Events

WWII Rolls Royce and Churchill's Railway Transport

Friday 24 April 2020

This event has been postponed.

The East Midlands Region of the Battlefields Trust has arranged with the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust to revisit their fascinating collection, showing the development of aero engines in the 20th Century, particularly those for military use.

The Centre contains a large number of aviation artefacts, models and engines including the Eagle, Hawk, Kestrel and the iconic Merlin. A recent addition is the LIFT propulsion unit for the Lightning II fighter. The cockpit of a Canberra bomber is accessible. Marine gas turbine propulsion units are also on display.

After the tour, we will proceed on foot for less than a mile to the original Rolls-Royce factory site. The only remaining part of the works is the ‘Marble Hall’ which is a Listed Building of historic importance. It contains the company’s former board room, which lay at the creative heart of developing power for wartime aircraft and even the Meteor Tank engine. At this point there will be a description of the whole factory site, details of the only bombing by a ‘lone wolf’ Dornier and the reasons given why the Luftwaffe failed to halt production in Derby.

Afterwards there will be an optional afternoon visit to view Churchill’s wartime railway transport, in a London Midland Scottish Railway coach (Saloon 45000). This year a brand-new steam locomotive, ‘the Unknown Warrior, is being built in the West Shed. The site is 17 miles away from Derby, near Ripley (the Midland Railway Centre), in the West Shed which is owned by the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust.

There is no charge for Battlefields Trust members, as the two Centres are free. Non-members will be asked for a £5 donation to support the work of the Trust. .

Meet at 10 45 to allow time to park for a 11 00 entry
Meet at the Rolls Royce Heritage Centre (Light Alloy Foundry), Osmaston Road, Derby DE24 8 AE.

Rolls-Royce need to know the number of visitors at least one month beforehand. Location maps and access details will be supplied on request to organiser Don Smith (contact details below). Directions for the optional West Shed visit will be given after the Derby tour.