| production =1
 | body_style =streamlined fully enclosed "turtle shell"
 | layout =
 | platform =
-| engine =Twin [[W12 engine|W12-block]] [[Napier Lion]] [[aero engine]]s
+| engine =Twin [[Napier Lion]] W-12 [[aero engine]]s
 | transmission =Separate drives to front and rear axles
 | wheelbase =
@@ Line 13: / Line 17: @@
 | height = {{convert|4|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}}
 | weight =over 3 tonnes
-| fuel_capacity =
 | designer =[[Reid Railton]]
 }}
-[[File:Railton Mobil Special Lledo toy.JPG|thumb|right|Modern [[Lledo]] toy of the Railton Mobil Special]]
+[[File:Railton Mobil Special Lledo toy.JPG|thumb|right|Modern [[Lledo]] toy of the ''Railton Mobil Special'']]
-The '''Railton Special''', later rebuilt as the '''Railton Mobil Special''', is a one-off [[motor vehicle]] built for [[John Cobb (motorist)|John Cobb]]'s successful attempts at the [[land speed record]].
+The '''''Railton Special''''', later rebuilt as the '''''Railton Mobil Special''''', is a one-off [[motor vehicle]] designed by [[Reid Railton]] and built for [[John Cobb (motorist)|John Cobb]]'s successful attempts at the [[land speed record]] in 1938.
+It is currently on display at [[Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum]], England.<ref>Accession number: 1955S00519.00001</ref>
-It was powered by two [[supercharged]] [[W12 engine|W12-block]] [[Napier Lion]] VIID (WD) aircraft engines.<ref name="engines" >400 MPH on Land, ''Motor'' September 24, 1947 reproduced in {{cite book
+==Design==
+[[File:Railton Special 1947 (RM avec John Cobb à 634.39 kmh).jpg|thumb|]]
+The vehicle was powered by two [[supercharged]] [[Napier Lion VIID (WD)]] [[W12 engine|W-12]] aircraft engines.<ref name="engines" >400 MPH on Land, ''Motor'' 24 September 1947 reproduced in {{cite book
   |title=The Land Speed Record 1940-1962
   |publisher=Brooklands Books
   |author=Compiled by R M Clarke
+  |date=17 September 2000
-  |isbn=1-85520-516-5
+ |isbn=1-85520-516-5
-}}</ref> These engines were the gift of [[Betty Carstairs|Betty 'Joe' Carstairs]], who had previously used them in her powerboat [[Estelle V]].<ref name="Jennings, Fast Set" >{{cite book
+}}</ref> These engines were the gift of [[Marion Barbara "Joe" Carstairs|Marion 'Joe' Carstairs]], who had previously used them in her powerboat ''Estelle V''.<ref name="Jennings, Fast Set" >{{cite book
   |title=The Fast Set
   |author=Charles Jennings
@@ Line 30: / Line 38: @@
   |publisher=Abacus
   |year=2005
-}}</ref> Multiple engines was not a new technique, having already been used by the triple-engined [[White Triplex]] and the Railton Special's contemporary rival, [[Captain Eyston]]'s twin-engined [[Thunderbolt (car)|Thunderbolt]]. With the huge powers thus available, the limitation was in finding a transmission and tyres that could cope. [[Reid Railton]] found a simple and ingenious solution to this by simply splitting the drive from each engine to a separate axle, giving four wheel drive.
+}}</ref> Coupled together, these two engines made {{cvt|2700|hp|0}} @ 3,600 rpm, and {{cvt|3939|lbft|0}} of torque. Multiple engines was not a new technique, having already been used by the triple-engined [[White Triplex]] and the ''Railton Special'''s contemporary rival, [[Captain Eyston]]'s twin-engined [[Thunderbolt (car)|''Thunderbolt'']]. With the huge powers thus available, the limitation was in finding a transmission and tyres that could cope. [[Reid Railton]] found a simple and ingenious solution to this by simply splitting the drive from each engine to a separate axle, giving four wheel drive.
+[[File:John Cobb en 1939.jpg|thumb|The Railton Special and [[John Cobb (racing driver)|John Cobb]] in the cockpit]]
-On 15 September 1938, the Railton Special took the [[land speed record]] from [[Thunderbolt (car)|Thunderbolt]] at {{convert|353.30|mi/h|km/h|2|abbr=on}}, also being the first to break the {{convert|350|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} barrier. Eyston re-took the record within 24&nbsp;hours (357.50&nbsp;mph / 575.34&nbsp;km/h), holding it again until  Cobb took it a year later on 23 August 1939 at a speed of {{convert|369.70|mi/h|km/h|2|abbr=on}}.
+The vehicle weighed over 3 tonnes and was {{Convert|28|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}} long, {{Convert|8|ft|m|abbr=on}} wide and {{Convert|4|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}} high.  The front wheels were {{Convert|5|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} apart and the rear {{Convert|3|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}. The [[National Physical Laboratory (United Kingdom)|National Physical Laboratory's]] [[wind tunnel]] was used for testing models of the body.<ref>Paul Clifton, ''The Fastest Men on Earth: The Men and Cars That Smashed the World Land Speed Record'', London: Herbert Jenkins, 1964</ref>
+==Land speed record==
-After the Second World War further development and sponsorship by [[Mobil Oil]] led to renaming as the 'Railton Mobil Special'. It was the first ground vehicle to break {{convert|400|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} in a measured test. On September 16, 1947 John Cobb averaged {{convert|394.19|mi/h|km/h|2|abbr=on}} over the measured mile in both directions to take the world land speed record.
