Pic 1 - Coloured illustrations in Ruston publications are rare. It shows an impressive view of the TA gas turbines (five driving air compressors and three coupled to alternators) at the new sewage treatment plant in 1959, at the Northern Outfall Works plant for the then London County Council, Beckton, Essex, where they gave many years’ service before being replaced in 1980, or shortly thereafter, by two updated gas turbines which are believed to be Mark TB or TD. RGT provided a permanent turbine engineer at this site to service these machines.
Just after World War Two in the late 1940s, the famed engineering concern of Ruston Hornsby and Co. Ltd., decided on a bold move to diversify from their usual oil engines that appeared in many sizes and configurations, that included diesel locos for mines, locos for shunting, works, and port duties, and the other machinery for which they were well known worldwide.
At this time, Ruston had a number of far sighted and progressive men in cha