+On 15 September 1938, the ''Railton Special'' took the [[land speed record]] from [[Thunderbolt (car)|''Thunderbolt'']] at {{convert|353.30|mi/h|km/h|2|abbr=on}}, also being the first to break the {{convert|350|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} barrier. Eyston re-took the record within 24&nbsp;hours (357.50&nbsp;mph / 575.34&nbsp;km/h), holding it again until Cobb took it a year later on 23 August 1939 at a speed of {{convert|369.70|mi/h|km/h|2|abbr=on}}.
+==Further development==
-It weighed over 3 tonnes and was {{Convert|28|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}} long, {{Convert|8|ft|m|abbr=on}} wide and {{Convert|4|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}} high.  The front wheels were {{Convert|5|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} apart and the rear {{Convert|3|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}. The [[National Physical Laboratory (United Kingdom)|National Physical Laboratory's]] [[wind tunnel]] was used for testing models of the body.<ref>Paul Clifton, ''The Fastest Men on Earth: The Men and Cars That Smashed the World Land Speed Record'', London: Herbert Jenkins, 1964</ref> It was designed by [[Reid Railton]] and is currently on display at the [[Thinktank, Birmingham|Thinktank]] museum in [[Birmingham]], England.
+After the Second World War further development and sponsorship by [[Mobil Oil]] led to renaming as the '''Railton Mobil Special'''. It was the first ground vehicle to break {{convert|400|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} in a measured test. On 16 September 1947 [[John Cobb (racing driver)|John Cobb]] averaged {{convert|394.19|mi/h|km/h|2|abbr=on}} over the measured mile in both directions (385.6 & 403.1) to take the world land speed record, before the American [[Goldenrod (car)|''Goldenrod'']] set a new mark for piston-engined, wheel-driven LSR cars eighteen years later.
 ==Notes==
 {{Reflist}}
+== Further reading ==
+* {{Cite book
+  |title=25 Years at Brooklands Track
+  |last=Beauchamp
+  |first=R.H.
+  |publisher=Regency Press
+  |location=London
+  |year=1984
+  |isbn=0-7212-0619-0
+  |url-access=registration
+  |url=https://archive.org/details/twentyfiveyearsa0000beau
+  }}
 == References ==
+{{Commons category|Railton Special}}
 * {{cite web
-  |url=http://www.birminghamstories.co.uk/story_page.php?id=4&type=fo&page=1&now=0
+ |url         = http://www.birminghamstories.co.uk/story_page.php?id=4&type=fo&page=1&now=0
-  |title=The fastest car in the world
+ |title       = The fastest car in the world
-  |publisher=Birmingham Stories
+ |publisher   = Birmingham Stories
+ |url-status     = dead
+ |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20060513083434/http://birminghamstories.co.uk/story_page.php?id=4&type=fo&page=1&now=0
+ |archive-date = 13 May 2006
 }}
 * {{cite web
@@ Line 53: / Line 81: @@
 }}
 * {{cite web
-  |url=http://www.thinktank.ac/aboutus/press_stories/pressstory2001_07_01_d.htm
+ |url         = http://www.thinktank.ac/aboutus/press_stories/pressstory2001_07_01_d.htm
+ |title       = World's fastest car makes its slowest journey to new home
-  |title=Press release - Railton Mobil Special
-  |publisher=Thinktank
+ |publisher   = ThinkTank
+ |url-status     = dead
-}}
+ |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20070311033822/http://www.thinktank.ac/aboutus/press_stories/pressstory2001_07_01_d.htm
-* {{cite web |publisher=[[Brooklands photo archive]]
+ |archive-date = 11 March 2007
-  |title=Railton Special at Brooklands
-  |url=http://www.brooklandsarchives.com/Gallery_N2/target36.html
-  |date=probably 1938
-}}
-* {{cite web |publisher=[[Brooklands photo archive]]
-  |title=Railton Special at Brooklands
-  |url=http://www.brooklandsarchives.com/Gallery_N2/target37.html
-  |date=probably 1938
 }}
+* {{cite web
+ |publisher = brooklandsarchives.com
+ |title     = Railton Special at Brooklands, probably in 1938
+ |url       = http://www.brooklandsarchives.com/Gallery_N2/target36.html
+}}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
+* {{cite web
+ |publisher = brooklandsarchives.com
+ |title     = Railton Special at Brooklands, probably in 1938
+ |url       = http://www.brooklandsarchives.com/Gallery_N2/target37.html
+}}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
+==See also==
+*[[Land speed record]]
+{{Thinktank, Birmingham}}
 [[Category:Vehicles designed by Reid Railton]]
 [[Category:Vehicles powered by Napier Lion engines]]
 [[Category:Wheel-driven land speed record cars]]
+[[Category:1938 in motorsport]]
+[[Category:Cars powered by aircraft engines]]
+[[Category:Collection of Thinktank, Birmingham]]

v t e Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum
Building	Millennium Point
Collection	LMS 6235 City of Birmingham Lanchester petrol-electric car Murray's Hypocycloidal Engine Railton Special Smethwick Engine Woolrich Electrical Generator